Actually these are called buckeyes, but CJ thinks they look more like peanut butter eyes.
They have a sweet, creamy peanut butter center swirled in dark chocolate. Every year I make these I put them in a bag in a freezer and think I will be able to resist them. Every year I sneak handfulls every time I pass the freezer. They are one of my weaknesses.
buckeyes
adapted from Penzey’s
for the filling
6 cups (1 1/2 lb.) powdered sugar
2 sticks (1/2 lb.) room temperature butter
2 cups (1 lb.) creamy peanut butter
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Combine sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix well. I use my stand mixer to get it nice and smooth. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut. Chill in fridge for 1 hour.
for the coating
18 oz. of chocolate chips (any flavor you like)
1/2 slab of parafin wax chopped into small bits
Melt the chocolate and wax in a double boiler, or in a heat proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Use a toothpick to dip the ball in the chocolate leaving just the top exposed. Cool on a cookie sheet in freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and rub out the toothpick hole. Put the buckeyes in a large freezer bag and store in freezer. I read somewhere that you were supposed to bring them to room temperature before serving. That’s pure insanity, these things are so good straight from the freezer.
A note about the wax – I know it seems like a strange thing to put in candy, but if you look an most candies in the store they have some kind of wax in them. It makes a dramatic difference in the chocolate. They have a nice gloss and hold their shape better with the wax. It is usually found in the canning section of the grocery store.
Tags: candy, chocolate, dessert, paraffin wax, peanut butter
