Alton Brown, best culinary teacher... ever!

More than anyone working in the food TV industry, Alton Brown proves teaching people about techniques and methodologies of cooking is more important than simply following a recipe. This is one of the best things about, and maybe my favorite thing about, Good Eats.

After watching AB run down information and techniques, I usually have confidence to try something new and even modify his recipes to make them more mine. My latest attempt to play mad food scientist, was with truffles.

For the holidays this past year, I tried AB's recipe for chocolate truffles. These little balls of goodness are certainly fine on their own. They possibly may be the best candy I have ever made. However, my mom is peanut butter fanatic; although she loved the chocolate truffles, she asked if it would be possible to make a peanut butter version.

I thought about it.

It seemed possible.

I began with contemplating the peanut butter. How much? The same amount of chocolate as Alton's truffle recipe? Then the light bulb went off. Peanut butter chips! I had some stashed away, plans to make cookies that never got filled. What luck, 10 oz the precise amount of chocolate in the recipe.

So, I melted the PB chips in the 3 tablespoons of butter and heated the 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of corn syrup. Poured the cream mixture on the melted chips, stirred and late sit for 2 minutes. The PB cream was looking good. :) Then into a baking dish and to the chill chest.

After the requisite hour chill, I began scooping the PB balls. The mixture was a little more firm than the chocolate version, yet not too firm. The blobs of peanut butter went back in the fridge for 3o minutes. Next came shaping into rounds. I placed the rounded PB balls back into the chill chest as I melted the coating chocolate. I used the same amount as in the recipe, 8 oz, but milk chocolate chips instead. Coating was simple and straightforward like before.

The moment of truth was letting my mom taste them. She was wowed and told me she loved them. I tried one and though I'm not a huge PB fan like mom, they are awesome... if I do say so myself. ;) The center is creamy, like the chocolate version. There is a load of PB taste. Yep, good eats ;)

So once again, I learned something from Alton. I would have never considered making truffles let alone modifying them before seeing him make them. He also gives me lots of confidence that I can make these things in my kitchen because he gave me the knowledge and technique. More than just having the recipe.

Yep, the best thing about Good Eats is the teaching aspect. That's probably why I rarely watch any other cooking show these days. I want to be taught, and taught well, and they only person in my book who can meet that challenge is Alton. :)

Thanks to him, I have a new and special recipe!

Peanut Butter Truffles

10 oz peanut butter chips (I used Reese's brand)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

8 oz chocolate for coating

Melt the peanut butter chips and butter in medium size glass bowl in microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, stir and repeat.

In a sauce pan, heat heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer. Removed mixture from heat and pour on top of melted peanut butter mixture. Let sit two minutes. Then stir with a rubber spatula until mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.

After chilling, use a melon baller to make mounds. Place the mounds on a parchment paper lined half-sheet pan (or cookie sheet). Refrigerate of 30 minutes.

Melt 8 ounces of chocolate. Take each of the mounds and roll in hands forming a ball. Dip the ball into the coating chocolate, swirling with two tablespoons. Place balls on a parchment paper lined half sheet pan or cooking sheet and refrigerate an hour to firm up the chocolate.

Enjoy!