Buckeyes are to Ohio what Black and White cookies are to New York. Outside of New York, you’d be hard pressed to find a Black and White cookie and if, on the off chance you did find one, it’s usually done entirely wrong. I grew up on Long Island and my Aunt used to make these for Christmas but she called them “peanut butter balls” (insert SNL-skit-like joke here) and would only dip the tops in chocolate. In the Midwest, they’re completely dipped in chocolate save for a small section of peanut butter, hence the Buckeye effect.
My boyfriend is from Ohio and I though I’d celebrate the Ohio State’s undefeated season (and the fact that I won’t have to find myself in a sports bar on a Saturday during the day for a while) with some very state-spirited treats. As a bonus, the candies are also considered a Christmas cookie, for whatever reason… they travel well, easy gifting? They are incredibly easy and at the same time incredibly time-consuming to make but the result rivals a Reese’s and I know some vegans that still feel Reese’s withdrawal pains so it’s definitely worth it.
10 cups of confectioners sugar
1 container (16 ounce) of peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 sticks (1 cup) earth balance butter
1 bag (12 ounces) of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1. Melt butter in microwave.
2. Mix butter and peanut butter until smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Add sugar and knead in with your hands (the batter should be stiff but stick together).
5. Roll into tablespoon sized balls.
6. Stick a toothpick into the top of each ball and put in the freezer for an hour.
7. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and put a small pot into the pot of water. Melt the chocolate chips in the small pot with the oil, stirring as they melt.
8. Take the balls out of the freezer and dip them almost all the way into the chocolate, leaving only a little bit of peanut butter peaking from the top.
9. Place on a cookie tray or into little cupcake cups (I got mine at Whole Foods for almost no dollars).
10. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve (my boyfriend says they’re also really good frozen). If you have extra chocolate, you can whip up some of these!
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