Buckeyes (not the Football team)
There are those “Martha Stewart” types who are artistic and creative and whose Christmas cookie creations turn out as beautiful as they taste. I am sadly not that kind of person. Despite concerted effort, my cookies have that home-spun, Pinterest-fail look. You know- the kind that have a “great personality”.
When I saw a recipe for “Buckeyes”, a peanut butter interior coated in chocolate, I thought- those look easy and tasty. Like peanut butter cups in a bite-sized, Christmas cookie morsel. I should have known that my version would turn out tasty but so ugly. The interiors turned out just fine. I was able to temper the chocolate without too much difficulty. System kind of broke down when it came to rolling the peanut butter balls into the chocolate. I tried a fork, I tried a skewer, I tried a combination of both. I ended up with skewer holes and inconsistent chocolate coverage. At least they taste good.
I am confident that this was attributable to user error. I do suggest rolling them when the chocolate is still quite warm, so it is easily spreadable. Also use a small-ish bowl, so the chocolate is deep and easier to roll in. If all else fails, tell people your children made them.
Tempering chocolate is a process that protects melted chocolate from overheating, ensuring that it stays crisp and glossy after it cools. This will result in pretty, glossy chocolate that keeps. I have included directions for either tempering the chocolate, or just melting it. Feel free to chose either, depending on how much you care about the look.
Buckeyes
Smitten Kitchen
Makes 36-42 pieces
1/4 cup (2 ounces or 55 g) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups (190 g) smooth peanut butter
1 cup (130 g) graham cracker crumbs
pinch kosher salt
3 cups (360 g) icing sugar
10 Tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 ounces (340 g) dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsley chopped
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and beat for 10 seconds. Add the sugar and butter, and mix on the lowest speed until partially combined and increase the speed until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl well and mix again. The mixture will be sturdy and slightly dry- which will allow them to be shaped. Set aside while you prepare the coating.
For tempered chocolate:
Roughly chop two-thirds of the chocolate into 1/4 inch chunks. Finely chop the remaining chocolate and place in a small bowl.
Fill a pot with 1/2 inch of water and place over medium-low heat. Place a bowl over the steamy water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not actually touch the water. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady supply of steam without lettering it simmer. Add the chunks of chocolate, and stir with a flexible spatula, keeping the chocolate in motion so that it will not overheat the bottom. Continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted, 8-10 minutes. When semi-melted, begin to monitor the chocolate with a digital thermometer, removing the bowl and stirring off heat if necessary to prevent the chocolate from exceeding 115F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining finely chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted.
If you don’t care to temper the chocolate:
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring until it is completely smooth, or in a microwave in 30, then 10 second increments, stirring before you start again until it is completely smooth. Let cool to tepid (~ 100 F) while you shape the centers.
Assemble:
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop out slightly more than one tablespoon worth of filling, and use your hands to form it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared sheet and repeat the process until all the pieces have been shaped.
Using a fork or large skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate and roll it about so almost the entire candy is coated, leaving a small circle uncoated. See notes above.
Chill the buckeyes until they are set, about 30 minutes. They will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer for a few months.