2012 Holiday Collection: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Balls

Needless to say, but when one of my colleagues shared these cookies with me at Christmas, I fell in love with them. Not only are they delicious, but they are gluten-free and no bake. And although they claim to be a cookie, they could also pass for a confection. See why I fell in love? I adapted this recipe from allrecipes.com.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Balls
Makes 40 to 48 cookies

1 1/2 cups gluten-free, crisp rice cereal
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 cup unsalted creamy, organic peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, such as Ghirardelli’s semisweet bar

Line a small cookie sheet or an 8” x 13” pan with parchment or wax paper.

In a large bowl, combine crispy rice cereal and confectioners’ sugar, and mix well.

Melt peanut butter and butter in medium saucepan, over low heat. Pour melted peanut butter and butter over cereal mixture, and blend together thoroughly.

Using a #80 or #100 cookie scoop, form mixture into 1 inch balls, and press mixture so that it sticks together and holds its shape. Space cookie balls 1/2-inch apart on cookie sheets. Cover and chill in refrigerator till firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Line 2 8” x 13” pans with parchment or wax paper.

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Remove from heat but keep chocolate on double boiler to stay warm. Dip balls, one at a time, into chocolate, covering completely. Remove carefully using a dipping fork or teaspoon, and tap off excess chocolate. Place on prepared cookie sheet, spacing 1-inch apart. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes until firm.

Store in a sealed container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.