 | | Halloween Black Widow Bars Recipe |
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Bars
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and hot
1/4 cup peanut butter, preferably chunky variety
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and hot
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
3/4 cup dark chocolate syrup
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Very lightly
grease bottom of 9-inch round baking pan.
Line bottom with parchment or wax paper.
For the bars: In a heatproof mixing bowl,
whisk together melted butter and peanut
butter until smooth. Add brown sugar,
eggs and vanilla, whisking until smooth.
Add flour and baking powder. Stir with
spoon until moistened. Stir in 1 chopped
chocolate chips and scrape bowl well.
Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 25-30
minutes just until tester inserted in center
comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Run
knife around pan edge to loosen. Turn onto cake
plate and remove paper. Cool 30 minutes
before frosting.
For the frosting: In a 4-cup Pyrex measure
or heatproof bowl, combine hot melted butter
with semi-sweet chips. Stir continuously
until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup
of the chocolate syrup. Stir until combined.
Mixture will thicken and become stiff. Add
remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4
cup milk and 1/4 cup chocolate syrup. Stir
until smooth. Allow frosting to stand 2 minutes.
Add remaining 1/4 cup chocolate syrup, adjusting
if too stiff. Frosting should appear smooth
and satiny. Frost top and sides of cake.
Set aside.
For the web decoration: In a small bowl,
combine 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar and
1 tablespoon milk. Stir until smooth,
adding milk until a slightly runny glaze
forms. Spoon into a small decorating bag
fitted with a round writing tip. Alternatively,
pour glaze into a small plastic bag and snip
off the corner to create a tip.
Work quickly; do not allow fudge frosting
to dry. Starting in the center of cake,
using white glaze, pipe circles on top
about 1/2 inch apart. Using cake tester
or wooden pick, lightly drag lines through
the frosting, from outer edges of cake to
center, about 1 inch apart. Decorate with
spiders and cut into small wedges. Store
at room temperature.
Serves 20.
Baker's hint: For an enhanced chunky texture,
add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the bar base before
baking.
Nutrition values per serving: 343 calories,
16 g fat, 51 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber,
4 g protein, 47 mg cholesterol, 51 mg sodium
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