Peanut Butter-Chocolate Halvah

 

I read this Food 52 article titled Why You Should Make Halvah with Peanut Butter, which then led me to their Peanut Butter-Chocolate Halvah Recipe. This was relatively easy to make, though you do need to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because once the sugar reaches the right temperature, things happen fast. I loved the flavor combination!

(Honestly, if you want to taste a similar confection but don’t want to make it yourself, I highly recommend buying this!)

For the marble halvah
1 (1-lb/454-g) jar unsweetened salted peanut butter
1 2/3 cups (332 g) granulated sugar
3 oz. (85 g) dark chocolate (preferably 60 to 72% cacao)

For the chocolate topping (optional, but why in the world wouldn’t you want it?)
3 oz. (85 g) dark chocolate (preferably 60 to 72% cacao), melted
flaky salt, for sprinkling

Get everything ready! Line a loaf pan with parchment, so it’s flat on the bottom, with overhang on the two longer sides. Add the peanut butter to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar to a small saucepan, pour ½ cup water on top, and set over medium-high heat. Melt the 3 ounces chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.

Cook the sugar, without stirring, until it reaches 245 °F on a candy or instant-read thermometer—this should take 5 to 10 minutes. When it’s almost there (figure around 235 °F), turn on the stand mixer to its lowest setting. As soon as the sugar syrup reaches 245 °F, carefully carry the pot to the running stand mixer, and slowly pour it in, aiming for somewhere between the beater and bowl.

After all the syrup has been added, mix for 28 seconds. (You can either count aloud or use a timer. Just make sure you don’t go beyond or the halvah could turn out too crumbly.)

Working quickly now: turn off the mixer and unlatch the bowl. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top—squiggling as much as possible, versus pouring one big blob—and use a silicone spatula to fold a couple times, taking care to not overmix (you want it marbled, not blended).

Scrape the marbled mixture into the loaf pan and use an offset spatula to smooth out (don’t worry if it looks slightly crumbly on top!). Cool on a wire rack until it’s room-temperature or cooler to the touch.

If you want to top with chocolate, pour the remaining melted chocolate on top and use an offset spatula to smooth out. Sprinkle with flaky salt, then transfer to the fridge to firm up.