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Tag Archives: Peanut Butter Squares

This time next week I’ll be in Vancouver!

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Fiona in Thoughts, Travel

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Tags

dream big, ellen johnson sir leaf, jamie dornan, last day at work, life quotes, Moving abroad, moving to vancouver, our canadian adventure, passion cake, Peanut Butter Squares, tiffins, travelling, work in canada, work in vancouver

Vancouver at NightIt’s only 3 days until I fly off to Vancouver and I can definitely say that the last two weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions! Since handing my notice in at work, my head has been backwards and forwards wondering if I’ve made the right decision, questioning why I’ve been wanting to try moving to Vancouver for a period of time and second guessing quite a lot. At the same time 2015 has also been scary but exciting, liberating and full of incredible moments spent with loved ones and friends that i have appreciated more than I think I would’ve done if I did not have this trip planned.

I think the worries I’m having at the moment are down to the realisation that this is actually happening! I’ve talked about it for so long and now that I’m actually doing it I’m not quite believing I am going. I also still feel quite underprepared since I have not been taking any time to sit down and do stuff but rather I’ve been having a wonderful time out and about constantly, seeing friends, going for drinks and just spending my time anywhere other than sitting down at home with my computer and mapping out where it is I want to stay and what I will be doing.
I have made some enquiries regarding work and have a few people to meet up with when I arrive which is a positive but the worries such as, will my bank card work ok? Will I be able to find a flat share easily enough? What happens if I get to the border and they don’t let me enter do stop me from feeling as excited as I could be at this point! I suppose this lack of sitting down and planning has meant I haven’t been allowing myself to get as excited as I want to be because I am still clinging on to what I have here and am scared of leaping into the unknown. At the same time, what people keep telling me and what I really do need to keep telling myself is that, I am so fortunate to be doing this, to be able to follow a dream that I have wanted to do for such a long time. Even if I go for 3 months and decide I miss Craig too much or that Vancouver just isn’t for me I can always come back but this experience is one that I can keep with me for the rest of my life and I need to try looking forward and not back.

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Pascale’s Moreish Peanut Treats

10 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by Fiona in Food, Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

chocolate and peanut, Easy delicious recipes, Lorraine Pascale, Peanut Butter Slabs, Peanut Butter Squares, peanut deserts

Lorraine Pascale Peanut Butter Squares

Lorraine Pascale- you can’t help but be jealous- gorgeous and a talented cook, it’s not quite fair really.  I have looked through her books and watched her show  but if I’m completely honest I had yet to try out a recipe. However a couple of weeks ago my lovely friend Ali invited us round for dinner and not only did she cook an incredible chicken noodle dish but she baked pistachio carrot cake and wait for it…chocolate peanut slabs! A perfectionist to the core, Ali’s slabs were cut identically and not only did they look incredible but they tasted it too! The trouble is they are too addictive! Even though they are quite rich, you eat one, say to yourself, wow that was great I couldn’t possibly have another and five minutes later your hand is edging toward the biscuit tin again. I left with a takeaway bag to bring home with me and ended up eating another one on the train ride home! Not good!

A week later an opportunity to make the peanut slabs arose as the choir at work were putting on a cake sale. As tempted as I was to make them prior to this, I did not trust myself with not being able to eat the whole lot if I did, so I was very happy that I had an ‘excuse’ for baking. I was surprised at how simple the recipe is and also a little shocked at how much peanut butter you use but it is most definitely worth it. The ingredients are as follows:

  • 150g/5½oz butter
  • 200g/7oz dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids) or milk chocolate (or a mixture of both)
  • 250g/9oz digestive biscuits
  • 200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
  • 300g/10½oz crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

010 (800x533)

  1. Line a 20cm/8in square tin with baking parchment, leaving some excess paper hanging over the edges (this makes it easier to lift out once set).

011 (800x533) As you can probably see from my picture the tin isn’t quite the right size and therefore the mixture wasn’t as compact as it could have been. I definitely learned from it though and would advise when a recipe asks for a 20cm tin, you better use it! 013 (800x533)2. Blitz the digestive biscuits and brown sugar in a blender or food processor to give fine crumbs.

014 (800x533) 015 (800x533)3. Melt the butter in a large pan over a low heat.

018 (800x533)

4. Snap the chocolate into squares and throw into a small bowl.

020 (800x533)5. Melt in the microwave in 30 second blasts, stirring well between each addition or sit the bowl over a pan over simmering water. Make sure that the bottom of the pan does not touch the water or the chocolate may ‘seize’ and go really grainy and stiff.021 (800x533)6. Tip the crumbs into the melted butter.023 (800x533)7.  Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix together so everything is well combined.025 (800x533)

026 (800x533)8. Tip the mixture into the lined tin and press it down really hard with the back of the spoon. It needs to be really compact and tight. (As you can see my tin is a bit too large so it’s not compact enough but if this happens just keep the mixture as close together as you can)

030 (800x533)9. Then pour over the melted chocolate, tilting the tin back and forth a bit so that the whole thing is evenly covered.

031 (800x533) 10. Pop in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up (or the fridge for an hour).

Then take it out, cut it into squares and get ready to eat!

082 (800x533) I apologise for my pictures on this post, there’s only so much you can do with a peanut slab,  however, the taste most definitely beats how they look and this recipe is one I will be using repeatedly. They went down an absolute treat at work, and the following week I got to try them again as my friend Marie made them!

Lorraine says in her book that she was recipe testing some millionaire’s shortbread and found that she didn’t have enough of the correct ingredients. A family-sized pot of crunchy peanut butter sat in the back of her cupboard, caught her eye and inspired her for these peanut butter squares. Well all I can say to that is thank goodness for peanut butter! I’ll be trying it out myself in more recipes!022

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About Me

Hi I’m Fiona, a twenty something foodie living in London who loves nothing more than cooking, eating, listening to stories and exploring. I created Tea and Takes as a way of bringing my two loves together: food and film.
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