Caramel-Peanut Bites

I'm hungry for a Snickers, but still have a sick little man and some extremely icy roads. What's a girl to do? Make her own!

I saw an episode of Giada at Home on Food Network last fall that included a recipe for Smoked Almond Turtles that looked fabulous. And while that's still on my list of recipes to try, I decided to adapt the ingredients to make what I was craving. So I used Giada's caramel recipe, but changed, well, everything else. Including the size of the candies. I used mini muffin tins, because muffin-sized turtles sounded like a bit too much of a snack.

I'm speaking calorie-wise here. Appetite-wise, I could totally handle it.

Caramel-Peanut Bites
Makes 24

Cooking spray
1 c. halved or coarsely chopped peanuts
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

1. Generously coat 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Sprinkle peanuts in each muffin cup.

2. In a saucepan, combine cream, butter, brown sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until combined. Then attach a candy thermometer and let mixture boil, without stirring, until it reaches 240 degrees.

3. Let caramel cool for about 30 seconds, and then pour a few teaspoons over the peanuts in each muffin cup. (I had some caramel left over.) Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

4. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Spoon melted chocolate over the top of each candy.

5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. Use a small spatula or knife to remove the candies. Store in the refrigerator if you won't be eating them right away.