Request: EarthBound – Peanut Cheese Bar

I was pretty much oblivious to EarthBound until I was introduced to the curious character Ness in Super Smash Bros; having never owned a classic Nintendo console growing up I was subject to the gaming tastes of whoever owned the console I was playing (I was not beyond using a fellow classmate and neighbour to sate my need to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). When I decided I was going to make this recipe I tried to source EarthBound from a friend who has an extensive retro games collection, but the fact he didn’t have it just instilled it’s cult status even more for me. However, I’m not without my EarthBound knowledge; I’ve read about it enough times in articles titled ‘gaming urban myths’ and ‘ultimate screwed up games’. Everyone kept asking for these Peanut Cheese Bars - I’d see the requests in my inbox and all I could imagine was some peanuts with cheddar cheese on top - melting and a little greasy… Then I remembered that cheese can be sweet and delicious too, I think the Mr. Saturns are definitely onto something!

This recipe makes 8 - 10 Peanut Cheese Bars.

What you will need: An 8x8 inch square spring-form or lose-base cake tin, a whisk, two mixing bowls, greaseproof/baking paper, cling film/saran wrap and a rolling pin.

For the Cookie Base:

175g / 1 ¾ Cups Flour

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

110g / ½ Cup Butter (Softened)

85g / ¾ Cup Caster Sugar/Superfine Sugar

85g / ¾ Cup Soft Brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

For the Chocolate:

150g / 1 Cup Chocolate

55g / ¼ Cup Butter

40g / ¼ Cup Crushed Salted Peanuts

For the Peanut Cheese Topping:

225g / 1 Cup Cream Cheese

170g / 2/3 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter (Skippy)

100g / ¾ Cup Icing/Confectioners Sugar

120ml / ½ Cup Whipping Cream

Making the Cookie Base:

1. Prepare the tin by greasing it with a little butter and lining the base and sides with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 190C/370F.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together until creamy. Slowly add the egg and continue to mix.
3. Gradually sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a dough forms. If it’s very soft pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Place the dough between two large sheets of cling film/saran wrap and roll the dough out to roughly fit the base of your prepared tray. Transfer it to the tray and lightly press it in until the entire base is covered and even.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Leave to cool while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Making the Chocolate Layer:

1. Over a bain-marie melt the chocolate with the butter until smooth and shiny. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
2. Once cooled pour the chocolate over the cookie base and spread it out until even. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts and with the back of a spoon, gently press them into the chocolate.
3. Place in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes while you prepare the peanut cheese topping.

Making the Peanut Cheese Topping:

1. In a large bowl gently mix together the cream cheese, smooth peanut butter, sugar and cream. Once combined whisk it until pale and fluffy.
2. Spoon the peanut cheese mixture over the now chilled chocolate layer and smooth it out.
3. Sprinkle on top a few more crushed salted peanuts if you like, then place in the fridge for several hours until firm and chilled.
4. Once chilled remove the combination from the tin carefully and cut it into bars.

Request: Kirby’s Dream Land / Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Superspicy Curry

This request came direct from my resident taste tester as he’d been asking for a curry for a few weeks now. Superspicy Curry originally appeared in the classic Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy and it gave Kirby the ability to spit fireballs. It’s never appeared in a Kirby game since (due to the invention of the ‘copy ability’ mechanic) but it does appear in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Although I played Dream Land many, many years ago, I’m more familiar with it as it appears in Super Smash Bros. (I suck at Super Smash Bros., I cannot explain why) so that’s where I’m taking inspiration from. 

This recipe serves 2-4.

What you will need:

Large pot and a hand blender.

Ingredients:

½ Red Apple

1 Large Onion

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Tablespoon Ginger

400ml Water

Spices 

• Medium Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Chinese Spice Mix
• Cayenne Chilli Pepper
• 2 Dried Birds Eye Chillies

Salt

200g Tinned Tomatoes

3 Teaspoons Olive Oil

125g White Rice

Feel free to use any vegetables, meats or fish that you like. I used:

1 Small Aubergine 

1 Yellow Pepper

300g Prawns

Making the Curry:

1. Roughly chop the onion, garlic, ginger and apple and place in a pot.
2. Pour the water over the ingredients, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Once the water has reduced, add 1 teaspoon of each of the spices and crush the dried chillies.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and salt to taste, then simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Add the olive oil then blend with a hand blender.
6. Chop the vegetables and add them to the curry base, cover and simmer until they are cooked (you may need to add more water).
7. Serve over sticky white rice; fire optional.

I attempted this recipe on two nights. The first went fine, but it was a failure by my standards. My initial idea was to create a Japanese Katsu-style curry and I based my recipe on one provided by Cooking with Dog. However I lacked the essential Japanese ingredients, so although it was tasty and edible it just didn’t quite fit with the idea of Kirby’s Curry. So I decided to focus on making this traditional style curry and it worked out far better. I’ve made curries in the past but this is the ultimate base that I’ll be using in the the future. I think I got the balance of flavours just right here, it has a sweet initial taste that builds up into an incredible heat (which I was man enough to handle). So if breathing fireballs in the faces of your enemies is on your to-do list today, I can totally recommend Kirby’s Superspicy Curry.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Yeto’s Soup.