Peanut Butter Eggs like Reese Peanut Butter Eggs

This is the same recipe I use for Ohio Buckeyes. But I add a secret ingredient to make them taste like Reese’s peanut butter eggs: very finely ground salted dry roasted peanuts, about 1 generous cup to a batch.

3 pounds confectioners’ sugar

1 pound real butter, softened

2 to 2-1/2 cups peanut butter or more as needed (I like a bit more)

1 cup finely ground dry roasted salted peanuts (optional but good)

1 tablespoon vanilla

Chocolate morsels – your choice milk chocolate, semi sweet, etc. and Crisco for for coating (2 cups morsels and 1 tablespoon Crisco, melt and let cool a bit before dipping).

Blend everything to make dough. The more you mix, the smoother the dough becomes. You can always add a bit more peanut butter if the dough is crumbly.  Form into egg shapes.  Put into the freezer while melting the chocolate.  You can melt the chocolate in a nonstick pan over low heat, in a microwave or even in a double boiler.  When you dip the frozen eggs into the melted chocolate (let excess drip off) they start to set up immediately.  Put them on cookie rack to finish setting up.

Georgia Pelle’s opera cream candy eggs

Georgia, a Kentucky reader, has been making these for 40 years. Her sister, Sue first told me about these. “Everyone just loves these – better than any commercial brand”, she said. You can free-form these, as well.

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

6 cups confectioners sugar

Semisweet or dark chocolate morsels for coating

Cream cheese and butter, then add vanilla. Add sugar 1 cup at a time. Mix well slowly. Form into shape and chill.

To make in molds:

Melt some chocolate and brush molds with melted chocolate. Place coated molds in frig 15 minutes. Break off a piece of the filling and press into mold. Brush with chocolate to seal bottom. Place in fridge and chill. Release from molds.

Tip from Rita’s kitchen:

You can also dip the  egg  into melted chocolate after they are formed instead of brushing the molds with chocolate.  After they chill, I dip them into the cooled melted chocolate quickly to cover all over, then put them on a cookie rack until coating is set. Store in frig.

Make your own dipping fork! Just break off the 2 center tines of a plastic fork.