Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power?

Making the Take 5 was an amazing experience.

Recently I've been pondering my specialties and my strong points. I mean, I'm good in the kitchen, but where and why are always questions in the back of my head. Right now I love doing the Inventory, as I have a certain affection for numbers.

But every once in a while I get a crazy assed idea in my head and start running with it. Sometimes I run too fast, other times with scissors. This time, I paced myself and the result was worth the work...




(Moses and the Tablets...)



(Ingredients)



(Layering peanuts, caramel, then pretzels.)



(Making the PB filling.)



(Spreading the PB filling.)



(Making the Ganache.)





(Coating the bars with chocolate.)




(My angel...)




(Wrapped and ready to go...)

This whole thing was a little time consuming to be honest. We got the project started on a Tuesday and barely got it done by the time Sue and Claire showed up on Saturday.

Giant Take 5
* - The only special items required to make this "pimp" are 3'rd Pans and a lot of refridgerator space.
Chopped Peanuts
Caramel Sauce
Mini Pretzels
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar
Semi Sweet Chocolate
Heavy Whipping Cream
European Candy Coating
(I'm not putting measurements in because I used standard formulas instead.)

Start by lining the 3'rd Pans with plastic wrap.
Next, sprinkle (generously) chopped peanuts across the bottom of the pan then gently pour caramel sauce on until peanuts are completely topped.
Lay pretzels (again, generously) on top of caramel, then place pans in refridgerator to firm up a tad.
To make the peanut butter filling, mix together 1/2 cup PB, 3 T melted butter, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. (This formula can be scaled up to fit the needs of the project. Let's just say, I used a lot...) Remove the pans from the fridge and gently spread the PB over the pretzels so as not to disturb the basic shape of the candy bar. Place the pans back in the fridge and chill overnight.
The next day, make the ganache in a heavy stock pot. I made a medium ganache which is a basic ratio of 1:1, meaning: for every pound of chocolate you plan to use, you will need 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream. I used 5 pounds of chocolate, 40 oz. of whipping cream and my trusty Calphalon stock pot. To make the ganache, start by chopping the chocolate, then simply bring the cream to a boil, remove from the stove, and add the chocolate to the pot. At this point, just keep stirring the chocolate into the cream until you have a smooth glossy liquid ganache. You will need to let the ganache cool for a while so it's cool enough to pour over the PB without melting it. Once cool enough to pour, fill the 3'rd Pans with ganache, then place in the freezer overnight.
Once frozen solid, melt enough of European Candy Coating in a double boiler to coat the bottoms of the candy bar. (The part with the ganache showing.)
Quickly pour on the coating, spread evenly to all ends of the pan, then place in the refridgerator to harden. Once the coating is sufficiently hard, turn the candy bars out onto a clean working space. (I used two wire cooling racks covered with wax paper.)
Melt enough chocolate coating to cover the bars with a thin but full cover. Place in the fridge to harden. At this point you may notice a bit of the caramel seeping out from tiny holes; Don't Panic. Once the first coating of chocolate is hardened, melt more chocolate coating for a second more generous covering.
Finally, trim the edges and you are done... (Making the wrapper was simple. We used Gold Wrapping paper for the letters and red wrapping paper for the outer wrapper.)

And there you have it. What happens when you cross a professional, an artist, and a mad scientist? A giant f*%&ing Take 5, That's what...

Take5groove:
Tenacious D - Wonderboy
The Sonics - Have Love, Will Travel
Arctic Monkeys - I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Roger Allen Wade - If yer Gonna Be Dumb
The Minutemen - Corona