A Buckeye's Buckeye

Ingredients:

2 cups creamy peanut butter (that's pretty much one whole 18oz jar of JIF)

3 tbsp softened butter

1 oz white chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

12 oz semisweet choc chips

Directions:

In a double boiler (use a glass Pyrex bowl over a medium pot with boiling water) gently stir the white chocolate until it has melted and all lumps have smoothed out.

Remove bowl from heat and let the chocolate cool for a minute or two.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer begin combining the peanut butter, sugar, softened butter, salt and - finally - white chocolate. Using the paddle attachment on a medium speed, stir until all ingredients are combined. (If you don't have a stand mixer a large bowl and hand-held mixer work just as well!)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and clear out some space in your freezer for the tray. Begin rolling the dough into small 1 inch balls with your hands. You will need to rinse and dry your hands about every 6th or 7th ball, as your hands will start to get mealy from the peanut butter and the balls roll best with clean, dry hands. Once you have lined your tray with the peanut butter balls, place in the freezer for about a half an hour, or until the dough has firmed up and does not fall off a toothpick when pricked.

Once the balls have firmed up, leave them in the freezer while you begin melting the semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler.

Once melted, remove the balls from the freezer and set up a dipping station by placing the melted chocolate directly next to the parchment lined tray. Using a toothpick, spear an individual buckeye, dip in the chocolate, spin to coat the bottom and sides of the buckeye - leaving just the peanut butter "eye" exposed - and return to the parchment. Once all buckeyes are dipped and back on the tray, place the buckeyes in the refrigerator for about an hour, until the chocolate has set. Serve immediately, or place in an airtight container and leave in the refrigerator for up to a week, or the freezer for up to a month.

Obviously you will need to do a taste test before serving to ensure that the buckeye candies are safe for consumption. This recipe will produce 36 buckeyes, but I find that 30 is a nice number to bring to a party! ;-)