Peanut Butter Balls

Tags

candies, chocolate, peanut butter, truffle

Day 2 of sweet treats!

I know of very few people who don’t love the chocolate-peanut butter combo. Who can resist a Reese’s peanut butter cup! I know I can’t, and these peanut butter ball are even tastier! These were requested by my brother-in-law, and thankfully he actually got them on time for the holidays. I had made these last year to give out to family, and they made quite an impression, apparently!I got this recipe back when I was in college from my best friend/roommate. It was in a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook of his (I think), and I repeatedly lost the recipe, even after asking him for it a couple of times. So instead of continuously bugging him, I just found it online, bookmarked it, and eventually remembered to print it out and put it in my recipe binder before it disappeared again! I’ve been making these tasty little peanut butter balls ever since, and everyone raves about them. They are quite simple, as far as making truffles or candies goes, so great for beginners or anyone looking for an easy treat. Perfect as  a gift, too, whether it be for a birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day (since it is coming up soon), or just because! Peanut Butter Balls
Yield:  about 25 peanut butter balls

½ cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, optional

In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter and butter. Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until combined. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper. Let stand until dry, about 20 minutes, or place in the refrigerator until ready to dip.

In a double boiler over low heat or in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening, if using, stirring until smooth; cool slightly. Using a fork, dip peanut butter balls, one at a time, into coating; let excess coating drip off. Place on waxed paper; refrigerate until chocolate coating is firm. Serve at room temperature or straight out of the refrigerator; store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Source: Slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

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Eggnog Truffles

Tags

chocolate, eggnog, nutmeg, rum, truffles

This may seem a little late, but eggnog is still in the stores, and sometimes cravings exceed their season (I’m still making pumpkin treats!). I made these delicious little treats for Christmas, and they were a huge hit. And this just shows how far behind I am with things still! My goal was to have this posted in time for Christmas, along with some other little candies I made, but obviously that didn’t happen… sorry! I’ll try to be more on top of the ball!

Anyways, back to the point here. These eggnog truffles are awesome. I’m not a huge fan of store bought eggnog. The flavor just isn’t quite right. I much prefer homemade eggnog in all its raw-egged glory. 🙂 But put store bought eggnog with some white chocolate, and we’ve got ourselves a winner! The truffles taste like creamy little balls of eggnog with a hint of nutmeg and rum. My sister thought they needed more rum flavor, so I’m sure they could be made with real rum instead of rum extract for a little more of a kick. If you have any leftover eggnog, this is a perfect use!Eggnog Truffles
Yield: about 2 dozen truffles

14 ounces white chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup eggnog
½ teaspoon rum extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 ounces white melting chocolate

Place the white chocolate in a medium glass or metal bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and eggnog until barely boiling, stirring regularly. Add hot cream mixture immediately to the white chocolate and stir until melted and glossy. If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, heat over low heat in a double boiler or microwave for short increments in the microwave. Once melted, stir in the rum extract and nutmeg. Let cool to room temperature then place in refrigerator for a couple hours until solid enough to form truffles. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper. Using your hands, roll the ganache into smooth, uniform balls and return to cookie sheet. Refrigerate overnight, or until fully solid.

In a double boiler over low heat, or in a microwave safe bowl, melt the melting chocolate until smooth and glossy. In small batches, remove truffles from the refrigerator and use a fork to dip the cold ganache into the melted chocolate. Place dipped truffles on another cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Decorate or garnish if desired, while chocolate coating is still soft. Continue to pull batches of ganache from the refrigerator to dip in the melted chocolate until all are dipped and garnished. Let coating harden at room temperature, or place in refrigerate to expedite hardening. Serve truffles at room temp; store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Source: A Dash of Sugar and Spice original

Peppermint Fudge

Tags

candy cane, chocolate, Christmas, fudge, peppermint, white

I love peppermint, especially at this time of year. I’m not really a fan of candy canes though, unless they are crushed up and added to things, such as fudge!This fudge is awesome. Another recipe that I found last year! Everyone who tried it loved it, and so I had to make more to share this year. And more to have for myself, of course… 🙂 This isn’t a true chocolate fudge, since you can use vanilla chips, white melting candy, or white chips, but it’s just as good as any true fudge! And the food coloring is a perfectly festive addition. The red swirls on the white fudge make for a delicious candy cane-colored design! The fudge is quick and easy, and creamy with little crunches from the candy cane bits. A must try for the holiday season!Peppermint Fudge

2½ cups sugar
½ cup margarine
5 ounces evaporated milk (10 tablespoons)
7 ounces jarred marshmallow crème (2 cups)
8 ounces white or vanilla chips
½ cup peppermint candies or candy canes, finely crushed
Red food coloring

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil so that foil extends over sides of pan. Spray with cooking spray or butter the foil.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, margarine and evaporated milk. Melt butter and bring to a boil. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add marshmallow crème and vanilla chips. Stir until melted and smooth, then stir in crushed peppermint.

Pour into prepared pan. Add desired number of drops of food coloring to the top of the fudge, and swirl on top of fudge with a knife. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until firm then cut into 36 to 48 squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Source: Adapted from Food.com