Buckeye Candy Recipe

Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.

Make the peanut butter balls. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1/4 cup softened butter (this is a half stick.) Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat this mixture until it has become smooth and creamy, like frosting (it IS frosting!). Scrape the sides.

Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter. (Regular peanut butter is better than natural peanut butter because it is smoother from added oils.) Beat this mixture until smooth, scraping sides.

In a food processor, add 3 tablespoons dry roasted salted peanuts. It's not a lot! Pulse in the food processor until they have turned to crumbs, then keep going until the crumbs start to stick together in clumps. See photos.

Add the chopped peanuts, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1/4 teaspoon table salt) to the bowl and beat well. The mixture will be very thick! Use a sturdy spatula to scrape down the sides and bring it all together.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to shape the dough into buckeye-size balls. This is about 1 or 1 and 1/2 inches across, or if you want to weigh them, between 15-20 grams (or about a half ounce.) Use your palms to roll the dough into a nice ball shape.

Place the buckeyes on the baking sheet. Place a toothpick into the center of each ball, pushing it all the way down. (Do this BEFORE freezing!)

Freeze the buckeyes for about 30 minutes. Or if you don't have room in the freezer, chill for at least 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate. In a glass measuring cup, add 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup dark chocolate chips.** Add 1 and 1/2 to 2 tablespoons shortening.***

Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. I like to stir with a mini rubber spatula that I can put right in the microwave. Return to the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds, and stir again. Continue until there are still a few lumps of chocolate chips remaining, then don't heat anymore, but instead stir it until the lumps are smoothed out. Chocolate scorches easily, so be careful. Heat in 15 second increments if you are nervous. The chocolate should run off your spatula in a thin, steady stream. It should not glob. (A technical term.) Add a bit more shortening if your chocolate is gloopy. Don't microwave further.

Dip the buckeyes in chocolate. Take half of your peanut butter balls out of the freezer (leave the rest to continue chilling!)Dip the balls in the chocolate one by one, letting the chocolate drip off, then gently scraping off the bottom of the chocolate on the edge of the measuring cup (so the chocolate doesn't pool at the bottom). Place back on the lined pan to harden. Dip them about 2/3 of the way, so there is a little peanut butter peek-a-boo at the top. This is the signature Buckeye look! Dip them quickly. Don't linger in the chocolate, or the peanut butter will start to melt.

If your peanut butter balls keep falling off their toothpicks as you are dipping, your peanut butter balls are not cold enough. Stick them back in the fridge, or bite the bullet and clear out your freezer of all of last years fishsticks and freezer burned broccoli florets you intended to eat. Then you can freeze your peanut butter balls, which really is the best method. Continue dipping the second half of the peanut butter balls, keeping any extra balls in the fridge or freezer until the very last minute before dipping.

Optional dippers. If you want to jazz up your buckeyes (not traditional, but hey it's fun) dip them in chocolate sprinkles or crushed peanuts. Do this just a moment after dipping. Dip your peanut butter ball and hold onto it, letting the chocolate set up for about 5-10 seconds. Then make a well in your bowl of sprinkles or nuts and dip the buckeye into the well. Use your fingers to press the sprinkles into the edges of the candy. Place back on the lined pan and let cool completely.

Drizzle. If you want a pretty drizzled look, melt peanut butter (or more chocolate) and use a spoon to drizzle it over the top of the buckeyes.

Place the pan of buckeyes back in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes (or longer) to firm up completely.

Cover the toothpick mark. Once the buckeyes are chilled and the chocolate is nice and hard, remove all the toothpicks. Use the pad of your finger to "heal" the toothpick mark. Move your finger around and use your body heat to melt the peanut butter a bit, then smooth out the hole as best you can. You can smooth with a paring knife or a small spoon too. (Or you can cover the mark with a dot of melted chocolate so you have buckeye boobs, like Sarah's family does.)

Serving. Serve these buckeyes chilled, straight from the fridge if that is your preference. I prefer to serve them room temperature, which means they need time to weep and recover. (It's tough being a Buckeye.) Take them out of the fridge and lay them out in a single layer. The buckeyes will sweat and release condensation. Just keep waiting. Eventually they will come to room temperature and the moisture will evaporate. Serve right away.

Storage. You can store these buckeyes at room temperature for about 24 hours, tightly sealed. Then you can skip the whole emotional weeping process. Eventually the peanut butter mixture will get dry and crumbly though, so if you don't plan to eat right away, refrigerate or freeze them.Refrigerating: Store in a single layer in a tupperware or ziplock, or separate layers with wax/parchment paper. When ready to serve, spread them out in a single layer to let them weep a little (it's not much) as they come to room temperature. You can store them in the fridge, remembering to give them time to weep and dry out before serving. Refrigerating is my least favorite way to store. It makes the peanut butter dry out faster. If you need to store for a while, it's best to freeze.

Freezing. Buckeyes are great for freezing. I have a stash in my freezer right now! They will last 2-3 months, and probably longer, but they might start to get funky freezer smells if you go too long. When completely chilled, place in a ziplock bag and toss in the freezer. Plan time to thaw in the fridge overnight, then lay them out in a single layer so that they can weep and evaporate before serving.