My dad grew up in Ohio, so this recipe was not unfamiliar to me. We always had them at Christmas time growing up.
The buckeye is the official state tree of Ohio. The nut that comes from the tree resembles the eye of a deer. Carrying a buckeye supposedly brings good luck. It is even the term used for The Ohio State football team.
The candy has the resemblance of the nut. This is acquired by dipping the peanut butter ball only 3/4 of the way into the chocolate.
The ball itself is basically peanut butter candy. Think of the inside of a Reese’s Cup. The flavor is similar, although the texture is a bit creamier.
It is just the four ingredients. Although, growing up we never used vanilla.
People in Ohio have a very particular way of making these. My aunt swears that you have to use Land O’Lakes butter and Peter Pan peanut butter. She swears that if you don’t use those two things, they won’t taste right. She also melts her peanut butter in the microwave before mixing everything together. She makes buckeyes for all her clients, which means she usually makes seven or eight hundred a year! It’s a whole production!
I did not melt my peanut butter. I never have, but I understand why she does it. I think it would help make the mixing process easier.
The dough gets very thick and it can be difficult to get the ingredients blended well.
The dough is very thick and sticky. It is a definite must that you freeze the balls before trying to dip them.
I scoop the balls and freeze them. Then I use my hands to roll them until they are smooth. Then I freeze them again before dipping.
The chocolate is easy to melt. Using the shortening with it helps the chocolate harden. You can also use gulf wax to do this. I prefer the gulf wax as I find that the chocolate hardens quicker and a little harder with the wax.
I did use the shortening as per the recipe. I popped the dipped balls back in the freezer to get them to harden completely.
Obviously, since I have made this recipe for years, I will be making these again. Probably next Christmas! They are absolutely delicious!
BUCKEYE BALLS
1 1/2 Cups Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Butter, Room Temperature
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
16 Ounces Confectioners’ Sugar
6 Ounces SemiSweet Chocolate Pieces
2 Tablespoons Shortening
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a medium bowl mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla and sugar to form a smooth dough. Mixture will be very stiff. Shape into balls. Place on wax paper and place in the refrigerator. In the top o0f a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate and shortening together. When smooth, remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a toothpick into the top of a ball and dip 3/4 of the ball into the chocolate. Return to wax paper and cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
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