Who doesn't love the peanut butter patties girl scout cookies? They are my favorite Girl Scout cookie because of the peanut butter and chocolate combination. However, lately the peanut butter filling amount has really been lacking and not quite satisfying my cravings.
Enter: the peanut butter patty candy bar. This homemade candy bar has a shortbread base, peanut butter cream, and finally, covered in milk chocolate. This candy bar takes all of those delicious components and brings them to a whole new level.
Love all things Girl Scout cookies? Of course you do! I've got caramel delight candy bars and thin mint candy bar recipes, too! Don't forget, during Girl Scout cookie season you can order the cookies online from a local troop.
What kinds of Girl Scout cookies are there?
There are 13 current kinds of Girl Scout cookies in the Girl Scout lineup this year. The most popular Girl Scout cookies are the peanut butter patty, caramel delights, and thin mints.
Girl Scout cookies Tagalongs vs. Peanut Butter Patties
The two differently named cookies are actually the same! The Girl Scout cookies tagalongs name change never happened, because there are two different companies making them. The recipe for peanut butter patty cookies is the same recipe for tagalong cookies. The name depends on who makes the Girl Scout cookies. There are two Girl Scout Cookie companies. Little Brownie Bakers and ABC bakers.
Timeline to make peanut butter patty candy bars
These candy bars come together relatively quickly in terms of all candy bars. It's important to let the shortbread cool long enough in order to not fracturing it when layering the peanut butter cream on top.
Components - peanut butter patty candy bar
- shortbread base
- peanut butter cream filling
- chocolate, fully dipped
Ingredients - shortbread
Mix the shortbread dry ingredients and butter long enough so that it won't crumble. It should resemble damp sand that holds together after you squeeze it in the palm of your hand.
- flour
- sugar
- salt
- butter
- vanilla
Ingredients - peanut butter cream filling
- creamy peanut butter
- butter
- powdered sugar
My top tips for peanut butter patty / tagalong candy bars:
- Heat the peanut butter, butter, and salt up in your mixing bowl until fluid. Next, add the powdered sugar to this mix. A warm bowl helps the powdered sugar mix in. If using a metal mixing bowl, make a double boiler by boiling a pot of water and sticking (NOT SUBMERGING) the mixing bowl in it.
- Press the peanut butter cream into an even layer on top of a parchment lined baking sheet that is the exact size of what you used for the shortbread.Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and use your hands to smooth it out.
- Refrigerate the peanut butter layer while the shortbread is cooling.
- Put a layer of chocolate between the shortbread and peanut butter. The chocolate acts as a glue and will help hold the layers together.
How to make peanut butter patties candy bars
Make shortbread. Cool Completely.
Combine the ingredients to form peanut butter cream.
Let peanut butter set up. After you refrigerate the peanut butter cream, it will be placed it on top of the shortbread layer that is topped with wet chocolate. The wet chocolate acts as a "glue" for the peanut butter and shortbread cookie.
Once layers are combined, cool in the fridge until peanut butter filling has no heat left in it. Take it out of the fridge and make sure you allow bars to come to room temperature before dipping. The bars do not need to be refrigerated after this step.
Cut candy bars into desired size.
Bottom the candy bars in chocolate.
-
- Before bottoming, brush the off with your hand to remove excess crumbs.
- Next, drop the bar in the chocolate but do not submerge it.
- After it sits in the chocolate, use a dipping fork to pick the bar up and place it on the parchment paper.
- Finally, pick up the bar using a dipping fork and place it on parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to set up before handling.
- Clean up sides and lines of chocolate, if desired. This is done by taking a small sharp knife and running it around the long sides of the candy bar to trim excess hardened chocolate, giving the candy bar very clean lines.
Why should I bottom these bars?
Bottoming the candy bars keeps additional crumbs out of your dipping chocolate and it also makes fork dipping easier.
Fully dip candy bars.
Allow chocolate to set before handling again. If you want to make a wave pattern on the top, using your dipping fork to lightly tap the chocolate and pull in an upward motion.
Storage and shelf life- peanut butter patty candy bars
Store bars in an airtight container for up to three months. However, bars may be frozen for up to a year.
Peanut Butter Patty Candy Bars
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- chocolate dipping fork
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 350 grams flour
- 150 grams sugar
- 2 grams salt
- 226 grams butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 24 grams vanilla extract 2 tablespoons
Peanut Butter Cream
- 540 grams creamy peanut butter
- 84 grams butter
- 540 grams powdered sugar
Chocolate for Dipping
- 2 lbs tempered milk chocolate or candy melts
Instructions
Shortbread
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Prepare a 9 x 13" baking sheet pan with parchment paper
- In the bowl of a 5 quart planetary mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
- Turn mixer on low and add in cubed butter.
- Mix on medium until butter is combined. Add in vanilla.
- Mix on medium until it resembles damp sand and holds together when you squeeze it in your hand.
- Pour out on parchment paper. Spread it evenly.
- Using another 9" x 13" sheet pan, press the shortbread crumb tightly down into the pan. Remove extra 9 x 13 sheet pan before baking.
- Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Cool completely, about 3 hours.
Peanut Butter Cream
- Prepare a 9 x 13" baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl. Heat until fluid.
- Add in powdered sugar. This is most easily done with a planetary mixer. Yes, it really will all go in.
- Spread peanut butter cream on parchment paper.. This is messy and best done with clean hands. Once you get it in an even layer, wash your hands. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the peanut butter and smooth it out further.
- Set the peanut butter layer aside while shortbread is cooling.
Combining the layers
- Melt 200 grams of chocolate. Spread an even layer on top of the shortbread.
- Place the peanut butter layer on top of the chocolate, lining up the edges to make sure it covers the shortbread.
- If necessary, place the candy bar slab in the fridge to remove all heat from peanut butter and chocolate. You MUST allow the candy slab to come to room temperature before dipping it in chocolate.
Cut, Bottom, Dip
- Cut bars into desired size. I cut mine into 1" x 3".
- Melt chocolate (temper if necessary). Brush bottom of bar bottoming off before dipping in chocolate. Bottom the bar by dipping picking it up with your forefinger and thumb and dipping it halfway in the chocolate. Lightly scrap along a spatula to remove excess chocolate. Place on parchment paper.
- After all bars are bottomed, run a knife along the sides of the bars to clean up lines.
- Melt chocolate (temper if necessary). Fully dip bars in chocolate using a dipping fork. Place on parchment paper until chocolate is set.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!