Buckeye Balls II Recipe

"These are chocolate-covered balls of peanut butter and confectioners' sugar."  Original recipe yield: 5 dozen.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.

Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.

Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

Buckeyes I

"This recipe is so good that I double it whenever I make it. Since it is peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate it is almost like candy. Real buckeyes are nuts that grow on trees and are related to the horse chestnut. "  Original recipe yield: 5 dozen.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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DIRECTIONS:

Blend peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla. (Dough will look dry).
Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
Poke a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until hard (1/2 hour).

Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler (use very low heat, not much hotter than tap water or the chocolate will get grainy. This will take awhile).

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes.

Put back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerate 2 hours.