It’s nearly Christmas Eve, and I just started to make Christmas candies and cookies today. Truth be told, I only made buckeyes today. I so hoped to make fudge, buckeyes, and chocolate truffles, but I quickly became overwhelmed. I pray to the gods of peanut butter, so if I could only make one candy it must have peanut butter at its center.
Buckeyes are wonderful balls of peanut butter and chocolate. The candy was named buckeyes after the buck eye trees of Ohio, which produced buck eye nuts. The nuts are named buck eyes after the eyes of the white-tail deer (I think I got this right). It is a treat to be savored by peanut butter and chocolate fans.
Buckeyes Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 dozen
Calories: 182kcal
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 ounces semi chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or 1 ounce paraffin wax optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Beat together peanut butter, softened butter, sugar, and vanilla. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Insert toothpick in center of each ball. Freeze for about an hour, or until balls are firm.
- Melt chocolate and shortening or paraffin wax (optional) in microwave or in top of double boiler. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate until about 2/3 is covered; twirl toothpick to remove excess chocolate. Return to baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is solid; about 30 minutes. Store in covered container and refrigerate.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.1g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 11.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 68mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 17.5g
I love buckeyes! We had a visitor from Ohio not too long ago and I made these. His eyes lit up when he saw the plate. Merry Christmas!