Peanut Butter Umm... Things

OK, so I wasn’t sure how to title this post.  I’ve always called these Peanut Butter Balls, but to be honest, that doesn’t sound terribly appetizing, so I thought I’d rechristen them.  Peanut Butter Treasures?  Peanut Butter Bites?  Peanut Butter Nuggets?  Peanut Butter Delights?  Oh, forget it.  To quote William Shakespeare (sort of):  "What's in a name? That which we call a Peanut Butter Ball, by any other name, would taste as sweet."  Right?     

When I told my husband I was going to make these for my blog this week, he said, "Woohoo!"  Or he may have used something equivalent, but not quite as demure.  He was excited, to say the least.  They just might be his very favorite treat, and that’s saying something. 

 What you’ll need:

1 ½ cups Peanut Butter *

1 ¼ cups Powdered Sugar**

3 Tablespoons Butter (softened)

1 Tablespoon Brown Rice Syrup (or honey)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

½ teaspoon Sea Salt

1 cup Chocolate chips

*Use good peanut butter.  Something natural with no palm oil.

** Please, please use organic powdered sugar.  You won’t believe the flavor difference.  In fact, you may never go back to the conventional stuff again. 

In your mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, butter, syrup, salt, and vanilla, until it looks like this:

 

Sift in the powdered sugar. 

 

This is why it is so important to sift it. 

 

Press the lumps through with your fingers or the back of a spoon.

Mix until the powdered sugar is completely incorporated and the mixture comes together like a dough.  At this point, it should have the texture of soft fudge and look like this: 

 

Weather and humidity can play a big roll here, so if it's too dry, add more peanut butter.  If it’s too soft, add more powdered sugar. 

Pinch off a small piece of the mixture.  You want the finished treats to be no more than two bites, so I really do mean small. 

 

Roll it around in your hands and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

 

Alas, I have finally found a situation where it doesn’t benefit me to have a dog in lieu of children.  He can’t help me roll, and there are a lot of these darn things.  Well, if you don’t have any helpers, at least turn Oprah on in the background.  Just be sure it’s not an episode about weight loss.

 

So, when you finally have them all rolled into balls, place the pan (or pans, mine didn't all fit on one) in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.   

When they’re nice and firm, pour your chocolate chips into a glass bowl.  I used milk chocolate, but feel free to use whatever you like. 

 

Microwave, stirring after 30 seconds, and every 15 seconds thereafter, until it sort of falls in ribbons when you lift it. 

Now for the dipping:

Throw a ball into the chocolate and turn it over with a fork until it's completely coated. 

Let the excess drip off for just a second, and then place it back on the parchment.  Touch the fork tines lightly on the top and let the little chocolate peaks fall to form a cute little pattern. 

While you’re dipping, you’re going to have to reheat your chocolate if it gets too thick.  Also, you’ll want to stop 2 or 3 times and put the undipped balls back in the fridge if they start to get soft.  When they’ve all been dipped, place the whole sheet back in the refrigerator and chill until the chocolate has set. 

 

I like to store them in a container in the fridge so the chocolate has a nice snap when you bite into it. 

So, what would you call these fabulous little treats? 

Update on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 2:54PM by Taneasha

Otto definitely approves.  Here he is trying to steal one from the table. 

And when that didn't work, he came around to beg.

Look at that face!  LOL!

Chocolate Cake in a Cup

**not the acutal cake! omg so not the cake.

So, in more than a few places I’ve seen a recipe for chocolate cake in a mug. I think you know the one I mean... it makes the email rounds every 6 months or so, and really, who can resist cake in a cup. Handy, particularly if it's almost 10 at night and you absolutely need chocolatecakerightfuckingnoworyou’llkillsomeone.

You do too. Don’t lie.

It’s a neat idea. And for a foodie like me who knows that the whole “cup” cake thing started with cake batter being baked in stoneware mugs back in the early 1800s it’s a bit of food geekery to think you’re making something that old school.

Microwave notwithstanding.

What you need:

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

a small splash of vanilla extract

handful of chocolate chips (optional)

 

What you gotta do:

Measure the flour, sugar and cocoa into a fair sized, microwavable coffee mug and stir together with a fork.

Crack in the egg and stir it in a bit, then add the milk and oil (I used peanut, but any kind should work), and stir vigorously with the fork. Vigorously.

Nice thing about this one is that there are almost no dishes. Particularly since all of mine are already dirty and on the counter, and on the stove, and in the sink, I think there may even be some on the table...

Once you’ve forked the batter until it’s nice and smooth, put the cup in the microwave (no fork) and nuke it for 3 minutes.

Let it cool before you try eating it!

Hot or cold, this cake is pretty crappy.

 

I mean yeah, it’s a chocolate fix, but it’s not a very tasty one. No amount of beating will lighten it. It’s dense as all hell and way too eggy. Chocolate scrambled eggs comes to mind. Most snack cake recipes make 8 - 12 servings and use only 2 - 3 eggs. One egg per serving is just too much. I’ve seen a version that includes baking powder, but it’s also got the egg.

The only way this thing is going to make it to being half way edible is if someone can figure out how to make it rise without the egg (maybe baking soda and then vinegar stirred in at the last second?) or just call it a custard. It could probably be turned into one by increasing the milk and decreasing the flour.

I’ve gotten this by email and I’ve seen it posted on forums, and for the life of me I really can’t figure out why the fuck the stupid thing keeps making the rounds. It’s horrible. Next time I need a chocolate fix, I’ll just eat the handful of chocolate chips.

Have you seen this recipe? Forwarded it? Tried it? Please tell me I fucked it up really badly somehow.