Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Ball Recipes

Everywhere I go, people call these different things. Peanut butter balls, bon-bons, bulls eyes, etc. =)

Recipe filling #1

Mix 1 cup creamy peanut butter or chunky peanut butter (choose which you like)--I like Skippy Natural because it doesn't have any hydrogenated oils.

1/4 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix well till smooth with mixer. Then add and stir in:

1 cup chopped pretzels (small pieces)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Chill dough until firm--a few hours (2-4) Pull out the dough and shape into small balls. Shape all the balls before you get ready to dip them in the chocolate.

Recipe filling #2

Mix

1/4 cup butter melted

8 oz powdered sugar

6 oz. chunky peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (optional)

3/4 cup coconut (optional)

3/4 cup mini chips or pecans chopped (optional)

Shape into 1 inch ball. That recipe doesn't call for chilling. If it sticks just wash your hands and then keep going (at least that's what I do =) ).

Dipping...

I've tried a couple of things. I hate to do the shortening thing, but somehow it's easier for me to do that then adding parrafin wax and some recipes call for that. I kept trying recipes with butter, but they never came out very well. So, this year I did the shortening and it worked a lot better.

Melt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (crisco) in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave.

Microwave at 50% power for a minute then stir. Continue for 30 second intervals, stirring each time until it's smooth.

If you try that coating recipe and it's too runny, the other recipe I have calls for 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 1 1/2 Tbsp. shortening. The last time I did them, I did the first ratio of 2 Tbsp. and it worked pretty well.

I love peanut butter balls. They are so dangerous for me to have in the freezer! =)