vegan reese's peanut butter balls

evan and i aren't really big valentine's day celebrators. we actually had absolutely nothing special planned for yesterday and we were both just fine with that. i went to yoga, evan worked late, and when we got home we ate some yummy dinner and caught up on 30 rock... a perfect evening in my book!

i did want to do one little special thing for evan since he's been so wonderful about me cutting sugar and carbs out of our dinners these past few weeks. so i got this recipe for peanut butter balls from our friend lia, who got it from our friend bryan, who i'm not really sure where he got it from. lia made us a huge batch of these for our wedding and they were a hit! evan loved them (as he loves anything involving chocolate and peanut butter), and i thought it would bring a little smile to his face to come home to such a fabulous sweet treat! they're so super easy to make and taste just like reese's peanut butter cups... which p.s. were my favorite pre-vegan candy so these really hit the spot for me! here's how to make 'em...

you'll need...

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup softened margarine

dash of vanilla extract (optional)

2 cups powdered sugar

chocolate chips

stir together peanut butter, margarine and vanilla in a mixing bowl. i was actually out of vanilla and didn't feel like going to the store, so i just left it out. i couldn't tell a difference. next add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar. mix together starting with a spoon or fork, then use hands to knead it into a dough ball. add the remainder of the powdered sugar for a chalky (more reese's) consistency, or leave it out for a creamy filling. i added the extra!

melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and while that's melting make up your little peanut butter balls.

you can then either drop the balls in the chocolate to coat them...

or drizzle the chocolate over top for a fancy pants look! (note: i had to thin my chocolate with a bit of soymilk to get it to drizzle)

place on wax paper and let cool in the fridge...

these can be eaten while still warm and gooey, cooled in the fridge, or even as a frozen treat! evan loved them, and i even broke my no sugar for 21 days rule to enjoy one. how could i resist?