Ohio Buckeyes

These chocolate yummies are VERY popular in Ohio - aka the Buckeye State. In fact, that's where I learned to make them! You generally see it available during the Christmas holiday season, or at Buckeye Tailgate parties! If you're a Reece's Peanut Butter candy lover, you'll be in heaven!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. sifted confectioners (powdered) sugar (a little over a whole box)
10 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips (or the whole bag)
2 T. shortening

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar you’re your hands to form a smooth stiff dough. (at first you can use a mixer, but it will get too stiff to use your mixer with. Shape the dough into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.

Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.

Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

A few tips:

  • When making the balls, it is so much easier using a small cookie scoop. This way all the buckeyes are the same size and it takes a fraction of the time. Trust me; it is worth the $5 to invest in one.
  • When making these balls for holiday plates and parties that are a bit fancier, I put the dipped balls into holiday mini cupcake liners. It makes serving them much tidier, festive, and everyone’s fingers don’t get into all of the balls. (Normally though, no liners)
  • Depending on your climate/humidity you may need to use less or more sugar. If you find that your dough is dry as you begin to roll your peanut butter balls, next time use less sugar. To save your batch add some milk 1 tsp at a time to moisten your dough. You may also find that working the dough (i.e. warming it with your hands) will also do the trick.
  • Another fun and FAST way to get the same tasty result, is to double the recipe, press the peanut butter part in a 9 x 9 glass pan, pour the melted chocolate over top, refrigerate, and then cut into small squares when thoroughly chilled. It saves the time of forming each ball and dipping them.
  • If you're feeling adventurous, try adding some of the following to your peanut butter mixture: rice krispies, coconut, finely chopped nuts. Or, use part creamy peanut butter and part chunky!

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