This year has been super fast for the Sweet Pea family, and as I finish our preparations for our Thanksgiving meal and begin to think about Christmas decorating, I also have in the back my head the other holiday we celebrate this time of the year: the Ohio State-Michigan game.
True, a football game is not a celebration of plenty or a Savior’s birth, but in this part of the country, you might wonder if some folks put Buckeye Football on par with miracles and bounty. Buckeye Football is B-I-G stuff here, and no regular season game is bigger than Ohio State-Michigan.
To celebrate a big Buckeye game, I love to make my favorite game day treat, Buckeyes. There are a few variations out there on this classic peanut butter and chocolate classic, but I like to think my version and technique holds its own. After all, I have rolled and dipped hundreds and hundreds of these babies, and in the process, learned a few tricks that do help making these treats more of a breeze.
Buckeye Making Tip #1 (and this is *key* to make the process easier): Stick a toothpick in each peanut butter ball and freeze the balls before you dip them in the chocolate. This will prevent the balls from dropping in the chocolate, and makes dipping a super-quick process. Read below for my tip to remove the toothpick hole from the finished Buckeye.
Make these beauties for the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, OSU/Michigan, take your pick!) and you will be the hit of your gathering!
Buckeye Recipe from a Buckeye Blogger
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar
12-16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
toothpicks
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract. Stir well to fully incorporate.
Add two cups of the powdered sugar. Mix well. Check the consistency of your dough (you are aiming for slightly more firm than play dough). Add more powdered sugar as needed.
Roll the peanut butter dough into ¾ inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat Liner (optional, just makes clean-up easier). Repeat with remaining dough.
Place a toothpick about ½ way into each peanut butter ball. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
While the peanut butter balls are chilling, pour the chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish. Cook on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir, repeat. Keep cooking for 1 minute increments until the chocolate is fully melted.
Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer. One at a time, dip one ball about 2/3 of the way into the chocolate. Place back on the cookie sheet to cool. Repeat.
If at any time the chocolate gets too stiff or cool, place the chocolate back into the microwave for 30 seconds.
Dip all the remaining peanut butter balls. Remove the toothpicks. Dip your finger in water and gently press each Buckeye where the toothpick was extracted. This will smooth the hole and make it disappear.
Makes about 4 dozen Buckeyes.
GO BUCKS!
SPC
7 comments:
Of course these are a must in every Buckeye household on Michigan Saturday!!!!! Go BUCKS!!!!!!
One of my favorite candies ever! I'm trying Short Stops easy-peasy turtles this year for our Open House. Might have to add this one to the list. But I might eat them all before the party starts.
REMEMBER ME!? I haven't had my computer in over a month and have been so disconnected.
These little babies are now on my radar. Going to make soon. I love chocolate and peanut butter.
I've been enjoying your website for a while now thanks for all the posts.
My mom and I make buckeyes every year, instead of freezing toothpicks in the peanut butter balls, we learned that if you use corn-ear holders (the kind with two metal prongs) to dip the balls they generally won't fall off into the chocolate... and they have a cute "face" in the end. We also normally add a bit of paraffin wax to the chocolate. We like to store them and eat them right out of the freezer =)
You saved my buckeyes! Thank you for the tip on how to smooth the hole from the toothpick. It was driving me insane! haha
Just lay them on top of a fork to dip them in chocolate. No toothpicks or holes necessary.
How do you prevent flat overflow of chocolate after dipping?
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