Peanut Butter Balls. OMFG.

Here's a recipe for Peanut Butter Balls. It's so good, Shriek House and I are going to found a 12 step program to deal with detox. After the holidays, of course. (Just one more, please!)

Anyway.

This is a recipe for Buckeyes, probably, but I'm not about to go getting all fussy with the toothpick in there and chocolate only half-way up and neither, apparently, was my mother--bless her soul--and so, we all get to say BALLS! during the holiday season.  And I can think of no better homage to my mother than chocolate, peanut butter and saying BALLS! on a holiday.  Really, you should have known her. She was a remarkable woman.

BUT if you are fuss-prone, or want the real deal, you can stick a toothpick in it (HA!) and dip the balls into the chocolate only part-way up.

All righty. Here we go. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Peanut Butter Balls (of heaven)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. Peanut Butter (the recipe calls for creamy but I use chunky because I'm edgy like that)
1/2 C. Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla
4 C. SIFTED Confectioner's Sugar
6 oz of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (HAHAHAHA! I used, like, the whole bag.)
2 TBSP Shortening (I use Earth Balance veggie shortening with no nasties but if you're into Crisco, do your thing.)

Instructions:

1. Line baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioner's sugar* with hands to form a smooth, stiff dough. (I'm going to avoid the mix-with-hands-to-make-it-stiff thing.) Shape into balls** and refrigerate.

3. Melt chocolate & shortening in a double boiler (I use a pyrex bowl over some simmering water) until smooth & remove from heat.

4. Submerge each ball into the chocolate and fish it out with two forks.  Drain a little of the excess chocolate & return to waxed paper.

5. Chill 30 minutes to set.

6. Welcome to the dark side.

 

*Make sure that you SIFT the sugar BEFORE you MEASURE the sugar.  4 cups sifted is something like 3847765 cups unsifted.  It will fuck up the balls, for REALZ.

**The recipe calls for 2 tsp per ball but I make them considerably smaller.  Maybe 1 tsp. This is just my preference, as I like them 1-bite pop-ems, instead of 2-bite lick-the-melted-chocolate-off-your-fingers-at-a-party. But, whatever you like.

 

Comments

[Lori in Iowa]

Okay New Girl. I have three young girls (5, 4, almost 2) and AT LEAST once a day I think/say "This is a bad idea. Why am I doing this? (Usually related to taking all three of them by myself somewhere in the snow when they should be napping.)

Anyway.

I have only had these once before and they were the best things I have ever tasted. Ever.

So I am going to make these today. During naptime. And I'm sure I'm going to be thinking to myself, "THIS IS A BAD IDEA."

I may need to be joining you in that 12 step program!

[Kristen]

Dude. These are CRACK.

I is going to make them. But you're scaring me with the sifting shit. I ain't got NO SIFTER.

I might go ghetto and use a metal colander. Heh.

[Lisa]

I'm in the middle of making these and something has gone horribly wrong. I measured the sugar after sifting, but it appears to be WAY too much sugar. My "dough" looks like cornmeal...very dry and won't form balls. If I squeeze REALLY hard, I can make a clump, but barely touching it reduces it to powder again. I'm trying to figure out what I can add to make it a dough. Water??? Afraid to ruin them, but then again, they're already ruined, so I guess the worst that can happen is I can't SAVE them. Anyone else had this problem? Solutions?

[The New Girl]

Lisa: Hmmm. If you added all the ingredients, the only thing I can think of is that there isn't enough fat. Did you use substitutions, like low fat peanut butter? Or maybe the butter wasn't soft enough and didn't incorporate as well?

The dough is dry but it should ball up...hence the name. I wouldn't add water...I'd try to add fat. Make sure that all the measurements are right.

I've made this recipe many times and haven't ever had that experience. Keep me posted.

[Lisa]

Well, I ended up adding a couple of tablespoons of water and it all worked out okay. Probably should have added a little butter or something, but oh well. (And no, no substitutions - there is a chance my butter wasn't soft enough when I started...patience is not my strong suit.) Anyway, after a mild crisis, they turned out great and everyone love them! I'll definitely try them again someday....but not until AFTER I've lost the holiday pounds! :)

[Dong Ding PlayBlue]

I love how the first few ingredients are all we'll just say not the best for you but you made the token effort with the Earth Balance love it. When I'm eating treats I just don't worry about it. Love the recipe.