The Wannabe Chef: Road Trip Snack

For a recent seven hour-long road trip, I knew we would need lots of snacks to keep us energized, and to keep us from making hasty convenience store purchases. I had time to do at least one homemade snack and judging from the empty Tupperware upon arriving back home, it was clearly a winner.

A take on the chocolate-covered peanut butter balls typically made during the holidays, this recipe I found on Pinterest also incorporates a salty bite in the form of pretzels. It’s as simple as sandwiching the peanut butter/sugar filling between two square pretzels, then dipping one end in melted chocolate.

Note: The recipe called for a bag of chocolate chips, but I ran out of chocolate. Maybe I was heavy-handed on the dipping, but I’d recommend grabbing another bag, just in case.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons softened butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • Pretzels
  • 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat peanut butter and butter until combined. Scrape down bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. (You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. If needed, add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.)

Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon of mixture for each ball, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.

Dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set.

You Might Also Like:

e1b70596-05c8-11f1-92e0-1248ae80e59d-3-2026rueanemone--credit-Joe-Cook

March’s Mountain Wildflower: Rue Anemone

A member of the buttercup family and found in the open woodlands, rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) has long, thin stems that tremble in the slightest of winds—prompting its other common name, windflower.
Pokeweed growing in Floyd County, Virginia.

January’s Wild Edible: Pokeweed

Pokeweed is one of the wild plants that is most associated with the Blue Ridge Region.
A purple-spored puffball growing in a field in Botetourt County, VA.

December’s Wild Edible: Purple-Spored Puffball

The purple-spored typically grows in this region’s fields, often appearing from October through December and into early January.
d289022c-696f-11f0-a179-1248ae80e59d-CGZ_0845-011

Ride the Rails, Explore Rockbridge County: Make a Weekend of the 611 in Goshen!

This fall, one of America’s most iconic steam locomotives is making tracks and memories.
The compound, lancelike leaflets of the bitternut are a good identifier.

November’s Wild Edible: Bitternut Hickory

Frankly, this native species to the Blue Ridge mountains comes by its name honestly.
Mullein growing in Ingram's backyard.

October’s Wild Edible: Mullein

Earlier, this year, a lone mullein plant appeared along the fence that encloses my garden, which made me curious about this plant.
An indigo milk cap growing in Botetourt County, Virginia.

September’s Wild Edible: Indigo Milk Caps

When young, indigo milk caps are one of the most stunningly beautiful mushrooms in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
ec3b964c-5201-11f0-968d-1248ae80e59d-9-2025spottedjewelweed--credit-Joe-Cook-and-Monica-Sheppard

September’s Mountain Wildflower: Spotted Jewelweed

Seek out spotted jewelweed growing beside a stream or along a moist area and you will have a good chance of getting to watch one or more ruby-throated hummingbirds flit from flower to flower.
A black staining polypore growing in Botetourt County, VA.

August’s Wild Edible: Black-Staining Polypore

The black-staining polypore is certainly one of the more fascinating wild edible mushrooms.
Northern Dewberry growing in Botetourt County, Virginia.

July’s Wild Edible: Northern Dewberry

For several reasons, the northern dewberry is often overlooked as a summer berry in the Blue Ridge.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS