What Shall We Make Today?

Easter Candy!  Peanut butter eggs to be specific.

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt optional, add if your peanut butter isn’t already salty

For Dipping:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or melting wafers (12-ounce bag)

1 tablespoon shortening, coconut oil, or vegetable oil optional, to help chocolate chips melt thinner and make dipping easier

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to mix peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt (optional) until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.

The consistency should be a bit like a play-doh and shouldn’t be sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it’s dry and not holding together when pressed, add a bit more melted butter.        

Roll into balls, flatten, then shape into eggs. You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough 1/2″ thick, then use an egg cookie cutter or round plastic cup or lid (that “squishes” and is about 2″ in diameter) to cut out oval shapes.

Freeze shaped eggs for 20-30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening (optional) in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between each increment. If using melting wafers, follow instructions on package.

Dip the frozen eggs in melted chocolate chips or melting wafers. It’s easiest to place them on a fork and then use another fork to scoop chocolate on top.

Tap off the excess chocolate, then place on a piece of parchment paper. Before they fully harden, it can be helpful to carefully move them to prevent the chocolate from “pooling” on the parchment (which will help you get crisp-edged eggs!).

If you have extra chocolate, use a fork to drizzle it on top of the eggs. While the eggs are still wet, you can also add fun sprinkles.

Let harden, then enjoy! You can place these in the fridge or freezer to help them harden quicker.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store homemade peanut butter eggs in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Depending on the chocolate you used and how well it hardens, you may want to store these in the fridge so that the chocolate doesn’t get tacky and melt so quickly in your hands.

Freezing: I actually prefer these frozen, as you can grab one when a craving hits! After the chocolate is hardened, place in an airtight container (you can place a piece of wax paper or parchment in between each layer to prevent from smearing).

How do you get your chocolate chips smooth for dipping? Chocolate chips are naturally designed to hold their shape, so whenever I melt chocolate chips, I always add a heaping tablespoon of Crisco shortening before melting to smooth it out.

If you want to make these peanut butter eggs without shortening, you can instead use melting wafers (naturally designed to melt better) or just add coconut oil or vegetable oil to the chocolate chips instead (add before microwaving).