Do not under any circumstances allow me to make these again. They’re just too good, too rich, and too addictive to have around. Just in case I forget this public plea, I’m going to send myself an email from FutureMe.org. I’ll schedule it to arrive during the holidays next year, and urge myself to make this recipe at my own risk and only when I can immediately give them all away.
The first time I made Peanut Butter Bon Bons (some of you will probably know them as Peanut Butter Buckeyes) was with my mom many many moons ago. Then a few years ago I made them for a holiday party. That’s when the trouble began. I couldn’t stop eating them so after the guests left I threw them in the trash. My friend Hänni was absolutely mortified and demanded to know why I didn’t just send them with her to the airport (see I’m not the only one with bon bon issues), but at that point it was the bon bons or my sanity. I can’t even begin to express how hard it was not to have a total Miranda Hobbs moment and take them out of the trash and eat them, but somehow I prevailed and managed not to fall for the excruciating peanut butter temptation.
Unfortunately, time dulls all pain including bon bon induced stomach ache memories. So this year I made a huge batch to bring to a New Year’s Eve party. I kept a small container for CK and I (which means I ate the whole container), took the majority to the party, and then packed a Tupperware with the leftover Bon Bons and placed it in the freezer for CK’s Monday morning meeting. Well the Monday morning meetings were canceled. In fact, they aren’t happening again for two whole weeks, and those chocolates have begun to talk to me. I can hear them tempting me all the time with their cold, creamy goodness. I even stooped so low as to take them out of the freezer yesterday, but then I couldn’t get the cover off the container. I took this as a sign from the diet Gods, and put them back. I will not eat them! As this blog is my witness I will not eat those Peanut Butter Bon Bons again (or at least until next December).
Peanut Butter Bon Bons
Adapted from a recipe at The Kitchn.com
2 lbs. powdered sugar
3 cups creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 tsp vanilla extract (Erin’s Note: This is my addition. You don’t have to add it, but I like to).
1 1/2 lbs. chocolate chips, semi-sweet (24 oz.)
1/2 bar edible paraffin wax
Combine the first four ingredients with an electric mixer and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Once chilled, roll the mixture into small 1-inch balls. (Erin’s Note: I find that using a small ice cream scoop is very helpful and keeps things uniform). When this task is complete, place the bon bons back into the refrigerator on silpat-covered baking sheets.
Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin wax in a double boiler, over, not in, boiling water, and stir the mixture until smooth. Reduce the heat to low to keep the mixture warm.
Dip each ball into the chocolate mixture using a toothpick, leaving the top of the candy uncovered. After dipping all of the bon bons, you can smooth over the toothpick marks by hand. Allow the bon bons to harden on silpat-covered baking sheets. (Erin’s Note: The Kitchn suggest doing this step on waxed paper, but I found that the waxed paper stuck to the bottom of the bon bons, whereas the chocolates that cooled on a silpat came off completely intact). Chill the trays again in the refrigerator. Once completely hard, transfer the bon bons to air-tight containers and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. If well-wrapped they can stay in the freezer for months.