White Chocolate Truffle Snowman

Ingredients:

• 8oz White Chocolate Chips
• 10oz Semi-Sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, at least 62% cacao)
• ½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 12 Pretzel Sticks
• ¼ Candy Corn
• 4 Peanut Butter Cups
• ¼ Cup Black Round Candies (I used black Sixlets©)
• ½ Cup Crushed Candy Canes (about 6 candy canes)

Directions:

1. Place semi-sweet chocolate into a medium metal mixing bowl and place over simmering water once the white chocolate is melted.
2. While waiting for the semi-sweet chocolate to melt, heat heavy cream in a small sauce pot to a simmer.
3. Add vanilla extract once the heavy cream begins to simmer.
4. When the semi-sweet chocolate is complete melt reserve ¼ cup in a Ziploc© bag.
5. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat. Place the chocolate mixture into the refrigerator to cool for about an hour. Leave the reserved chocolate out.
6. While waiting for the chocolate mixture to cool, cut off a small piece of the corner of the Ziploc© bag of chocolate. Place a piece of wax paper on your work space.
7. Squeeze out 4 circles of chocolate onto the wax paper then place an upside-down peanut butter cup in the center of each. Place into the refrigerator to harden.
8. Using a 4-quart sauce pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and reduce heat so that the water is just simmering. Place white chocolate into a medium metal mixing bowl and place on top of the simmering water, melt white chocolate stirring every couple of minutes.
9. Once semi-sweet chocolate mixture is cooled down and a little firm, spoon out 4 portions and roll into about 2 inch balls, then spoon out 4 more portions and roll into 1 ½ inch balls, then 4 more and roll into 1 inch balls.
10. Now take the chocolate balls and place into the melted white chocolate, one at a time. Use a spoon to remove them from the white chocolate. Start with the 2-inch size, after the 2-inch chocolate ball is dipped in the white chocolate roll them in the crushed candy cane and set to the side.
11. Next dip the 1 ½ inch chocolate balls into the white chocolate. Place on a piece of wax paper when removed and place 3 pieces of the round black candy down the center of each one (making the buttons).
12. Now dip the 1-inch chocolate balls in the white chocolate, remove to wax paper. Place 1 piece of candy corn in the middle (making the nose), on the side.
13. Then 2 pieces of the round black candy above the candy corn (the eyes) and finally place the peanut butter cup with the chocolate circle bottom on the top (making a top hat).
14. Time to bring the snowman to life. Starting with the largest piece (candy cane coated ball).
15. Break 1 pretzel stick in half; poke halfway into the top center of the candy cane coated truffle. Then put the truffle with the 3 black candies on top, using the pretzel stick to secure it, place the other half of the pretzel stick into the top center of that truffle and put the final truffle (head) on the top the same way.
16. Now stick a pretzel stick into each side of the middle section to give your “White Chocolate Truffle Snowman” some arms.