Buckeyes
One of my favorite Christmas memories began just three years ago. Andy came to visit for my graduation and since it was a couple weeks before Christmas, it was our only chance to celebrate the holidays. We found a recipe for cranberry bliss bars and made them together, and from that a tradition was born. Now every Christmas we pick a couple of our favorite treats and bake them, package 'em up, and share them with our co-workers.
The past two years Andy's family's recipe for buckeyes have been at the top of our list. While I had never had them before I met Andy, apparently they're an Ohio staple. As a lover of all things peanut butter, it didn't take much to sell me on them. They're bite sized and basically a Reese's on crack. So basically they're everything you could ever need in a Christmas treat.
Buckeyes
Makes 75 (Perfect for sharing at a party)
- 3 lbs powdered sugar
- 2 lbs (4 cups) creamy peanut butter
- 4 sticks melted, unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 48 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 stick paraffin gulf wax
- Mix the powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and butter and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- After freezing, roll into 1" balls. Freeze these for at least 2 hours.
- Pour your chocolate chips into a sauce pan. Place that pan in a larger skillet filled with water. Turn your heat on medium, stirring the chocolate chips as they begin to melt. Add the paraffin wax into the chocolate and melt completely.
- Using a toothpick, dip your peanut butter balls into the chocolate, leaving the top out of the chocolate. Place the buckeyes onto wax paper to harden. Once all the buckeyes have been dipped, place them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to devour them.
Enjoy!