Dec 1, 2010

Buckeyes

buckeyes 1

Buckeyes or peanut butter balls – are a delicious, decadent treat.   I’ve had them many times as part of holiday cookie platters or when visiting Ohio.  I love the combination of smooth peanut butter and rich dark chocolate – and I love the simplicity of this treat.  There is no cooking or using the oven.  The hardest part is dipping in the chocolate – and the piece of equipment that I used to make it a little easier was my metal cake tester – I just poked it though the peanut butter ball and dipped in the bowl of chocolate.  You can easily make these in advance and keep them in your refrigerator or freeze them – and they are ready at a moments notice for guests – or for a quick late-night-sweet snack attack!  Enjoy!

buckeyes 2

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 14 graham crackers)
  • pinch salt
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate chips (60 to 72%)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until combined.

2. Add the graham cracker crumbs and beat for 10 seconds.

3. Add the sugar and butter, and mix on the lowest speed until just combined then increase the speed until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

4. Melt the chocolate either over a double boiler, stirring until it is completely smooth or in a microwave in 30 then 10 second increments, stirring before you start it again until it is completely smooth.

5. Let it cool to tepid (about 100 degrees) while you shape the peanut butter centers.

6. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop out slightly more than one tablespoon’s worth of filling and use your hands to form it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared sheet and repeat the process until all of the candies have been shaped.

7. Using a fork or large skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate and roll it about so that almost the entire candy is coating, leaving a small circle uncoated.

8. Chill the buckeyes until they are set, about 30 minutes.

Source: Smitten Kitchen originally from Baked Explorations

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