Buckeye Recipe

5 Things I Learned Growing up in Ohio:

1. The only way chili should be served is poured over spaghetti and smothered in cheese. (If you’re from Cinci, you know that this is the only way to start such a list…)

2. A distance should be conveyed in minutes, not miles. I suggest using a major city for reference, like Dayton!

3. Weather is never forever… You can even experience snow, sunshine and rain in one day! Woo-hoo!

4. Everyone else has an accent. EVERYONE.

and lastly…

5. What a buckeye is: a tree nut, a fanatic sports fan and, most importantly, a delectable confectionery treat.

This week, in honor of fall and football season, I decided to make a batch of my favorite peanut-butter-and-chocolate treats: buckeyes! I even enlisted the help of a true Ohio State Buckeye for authenticity.

Buckeyes are no-bake, easy to make, gluten-free and delicious! But let me warn you, they’re addictive…. I used the recipe below. It can also be halved or (I recommend) doubled.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

How to Make Buckeyes:

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. I suggest adding the sugar last, and in small quantities at a time. The dough will look dry.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
Dip the frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving