When it comes to Easter candy, what’s your favorite? Are you a jellybean fanatic? Are marshmallow Peeps more your jam? What about those egg-shaped malted milk balls? For me, nothing even compares to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg. Can we just talk about how glorious these things are? It’s like a regular peanut butter cup on steroids. Everyone knows the best part of the peanut butter cup is the peanut butter filling. I don’t know anyone who likes that awful, waxy chocolate. The wonderful part of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg is the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. You get like three times the amount of peanut butter filling, and hardly any of the chocolate coating. My favorite way to eat them is to put them in the fridge first so they get nice and chilled. I first made these peanut butter squares at Christmas time cause I needed one more item to round out the jars of sweets that I was gifting to family. They came together in no time, and holy crap, were they ever good. They’re far superior to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg, and that’s saying a lot. The first time I made these, I dipped them in milk chocolate which I rather prefer. This time, I went with dark chocolate to temper some of the sweetness from the filling, but in my opinion, the milk chocolate just pairs better. White chocolate could be awesome too, if that’s what you like! The cornflakes add a different sort of crunch, almost like a Butterfinger bar.

crispy chocolate peanut butter squares (inspired by Martha Stewart)
makes 32 pieces

1 – 15 oz jar creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 c (125 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbs (2 oz) soft unsalted butter
4 c (135 g) cornflakes cereal
1 # melted chocolate (milk, dark or white)

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and soft butter. Mix on low just to combine the powdered sugar. Turn up to medium-low speed and mix for one minute.

Scrape the bowl and paddle well, and add the cornflakes. Mix on low for 20 seconds and then on medium for 30 seconds. Spread the peanut butter mixture into a small baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper. Make sure the candy goes all the way to the edges, and that the surface is smooth. Freeze for a minimum 1 hour, but the longer, the better.

Melt your chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is warm and melted. Grab the solid frozen candy from the freezer and turn it out onto a cutting board. Peel off the parchment and cut into 32 little squares/rectangles (4 rows, 8 candies per row). Working quickly, use your hands or a few forks to help you dip each piece of frozen candy into the chocolate. Drag the candy across the edge of the bowl to get rid of any excess chocolate, and then lay the candy on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining candy, re-warming the chocolate if it starts to solidify, and popping the un-dipped candy back in the freezer if it starts to get too soft to dip. Feel free to sprinkle the candies with a bit of sea salt, or chocolate sprinkles.

Place the dipped candies into the fridge or freezer to firm up the chocolate. They’ll store just fine at room temperature or in the fridge, in an airtight container, for at least a week (if they last that long!)

It’s the perfect homemade Easter candy for Reese’s lovers everywhere!