Buckeyes

This is a very Ohio dessert... Midwesterners know and love these. In honor of OSU football kicking off this afternoon:


They're easy, but fairly time consuming.

Buckeyes (makes a fridge full-- 5 or 6 dozen.)
2 c. smooth peanut butter (NOT the natural kind-- you need the oil to not separate)
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 t vanilla extract
5-6 c. powdered sugar
2 12 oz. bags of semisweet chocolate chips
2 T shortening

1. Cream peanut butter, butter, and vanilla. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar until it forms a doughy consistency.

2. Scoop out teaspoonfuls of dough; roll into 1-inch balls and put onto cookie sheet covered in waxed paper.


3. Put peanut butter balls into freezer for 30 minutes; when they are chilled, they are less oily and the chocolate sticks better.

4. In double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Stir until smooth. If, like me, you don't have a double boiler, put a metal bowl over a barely simmering pot of water.

5. Using a toothpick, dip each peanut butter ball into chocolate.

Put back on waxed paper; refrigerate until chocolate is set. Transfer to covered containers; chill until serving.


Notes: You may have to transfer the peanut butter balls back into the freezer periodically as they warm up to room temperature; it's probably best to work in batches. Also, this will take over your fridge; make sure you have room BEFORE you are trying to rig up shelves using beer bottles and cookie sheets. It's less stable than I thought.

Also, you will end up with extra melted chocolate; have other things to dip on hand, like strawberries or pretzels.