I made these Peanut Butter Pumpkins for the first time four years ago. It's funny that I forgot about them until this year, because they were a favorite at our first BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) pumpkin carving party. Since we were celebrating our 5th BYOP party this year, I just had to make them again. These are a deceitful delight, as they may look more like marzipan pumpkins, rather than peanut butter. But, once you bite into them, it's hard to stop popping these puppies into your mouth!
It's helpful that you can make these a few days ahead of time so you can concentrate on your other party food! Then, the day of the party, I carried them in a container to the park and displayed them on my mini cupcake tower for easy grabbing. So cute!
Peanut Butter Pumpkins
Makes: About 40 small pumpkins
1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips
1 can (16 oz) vanilla spreadable frosting
1/4 teaspoon orange paste or gel icing color (not liquid)
pretzel twists or thin pretzel sticks, broken into short stems
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 2-quart saucepan, melt peanut butter chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in frosting and icing color until well blended. Refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about 1 hour.
Shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls; flatten slightly. Use edge of rubber spatula to make grooves in each ball to resemble pumpkin. Press 1 pretzel piece into top of each for stem; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store in covered container in refrigerator.
Source: Pillsbury Halloween, October 2005
