Chocolate and peanut butter go well together.

Peanut Balls combine some of my favorite items to eat.  One way to describe their flavor is to say they are like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  It has that same thick coating of chocolate with a smooth and creamy filling that is almost fudge-like in texture made of peanut butter and several other ingredients listed below.

The State of Ohio has their own special name for this confection; “Buckeyes”. Buckeyes look slightly different than Peanut Butter Balls in that the top of each bonbon is bare of chocolate.  This is done to make it look like the nut of the Buckeye tree, which just happens to be the State Tree of Ohio.  I prefer chocolate all of the way around.  The more the better!

The process is very simple and requires just a few ingredients:

peanut butter balls

In a large bowl combine the 1 cup powdered sugar and cocoa. Stir in the peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Form the mixture into balls. Roll each ball in 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

While balls are chilling, melt the chocolate.  Temper the chocolate if you desire.

Once balls are firm, they can be dipped.

Using a toothpick, skewer a ball and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate.  To make a Buckeye, you will want to leave at least a dime-sized circle of undipped candy on top of the ball.  Otherwise drown the sucker in chocolate!

Swirl the excess chocolete off of the ball (as shown in the photo above).  It’s more fun than draggin  it along the lip of the bowl or waiting for the chocolate to drip off.  Place the covered ball back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls.

Return balls to fridge to set the chocolate. Serve once candies are firm.

Tags: ball, balls, blog, butter, Chocolate, cook, cool, cup, dessert, dinner, easy, eat, food, jimmy mcdonald, jimmy mcdonald photography, jmacphoto.com, meal, nc, nc north carolina, peanut, photo, photography, rockingham, snack, state, sugar, sweet, vanilla