If you enjoy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, then you will love Buckeye Candy. Although this candy becomes popular around Ohio State Football season and the holidays, especially the week before we beat up on Michigan, this candy is perfect anytime of the year. It is relatively easy to make, and much cheaper than buying Reese Cups, plus even most of the people down here in the south that I have made it for say it tastes better than Reese.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter (pre-softened)

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

1 lb powdered (confectioners) sugar

12 oz. package of semi-sweat chocolate chips

1 tbsp. butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening (vegetable shortening is preferable)

     Combine butter, vanilla, and peanut butter in medium mixing bowl, and mix well. Continue mixing as you slowly add in the sugar. The amount of sugar may need to be increased or decreases slightly as the mixture should easily form balls without being sticky. Form 1” to 2” balls with the dough and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the peanut butter balls for at least 2 hours.

     After balls have chilled, combine the shorting and semi-sheet chips into a double boiler. Use a toothpick or small skewer to pickup the peanut butter balls and dip them in the chocolate until only about 10-15% of the ball is left un-submerged. The candy should resemble the buckeye nut (see pictures of candy and buckeye nut below). Place onto a greased cookie sheet, and chill until chocolate coating has hardened.

*A small amount of paraffin wax added to the chocolate mixture will give the buckeyes a glossier look. Most buckeye candy purchased from stores use this wax to improve the appearance, but it is my contention that as a home recipe, the buckeye candies are better without the wax. If you choose to add the wax, only use a few shavings, being careful not to add too much.