Buckeye Pops with Pretzels

Prepare 2-3 cookies sheets or large dishes by lining them with wax paper. Set aside.

Mix together butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl until as smooth as possible (the mixture make look flaky, but will smooth out when you form the balls).

Take about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and form a ball by rolling it between your palms. Place it on the wax lined sheet and stick a candy stick into it making sure you don’t poke all the way through. Repeat this process for the rest of the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.

Once peanut butter balls are chilled, melt about a third of the chocolate, either in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, until a smooth pour-able consistency. If you do this in the microwave, heat for 30 seconds at a time at 50% powder and stir between additional 30 second intervals (melting the chocolate in 3 stages helps to make it more manageable and keep the temperature consistent).

Put the crushed pretzels into a shallow bowl.

Take one peanut butter ball by the stick and dip it in the melted chocolate until coated. You can completely submerge it up to the stick or leave a little opening to resemble a buckeye nut, like traditional buckeye balls.

Dip the bottom into the crushed pretzels and place each one on the prepared baking sheet. Follow this same method with the rest, melting more chocolate as needed.

Return the sheets to the refrigerator and chill for another hour until chocolate is completely hardened.

Notes:
– Makes about 70 balls, 2 per serving.
– I wouldn’t recommend using ‘natural’ peanut butters, or any that require refrigeration. They are usually much too soft and don’t hold up as well.
– Always use good-quality melting chocolate (I highly recommend Pound Plus from Trader Joe’s).
– Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week (if they last that long).
– Having them on a stick is totally optional. If you choose to just have them as ‘truffles’, use a skewer or a toothpick to dip them into the chocolate and then remove it when you put it onto the tray to set.