Chunky Monkey Bars

Name: Chunky Monkey Bars
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 80 gm dark chocolate melts; 80 gm butter; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 egg (beaten); 1 cup plain flour; 3 tablespoons 100% cocoa; 3/4 cup white chocolate melts; 1/2 cup butter; 1 egg (beaten); 1/2 cup sugar; 2 medium ripe bananas (mashed); 1.3/4 cups plain flour; pinch salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks; 125 gm butter; 125 gm dark chocolate melts

by Anne Murphy | Aug 5, 2016 | Baking, Giveaway, Recipe, Slices/Bars | 71 comments

What are Chunky Monkey Bars you ask? They’re my latest creation using the new look, new taste and improved performance Nestlé Baker’s Choice range. A combination of a dark chocolate infused crunchy biscuit base, topped with a fudge-like banana and white chocolate centre dotted with dark chocolate chunks and topped with the smoothest of dark chocolate ganache. A really indulgent treat but not overly sweet. Nestlé Bakers’ Choice set me the #BakeItYours Challenge and I accepted. You don’t have to ask me twice to bake something with chocolate. I used the dark chocolate melts, dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate melts and delectably rich 100% sustainably sourced cocoa. All chocolate products have a real chocolate flavour not like that cheap chocolate flavour that you sometimes get with baking chocolate. The chocolate melt products melt really well and the chunks and chocolate chips hold their shape when baked in cookies for example.

A Dark Chocolate Biscuit Base

I’m a ‘melt and mix’ baker. No having to worry about creaming butter and sugar together for the biscuit base. Melt together the Nestlé Dark Chocolate Melts and butter in the microwave. Depending on the wattage of your microwave, I always advise to cook at 30 second bursts to avoid chocolate ‘siezing’. I know that I can melt my chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute and I’ve never had a problem. Mix in the sugar until dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and add a beaten egg. I don’t worry about sifting either. It’s just one less you have to do when you’re a busy Mum. Add the flour and the Nestlé 100% Cocoa. Mix well until a firm dough is formed. Check out that glossy dark biscuit base. So full of chocolate-y richness. Remember, it doesn’t have too much sugar in it and by using dark chocolate, there is less sugar in that too. Press the biscuit dough into a 20x25cm slice tin and bake for approximately 15 minutes.

A Fudge-like Banana & White Chocolate Centre with Dark Choc Chunks

Next step is to make the middle banana layer. Forget banana bread. This will be my new ‘go to’ recipe when I need to use up ripe bananas. Just mash together 2 medium sized bananas and set aside. Melt 3/4 cup of Nestlé White Chocolate Melts in the microwave (at 30 second bursts). Remember that white chocolate is made from cocoa butter so has a different ‘melting point’ to dark or milk chocolate so extra care should be taken when melting it so it doesn’t sieze. Add 1/2 cup of melted butter to the melted white chocolate and mix well. Allow mixture to cool slightly and mix in 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add the mashed banana. Add in 1 3/4 cups of plain flour and a pinch of salt. Combine until a smooth batter is formed. (Note to self: Don’t taste test or else you will eat the lot before it’s baked.) And this is where the ‘chunky’ part comes into it. Add 1/2 cup (or a big handful) of Nestlé Dark Chocolate Chunks to the batter and pour

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over the cooked biscuit base. Smooth over and bake for approximately 30 minutes. It will be a fudge like consistency like a gooey browney. If you like it a bit firmer, cook for a further 10 minutes. The chocolate chunks hold their shape really well when baked. They’re perfect for Chocolate Chunk Cookies or Muffins. Set baked slice aside until completely cool. [Tweet “Chunky Monkey Bars #NestleBakersChoice #BakeItYours”]

Topped with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need cream to make a nice chocolate ganache. I used butter mixed with the dark chocolate melts to make a rich but not sweet, smooth delectable topping for these Chunky Monkey Bars. I’ve even made ganache using Greek yoghurt and it turned out wonderfully. To make the ganache, melt together 125gms butter and 125gms Nestlé Dark Chocolate Melts and combine until smooth. (Remembering to microwave at 30 second bursts.) You can also melt chocolate the traditional way over a pot of boiling water in a ‘bain-marie’, that is, in a dish placed over the pot of boiling water but when you’re in a hurry, microwaving works just fine for me. Pour the ganache over the cooled bars and put in the fridge until the ganache has set (approximately an hour or so). Slice and serve. Just like every other combination with chocolate, banana works perfectly with dark chocolate. You could make these bars without the biscuit base and it’d work out just fine but if you’re looking for something a little extra special for a morning tea or cuppa with the girls, these bars will impress. My kids are devouring them. I’ve put them in the freezer so ~~I don’t eat them~~ my kids won’t eat them all at once and they freeze really well. You could also choose to omit the dark chocolate chunks from the middle banana layer but then they wouldn’t be ‘Chunky’ Monkey Bars would they? Hope you give them a try. I’ve got a couple more chocolate recipes up my sleeve using the Nestlé Bakers’ Choice range so stay tuned.

Win your own Nestlé Bakers’ Choice Pack valued at over $100

Nestlé have been so kind to offer one of my lucky readers the chance to win your very own pack of the new and improved range of Nestlé Bakers’ Choice baking range valued at over $100. To enter, all you need to do is leave your name and email address in a comment below PLUS what you would make with some or all of the Nestlé Bakers’ Choice range of chocolate goodies.

This competition has now closed.

The winner is Belinda B

Terms & Conditions:

Open to Australian residents only.
Competition closes 12pm AEST, Friday, 12 August 2016 and winner will be announced via email. Once confirmed, the winner will be announced across my social media channels.
This is a game of skill.
The prize is not redeemable in cash.
The winner will have seven (7) days to respond otherwise the prize will be redrawn.

Good luck!

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