Vegan Butterfinger Candy

So, last night I wasn't feeling very good about these. The chocolate didn't temper very well (as chocolate chips typically don't), and the bottom layer was very difficult to cut. Four different knives, including my chef's knives, failed to make much of a dent.

But then it occurred to me that a real Butterfinger wouldn't cut that well either. Once I made a dent in the pan, the others were easier to pry out by grabbing a piece and breaking it off. I will say, they were real popular at work. I even had people stop by who had heard by word of mouth, a sure sign of success. And, the taste was genuinely, eerily close to a Butterfinger.

If I made these again, I would take a lot more care in the tempering stage to make sure the chocolate was in the right temp range and maybe use a chocolate bar instead. And I would definitely line the pan with parchment paper, so that I could just lift out the final product.

(You may wonder, what magic goes into making those crispy, crunchy, Bart Simpson-beloved Butterfinger layers? I will tell you: peanut butter and sugar. SO much sugar.)

Equipment needed: candy thermometer (this is a MUST), double boiler (although you could temper the chocolate in the microwave, I suppose. See also Alton Brown's method of tempering with a food processor and a hair dryer. I'm tempted to try it, but it looks messy.)