Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Buckeyes + Reindeer Cookies

Kelsey sent the following, and I am happy, because this candy? This candy is gooood:

"Here is our family recipe for buckeyes, which are a huge holiday treat here in Ohio. I'm sure people make them in other parts of the country as well, but might use a different name. (Teams from Ohio State University are The Buckeyes, and the buckeye is the state tree of Ohio.)

We miss these terribly in our house since discovering my daughter's peanut allergy. But they are too good not to share.

Buckeyes with a Twist

2 sticks melted butter
2 cups peanut butter (we used creamy, you'll see why)
1 box powdered sugar
3 cups rice krispies (That's the twist!)
12 oz. chocolate chips semi sweet chocolate chips, plus 1/3 bag milk chocolate chips
1/4 bar paraffin

Mix top ingredients with hands. Form into balls. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Melt 12 oz. chocolate chips and 1/4 bar paraffin fully in a double boiler. ( I have also used a small crock pot for this part.) Use a toothpick to dunk the buckeyes in the chocolate. Refrigerate or freeze.

Some tips:

Mix the peanut butter and butter first, then add powdered sugar, and finally the cereal.

Try not to overwork the mixture once the cereal is in, you want the pieces to stay crispy.

Don't skimp on refrigerating the buckeyes before you dunk them!

You can melt the paraffin in the microwave and then put it into a warm crock pot, then add the chocolate chips and mix well.

Working in the crock pot lets you take your time without worrying about burning the chocolate!

Wash the pots/bowls (whatever held the chocolate and paraffin) right away because it will get yucky as it cools and be more difficult to clean.

You can put nine or a dozen of these in a little gift box for neighbors, friends, etc. We used to eat them right from the fridge. The rice krispies make them nicely crunchy and cut down on the richness a bit, so you can eat more!!!"


And then, here's a post about making reindeer cookies with three-year-olds.

Thanks, Kelsey!

3 comments:

heather said...

Hmmm... I don't think I've ever heard of these. Do you know what people not in Ohio might call them? They sound awesome!

el-e-e said...

Does anyone else get a little squicked at the idea of "paraffin" in food? Isn't that what we get on our hands when we do a heavy-duty manicure? What is it exactly? (Sorry, feeling dumb here.) I'm sure these treats are delish!

Kelsey said...

Paraffin is a type of wax, it's clear when it melts, you can't even tell it's there. That bothered me too, the first time I made these, but it helps the chocolate adhere to the peanut butter part. It has no taste. There's probably paraffin in lots of chocolate covered items that you don't even realize! You could try it without, but I'm not sure how well they would work. When your realize how many Buckeyes that little bit of paraffin makes, you'll see how little is actually in each one. As long as you don't eat 2 dozen at a sitting, I think it's fine!!! :-)