Valentine Chocolates

My life seems to be one double batch after the next.

But as I fixed a double batch of these treats a couple weeks ago for the youth group crew, I thought that it would be a fun recipe to share. I used to LOVE the homemade peanut butter cups that my school made when I was growing up!! It had been so long. .I'd even forgotten that they made them. .until my little 4-H cookers fixed them last month. .and I got a good bite out of one. .It took me RIGHT back to the school cafeteria. .have you ever done that?? We've fixed them 3 times since we tried it out last month. No one has disliked them so far!

Devin and I made them again today to share with their Valentines at school and daycare!!

We started by pulverizing some graham crackers in my food processor. .a blender would work just as well. .and probably so would a hammer and a ziplock bag (see. .anybody can make these :-)

The food processor makes short work of cruching those babies down!

The recipe calls for real butter, and I haven't been brave enough to substitute anything else yet. By the way. .these pictures show my double batch from a few weeks ago. .so don't freak if you don't have a bowl that big.

It mixes up into a nice peanut buttery-ball!

We used these mini muffin papers for our Valentine candy.  It takes about a slightly rounded teaspoon-full of dough in the cups.  If you're not into individual servings. .use a 9 X 13 pan.

We also like dark chocolate. .so we mixed regular chips with dark chips.  MMMM.

Spoon a little melted chocolate over the dough.  You could spread it around to cover the whole ball. .we just left our glaze like that. .Lazy Rustic, I call it!

Or spread it over the pans, if you used those.  I put waxed paper down at the bottom of mine. .but I'm not sure that you would need to!!

I know a lot of little Valentine kids that are going to love these!!

No Bake Peanut Butter Candy

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs (slightly more than 1 sleeve of crackers)

1 lb (3 1/2 C) powdered sugar

1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted

1 12oz bag chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, you pick!)

2 tsp peanut butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter and butter and beat until combined. Press into a parchment (or waxed paper or foil) lined 9x13 pan. Place chocolate chips and 2 tsp peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and spread out evenly. Place pan in the fridge just until chocolate is set and then cut into bars. Tip: If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp. They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.

In addition to making candy and practicing 4-H talks, we started

another little project that I will be sharing soon!!
And another exciting BIG project coming our way soon too!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!