G-Pa's Buckeyes

Like I said in a different post, I grew up in Ohio.  We have buckeyes trees.  Buckeye trees are the state tree.  The state is called the Buckeye State.  But what exactly is a buckeye?

It's a worthless nut.

Yeah, worthless.

You can't eat it- it's poisonous.  You can make necklaces with it and wear them to the OSU Buckeyes' games.

However, in my family we make them as candy.

Not the nuts themselves.  It's a ball of peanut butter dipped in chocolate.

The man who makes these in my family is my grandpa.  Wayland Reid.  He's the cutest little old man ever.  He calls me "Shorty" despite the fact that I am a good 6 inches taller than him.

There he is in the midst of his five favorite girls- well, at least we say we're the favorites.

Despite the happiness of the picture, this was taken at my grandma's funeral this past February.  She and my grandpa were married for 62 years.

Love her.

Miss her.

I miss him too.  It's been since August and I already miss him.

Anyway, this is about candy Buckeyes.

The Peter Pan peanut butter is the most important part.  It's the peanut butter my grandpa uses and we have to use it.  I tried to use Jif one time and it didn't turn out the same.

Mix the peanut butter (remember it's Peter Pan), butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

It should be about the consistency of clay.

Grab about 2 tbsp of the peanut butter mix and roll into a ball.  You can either put them onto a non-stick pan or on a cookie sheet on wax paper.

Put a toothpick into each ball.  That way they will freeze with the toothpick and make it easier to dip in chocolate.

While the peanut butter balls are in the freezer melt the chocolate.

I used semi-sweet, but usually my grandpa uses the milk chocolate medallions and uses a double-boiler.  I couldn't find the chocolate and I don't have a double-boiler.  Did I fail?  No.  I don't think so.  However, my sister does not agree that the semi-sweet chocolate is as good.

I set up an assembly line- the peanut butter balls, chocolate, then a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to put them on to cool and dry.

Dip the peanut butter ball in the chocolate to coat with a small amount of the peanut butter showing at the top.

You can take the toothpicks out as you go.

Looking tasty.

It's taking me back to making these in the kitchen of my grandparents' small apartment in North Canton, Ohio.  Sweating because the heat is cranked up and the heat coming from the stove is immense.  But it being about 20 degrees outside.  My grandma in the next room, yelling at us about something (I'm not being mean, that's just what she did, how she was and we all loved her for it).

Put the Buckeyes in the freezer and let them cool enough to enjoy them.

And keep enjoying them for days.

Or just a couple of hours.

I dedicate this post to my grandpa (oh by the way, we call him G-Pa):

 

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups Peter Pan peanut butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

12 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large bowl.  Take about 2 tbsp worth of the peanut butter mix in your hand and roll into a ball.  Place the peanut butter balls on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet or on a non-stick pan.  Push a toothpick halfway down into the peanut butter balls.  Place them in the freezer.  While the peanut butter balls are freezing, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave.  If you melt it in the microwave, be sure to cook it only 30 seconds or 1 minute at a time, so the chocolate doesn't burn.  If in a double-boiler, be sure to mix it constantly so it doesn't burn.  When the chocolate it melted, get the peanut butter balls from the freezer-dip into the chocolate so a small amount of the peanut butter is showing at the top.  Place them on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Remove the toothpicks.  Place them back in the freezer.  Then enjoy!