Buckeye Balls!

As requested by Shannon :)


The original recipe is from allrecipes.com, but I've made alterations as seen fit while baking. Trust me on this! 


This recipes makes a little more than two dozen, but they definitely fly! THEY ARE DELICIOUS.


Buckeye Balls


Ingredients


1 toothpick
2 cups creamy peanut butter (the sweeter, the better!)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 6 ounces Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 2 tablespoons shortening**

*Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips are a personal favorite. You can use whatever you have/like.

**I would up the amount of chocolate chips by an ounce or two. I felt as though the 2 tablespoons of shortening made the chocolate mix too liquidy with only 6 oz. of chocolate chips. I added more and it was way better!

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Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside (In case you don't have waxed paper, no worries! I didn't use one and it all went well).
2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough (Seriously. Use your hands. It's fun. And don't be discouraged if it seems as though it's too dry/there's too much flour; if you use your hands to mix it all up, it will come together. Promise). Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat. (I think it's much easier to melt the two together in a microwave, in 30 second increments, in a plastic container like Tupperware or Glad and use the lid over it).
4. Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate (DON'T cover the whole ball in chocolate; the point is that they look like buckeye nuts ;D). Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set (I would refrigerate them for more than 30 minutes; the chocolate was still a little soft when I took them out.
5. Enjoy!

Real Buckeye nuts

Buckeye Balls!

♥ Melizza.