. Prepare Cups and Ingredients (Mise en Place):

• Have all your ingredients ready and measured, as you’ll need to work somewhat quickly with the ice cream.
• Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to soften just slightly (about 5-10 minutes at room temperature) so it’s scoopable but not melted.
• Line up your chosen cups (paper or plastic, around 5-7 oz size) on a quarter sheet pan or tray that will fit in your freezer. Line the pan with wax paper.
• If your hot fudge sauce is very thick, warm it very gently (microwave in short bursts or set jar in warm water) so it’s easily pipeable but not hot. Transfer some to a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped or a piping bag.

2. Assemble the Layers in Cups:

• Layer 1 (Peanuts): Place about 1 teaspoon of salted peanuts in the bottom of each cup.
• Layer 2 (Ice Cream): Add 1-2 small scoops of the slightly softened vanilla ice cream on top of the peanuts. Use the back of a spoon to press the ice cream down gently, creating a fairly even layer.
• Layer 3 (Hot Fudge): Pipe a layer or swirl of hot fudge sauce around the edge and/or over the ice cream layer.
• Layer 4 (Peanuts): Sprinkle another teaspoon of peanuts over the fudge layer.
• Layer 5 (Ice Cream): Add 1-2 more small scoops of ice cream over the peanuts. Flatten gently with the back of a spoon.
• Layer 6 (Hot Fudge): Pipe another round of hot fudge sauce over this ice cream layer.
• Layer 7 (Peanuts): Sprinkle a final teaspoon of peanuts on top of the fudge.

3. Insert Sticks and Initial Freeze:

• Carefully insert a popsicle stick into the center of each filled cup, pushing it down almost to the bottom.
• Place the sheet pan with the filled cups into the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the bars are completely hardened.

4. Unmold the Bars:

• Prepare a deep bowl with cool water (NOT warm or hot).
• Remove the cups from the freezer. Working one cup at a time, carefully dip the outside of the cup into the cool water for about 10 seconds. Be very careful not to let any water get inside the cup.
• Gently pull up on the popsicle stick to unmold the frozen Buster Bar. If it doesn’t release easily, dip briefly in the cool water again.
• Place the unmolded Buster Bar immediately back onto the wax paper-lined sheet pan in the freezer. Repeat the unmolding process with the remaining cups.
• Return the sheet pan with all unmolded bars to the freezer to harden completely again, for a minimum of 2 hours or up to overnight. They must be frozen solid before dipping.

5. Prepare Magic Shell and Dip Bars:

• Once the bars are frozen completely solid, prepare for dipping. Shake the bottles of Magic Shell very, very well according to package directions. This is crucial.
• Pour the Magic Shell from both bottles into a medium-deep bowl or a large (e.g., 4-cup) measuring cup that is deep enough to allow for dipping most of the bar.
• Working with one frozen Buster Bar at a time (keep the remaining bars in the freezer until ready to dip): Hold the bar by the popsicle stick and quickly dip it into the Magic Shell until fully coated.
• Allow any excess Magic Shell to drip back into the bowl for a few seconds. The shell will harden very quickly on contact with the frozen bar.

6. Final Set and Enjoy:

• Place the freshly coated bar back on the wax paper-lined freezer tray.
• Repeat the dipping process with the remaining frozen bars, working quickly.
• Allow the Magic Shell to fully harden on the bars (this takes only a minute or two at room temp, or place back in freezer briefly).
• Once the Magic Shell has hardened, your Homemade Copycat Buster Bars are ready to enjoy! Serve immediately or store wrapped individually in the freezer.