12 Days of Christmas, Bonus Recipe 3

Not a Christmas passed when my Grandmother was alive that we didn't pass around a box of a premium chocolate assorment made by...someone or other.  It was one of my favorite memories...  I have always been a fan of peanut butter and the older I have gotten I discovered other butters...almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter....  They really are quite the treat!  I have a simple recipe that allows you to turn ANY butter into tasty candy.

You can either roll balls or paint chocolate molds and fill them.  I did both.  I painted a chocolate mold that was a variety of Christmas ornament shapes (less than 3 bucks on Amazon.com), then filled them with the nut butter mixtures.  It is simple and fabulous!  Let's get started....

Vegan Nut Butter Ornaments
1/2 c. nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, macadamia...pick one)
1/4 c. vegan buttery spread
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag Enjoy Life semi sweet mini chocolate chips
1 T. plus 1 tsp. vegan shortening

wax paper
chocolate mold and paint brush

Melt your chips in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir...if they aren't completely melted, microwave in 30 second bursts until easily able to stir.  Throw in the shortening....stir until completely melted. Paint your chocolate mold with a clean paint brush.  If you are in a hurry, toss it in the fridge after each layer has been painted.  I went 3 layers with mine, in the end it turned out to be barely enough.  4 would have been best.  When you have finished this part then work on the filling.

Cream together your choice of nut butter, butter and vanilla.  Begin adding powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time, beating well after each addition.  Take about 1/4 tsp. rounded of mixture and press it into each mold.  Then with the remainder of the chocolate you have fill the back of the ornament with chocolate.  I used a 1/2 tsp. measure and it was the perfect amount to seal them up.  I let them sit for 1 hour before cracking them out of the mold.  They looked awesome and tasted even better!  The filling to chocolate ratio with the mold is perfect.

If want to skip the mold part simply grab about 1 tsp. of the filling and roll it into a ball and set aside on wax paper.  Because you have warmed it with your hand by holding it and rolling it, you'll need to chill it a bit.  Shove it in the fridge for 20 minutes.  Take the balls out and dip them in the chocolate and set on wax paper to set.  If you don't use the mold it makes about 60 pieces.  If you do it makes about 120 pieces of candy.