Buckeyes

 A Christmas favorite. This is not Jeans recipe but a. Alternate recipe. This recipe does not have Rice Krispies so does not have the crunch. This cookie is a smooth peanut buttery cookie. Much like a Reese’s pb cup. Very good. 

• 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening

Directions

1. Line cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt with a wooden spoon. Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time, stirring it into the peanut butter mixture until it is completely incorporated.
3. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls. Set them on the prepared cookie sheet and insert a toothpick into the top of each ball. Chill in freezer until hard, approximately 30 minutes.
4. In a heatproof medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips and shortening. Place the bowl over a small saucepan with 1 inch of water placed over low heat. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Keep the bowl over the saucepan of barely simmering water. Using the toothpick as a "handle", dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate, leaving a small circle exposed on the top of each ball. Place the balls back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set, approximately 2 hours.
5. Once the buckeyes are set, remove the toothpicks and if you'd like, you can use your finger to smudge the peanut butter dough together on the top of the buckeye to cover the hole where the toothpicks were. Store the buckeyes in an airtight container with wax paper between layers in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Recipe Notes

• Do not use natural peanut butter for these, it is much too oily. You want to reach for a traditional jar of peanut butter such as Jif, Skippy, or your favorite brand.
• You can use salted butter and omit the salt, if you'd prefer. 
• While the recipe calls for chocolate chips, you can also use the same amount of bar chocolate, finely chopped. Feel free to substitute dark chocolate or milk chocolate if you'd like. 
• I spoke above about the benefits of using vegetable shortening, but if you prefer not to use shortening, you can substitute coconut oil (use refined so the flavor is neutral and you don't get coconut flavor in your buckeyes!). You could also substitute candy melts or something like CandiQuik for both the chocolate and shortening (though not nearly as delicious as real chocolate!). Follow the directions on the packaging for melting instructions.
• Buckeyes can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer ziploc bag.