Buckeyes: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Goodness

If you're ever in the need of a tasty treat that combines the yumminess of peanut butter and chocolate I'd highly recommend that you give Buckeyes a try.  Added bonus - you don't even have to turn your oven on to make them!

For the record, I am not an Ohio State fan.  Just clearing that up in case anyone was curious.   

This is the recipe I used from AllRecipes.Com. 

Ingredients: Yield 5 Dozen

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips   (I used closer to 8 ounces of milk chocolate because I didn't have any semi-sweet chips in my pantry.)
• 2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.  I used two baking sheets that way when I was dropping the chocolate-dipped buckeyes down I had more room on my sheet. 

2. Combine the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar.  Directions said by hand, but I tossed everything in my KitchenAid mixer and mixed on the stir setting to get things started.  Then I mashed by hand.  Get the mixture as smooth as possible.  Shape mixture into balls using roughly 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball.  Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.

3. Melt shortening and chocolate chips together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water.  Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.   Note - when the chocolate was cooling it started to thicken up, so I would routinely bring the chocolate back to the heat to keep it easier to work with on the peanut butter balls.

4.  Remove peanut butter balls from refrigerator.  Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate.  Return to was paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick.  Repeat with remaining balls.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. 

Enjoy!  I actually got five-and-a-half dozen Buckeyes out of this recipe, which was more than enough for both the hubs and I to take some of these to our respective jobs.  They were eaten instantly!