Buckeyes are fun. We tried a lot of different peanut butters in a buckeye peanut butter taste test challenge over 10 years ago.
Best was
Smucker's Natural Creamy, followed closely by
Stonewall Kitchen Creamy Peanut Butter, all natural. Worst flavor were store brands. Major brands (Skippy Natural Creamy, JIF Creamy) were just o.k., nothing special
Adjust amount of confectioners' sugar based on the size of the peanut butter jar.
Buckeyes
Adapted from the cookbook These Guys Are Good. The Senior Tour Wives Cookbook.
1, 16-oz. jar (1 ¾ cups) creamy peanut butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1½ pounds (5 ¼ cups) confectioners’ sugar
Semisweet chocolate chips, lots (Name brand is better than store brand.)
2 tablespoons shortening (optional)
2 tablespoons shredded paraffin (optional)
Mix peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place balls on wax paper-lined cookie sheets or sheet cake holders and place in refrigerator. Chill until firm. Combine chocolate chips, shortening, and paraffin (optional) in a double boiler and melt chocolate. Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture quickly using a cocktail fork and place on waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm.
Makes over 100 buckeyes, if using 18-oz .peanut butter and 6 cups sugar.
Notes: Very easy. Better with a brand-name peanut butter, rather than a store brand. Easy with Kitchen Aid mixer and paddle blade. Cream the peanut butter and softened butter. Add sugar and blend. If the mixture looks like coarse sand, add a little cooking oil (peanut oil, if you have it) until the mixture holds together. Place in refrigerator to firm. Use a little butter or shortening (better) on your hands, too, when you roll mixture into balls, so the mixture doesn’t stick as much. Don’t worry if the balls aren’t round with the first shaping; just get the balls roughly shaped. Picking up peanut butter for rolling with a tablespoon helps get the balls the same size. Let chill and roll again to make the balls smooth. If the balls soften while dipping, place that tray back in the refrigerator and dip some from another tray, so the ball doesn’t slip off the cocktail fork into the chocolate. Don’t dip the balls completely in chocolate, to form an “eye.” Store in the refrigerator.