Chocolate Buckeyes!

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

One of my friends makes the best buckeyes ever! She makes them every Christmas and gives them as gifts. She makes them for every party. They are yummy and did I say they have cocolate in them? Chocolate! This year she said that all her grandkids teachers from last year have put in requests for this year. So she has the double load. To make them for the current teachers and last year teachers. That should tell you how good they are.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 ounces plus 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups confectioners sugar, about 1 pound
• 1/2 cup very fine graham cracker crumbs
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION:

With a wooden spoon or large mixer with paddle attachment, beat peanut butter, butter and vanilla until smooth. Slowly stir or beat in confectioners' sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Mixture will be dry, but will hold together when shaped into balls. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; place on wax paper lined cookie sheet and chill in freezer or until firm.

Melt chocolate chips over hot water. Spear a peanut butter ball with toothpick or dipping fork and dip ball into the chocolate to cover most of it. Place chocolate side down on cookie sheet. If desired, leave the top uncovered to resemble the Ohio buckeye nuts. If desired, drizzle more butter over the balls to fill in gaps made by toothpick or dipping fork. Refrigerate buckeyes for about 2 hours or longer, or until the chocolate is set. Store buckeyes tightly covered in refrigerator or freezer.

Makes about 5 dozen buckeye candies.