Chocolate Peanut Butter Teepee Truffles

These Teepee Truffles made out of peanut butter modeling chocolate couldn't be cuter and they taste amazing too.

Throughout my life, I've had a fascination with the Native American culture. Growing up in the 70s, I saw a lot of television shows depicting, what was most likely a very stereotypical version of their lives, but it was all I knew.

I was always fascinated by the resourcefulness of the people who inhabited our land many years ago. I can't say I would have wanted to live in a teepee but they were a pretty great invention. 

I was inspired by the beautiful teepees I saw on a recent trip to a history museum. I dreamt up an idea to craft candy teepees out of dark chocolate truffles, pretzel sticks, and peanut butter modeling chocolate. The soft texture of the creamy peanut butter modeling chocolate really compliments the rich dark chocolate truffle wrapped inside and the pretzels add a nice bit of crunch.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Teepee Truffles 
(makes 18-22)

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Truffles -
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Peanut Butter Modeling Chocolate -
6 ounces Wilton Peanut Butter Candy Melts
6 ounces Wilton White Candy Melts
⅓ cup light corn syrup (or use honey, it will add flavor, and is a good alternative)
pretzel sticks (3 for each teepee)

Supplies:

non-stick baking mat (or use a gallon-size zip-top bag)
fondant rolling pin
4 ¼ inch round cookie cutter
pizza/pastry wheel or knife
2-inch round cookie cutter
tiny triangle metal cutter

Instructions:

Making Chocolate Truffles -

• Place chopped chocolate in the bowl of a food processor.
• Pulse until the chocolate is fine crumbs.
• Heat heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir often until it just comes to a boil.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, put the lid on the bowl, and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
• Pulse for 5-10 seconds.
• Remove the lid and scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor bowl.
• Return the lid and pulse for 5 more seconds.
• Pour this mixture, called ganache, into a glass mixing bowl, cover, and sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. You can speed up this process by refrigerating the ganache.

Note: A food processor makes easy work of creating a chocolate ganache.  If you don't have one, finely chop your chocolate and put it in a microwave-safe mixing bowl.  Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Use a whisk to create an emulsion. Begin by stirring just in the center of the bowl, then slowly bring the whisk out to the edge of the bowl. Stir just until combined and the ganache is smooth. Don't over mix or the ganache can become grainy.

Make Peanut Butter Modeling Chocolate - 

• Heat Wilton Peanut Butter Candy Melts and White Candy Melts in a microwave-safe bowl at high temperature for 30 seconds.
• Remove from microwave and stir. Heat for 30 more seconds.
• Allow the bowl to sit in the microwave for 2 minutes.
• Remove and stir.
• If not completely melted, heat at 10-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
• Allow it to cool to 89-90 degrees Fahrenheit (very important! See my Chocolate Making Tips page for detailed explanation and troubleshooting tips, if you're modeling chocolate ends up greasy or dry.) Set aside for 30 minutes to harden slightly.

Create Teepee Covers -

• Use a fondant rolling pin to roll out the peanut butter modeling chocolate on a non-stick baking mat. Roll to ⅛th of an inch thickness.
• You can also cut open a gallon size zip top bag, and roll out the modeling chocolate in between the sheets of plastic bag.
• Cut using a 4 ¼-inch round cutter. Cut each circle in half. Cut out a half moon from the rounded part of the half circle using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Use that same cutter to cut off a small bit of each corner.
• Gently press a tiny triangle cutter around the bottom and top edges creating a pattern. Be careful to not cut all the way through.

• Scoop out tablespoonfuls of the chocolate ganache. Roll into balls then roll into cones. If the scooped truffles are too sticky, allow them to dry for a while before rolling. Wash hands often!
• Stick three pretzel sticks onto the chocolate cones, creating the frame for your teepee. Wrap the teepee cover around each chocolate truffle pressing them together near the top and draping them open near the bottom.

You can see in this photo, I cut too deeply using my triangle cutter. I just pressed the modeling chocolate together and sealed the seam.

Best if served the day they are made, just because the pretzels will still be nice and crisp, but they can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

I made these five days ago, ate one yesterday and it tasted great, but the pretzel inside the teepee had soaked up the moisture from the truffle and was kind of soft. Just be aware that the more time they sit, the softer the pretzels may become.

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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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