I remember just after Thanksgiving, my Granny would start making her holiday candies. She would make trays for people at church, the mail lady, friends and more. Peanut butter balls (Buckeyes) were my all-time favorite, but she also made divinity, haystacks, potato candy, puppy chow and more.
Granny passed away 20 years ago today and it still feels like I lost my best friend.
Here's how she made the buckeyes.
Ingredients:
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1 pound box powdered sugar
2 sticks melted butter
12 ounces crunchy peanut butter
1/2 bar paraffin wax (sometimes called Gulf Wax)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix together the first 4 ingredients well. Roll into bite size balls - about 1/2 inch or so in size. Place on a tray and put into the freezer for about 4 hours or so. Melt wax and chocolate chips in a double boiler. Using a candy dipping fork (or a fork or toothpicks), dip balls into chocolate and lay on waxed paper to cool. For an authentic "buckeye" look, leave a small area uncoated.
Note: Sometimes I use smooth peanut butter since I don't always like the nuts in the crunchy kind.
Trivia:
Did you know . . . .
that 9 states have a city or town called Buckeye? Ohio isn't one of them, unless you count Buckeye-Shaker, a neighborhood in Cleveland.
that there was a named passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad between Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania named the Buckeye?
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