Crunchy Buckeyes Food

CRUNCHY TOFFEE BUCKEYES

Steps:

• Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer, adding about 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is stiff and dry to the touch. Mix the toffee by hand.
• Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 32) and place on plates. Insert a toothpick into the center of each ball and freeze until firm, 1 hour.
• Once the balls are frozen, put the chopped chocolate in a small, heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and heat, stirring, until melted. Remove the balls from the freezer and, one at a time, dip them in the chocolate, leaving a small round of peanut butter still visible. Let the excess chocolate drip off before returning the balls to the plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the toothpick before serving.

BUCKEYES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Beat the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until well combined. Scoop 2-teaspoonful mounds, and roll into balls; arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Microwave the chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe medium bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Stick a toothpick or skewer into the top center of a peanut butter ball. Dip the ball into the melted chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter visible on top. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then return the buckeye to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate.
• Chill the buckeyes until firm, about 30 minutes. Smooth out the hole left by the toothpick with an offset spatula. Serve at room temperature or well chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

CRUNCHY BUCKEYES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix together melted butter, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in Rice Krispies (by hand).
• Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with wax paper. Roll the peanut butter dough into 1-inch balls and place the balls on the lined pan.
• Place pan in the freezer and chill the peanut butter balls until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Combine chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double boiler or small shallow mixing bowl set over simmering water.
• Stir frequently until chocolate chips are melted and smooth.
• Remove melted chocolate from the pot of simmering water. Remove peanut butter balls from the freezer.
• Working with one peanut butter ball at a time, stick a wooden pick into the ball - inserting it about 3/4 of the way in & making sure to not poke through the bottom of the ball.
• Hold onto the wooden pick as a "handle;" dip the bottom portion of the peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate, leaving some of the peanut butter exposed at the top. Let any excess chocolate drip off back into the melted chocolate.
• Place on the wax paper-lined pan and gently remove the wooden pick.
• Repeat until all peanut butter balls have been dipped in chocolate.
• Chill the dipped crunchy buckeyes until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. Then use your finger to gently smooth over and fix the hole in each from the wooden pick.
• Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator (or freezer) until serving.
• The peanut butter dough will be pretty stiff and look dry - don't worry, that's how it's supposed to be. It will come together and smooth out when you roll the dough into balls.
• I use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon capacity) to scoop out the peanut butter dough for each ball. This helps keep all my crunchy buckeyes pretty close to the same size.
• See my post How to Melt Chocolate: On the Stove & In the Microwave for helpful tips on melting chocolate.

BEST EVER BUCKEYES

Steps:

• Mix peanut butter, margarine or butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in bowl (It helps to soften the margarine).
• Shape into 1" balls.
• Refrigerate balls.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate with a bit of crisco (so the chocolate will harden. Without crisco, chocolate will remain soft.) in double boiler.
• Insert toothpick into refrigerated balls and dip into chocolate, leaving small area resembling a buckeye.
• Cool on wax paper and store in refrigerator or freezer.

BUCKEYES I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll 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 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.