Peanut Butter Truffles

Valentine's Day in our household is just another day. Yes, we do the Valentine's card exchange and Mr. Sideline Chef might bring home some flowers or a small present he's picked up. We're not big on the hype of the day itself. We believe that everyday is about each other and our son. No day beats those "just because" days when he comes home with one arm behind his back, a grin on his face, and presenting me with something that made him think of me. This guy has surprised me with a purse, kitchen items, flowers, and such. I don't want him to feel forced to get me something for a "holiday".

As for going out on the actual night itself... are you crazy? You won't catch us waiting more than 15 minutes to be seated at a restaurant. We tend to just rent a movie, make dinner, and sit in our spots on our sectional which happen to be at polar ends. Romantic right? Pssh. Sounds like a typical Saturday night for us.

I'm not a romantic person per say. I do thoughtful things every day. Putting the toilet seat down, picking clothes up off of the floor, cleaning up beard trimmings, etc. Now that's love! I don't tend to surprise him with "just because" gifts, hear me out, he's the bread winner, I bring in zero income so what do I do? "Here hunny, look what I bought you with your money today?" (He does not see it this way, it's our money.) Our solution is this: he can buy whatever his heart wants whenever he pleases. It's really a win win. I don't have to stress over what to buy the man who has everything but not enough sports memorabilia and he gets exactly what he wants.

The only Valentine's Day hype I buy into is sexy lingerie chocolate covered everything. Knowing that my fellow foodies might have a different take on the holiday and actually go all out for their loved ones than this post is mostly for you. You most likely will have all of the ingredients in your pantry and butter in your fridge to whip up these Peanut Butter Truffles. They are incredibly easy to make, taste great, and are covered in chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.

Chocolate and peanut butter are a flavor combination that make my heart sing and my taste buds dance. When you bite into these the chocolate coating cracks and the peanut butter melts into your mouth with a crunch from the peanuts. Perfect for Everything Covered in Chocolate Valentine's Day!

Peanut Butter Truffles

MyRecipes.com and Real Simple, February 2001

Makes 35-45 Truffles

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter - I used extra crunchy peanut butter.
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup cocoa powder

And Action:

Mix the peanut butter and butter in a bowl and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly into a baking dish and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Using a melon baller (I used a tablespoon), form rounds and place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place them back in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

While the peanut butter rounds are hardening melt the chocolate. I placed the chocolate chips in a microwaveble bowl and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and stirred until completely melted. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.

Drop the peanut butter rounds into the chocolate turning to coat and then retrieve them with a fork to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Garnish immediately with a dusting of cocoa powder or whatever other topping you prefer, salted peanuts maybe? Yummy.

Store these truffles in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to two weeks. How they will last that long is beyond me.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 93 (1% from fat)

Fat: 7g (sat 3g)

Protein: 2mg

Carbohydrate: 8g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 3mg

Iron: 1mg

Sodium: 31mg

Calcium: 9mg

Have these for dessert and maybe make something that you can enter for the Culinary Smackdown Battle while you are at it. The entries submitted already look incredibly tasty and Mr. Sideline Chef and I are looking forward to tasting and judging. Best of luck to those who enter and thank you in advance for participating! You have until February 27th, 2011 to link your recipe and the winner will be announced the following morning.