buck...

...aroo? No. Do I look like a rhinestone cowboy?

...naked? No. Get your minds out of the gutter.

Buckeyes. Much preferred, wouldn't you say?


Now I'm not from Ohio and I don't know very much about the state itself (other than the fact that Cleveland rocks, but Drew Carey told me that...)(Yeah, I watched his sitcom.)(I knew him before The Price is Right, which incidentally doesn't hold a candle to the other show he hosted.)(The show to which I'm referring was called Whose Line Is It Anyway, for those of you keeping track.)(Colin Mochrie is brilliant and hilarious, but I digress...). However, as the source of these little nuggets, I fully appreciate the place. I mean, come on--chocolate-covered balls of sweet peanut butter confection? Outstanding.

Yes, they take a little time and effort to make. Yes, it can be a fickle and frustrating process. Is it worth it? Totally. I didn't need Mr. Carey to tell me that.

What's your state's culinary claim-to-fame?

Eyes of the Buck (hmm...that's a wee bit morbid)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup shortening

Line a cookie sheet or four with wax paper. In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a wooden spoon.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Set them on the prepared cookie sheets and insert a toothpick into each ball. Chill in the freezer until hard, approximately 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening together over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly dip the frozen balls into the chocolate and place back onto the cookie sheets. Be sure to leave a little peanut butter showing! Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, approximately 2 hours. Oh, and don't eat the toothpicks.