Yes, that’s right. Peanut. Butter. Truffles. Who doesn’t love a good truffle? They are the perfect little bite-sized treat to attack almost any and all of those sweet cravings. What was so surprising to me the first time I made them was how easy they were to make! Sure they require a little down time to chill, but for what they are, they are so insanely simple. I swear it. After our excursion down duck fried rice lane the past two days (yes we’ve had duck fried rice for the past two days now…I’m not complaining…I could eat it for decades…literally decades), I was totally craving something sweet. And I may have, just may have, paired it with one of my favorite beers of the winter/spring season.
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So what does making truffles require you ask? I’m so happy you asked! Well…
You cream together peanut butter, butter, confectioner’s sugar and a little sea salt. Yup, it’s literally a little switch of stand mixer’s on button, and then you can walk away. Well don’t walk away forever. Just a minute or two should due (hey that rhymes!).
You spread it into a dish and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
You scoop out little round balls of scrumptiousness and lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
You refrigerate again.
You dip in chocolate and garnish with more chocolate and whatever else your little heart’s desire may be at the time.
You refrigerate…again.
You eat!
Simple…right? Really, I promise you. It’s simple. The full recipe below may be a little bit easier to follow. =)
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Mine came out a little messy. They still taste just the same though! They were fantastic! There is one little thing I’d like to mention. I think it’s very important that you really let these babies chill for a while. The peanut butter mixture is very soft at first and it can get cumbersome when you are trying to roll them. Also, when you dip them in the melted chocolate, they can become quite messy as well. Not every truffle is going to come out looking just perfect. Practice, in this case, almost makes perfect. So keep at it and try not to get frustrated.
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I had to. I just had to. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. I had to pair these little bite-sized balls of superbness with Odell Brewing’s Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout. There was no other way to go. I honestly think that subconsciously, Lugene inspired me to make the truffles. If you weren’t aware, Lugene is a cow and she is very persuasive. Just take a look at the bottle labeling on this beer. She’s just so darn cute. Anyway, this beer is so perfectly chocolatey. You would think that the chocolate from the beer would be just way too much to pair with something as sweet and chocolatey as these truffles are, but no siree bob it only enhances the chocolate flavor! Can you tell I was craving something sweet? I can’t…
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It’s been a horrible couple of days (as the weather goes). It’s literally been 3 days since we’ve seen the sun. If any of you are aware of the weather in central, Northern Colorado, this is strange. The sun shines literally 300 out of 360 days a year, and out of those 60 days of no sun, it usually snows. It’s been dreary and painstaking I tell you. I think it’s another one of those days to sit back on the sofa, eat truffles and watch reruns of Giada at Home. I may or may not have almost 40 episodes DVRed. Is that weird? Let’s just pretend that it’s not =).
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- coarse sea salt (for garnish)
- cocoa powder (for garnish)
- confectioner's sugar (for garnish)
- assorted chopped nuts (for garnish)
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment fixed (or with a hand mixer), cream together the peanut butter, butter, 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and fine sea salt until all is incorporated. Spread into an 8x8 inch dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- Using a melon baller, scoop out balls of the peanut butter mixture and roll into a sphere. Place the peanut butter balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes while you prepare your garnishes.
- In a glass bowl sitting over top a saucepan with simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not sit low enough to be submerged in the water), melt the chocolate by stirring occasionally. Once melted remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Coat your peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate and garnish immediately what whatever you choose: coarse sea salt, cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar and/or assorted chopped nuts. Once you have garnished, place the balls back on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
Hardware: * Stand Mixer (with paddle attachment fixed) or Hand Mixer * Measuring Spoons * Measuring Cups * 8x8 inch Dish with Lid * Melon Baller (or a spoon of equal size) * Parchment Paper * Baking Sheet * Sifter (for garnishing with cocoa powder and sugar) * Saucepan * Glass Bowl * Wooden Spoon * Airtight Container *
