Another treasured treat from Mom Helena’s recipe book …
Beautiful to look at…
Amazing to taste…
Must be difficult to make …
Not at all …
Simple things are the best!
Mom Helena would only make Oh Henry! Bars during the Christmas season and we always hoped that she would make so many of them that they would last well beyond the holidays. …it never happened… When guests arrived, she would generously heap the bars on trays and encourage everyone to ‘help yourself!’ (which they did) My Christmas spirit waned somewhat as I inwardly hoped that they would decline …and I watched those delicious bundles of chocolate and peanut butter disappear right before my eyes.
From my extensive research (and you know that I mean ‘google’), Mom Helena’s recipe is unique. Other recipes for Oh Henry! Bars contain oatmeal, or just one kind of cereal. And for sure, those recipes do not have the golden cane syrup that provides the signature ‘caramel’ taste in an Oh Henry! Bar. In addition, my research reveals that hers may be the only one that suggests coating the entire bar in chocolate. In my mind, Helena’s Oh Henry! Bars most closely resembles the Nestles brand version that comes in that bright yellow wrapping!
Oh Henry! Bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes (not including time to coat with chocolate)
Yield: 30 bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) golden cane syrup (Lyle’s or Rogers)
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) regular peanut butter (not light, or natural)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250 mL) Rice Krispie cereal
1 cup (250 mL) Corn Flake cereal
3/4 cup (185 mL) roughly chopped peanuts
Chocolate coating:
250-300 g (8-10 ounces) chocolate melting wafers (dark and/or milk)
Method:
- In a medium saucepan, heat syrup and sugar until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is very hot – just about to come to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. When the peanut butter has melted, stir in vanilla and fully combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine both cereals and peanuts. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Press into a 8 x 8 pan (buttered, or lined with parchment paper). Let cool completely and cut into whatever size bars you prefer.
Chocolate coating:
- Place the cut bars in the freezer while the chocolate is melting. This will assist in the chocolate firming up quickly.
- In a bowl set over steaming (not boiling) water (or in the microwave), melt your choice of chocolate.
- Place sheets of wax or parchment paper on the work surface.
- When the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat. Dip each bar into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to help coat the entire bar. Place coated bar on the wax/parchment paper to cool. As it cools, it will form a little bit of a ‘pool’ of excess chocolate around the base. Just pick up the bar (with a sturdy toothpick) and move it to a new spot to complete the cooling process. The excess chocolate on the paper, when it has completely cooled, can be removed and put back into the warm chocolate to be reused.
- Let cool completely. Decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate.