In more ways than one, Stephen King helped shape me into the person I am today. As a little girl, I’d grab a book from my mom’s collection—Cujo, The Shining, Pet Sematary—and happily disappear into a world of horror, gore, and terror. Admittedly, I was a little too young to dive into such spine-chilling stories, but it fostered my love of reading and eventually writing. It also gave me a love for horror, and its ultimate holiday—Halloween.
Vampires, witches, and plenty of free candy-what more could a child of the macabre want? Haunted House peanut butter truffles, actually. Chocolate and peanut butter treats reign supreme amongst trick-or-treaters (and their parents). And while it’s hard to improve on the classic, that doesn’t mean that the recipe is completely off limits. Enter peanut butter truffles with a dark beer twist.
For this recipe, I wanted to create an adult play on the classic peanut butter cup, which is why I started with truffles. The name alone evokes images of decadence, but don’t let that scare you off. These Haunted House Peanut Butter Truffles come together quickly.
Because we’re all beer lovers here, I added a dose of Haunted House to the peanut butter mixture. Haunted House is a hoppy dark ale combining a love of pitch-black Porters with Allagash’s House Beer. Roasted barley and Blackprinz malt gives this beer a gravely dark hue. Hopped with Crystal, Chinook, and Saaz hops, this beer ends with a ghost of coffee-flavored bitterness and hauntingly complex malty palate.
Haunted House’s bitter notes contrast perfectly with the sweetness of the peanut butter and chocolate. This spooky duo delivers an unforgettable, indulgent dessert. But be warned, this chocolate treat is downright sinful.
Haunted House Peanut Butter Truffles
Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Peanut Butter Balls
(makes approximately 35 truffles)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter (no natural peanut butter)
- ⅓ cup Haunted House, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 18 full sheets (540g) crushed graham crackers
- three 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bars (339g), coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup peanuts, almonds, or favorite nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
PROCESS
- Add softened, room temperature butter to stand mixer or a bowl with a handheld mixer
- Beat butter on medium-high until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes
- Add peanut butter and beat until combined with butter, about 1 minute
- Add Haunted House, vanilla extract, salt, and powdered sugar, beat on low until combined
- Add crushed graham crackers and mix until combined. The mixture should be crumbly but should come together easily.
- Add parchment paper to a baking sheet. Using a medium cookie scoop (~1.5 tablespoons), portion out the peanut butter mixture onto the baking sheet.
- Take the peanut butter halves and roll them into balls.
- Chill in the fridge for one hour, up to one day.
- Melt chocolate and oil in a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl.
- Using a fork, carefully drop the ball into the chocolate, covering the entire surface with chocolate
- Lift the chocolate-covered ball with the fork, tapping the fork against the rim of the cup or bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the balls are dipped in chocolate.
- If using, add crushed nuts to the top of balls before the chocolate sets.
- Chill peanut butter truffles in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the chocolate fully sets.
Note: Truffles will last in the fridge for two weeks and in the freezer for three months.
