Buckeyes: An Ohio Treat!

It seems so weird to me that some people don't know what buckeyes are!  Growing up in Ohio, the peanut butter and chocolate treat was a dessert staple!  (At least in my house it was!)

Wikipedia even has an article on Buckeye Candy:

Buckeye candy is a confection made from a peanut butter mixture, which is partially dipped in chocolate. Named for their resemblance to the nut of the Ohio buckeye tree, this candy is indigenous to the state of Ohio in the United States. Buckeyes can be homemade, but are also available in mail order catalogs and candy shops.

When I saw Katie's post about buckeyes, I knew I had to try her recipe!  I've made countless "buckeye" desserts, but never actual buckeyes!  I usually make buckeye bars because they're a little less labor intensive.   Making real buckeyes is totally worth it, though!  I decided to make these for my husband's welcome home treat after a 2 week business trip in London!

What You Need:
2 cups peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1lb. powdered sugar (you won't need the whole bag)
1 12 oz. pack of semisweet chocolate chips 
2 tbsp Crisco or shortening

How To Make Them:
Using an electric mixer, combine peanut butter, salt, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Stick your mixture in the microwave for about 30 minutes to soften.  [Mine was already pretty soft but I still stuck it in just in case....it didn't seem to make much of a difference.]

Mix in the vanilla extract and slowly add in the powdered sugar until combined.  Your mixture should have the consistency of dough.  I made the mistake of not adding enough powdered sugar initially which resulted in a super soft and sticky peanut butter mixture that was almost impossible to roll into balls!  I suggest adding powdered sugar a little bit at a time until you reach your desired consistency.  You won't need to use the entire 1lb. bag!

Once you have reached your desired consistency, roll your peanut butter into balls.  I used my cookie scoop then gently rolled after scooping.  Place the peanut butter balls on a cookie sheet and stick it in the fridge for about an hour.

Once your peanut butter balls have chilled, melt your chocolate and get ready to dip!  I just melted my chocolate in the microwave according to the directions on the back of the package.  Don't forget to add the shortening here...it makes your chocolate nice and smooth!  You can also use a double boiler technique to melt the chocolate if you prefer.  I suggest putting your chocolate in a deeper container like a mug because it makes dipping easier, especially when you start to run out of chocolate!

Using a toothpick to pick up the peanut butter balls, carefully dip each ball about 3/4 of the way into the melted chocolate.  Return the balls to the cookie sheet.  When done dipping, place your buckeyes back in the fridge to harden the chocolate.



Please remember this was my first time making these.  They didn't all look perfect.  Here's one of my fails.  It still tasted good, don't worry!  This is from the portion of my mixture that didn't have enough powdered sugar!  Oops.

I'm linking up with Steph and Katie herself, the source of my pin!

Here is my original pin: 

Source: mykeepcalmandcarryon.com via Emily on Pinterest