Chocolate Peanut Butter {Foodie Friday}

Let's be real for a minute. On my birthday 2 weeks ago I found out that I got a promotion. I was all sorts of excited.
I was on vacation the following week, so I had a chance to let it all sink in. I've been in the new job for a week and a half now. It's been great. I love it. But it keeps me busier than I ever imagined. I even considered not doing a post today, because I just didn't have the time.

But then I decided I needed a snack. Who doesn't? Enter chocolate peanut butter. This is so easy I'm not sure you can even call it a recipe. I just poured a can of peanuts and a bag of chocolate chips into a food processor and BAM! Instant chocolate peanut butter. Excellent on crackers, toast, or my favorite -PRETZELS!

Hopefully one day soon I will dig out of all my emails and get a post up about our new house! I can't believe we have been here a month already.

One Year Ago: Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter

Ingredients:

16 ounces peanuts (honey roasted or lightly-salted roasted peanuts are fine) 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (one standard 12-ounce bag or 12 ounces chopped chocolate) 

pinch of salt, optional and to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Add peanuts to the canister of a food processor, process on high power until creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the canister if necessary. (the less scraping and interruptions, the better.)

The peanuts will go through stages of: crushed, crushed into a fine powder, a paste, a thicker paste, a big “dough ball”, and then the ball will break down into runnier peanut butter. At the point the peanut butter is runny, continue processing for about 1 to 2 more minutes, making sure the peanut butter is as smooth as desired.

Add the vanilla, chocolate chips (you may wish to start with 1 cup and work up to 2 cups of chips as desired), optional salt and process for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and incorporated. I add the vanilla and chocolate chips all at once through the feed tube with the machine running, but if using a weaker or older food processor, sprinkling them in more slowly may prevent your machine from struggling.

Transfer peanut butter into a glass jar or other container with a lid. Store peanut butter in the refrigerator or at room temperature. At room temperature, it firms up some, but stays soft. In the refrigerator, because of the chocolate it hardens and solidifies, but softens up after ten minutes at room temperature.