Peanut butter balls

This candy is so simple and delicious that I can't believe I never tried it before now. Like the "remarkable fudge" recipe, I tried this at my husband's urging. Once I found a recipe and realized how easy it was, I was happy to give it a try. Once I tasted one, it became my new favorite candy.

These balls taste like Reese cups -- peanut butter on the inside and chocolate on the outside. The hardest part is forming the balls because the combination is a bit crumbly. But that crumbliness (if that is a word) is what gives the candy a texture just like its famous cousin.

You'll need:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix the ingredients thoroughly, until they adhere. The mixture will be a bit crumbly (and your hand will hurt from stirring; just keep mixing!).

Scoop the mixture into teaspoon-sized balls and shape them with clean hands. Work quickly and don't press too hard. I had a great helper on this part.

Our dog, Jake, dearly loves peanut butter and was hoping for a few balls to get free and roll away.

He was disappointed, though. The recipe makes about 30 balls. Once you have all the mixture rolled, put it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Then heat chocolate candy bark until melted (I used the microwave, heating in 30 second intervals until it was melted and smooth.) Dip each ball in the candy coating, covering completely, then shaking off the excess. I lowered the balls using a spoon, then pulled them out with a fork to let the extra chocolate run off. Place each ball on aluminum foil until set, then store in the fridge.

My husband went crazy over these. Rarely do I think a homemade candy really tastes like its famous counterpart, but these candies are dynamite.