Buckeyes

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When I was little Momma was the only one who liked buckeyes and she would make them for herself. However as an adult I started making them and discovered how delicious they are! I then shared them with my husband’s family and they are now the fought over dessert of who is getting more of them. Eliza would have them for every meal; if we would let her. When I finished this batch she kept coming back to the kitchen, “Mama I need just one more please…”. There is no question they are delicious but they are also very labor intensive and time consuming.

This recipe makes between 16-21 dozen buckeyes. This year it made 244 buckeyes and took me 31/2 hours. Now remember, I did this by myself with a three year old and a one year old under foot. You probably could get this done quite a bit faster with some help and no little people involved. However this recipe is so easy to cut in half or in quarters for that matter. So don’t be intimidated by that number and break it down into a more manageable quantity if needed. Just don’t advertise that you’re making them or you may have wished you hadn’t cut it in half!

Here’s what you will need

• 1 lb of butter, softened
• 2 lb powdered sugar
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 24 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 block paraffin wax

Before you start mixing prep your fridge!

This recipe makes a ton of buckeyes and they need a lot of space to chill. If you make the entire recipe you will need 4-5 large cookie sheets to put them on. They all have to fit in your fridge! If you have more than one fridge this is a lot easier. If not make sure you move things around so there’s a place for each tray to go. Line your trays with either parchment paper or wax paper. Then you’re all set.

Buckeyes are best mixed up with a stand mixer. Your hand mixer will work, but as thick as it is it may burn out the motor. Cream together 8 sticks or 1 lb of butter and 2 cups creamy peanut butter. Make sure to scrape the bottom well before adding powdered sugar. Then slowly add in 2 lbs of powdered sugar. If it is lumpy and not wanting to mix in don’t panic. Once you get all of it in there beat it for a couple minutes and it will smooth out.

Now to start rolling and rolling and rolling…

I tend to roll small buckeyes and my Momma rolls larger ones. There is no wrong size; it all depends on how you like your peanut butter to chocolate ratio. Large buckeyes will make about 16 dozen and smaller ones will get you around 20 dozen. So needless to say if you do this alone you’re going to be rolling buckeyes for a while. Like an hour or so easily, especially if you’ve got little ones underfoot.

The batter will get soft the warmer it gets. I put some in a cereal bowl and put the mixing bowl in the fridge. Then I never have to worry about waiting for it to harden back up. As your hands get messy it helps to wash them in cold water to keep them from sticking to your hands as badly. Do not worry about how long to chill them for. By the time you finish rolling the last one you can start dipping the first tray.

Chocolate and wax?

Yes these have paraffin wax in them. I know it’s not something you think about adding to your food, but it’s what makes them so smooth. The original recipe calls for 12oz of semisweet chocolate chips and a half block of wax. I have never been able to finish an entire batch with one recipe of chocolate. So I went ahead and doubled it for you.

In a double boiler, melt 24 oz semisweet chocolate chips and 1 block of paraffin wax. The wax takes longer than the chocolate to melt. You can start with just the wax or melt them at the same time. However make sure you just keep stirring and don’t let the water continuously boil! Reduce the temperature or remove the double boiler from the eye. If you’ve never melted chocolate before, there is a fine line between melting and baking. It is far too easy to over heat the chocolate and then it starts to seize and bake. Once this happens there is no undoing it.

Once you have it melted you have to work quickly as it will set up fast. I always take the top of the double boiler off, with the chocolate in it, and move it closer to the pan I’m working on. It it starts to set up put it back on the hot water and that will cause it to melt again. Just like when you rolled them, put the finished trays back in the fridge and when you finish dipping the first tray will be set up. However don’t make the same mistake as me!! If someone helps you dip them let them sit in the fridge a while after you finish dipping. They need a good 30 minutes to harden back up before you put them in something else or they will smush together!

There you have it!

Buckeyes are not a difficult recipe. They just take a lot of time to roll and dip them. However they are so very good. It is always a toss up to see who is going to claim most of them and how many I have to hide so I have some later on. They do keep well in the fridge and you can freeze them to store for longer periods as well. Now to check on the status of my house. I think my munchkins have emptied every cabinet in the kitchen and there’s tupperware scattered everywhere. But the buckeyes are done!