My sister would avoid the pressure by bypassing the legend and taking whatever chocolate caught her eye. Then, if she didn’t like it, she’d put the half-eaten chocolate back into the box before moving on to the next one. She'll try to deny this, but I’ve got the dental molds to prove it.
Speaking of chocolates, these homemade bonbons will no doubt take their place on caker Christmas platters around the world. They taste just like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. And talk about easy! Why, these balls practically make themselves. Try making them with dry roasted peanuts for an extra punch of flavour. I guarantee you won’t find a single half-eaten ball.
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup finely chopped peanuts
3-4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2-3 teaspoons butter
Mix first 3 ingredients together. Roll into small balls. Refrigerate 1 hour. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate and refrigerate.
Source: A Commemorative Cookbook…with a “Pinch of History,” Whitby Psychiatric Hospital
In Ohio they call these Buckeyes and leave a little of the peanut butter mix uncovered by the chocolate so they look like a buckeye. They are very popular and delicious! I never made any when I lived there, but I did eat a lot of them.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a buckeye before. Thank god for Google, that's all I can say. They look like chestnuts. But it's not as fun saying "buckeye" as it is saying "bonbon."
DeleteWell that sounds positively appetising and sophisticated - not always my first response to the recipes that you feature!
ReplyDeleteWhat? I'm shocked by that statement, Asparagus Pea. Did you miss the sophistication of my Fish Fillets Noord Zie? (Or whatever the hell it was called.) That was a pretty high falutin dish.
DeleteThose sound quite yummy--and I'm impressed that you own a double boiler!
ReplyDeleteI'll let you in on a secret. I don't own a double boiler. I can't afford one. But I do own a pot and a bowl, so I make do with that. But Christmas is just around the corner! Here's hoping there's a double boiler waiting for me under the tree!!! (My life is so sad.)
Delete... "Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate and refrigerate".... who the heck is going to get all the way to the refrigerate step? I'd venture a guess that these taste pretty darn good right out of the old double boiler!
ReplyDeleteBe very careful, Madame M. I've suffered severe tongue burns eating things straight from a double boiler. (Or, in my case, a bowl and a pan - see above.) And it's awfully hard to keep a bandage on your tongue.
DeleteIt's no a Caker Christmas without some Schweaty balls! :)
ReplyDeleteYou said it, Polly. Especially if you're slaving all day over a hot stove. Those balls can get might schweaty. That's why I always keep the corn starch handy for a little dusting.
DeleteThose look way too good - nice job on the chocolate coating! Have you ever tried Oreo Cookie Balls? You blend the heck out of a full bag of regular Oreos until it looks like fine ground black coffee (warning: your hands, counters and blender will look like you've been playing with potting soil) then mix together with a tub of spreadable cream cheese. Use the "light" stuff so you can feel better about eating them all afterwards. Form the resulting dough into small balls then coat in chocolate (dark, milk, or regular). I usually freeze the balls before doing the chocolate coating because they're very soft at room temperature (store in fridge or freezer after they're done). They're creamy and heavenly! One more thing about balls...that old yellow Betty Crocker cookbook for boys and girls has a recipe for peanut butter balls that I remember thinking was wonderful when I was a kid. They have powdered milk in them...and chocolate chips too, I think. Not sure if I'd like them now or not, but would you be willing to make those (or just post the recipe)?
ReplyDeleteDebra, I'll have to give those Oreo Cookie Balls a try. They sound like those cake pops everyone's eating (even though they taste like raw dough to me.)
DeleteAs far the Betty Crocker cookbook, I brought it out and looked through it, but didn't see any peanut butter ball recipe. There's homemade peanut butter and peanutty chocolate pie and peanutty pretzels, but that's it. Maybe you're thinking of another book or edition? Sorry I couldn't help.