Buckeye Truffles

Tastefully Simple consultants and HQ team members are gearing up for the biggest party of the summer! We are heading off to Columbus, Ohio for Party Palooza 2012. I can’t wait to share in the excitement and energy! One consultant was so inspired, in fact, that she decided to come up with a tasty treat in celebration of the event being in her home state. Consultant Stacey Maholm of Columbus, Ohio, and her mother, created a new recipe showcasing Ohio and Party Palooza’s new destination. Stacey used a bit of imagination, a fabulous Tastefully Simple product and the excitement of Party Palooza to come up with a tempting treat that resembles a buckeye. What’s a buckeye? Ohio is called “The Buckeye State” for the glossy brown seed that falls from the buckeye tree. The nut is the mascot for Ohio State University and the buckeye tree is the state tree.

I was so impressed by Stacey’s ambition and creativity regarding this recipe in celebration of Party Palooza that I decided to make her recipe myself! Stacey’s Buckeye recipe is so versatile and can be used for so many occasions. An added bonus is that these truffles freeze, so you can keep them in your freezer and enjoy them all summer long for potlucks, picnics, anniversary parties, Father’s Day, holiday celebrations, birthday parties or sneak one or two for yourself. There’s nothing better than chocolate, peanut butter and Tastefully Simple!

– Michele

Buckeye Truffles

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare and bake Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix as directed on package; cool completely. While cake is cooling, combine margarine, peanut butter and powdered sugar; stir until smooth. Cut cake in half. Crumble half into bowl.(Reserve the other half for another use.) Reserve ½ cup of the peanut butter mixture; combine the rest with the crumbled cake. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls; place balls on a waxed paper-lined or lightly greased baking pan. Place pan in the freezer for about ½ hour or until the balls are firm. Using a toothpick or small skewer, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. (If the chocolate is too thick, thin with a teaspoon or two of solid shortening such as Crisco.) Place balls on waxed paper. Place reserved peanut butter mixture in small plastic baggie and clip 1/8-inch corner, then squeeze 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture on top of each cake ball. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Makes 40-48 cake balls.

Tips and Hints

  • I used a tablespoon cookie scoop for rolling the dough.
  • I used more chocolate chips than in the recipe and thinned the chocolate with shortening.
  • Two forks worked well for dipping the truffles into the chocolate.
  • I froze most of them and my kids are still enjoying them!