Dec 06 2009
Frugal and Green Christmas Gifts part 3: Chocolate peanut butter balls
It’s a weekend of crafting frenzy in our house this weekend. I’m knitting like mad, Malcolm’s making felt using a washing machine, and I’ve just finished making a big batch of chocolate peanut butter balls.
Peanut butter chocolate balls
The reason for the rush is I looked up the date you have to post all your gifts to the USA, and it’s December 10th — Thursday. To be honest, I’m not sure I can make it in time, but we’re giving it our best shot.
To help spur our efforts, we’ve been watching Christmas movies one after another, and we’re in the middle of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — the 1971 version with Gene Wilder mind you, which we both prefer.
So given the theme of candy deliciousness at the moment, today’s post is about making Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls. I use these as “Hitching Treats” to thank strangers who give me and Malcolm lifts, but I’m also going to use them to fill presents like the Felted Tin Cans I’ve made.
[Note: This is Part 3 of the Frugal and Green Christmas Gifts series. You can find all the projects by clicking on this tag (also on the righthand side of every page): Christmas.]
Time to make:
1 hour including freezer/fridge time
Materials needed:
Ingredients for chocolate peanut butter balls
- 450g (16oz) peanut butter — the cheaper, processed kind works best to be honest
- 200g (1 1/4cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar
- 50g (3/4 cup) powdered milk (optional)
- 115g (¼lb) butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
- 450g (16oz) dark chocolate
- waxed paper
Original project from:
The BBC site had a good recipe that I modified. Because I used a lot less sugar, the peanut butter is gooier, so the milk helps it dry out a bit. But if you don’t mind it being softer, leave out the milk.
There are many recipes out there for chocolate and peanut butter treats, but most use milk chocolate and several call for paraffin wax, which I find slightly bizarre. I’m guessing the reason for the paraffin is to harden the chocolate so it doesn’t melt in your hand, but ugh.
Skills needed
- Measuring and mixing ingredients
What to watch while you make this
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory of course. You can eat about half what you make and feel completely justified in doing it.
Getting started
Mix the peanut butter, butter, sugar and vanilla together. I like to let the butter sit on the Aga to warm up for a while to make it easier to mix since I don’t use an electric mixer.
Who needs an electric mixer?
At this point, you need to decide which you want to make: clusters or balls.
Chocolate peanut butter clusters
Clusters instead
If you want clusters, just dip your spoon in and drop a bit onto the waxed paper.
Peanut butter clusters ready for freezing
Then place the tray of clusters into the freezer to harden for 10 minutes.
Rolling into balls
If you’re making balls, pop the bowl of peanut butter mixture into the fridge (or freezer if you’re in a hurry) to harden it up. I’d say 30 minutes in the fridge, 10 in the freezer will do it.
I forgot to take a photo of these next sections because I got so caught up in what I was doing…
Then bring the bowl out and, taking a spoonful at a time, roll into balls in the palms of your hands as quickly as possible.
Drop onto the tray and place back in the fridge or freezer to cool down and harden a bit.
Heating the chocolate
5 minutes before you take out the peanut butter mixture, start heating the chocolate.
Just use any old saucepan and put it on the stove with water to heat up to simmering. Place any bowl that fits over the pan on top.
Break up the chocolate into squares or pieces and let them sit in the bowl for a few minutes until they start to melt. You can stir with a spoon to check they’re completely melted.
Drop into chocolate
Drop the clusters or balls into the chocolate. The BBC recipe says you can use toothpicks to dip them, but I didn’t have any so I just used 2 spoons to roll the clusters and balls in the chocolate.
Alternatively, you can just drizzle chocolate on top of the peanut butter if you don’t mind it being more like a cookie.
Let cool and decorate
Sifting sugar on top
After letting cool for 15 minutes, I sifted some icing sugar on the top of several because I actually used even less sugar than I’ve given for this recipe and I found it not sweet enough. But try one without and see what you think.
For variation, you could add chopped nuts on top, or substitute a different nut butter like cashew or almond.
Enjoy.
Doesn't that look tempting?
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I think you’ve just helped me figure out what I want to do today. We call a version of these candies buckeyes here in Ohio (and they are pretty prevalent here, since we are nicknamed the Buckeye State), and I got an excellent recipe for them last year from my friend Beth. Ours have coconut in them, and I use chunky peanut better to give them a little more texture, but I think they also have a big quantity of sugar in them, so yours are no doubt a healthier version. Video store opens in 5 minutes, and we haven’t had our annual viewing of Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas yet either. Good way to spend a low-energy Sunday, thanks!
Dear Darcy,
That sounds delicious! Let us know how they turn out please and any pictures you have of making them, sticky fingers ‘n’ all.
We hope you’re having a wonderful day. Here we are watching the film “Up” as it rains outside in the dark. Good film, we are both tearing up.
Best wishes
Malcolm
I am SOOO making these!!!
I’m already making some vegan chocs for pressies, I brought star shaped silicone ice cube trays and will pop hazeltnuts and melted chocolate in them and leave to set..with the pnut butter clusters I can make a whole variety box!!
May have to TEST some of these over the power off weekend..will make some this week!
I am SOOO drooling!!!!!!! Hmmm, we’ll have to keep an eye out for the twa of you hitching so we can get some choc-and-peanut-butter treats LOL!!
Paraffin wax?!?! That’s just… wrong. In so many ways. Ew!!!
At this point in time all “projects” are on hold until that magical, golden day “when I am recovered fae having the weans”… I’m one of those sanguine types that WANTS TO DO IT ALL RIGHT NOW and then I burn out and never finish the project. So this has actually been a great way to learn how to **be patient** and not rush into anything, but to plan it out and hold my horses until I’m actually ready and have time.
Funny isn’t it, how ever dark black awful storm cloud still has a silver lining? A blessing hidden away in the depths? I’m crippled and in wretched pain and yet I’m somehow benefiting from this in so many ways! Too cool.
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