Chocolate-Peanut Butter Acorns

 

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart Magazine, November 2012, page 64.

I made it with Eli, Sarah, and Abby a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
2 c confectioner's sugar
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate
36 branch-shaped pieces from mini pretzels

Stir together peanut butter and butter in a bowl with wooden spoon.  Add sugar; work into a smooth dough with your hands.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.  (I didn't.)

Using the palms of your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2" oblong "acorns" (you should have 36), flatten 1 end of each a bit with your fingertip, and place on a waxed paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Refrigerate 30 minutes. (I didn't do that either, but I did refrigerate them when they were done.)

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Working with 1 acorn at a time, insert a toothpick into rounded tip, dip flat end into chocolate, then return to baking sheet.  Remove toothpick, and inset a pretzel piece into the chocolate-dipped end of each acorn.  Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 2 hours.  I found that the acorn fell off the toothpick so I dipped them with my fingers.