Buckeyes

In this Club Baked post: Buckeyes - a yummy peanut butter, chocolate candy

Baked Explorations Baking Book

Who knew there was so much history and information attached to this delightful candy?

I guess what I should say is- Who knew a nut could be so popular! The truth is that the buckeye nut from the genus Aesculus, a woody tree and shrub native to the northern hemisphere, has a ton of fans...literally.

If you are in Ohio, where these trees are common, you are likely a Buckeyes football fan. If you are in Europe, where the buckeye is known as the 'Conker' (from the Linnaeus species) then maybe you play Conker, a game whereby people try to crack and break the opponents conker, or as we know it, the buckeye.

In doing this blog I have even come to even see buckeye jewelry (really)! For those of you who don't know (or didn't) this is what the buckeye nut looks like:

buckeye nuts

I had done a different version of Buckeyes a year ago and I found them challenging to make especially since at that time I was trying to get a perfect circle on top, which is funny, since not all Buckeye nuts have a perfect circle. The advice I had read in coating the peanut butter ball was to insert a toothpick into the peanut butter ball and dip the ball into the chocolate. Not only was this ineffective (since as my pb ball got warm, it would slide off the toothpick) but once you are done coating the peanut butter ball and remove the toothpick, you are left with an uncomfortably awkward looking candy that has a hole in the center. And then if you try to fill or smooth over the peanut butter hole, it can look messy. Not the sort of candy I feel good about putting out.

So this time I just dropped it in the melted chocolate and moved it around until I got chocolate on it in the way I liked and I lifted out with a fork, tapping gently up and down against the double boiler letting the excess chocolate drop through the fork and back into the bowl.

I was much happier this time around and although it was only my second attempt, I was pleased and was happy to gift them to folks.

Unfortunately, as I have done lately, I get these recipes done so late that all the daylight is gone and I have to take the pictures at night. The lighting is not so great but still a decent representation.

This recipe is hosted by our fabulous Club Leader, Karen, of Karen's Cookies, Cakes & More. Please visit her site for the recipe of this simple & delicious candy.

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