A Very Harry Christmas, Day 2: 1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids

Every year there is some kind of candy being made in our house.  Last year I did bonus recipes of fudge, mounds candies, nut butter chocolate molded candies and truffles.  I'm not quite that ambitious this year...  But Harry has something for that....

1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids!  A sweet peanut butter mound with a bit of crisp rice cereal....drenched in milk chocolate.  How can you go wrong with that?!  Since peanut butter/chocolate combos seem to be a must around the holidays, I decided to give this one a whirl.  The thought of the crunch inside the bonbon really piqued my interest.  Almost like the feel of a Ferrero Rocher....with peanuts instead of hazelnut.  BUT!...there is nothin saying you can't make this with cashew butter, macadamia butter or even almond butter.  If you like those nuts...go nuts!

1-2-3 Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons for Kids

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. crisp rice cereal
10 oz. milk chocolate, melted, for coating

*I highly recommend a peanut butter that has salt and sugar in it.  I used unsalted, unsweetened in mine and I could feel my brain saying "More sugar...more salt..."

Combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. Beat on high speed until it reaches a dough-like consistency, with no crumbs. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar; if it’s too dry, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Note: It’s better to avoid adding the milk as the rice cereal with begin to lose its crunch after several hours due to the added moisture. Add the rice cereal and mix until combined.

Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and line them up on parchment paper. Using two forks, dip the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, turn to coat and then lift out, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the coated candies back onto the parchment paper. Try to wait until the chocolate has set before you eat them. To speed things up, you can put the bonbons in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, but no longer than that. The condensation can ruin the chocolate.

 These bonbons were so easy to make it almost fooled me right out of making them when I was looking through the cookbook...  But!...something that tastes great doesn't have to be complicated.  These were creamy and the small bit of crunch that the cereal added was a welcomed surprise each time I hit a piece and broke through the sweetness a bit.  

Try these in your home with the kids for Christmas, they are sure to be a hit and become a yearly Christmas tradition.