Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
2. To make the shortbread, cream the butter and sugar until pale.
3. Stir in the flour to form a soft dough.
4. Press the dough into the prepared baking tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.
5. To make the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
6. Add the sugar and milk and stir until the sugar has melted, then bring to the boil for 2–3 minutes, without stirring.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.
8. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth.
9. Pour the peanut-butter mixture onto the cooked shortbread in the tin, smooth the top with a spatula and leave to cool slightly.
10. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or in a glass bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.
11. Spread the melted chocolate, reserving about two tablespoons, over the peanut-butter layer and refrigerate until set.
12. Cut into desired shapes with a sharp knife, then drizzle over the reserved melted chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Extracted from Simply Delicious by Zola Nene (Struik Lifestyle). Photographs: © Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd / Dawie Verwey.