Every year there is one Christmas cookie that we must make: pepparkakor, a.k.a. Swedish gingerbread. They're a tradition, they bring us back to our Swedish roots. Buuuuut this year there were no pepparkakor for us. None. We could find neither dark corn syrup nor cloves—two essential ingredients—in the stores in Taiwan, but since we still needed to make one more Christmas cookie, we decided try a new one.
Enter buckeyes.
We simply excluded the M&M's from the recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction, and the result was traditional buckeyes: creamy sweet peanut butter encased in a shell of rich crunchy chocolate.
(...ours aren't quite as chocolate-covered as they maybe should be to look like buckeye nuts, but we had a bit of chocolate trouble.)
A few notes on the recipe and process.
Use white, milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate to cover the buckeyes. Chocolate chips do not melt very well, and are not suggested—however, in a pinch, they do work. Whatever you do, do NOT add milk or water to the melted chocolate to 'loosen it up'. Trust me, it doesn't work. Instead, adding a little vegetable oil (about 1tsp. per 1 cup chocolate) to the chocolate before melting it will help it stay smoother. On the other hand, the chocolate will also take a little longer to firm up. There is no need to temper the chocolate if you are keeping the buckeyes chilled.
Making the peanut butter balls is super easy, but covering them in chocolate takes some time and practice. Use a toothpick or a dipping tool to dunk the buckeyes in the chocolate.
If you used toothpicks, after finishing chocolate-covering all of the balls, use your finger to rub over the tiny holes in the tops until they disappear.
How about a little buckeye background...
Buckeyes are made to look like horse chestnuts, also known as buckeyes. The buckeye tree is Ohio's state tree, and so it comes as no surprise that the buckeye candy is beloved in Ohio. Buckeyes are especially popular in the Christmas and football seasons.
Now, I don't really understand the Christmas part. Sure buckeyes are yummy, but are they Christmasy? Not really. I'm a strong believer in festive desserts at Christmas, especially those including peppermint or old traditions. So, I give you permission to make and eat these buckeyes whenever you want. Where does my authority come from, you may ask? Well, don't ask, just eat.
After all, don't you also think they would make a perfect cold snack on a warm day?
Buckeyes
Makes about 35 1-inch balls
Notes:
*Using chocolate chips for coating is not recommended, but works. A small amount of vegetable oil (about 1 tsp. per 1 cup chocolate) may be added to make the chocolate smoother. Using pure chocolate is best. Semi-sweet, milk, bittersweet, and white chocolate all taste good.
Recipe from: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/06/22/peanut-butter-mms-truffles/
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