Bakin with Brian

Peanut Butter Balls of Deliciousness!

Bakin'

by  |  on December 17th, 2011  |  2 comments

Note: It’s the holidays and calories don’t count right? If there isnt a calorie count on the side of the packaging, its calorie free right? If you agree with this theory, please continue. If not, you might as well just stop right now and eat some kale.
 

Just look at the final photo. Really? They actually turned out to look that good on film? AND taste even better?!?!

As any reader of Bakin’ With Brian knows, I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER. LOVE IT. I also have a sweet tooth as well as an obsession with the magazine Cook’s Country. So when I was planning my Thanksgiving menu for my family, I came across this recipe called the Buckeye. They are named after the state tree of Ohio, but me, not being from Ohio, I do not quite get the meaning of it, besides in a way it could look a little bit like an eyeball?!? no? Anyway, I’ll take the liberty to name mine after the eye of Horus because at least to me, I sort of get the irony: Good Health. I mean, this blog is about eating wisely right?!?! But I do apologize to anyone from Ohio as well as the author (who I am crediting for inventing these to begin with).

I will say in this process I did alter the recipe slightly and it turned out for the best. This is HANDS DOWN one of the easiest things I have ever put up here. It doesn’t even require any baking. But I did, like usual, only use organic products. Even for the powdered sugar, which, honestly, is pretty much processed, it still said “organic” on the packaging, so I believe it. hahaha.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (I used the Ghirardelli ones)
  • 2 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter (Whole Foods Organic, though it has sugar in it, it is more binding than the all natural PB, which is better for you)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
  • 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces semisweet cooking chocolate bar. All natural. 100% chocolate.
  • Toothpicks

Directions

  1. Line a baking sheet or a couple of plates with parchment paper. As I said, these will not be going in the oven at all but it needs to be on a dish of some sort that can fit in the freezer.
  2. Split the white chocolate chips in half. In a small microwave safe bowl, cook it at 50% stirring till it melts. It takes about 1-2 minutes. In another small bowl, crush up the remaining vanilla chocolate chips. Smash it with a mallet or something. Make it a vanilla crumble.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, preferably the one from the Kitchen-Aid, mix together (with the paddle attachment), the peanut butter, melted white chocolate, softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. About one minute.
  4. The next step, and this can be tricky as the peanut butter dough is sticky, is to take small handfuls and roll them into about 1/4 inch balls. I found that if i lightly moistened my hands with water (not enough to drench the balls) it was easier to roll. Place the balls on the parchment paper. Once you are done, transfer said tray to the freezer where you need to let it firm up for about an hour.
  5. The next step is the part I was shocked worked as I never dipped anything like this before. In another microwave bowl, melt the semisweet chocolate at 50% in the microwave (you can do this on the stove top too) stirring occasionally.
  6. When this is ready, remove the balls from the freezer and stick a toothpick in the top of each one.
  7. One at a time, dip and roll the peanut butter ball in the chocolate, coating it about 2/3 of the way (see the photo!)
  8. Place the dipped balls on the sheet and cool in the fridge or freezer again until the chocolate is solid. Then serve!
These were the biggest hit of all. Somehow the vanilla chips turned into a crispy butterfinger effect in the center of each ball. They lasted all Thanksgiving and I will make again and again. They look a lot fancier than they really are but will be a huge hit for any party you need to bring them to!
 
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Comments (2)

  1. Alison Saturday - 17 / 12 / 2011 Reply
    Yum. I cannot wait to try this for our Christmas dinner! Looks amazing.
  2. Hannah Carter Saturday - 17 / 12 / 2011 Reply
    Yummy! I'm gonna make them tomorrow to take to a party! MMM balls!

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