Chocolate Peanut Sweeties

I first tried these a couple of years ago, after spotting them in a Taste of Home magazine

 

I thought they were fantastic. 

They remind me (quite rightly so, since the recipe is nearly identical) of Buck-Eyes, but with the pleasant addition of pretzels, which not only contribute to the fun factor with the salty crunch to complement the chocolate and peanut butter, but they also make the peanut butter balls infinitely easier and faster to dip. 

That makes a win/win combination, if you ask me. 

Recipe: (adapted from Taste of Home)

1-1/2 cups peanut butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

60 miniature pretzels

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

2 T. shortening or butter

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until completely incorporated.

Shape into 1" balls; press each one onto a pretzel and place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips with shortening until melted.

Stir until smooth.

Dip the peanut butter ball into chocolate; allow excess to drip off.  Return to baking sheet, pretzel size down.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 5 dozen