Continuing with Cake Pops ... Peanut Butter Yumminess Cake Pops

So this weekend I had some of my best buds over and after they tasted my Peanut Butter Yumminess Squares, and the cake pops from my previous post, they asked ... "Couldn't you make the Peanut Butter Yumminess's into cake pops".  I thought about and and decided to give it a try.  

This Recipe is super quick and easy, no baking or cooking, ultra yummy and utterly more-ish ... so if  you are a bit of a peanut butter fanatic like all of us in my family .... you have been warned - your addiction is pending!

My Recipe for Peanut Butter Yumminesses is:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 packet of tennis biscuits - crushed into fine crumbs
• 1/2 packet of digestive biscuits - crushed into fine crumbs

You could also just use your fave. biscuits crushed or any mixture thereof - just make sure they are filling free i.e. they create a dry crumb when crushed.

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups icing sugar

I say this because sometimes if the peanut butter is stiffer or dryer, you may not need as much icing sugar as it will make the mixture crumbly, and other times its looser and perhaps a bit more oily and the extra icing sugar absorbs this - so use according to the texture of the peanut butter you are using.

• 1 cup peanut butter - crunchy or smooth - your choice.  

If you want decadence deluxe you can always substitute some of or all of the peanut butter for chocolate spread, just adjust your crumbs and icing sugar for texture. You don't want it too loose or too stiff (although too stiff is better than too wet, remembering that it does stiffen up a bit in the fridge, but can become softer at room temperature). 

• 210 g melted butter (normal salted butter). 

You can substitute with marge but we all know bow much better butter tastes, so if possible use it :)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

For Dipping:

• 325 g melted chocolate. 

I normally use Geldhof disks and melt them in the microwave for 1 min and then 15 - 30 second bursts thereafter until melted and smooth. If you are using a block of chocolate - remember to cut into smaller pieces to ensure a more even melting.  If you don't, you risk burning your chocolate.

METHOD POPS - THE COMPLICATED BUT PRETTY WAY:

1. Place all the ingredients (except the dipping chocolate) into a bowl and stir until all the ingredients are fully combined.
2. Use a scoop/ spoon to measure out the amount of mixture for the size of pop you want.
3. Place these scoops onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Take scoops out one by one and roll into balls.  I did this standing at the fridge with the door open as I found that they became very soft and unrollable after just a few minutes out of the fridge.
5. Again leave in the fridge for about an hour.  Take the sticks you are going to use and dip the tip into chocolate and press into the center of the ball.
6. Again leave in the fridge for about 30 mins to set.
7. Finally, working one at a time, dip the balls into the coolish melted chocolate and shake off the excess.  Leave in fridge to set overnight ... if you can resist :P 

This mixture is still a bit soft and wet (see the shiny bit top right) ... just add some more icing sugar or if you are going to have to add more than 1/2 cup, rather add less and include a few more crushed biscuits.  Here a 1/4 cup did the trick.

Ok, so I cheated on the dipping as you will see and didn't let the excess chocolate drip of sufficiently and have ended up with "puddles" at the bottom of some of the pops ... yay me for rushing!  Still yummy, but not as pretty as they could have been

METHOD SQUARES - THE EASY QUICK WAY:

1. Place all the ingredients (except the dipping chocolate) into a bowl and stir until all the ingredients are fully combined.
2. Spread the mixture into a lined baking tray.  I often tend to use plastic wrap for items that don't require baking, just refrigeration, as it makes them super easy to take out and makes your pan easier to clean. It also allows me to "shorten" the size of the tin to make "fatter" slices.
3. Press and spread the mixture down until till you get it as flat and even as possible.
4. Pour melted chocolate over the top, smooth out and put in the fridge for a few hours.
5. Flip the tray onto a board (the plastic wrap allows it to just fall out, so be a bit careful not to let it fall out hard and crack).
6. Either break into pieces, or use a hot knife to cut into squares.
7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

 I tend to use plastic wrap for items that go in the fridge often, as it makes them super easy to take out and makes your pan easier to clean. It also allows me to "shorten" the size of the tin to make "fatter" slices, as you will see from the picture above where I just shortened the right hand side a bit.

Very roughly cut up squares ... I only cut them because if I don't, every member in my family (myself included) will happily run off with the entire pan.  If you want pretty and precise slices, use a knife dipped in boiling water and then wiped off for each cut.

  Have a happy week!

Love

S