Peanut Butter Balls for Halloween

1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and softened butter. Beat with a hand mixer until very well blended. Add the kosher salt and vanilla and beat until mixed thoroughly.
3. Add the powdered sugar about ¾ cup at a time and mix with the hand mixer on low speed, scraping the bowl occasionally until the sugar is completely blended. Continue adding the sugar in this manner.
4. Add the rice krispie cereal and use your clean hands to mix the cereal into the peanut butter mixture so that the cereal is evenly distributed.
5. Use a 2 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out balls of dough onto the prepared sheet pan. After the dough is portioned out, roll each ball between your hands to smooth out the surface and form a round ball. Place the peanut butter ball back on the sheet pan and continue with the remaining balls.

DECORATING PEANUT BUTTER BALLS FOR HALLOWEEN:

1. Melt the candy melts according to the package directions. Dip or roll the peanut butter balls into one color of the candy melts and transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan.
2. If using sprinkles, jimmies or eyes, sprinkle or arrange them while the candy melt coating is still wet.

FOR PUMPKINS:

1. Coat peanut butter balls in orange candy melts. Use a toothpick to run vertical lines around the perimeter of the candy and up to the center point on top. Place a little of the green candy melt into a small plastic sandwich bag and snip off a tiny corner of the end. Squeeze out a green stem and a few leaves or vines to finish the pumpkin. Let them dry completely before moving.

FOR MUMMIES:

1. Coat the peanut butter balls in white candy melts and set aside to dry completely. Once dry, transfer the melted white candy to a plastic sandwich bag and snip off the corner with a pair of scissors. Squeeze additional stripes over the peanut butter candies like a mummy. Arrange 2 candy eyeballs on the wet portion of the peanut butter balls. Let them dry completely before moving.

FOR MONSTERS:

1. Coat the peanut butter balls in green candy melt coating and set aside to dry. Use the back of a spoon to smear a bit more green coating on top of the balls, then sprinkle with purple or black sprinkles or jimmies for hair. Let dry. Use a toothpick to dip into the green candy melt and brush it on the back of the candy eyeballs to affix the eyes to the monster. Use the toothpick method or the piping method to trace a mouth onto the bottom and use colored jimmies or sprinkles to color the mouth. It's key to let each layer harden before moving onto the next step to avoid smudges.