Easter Peanut Butter Eggs

By CookingwithK

These Peanut Butter Eggs taste just like the real deal. They are easy and quick to make with a few simple ingredients that are in most pantries. I find that the Reese's peanut butter gives a more authentic flavor. You might say these creamy peanut butter eggs are the BOMB!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (Reese's Peanut Butter is the best)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 (11.5 oz) bags milk chocolate
• 2 tablespoons Crisco shortening

Details

Servings 36
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from cookingwithk.net

Preparation

Step 1

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the wire whisk, cream together peanut butter and butter until all is incorporated. Remove the wire whisk and replace with the paddle attachment and add the powered sugar a cup at a time. You may need more than 3 cups. Just keep adding a 1/4 of a cup of powdered sugar at a time until you get a soft but firm dough.

Lay a sheet of wax paper down on the counter. Scoop 1/2 of the dough on the wax paper and press out in a round circle. Lay another sheet of wax paper over the top. Light roll dough until 1/4 inch deep.

Remove the top sheet of wax paper. Using an egg shape cookie cutter, cut out the peanut butter eggs. I have an egg shape cookie cutter that works great, but if you don't just use a small round one and use your fingers and push the dough at one end too look like an egg.

Place the peanut butter eggs on a sheet pan lined with wax paper or parchment paper and freeze for an hour.

Remove sheet pan from the freezer and dip according to the directions below*.

A couple of years ago I bought a plastic egg tray from Walmart that works beautifully to form the dough into an egg shape before dipping in the melted chocolate. I would buy two trays so one is in the freezer and then you can be working out of one while you are dipping.

Spray the tray with a non stick cooking spray and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the tray and push slightly in the egg cavities. (this will help release the dough when you get ready to dip); Set aside.

Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough and press into the egg shaped slot that is lined with the plastic wrap. Repeat until all the egg shape slots are filled. Place in the freezer for an hour.

*Place milk chocolate chips and Crisco in a microwave safe bowl. In the microwave, heat chocolate and Crisco together on high for 30 seconds. Take out of microwave and stir chocolate. Place back in the microwave and heat another 30 seconds. Continue heating in 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted and creamy smooth. Approximately 6 times.

Remove egg tray from the freezer and pull up the eggs from the from the tray and remove one egg at a time and dip in the melted chocolate.

If you are going to decorate with sprinkles, you will need to do this immediately after dipping so the sprinkles will adhere to the chocolate.

Notes: If the chocolate begins to harden before you finish dipping the eggs, place the chocolate back in the microwave and heat at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and creamy again.