Reester Eggs (updated)

I got this recipe from the"Never Growing Old" blog, and I gotta say... making the double batch is probably wise... or not if you're dieting... lol Because they are soooo good!

Here is the recipe link to NGO's blog and here are my pictures from the ones I made at Easter!

Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs: http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/2010/03/creamy-peanut-butter-eggs-mmmmmm_23.html

Here is the recipe pasted in below from her blog, but I have added in my notes and changed things here and there, but there are pictures on NGO's blog of the process as you go along if you need it!

Single Batch Recipe

3/4 pound butter (3 sticks) (do not use margarine) Room Temperature
2 pounds Powdered Sugar
13 oz. Marshmellow Creme
2 lbs. Peanut Butter (Jif seems to taste the best)
2 1/2 lbs. Chocolate Coating Disks (see below)



Double Batch Recipe
1 1/2 pound butter (6 sticks) (do not use margarine) Room Temperature
4 pounds Powdered Sugar
26 oz. Marshmellow Creme
4 lbs. Peanut Butter (Jif seems to taste the best)
5 lbs. Chocolate Coating Disks (see below)

These directions are for the double batch!
Once the butter is soft, use electric mixer and beat the butter and 1 pound powdered sugar on medium speed until creamy.
Add the 26 oz. marshmellow cream.
Beat with mixer on medium speed until mixed.
Add the 4 lbs of Peanut Butter
Beat with mixer on medium speed until smooth
Next add the remaining 3 pounds of powdered sugar a pound at a time... take your time, it's going to be a little thick.
Lay wax paper on cookie sheets. Shape mixture into oval eggs. Place on cookie sheets.
Put cookie sheets in refrigerator for several hours or freezer for 45 minutes. They have to be really cold before you can dip them in the chocolate.
After they are cold, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Or, heat the chocolate at 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate looks glossy. Be careful not to burn it!
Once the chocolate is ready use a skewer, a stick, a chopstick, SOMETHING thin and pokey. I forget what I used. I might have used a fork and careful covered up the poke holes by laying the egg down on that side. I might have scooped it instead of stabbing it too.
 Dip one egg at time...let the excess drip off.

You can make your eggs alittle fancier if you want by drizzling some of the excess chocolate over an egg that has already been dipped. My first batch I did that, and the second, third and fourth batches (ahem) I heated up white chocolate, dyed the chocolate some Eastery looking colors and drizzled that on top to make it look pretty and festive.


Some extra tips:
You can't heat all the chocolate at once, it cools too fast...(and you can't do all the eggs at once, they heat up to room temp too fast) ...while the chocolate is heating, put the eggs that you didn't dip back into the refrigerator or better yet, FREEZER...take one tray out at a time..keeping the other trays cold. You can use a paper towel to wipe off your tool after each dip. (I didn't do that though) The colder the egg, the easier it is to dip.

I made a few changes to the recipe, and I was really happy with the outcome. I tried doing closer to the regular way on my second batch, but I think I still prefer my altered recipe.

In addition to the peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter and marshmellow fluff for the filling, I also added a bunch of wheat germ. I didn't measure, but it might have been as much as half of the standard size jar. I just kept adding it under the dough was firmer, but still clumped when rolled. I think the wheat germ really helps mimic the texture of a real reese's and also adds a bit of healthiness to it too. If I make these again, I will also add fiber powder to it too... can never have too much fiber! LOL

The second change I made was with the chocolate coating. Instead of using chocolate melting discs, I used nicer chocolate and just added some vegetable oil while it was melting to get it to the right consistency.

I made a batch with cadbury dairy milk and hershey's chocolate bars, and dilluted a bit down with the cheap "almond bark" brand of chocolate to stretch it and save some money. I did another batch, also with the almond bark brand chocolate, and that other brand of chocolate... not toblerone... Ferrera? Not Ferrera Roche... Whatever the brand of chocolate which makes the chocolate bars in the shapes of oranges? That brand, I got a couple of oranges, but they were plain chocolate flavored. I think those made the best ones, but all were delish. I can't say enough about this recipe- it's awesome!