No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie day. And where it might be too late (and hopefully too darn hot) for baking, these no bake cookies are sure to be the hit of any event. From Father’s Day (my dad LOVES his peanut butter) to 4th of July BBQ’s to just your everyday peanut butter celebration day, they are easy to make (your kids can help, or your cats if you don’t have kids) can probably be made with what you have already in your pantry, and disappear quickly.

These are low sugar but the sugar can easily be increased to up to 2x to appease the sweet tooths out there. And sugar substitutes are sure to work as well.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls
(Makes 24)

Just as good as Cookies, Heather’s No-Bake Peanut Butter & Pretzel Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal like Rice Crispies or Chex.
• 1 cup crushed pretzel sticks

In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together till well combined. Add the chocolate chips and crispy rice cereal and also mix till well combined.

Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1″ balls and then roll in the crushed pretzels to coat.

Chill for 1 hour.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Candy Apples

• 8 apples
• 8 wooden skewers
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup red cinnamon candies, like Red Hots

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Wash and dry the apples carefully. Remove the stems, and stick the skewers firmly in the stem ends.
3. Combine the water, corn syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250 degrees. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to prevent crystallization.
4. Once the candy reaches 250, add the cinnamon candies and stir briefly to incorporate. Continue to cook, washing down the sides, until it reaches 285 degrees.
5. Remove from the heat and stir the candy so that it is smooth and even. Hold an apple by the skewer and dip it in the candy, tilting the pan at an angle and rotating the apple to cover it completely with a smooth, even layer. Bring it out of the candy and twirl it to remove excess, then set it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples.

6. Allow apples to cool at room temperature. Candy apples are best enjoyed within 24 hours.

Crispy Easter Egg Nests

• 1 (14 oz.) bag sweetened flake coconut
• Green food dye
• 1 (7.5 oz.) jar Marshmallow Fluff
• 3 cups Crisp Rice Cereal
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• Cooking spray
• Jelly Beans or Jordan almonds

• Place 1 bag of sweetened coconut in a bowl. Use a toothpick to apply and stir in a few drops of green food coloring and let it dry. Melt 1 (7.5 oz.) jar of Marshmallow Fluff in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until soft and pliable. Stir in 3 cups of crisp rice cereal. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips; remove from heat. Arrange 8 paper cupcake liners on a work surface. Mist hands with cooking spray. Gather a small amount of cereal mixture and shape to fit into a cupcake liner. Add more cereal to make a rim around top. Let cool. Make 7 more. Fill each nest with a bit of coconut and Jelly Beans or Jordan Almonds.

Chocolate Coconut Pecan Balls

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
•  2 cups shredded coconut
• 3 3 1/4  cups of finely chopped, lightly toasted pecans
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 lbs. powdered sugar

12 oz. melted chocolate for dipping

1. Stir together butter, condensed milk, coconut, nuts and vanilla. Add enough powdered sugar to form a stiff dough. (You may not need all of the sugar.)
2. Refrigerate until well chilled, for at least one hour (preferably overnight).Form mixture into compact balls. Chill again, or freeze, before dipping.
3. Skewer each ball on a toothpick and dip in melted chocolate to coat thoroughly.
4. Place on baking parchment or waxed paper, remove toothpick, and set aside for chocolate to harden at room temperature. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Chocolate Cherries

• 60 Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups crumbs)
• 1/2 cup  powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 cup  boiling water
• 2 tsp. Instant Coffee
• 2 Tbsp.  margarine or butter
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 36   maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
• 1-1/2 pkg. (12 squares) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

 

MIX crumbs, sugar and walnuts; set aside. Add boiling water to coffee granules in small bowl; stir until coffee is dissolved. Add margarine and corn syrup; stir until well blended. Add to crumb mixture; mix well.

SHAPE about 1 rounded teaspoonful of the crumb mixture around each cherry, leaving stem of cherry uncoated. Place in shallow pan; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour.

DIP cherries, 1 at a time, in chocolate, holding cherries by the stems and turning until completely coated. Place on wire rack set over sheet of wax paper to collect drippings. Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm. Store in refrigerator.

Rocky Road Goodies

1 (12-ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

3/4 Cup of crushed mint candy cane
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line baking sheets with wax paper.
2. Combine morsels and sweetened condensed milk in large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in marshmallows, nuts, candy cane and vanilla extract.
3. Drop by heaping tablespoon in mounds onto prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 24 clusters

Melty Milkshake Bars

• 10 unwrapped caramels
• 1  Tbsp of Fat Free Milk
• 4 Vanilla Milkshake PopTarts
• 1/2 Cup of Mini Marshmallows
• 3 1/2 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a small microwave safe bowl add the caramels and milk and microwave on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes (stir every 30 seconds).
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay each Pop Tart down and cover with mini marshmallows.
3. Bake for 7 minutes or until marshmallows begin to turn a golden brown.
4. Drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Cool for 20 minutes and cut into halves.

PBJ Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough, divided
• 2/3 cup strawberry jam
• 3/4 cup granola without raisins
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips

 Proceedure:

1. Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and greased the foil. Press two-thirds of the cookie dough into prepared pan. Spread jam over dough to within 1/4 in. of edges. In a mixing bowl, beat the granola, peanut butter chips and remaining dough until blended. Crumble over jam.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Using foil, lift out of pan. Cut into bars and remove from foil.

Chocolate Toffee Crunch Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), melted
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Proceedure:

Combine crumbs, brown sugar and butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. In a saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand until chocolate is melted. Spread evenly over top; sprinkle with pecans. Cool completely before cutting.

Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Melting Dark Chocolate disks
• 3 drops of Concentrated Mint Oil
• Ritz Crackers

Proceedure:

1. Melt Chocolate over double broiler. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in Mint Oil.
3. Dip Crackers in Chocolate mix and place on wax paper. Let dry.