Peanut Butter Chocolates

You may be tired of looking at chocolate recipes after Valentines. Is that actually possible? If so, think about the peanut butter filling instead. It’s my favorite part of this recipe. Traditionally, these are called ‘peanut butter balls.’ All the times I’ve eaten them at parties, I found them to be so sweet, I couldn’t taste the peanut butter. This recipe changes all that. These peanut butter chocolates taste more like a rounded Reese’s peanut butter cup with a darker chocolate coating.

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 teaspoons shortening
• wax paper

In an electric mixer bowl, mix together peanut butter, flour, powdered sugar and butter, until it forms a dough and sides of bowl are clean.

Get a small cookie sheet and line with wax paper. Quickly roll a rounded teaspoon of dough in the palm of your hands and place on cookie sheet. (A melon baller tool is great in keeping the balls a uniform size. A pair of pharmacy grade latex gloves are handy for keeping your hands clean.) Chill in refrigerator 15-25 minutes, until dough balls firm up.

To melt the chocolate chips
Use a metal or glass bowl that fits snug over a small pan, but where the bottom of the bowl will not touch the water in the pan.

Bring one cup of water to a simmer in a small pan, do not let the water boil. You need the low heat to melt the chocolate, not the steam. Put the chocolate chips and shortening in bowl and place over pan. It will take 1-2 minutes to fully melt the chips, so do not walk away.

When you see the chips starting to melt, get a spatula and gently stir the chocolate. Do not over stir, just move the chips around to help them melt. When you see there’s just a few chips left, turn off heat. Go get the peanut butter balls.

Using the same pan, push all the balls to one side and make room for chocolate dipped balls. With a fork or dipping tool, place one ball in melted chocolate and quickly coat evenly. Lift up ball and gently shake extra chocolate off. Flip coated ball back onto sheet pan. Get another dough ball and repeat steps. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes, until chocolate coating sets, then they’re ready to eat.

If you’re making them ahead of time, up to three days ahead, move to an airtight container after the chocolate coating sets and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Just so you know, they’re not delicate. They can be left out during a party and eaten at room temperature.

Here, have a bite!