Cherry Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 24 to 26 maraschino cherries with stems
• Additional confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
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• 1/4 cup shortening

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Pat cherries dry with paper towel. Dust hands with additional confectioners' sugar. Wrap each cherry with a rounded tablespoon full of peanut butter mixture; shape into a ball. (Peanut butter mixture may need to be refrigerated occasionally while rolling cherries.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set. Yield: about 2 dozen.
  
  Editor’s Note: Reduced-fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe.

Cherry Peanut Butter Balls published in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2003, p29