Description
Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentines Heart: Indulge in a decadent blend of chocolate and peanut butter in this heart-shaped dessert. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (250g) smooth peanut butter
- ¾ cup (85g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces (450g) high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (14g) coconut oil or shortening
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Peanut Butter Filling In a medium bowl, combine the smooth peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix thoroughly until you achieve a thick, pliable consistency similar to modeling clay. If the mixture seems too sticky, add additional powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too stiff, incorporate a tiny amount of additional peanut butter. The perfect consistency should hold its shape when rolled but remain pliable enough to mold.
- Step 2: Shape the Hearts Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take approximately 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a ball between your palms. Flatten the ball slightly, then shape it into a heart by pinching one end and pressing the opposite side to create an indentation. Place the shaped hearts on the lined baking sheet. For uniform **Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentines Hearts**, consider using a heart-shaped silicone mold or cookie cutter as a guide.
- Step 3: Chill the Hearts Transfer the baking sheet with your shaped peanut butter hearts to the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until they’re firm to the touch. This crucial step ensures the hearts maintain their shape during the dipping process and prevents them from melting into the warm chocolate.
- Step 4: Temper the Chocolate While the hearts are chilling, prepare your chocolate coating. Place two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Melt it gently using either a double boiler or in short 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals. Once melted, remove from heat and add the remaining third of chopped chocolate, stirring until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil or shortening and stir until incorporated. This creates a silky coating that will harden with a beautiful sheen.
- Step 5: Dip the Hearts Remove the hearts from the freezer. Using a fork or dipping tool, submerge each heart completely in the melted chocolate. Lift it out, allowing excess chocolate to drip off, then place it back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Work quickly with small batches of hearts, returning any that become too soft to the freezer before dipping.
- Step 6: Add Decorative Touches Before the chocolate sets completely, you can personalize your **Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentines Hearts** with decorative elements. Drizzle with contrasting chocolate, sprinkle with chopped nuts, or add a tiny pinch of sea salt for a gourmet touch. For a romantic presentation, consider adding edible gold dust or tiny candy hearts.
- Step 7: Set the Chocolate Allow the dipped hearts to set completely at room temperature (approximately 1-2 hours) or speed up the process by refrigerating them for about 15 minutes. Avoid freezing the dipped hearts as this can cause condensation to form when they’re brought to room temperature.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 heart
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 5mg