This year April brings the return of vibrant color and lush greens to landscape here in the midwest, the Easter holidays, my favorite dark chocolate covered vanilla cream eggs from Fannie May (a candy store original to the Chicagoland area), and the much anticipated one month only (hot or cold) chocolate peanut butter flavored mocha drink on the local coffee shop menu. In other words, it's a feast for the eyes, soul, and sweet tooth kind of month. Why is it that the months providing and offering us so much last only thirty days? Wouldn't it be great if we could take a day from January and give it to April?
Speaking of asking someone to make something I want possible, I must admit I have never been shy about asking friends for a favor. I don't mean like 'can I borrow a cup of sugar?'or 'could you drive me/pick me up from the airport?' (this would have been in the days before Uber). I mean things like 'could you bring me back a black Prada crossbody purse that costs less than "X" while on your trip to Italy?' (yes, I did that) or 'could you ask your sister if she could send me a copy of Ottolenghi's cookbook being released in the UK a month before it's released in the states? (yes, I did that), or 'could you look for and bring me back a square ice cream scoop while on your business trip to England?' (yes, I did that too). Yes, I have shamelessly asked for the 'could you please go out of your way? big kind of favors. Fortunately for me I am surrounded by some really good, no some really great friends, because all of those favors were granted.
I still have that purse. I love my European version of one of Ottolenghi's cookbooks. And I love having had that unusually shaped square ice cream scoop well before Amazon existed. Almost as much as I love my oval shaped ice cream scoop to make oval shaped confections. Like these Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs. It's one of those nice to have, not a must have, kind of thing because you can make these divinely creamy eggs without one. All you need are a couple of tablespoons and your hands.
Not counting the milk chocolate, it takes only five ingredients to make these way better than store bought Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs. Room temperature unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, marshmallow creme, confectionary sugar, and flaky sea salt. While the mixture easily comes together when using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, you could also make it using a medium-large sized bowl and a hand mixer.
The mixture should have a consistency where you should be able to scoop or hand mold it into an egg shape without having to chill it first. But for some reason if your mixture won't cooperate, cover and chill it for about an hour. However, once all of your eggs have been formed they will need to chill in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) before they can be dipped in the melted milk (or dark) chocolate. When you finally get around to reading the recipe, please also read the notes as they contain some very helpful hints.
The recipe makes one dozen 2 1/4 inch sized peanut butter eggs. You can make them smaller if you are shaping them by hand. But this isn't a make only at Easter kind of recipe! You can make them into Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (or truffles if you want to be fancy) using that round ice cream scoop you now use to make perfectly sized cookies.
What makes these Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs so light and creamy is the secret ingredient of some store bought marshmallow creme. The flavor, texture, and finishing look of these incredibly simple to make eggs is akin to the flavor, texture, and finishing look of Easter confections you might find at a high end chocolate confectionary. Your family and friends might find it hard to believe they are actually homemade or that you made them. So don't be so quick to tell them how almost effortless they were to make. You might need a really big favor someday.
For those of you who love Buckeyes, you might be wondering what the difference between them and these peanut butter eggs is. Well, these eggs have a much creamier texture, in large part due to the use of the marshmallow creme. Which is an ingredient I believe contributes greatly to their slightly addictive, irresistible deliciousness. Additionally the marshmallow creme adds a bit of sweetness without making them too sweet. Unlike other peanut butter egg recipes calling for the addition of brown sugar to the mixture.
If we needed yet another reason to be grateful for the arrival of April, it might just be these Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs. Yet unlike the chocolate peanut butter mocha drink some of my friends have had to wait an entire year to enjoy, this confection can be made and savored year round. Which is great news for all of the chocolate peanut butter lovers in your life!
Recipe
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
Makes 12-13 oval shaped 2 1/4 inch eggs
Ingredients
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature (but not melty soft)
3/4 cup (180g) creamy peanut butter (but not natural peanut better)
1/2 cup (44g) marshmallow creme (see notes)
2 cups (250g) confectionary sugar
1/8 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for finishing
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk or dark chocolate (not chocolate chips, see notes), melted
Optional: Sprinkles
Directions
1. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter, peanut butter, marshmallow creme, and salt until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down as needed.
3. Add in the confectionary sugar. Starting the mixer on low and gradually increasing speed, beat until well blended. Note: The mixture should start to come away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Using an oval ice cream scooper or a large tablespoon, form the dough into eggs shapes. Place on parchment paper lined pan. Note: Instead of making these egg shaped you could also use a small or medium sized round cookie scoop. You are going to want to make these year round.
5. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours and up to overnight.
6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Dip the peanut butter eggs in the melted chocolate and set on the prepared baking sheet. Note: Melt your chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl set over but not touching simmering water.
8. After dipping all of the eggs, use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the top of the dipped eggs.
9. Before the chocolate sets, lightly sprinkle the eggs with flaky sea salt.
10. Let the chocolate set completely before removing from the parchment paper and placing in cupcake papers or cellophane bags.
11. Store the eggs in a sealed container at room temperature or keep chilled in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Jif is my favorite peanut butter but Skippy would work too. Do not use 'natural' peanut butter.(2) You can find marshmallow creme in the baking aisle. I used this one. (3) It is easier to weigh out the peanut butter and marshmallow creme than it is to try to measuring it out. I just place my mixing bowl on the scale and add the necessary amounts, resetting the weight between ingredients. (4) If your eggs on not completely covered in chocolate on the bottom, use the remaining chocolate to dip or spread chocolate on them. Just make sure the eggs are set before you do this. You can remelt your chocolate in the microwave in 10 second increments until it is the consistency you need. (5) I used this oval ice cream scoop. (6) You can easily double this recipe! (6) I use chocolate from a local candy store, you can use the Ghiradelli melting discs or a melting chocolate from your favorite chocolatier. (7) Instead of forming into egg shapes, make them into round Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls or Truffles! (8) Instead of flaky sea salt finish, you could always top them with colorful and/or holiday sprinkles.
Spring daffodils in bloom, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (April 2021)
