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My daughter and I make a generous assortment of Christmas cookies every December. One of our family favorites are Buckeye cookies… those tender peanut butter balls dipped into semi-sweet chocolate. You know the ones. While flipping through at my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, I happened upon the most adorable Acorn Candy that very closely resemble the Buckeyes we make every year for Christmas.

So hear you have it… A Fall twist on a Christmas favorite. This will be a nice addition to the Thanksgiving dessert table this year!

Acorn Candy is the perfect combination of sweet and salty thanks to the pretzel branches.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate
36 branch shaped pieces from mini pretzels

Method:
Stir together peanut butter and butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add sugar, work into a smooth dough with your hands. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Using the palms of your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch oblong “acorns” (you should have 36). This is a great time for the kids to help out! Flatten one end of each a bit with your fingertips, and place on a waxed paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Working with one acorn at a time, insert a toothpick into rounded tip, dip flat end into chocolate, then return to baking sheet. Remove toothpick, and insert a pretzel piece into the chocolate-dipped end of each acorn. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 2 hours.

Yields 36 acorn candies.