My Great-Grandma's No-Cook Peanut Butter Fudge Buckeyes

When it comes to the list of Ohio-heritage recipes, Buckeyes are near the top - especially in football season. These peanut butter bites are dipped most of the way into chocolate to resemble the seeds of buckeye trees, which in turn resemble the eyes of deer or bucks. Hence buck-eyes. 

I have eaten buckeyes everywhere from wedding receptions, to chocolate shops, to graduation parties, to my grandma's kitchen. You can find them in grocery stores, ice cream parlors, coffee shops, and at bake-sales in Ohio. They are most common during football season, but never more so than on the Saturday of the legendary Ohio State / Michigan game.

Ohio vernacular lesson:

'Buckeye' ubiquitously means the combination of peanut butter and chocolate here in the Midwest. Buckeye ice cream, for example, means there will be chocolate and peanut butter in the ice cream...and maybe mini buckeyes as well. A controversial book on the history of buckeye candy (written by a former Michigan football player), says that you can make them out of things other than peanut butter. I am comfortable saying that this is wrong. Swapping in almond butter or sunflower butter in cases of a peanut allergy is forgivable, but this will not win you any friends. The success of your buckeye candy will depend on you sticking with the classic flavors. When the above mentioned book went over the line and suggested using hummus in lieu of peanut butter, I figured the Michigan football team was attempting some sort of joke on Ohioans.

Buckeyes are made with some combination of peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. As it happens, my great-grandma's no-cook peanut butter fudge has the perfect malleability to roll into balls. Here is her recipe, with my notes.

Peanut Butter Fudge from Van Wert, Ohio

3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup karo (as in corn syrup, honey or maple syrup make good substitutions. I left it out altogether an just added 1/4 cup milk to get the malleability right)
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb box of powdered sugar (about four cups...which is why I opted to not add in honey)

Mix all ingredients well together. I start with the peanut butter and butter, salt, and vanilla, then incorporate the powdered sugar. You can do this in a mixer, but it really does come together if you knead it with your hands. Your hands will be touching the fudge anyhow, to roll the balls. Take about 1 tablespoon of the fudge and roll it back and forth between your palms until it becomes a smooth ball. You should end up with three dozen or so. Put the balls in the fridge to cool.

Then melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a double boiler. When those are smooth stir in an additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips off the heat. (This helps the chocolate to temper properly.) Stir those in until smooth. If your bowl is too wide it may be hard to dip, so pour the melted chocolate into a smaller dish or teacup if needed. You can use a toothpick to lower the fudge balls in or set them on a fork. Immediately place them on a silpat or parchment paper and let cool.

Long live these buckeyes and the Ohio State / Michigan rivalry!