Sunday, November 21, 2010

A Healthier Buckeye Candy!

Who says buckeye candies can't be slightly good for you?? As you all know, I love to modify recipes. One of my favorite desserts during fall football season, and the holidays, are buckeyes (balls of peanut butter and sugar, covered with chocolate, which are meant to mimic the look of a poisonous Ohio buckeye nut). Most buckeyes have loads of sugar, fat, and calories. I'll be honest, mine are still pretty calorie, sugar, and fat packed, but I've definitely made them a little more nutritious....



Ingredients


1.5 cups nut butter

(**I used 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup Smucker's organic natural peanut butter, and 1/2 cup Better'n Peanut Butter**)



1 cup butter, softened
(**I used Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend sticks**)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

~1/2 bag melted Dove dark chocolate



Directions

- Mix together the nut butters, vanilla, and softened butter until well blended

- Add the confectioners sugar, a little at a time. Blend the confectioner's sugar, butter, and nut butters until you have a large bowl of a soft delicious "dough"

- Start creating small little balls and put them onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet (the smaller they are, the less calories each buckeye will be!). I made my buckeyes about 1 inch in diameter. My mom (below) made hers massive, at about 2 inches in diameter.



- Insert toothpicks into each ball and put the balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes (hehe, that sounds funny...sorry, I'm such a child!)

- Using a double broiler (or just a bowl) heat one bag of Dove dark chocolate until it's nice and melted

- Retrieve the balls from the freezer and start dipping! You will dip each ball so that chocolate covers a little more than half.


- Put in freezer to let chocolate get dry. Enjoy after about 3-4 hours!


Total calories: ~100 (make them even smaller for less calories)

Other Nutrition Highlights: More vitamin E and magnesium due to the addition of the almond butter, and less fat and calories due to the use of Better'n Peanut Butter instead of all regular full fat nut butter! Also by using dark chocolate you may be getting a bit more phytonutrients, which could play a role in heart health.


Question: Have you ever had a buckeye?

When I was a kid we used to go to a huge party for the OSU/Michigan game each year. At the party there were always loads of buckeyes and black olives (yeah, I know, random). I can remember eating AT LEAST 6 buckeyes and 20 black olives (I put them on my fingers) during that 4 hour period. I can't believe I never got sick!

24 comments :

  1. My Mom and I always make Buckeye balls. And I cant even remember how many Ive eaten in my years!

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  2. Between you and Nicole, I feel like I've been seeing a lot of buckeyes lately!! It definitely makes me want to try to make some!

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  3. I've never had buckeye but these look fantastic! PB and chocolate? that can't be wrong! :D
    Happy Sunday Gina!

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  4. Those buckeyes look so yummy! I've never met anyone in the South who's heard of them, so when I come home to NE Ohio I love filling up on 'em.

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  5. No, I have never had a Buckeye. I'm glad you found a way to make one of your favorite treats healthier! :-)

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  6. YUM! Funny we made them on the same weekend! I calculated the nutrition stats for mine and I got a much higher number! Sad! I tripple the recipe I had and only got 78 buckeyes...they were about 1" diameter though, hm. Regardless, DELICIOUS!!!!

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  7. these are great!!!!! osu should totally hire you as a consultant and you should make them for the games!

    the next football party i go to i'm totally making these :) people will be uber impressed

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  8. Those look so good! I could eat a mouthful if I got my hands on them. Never tried buckeye's before though :(

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  9. looks like you made a ton of delish buckeyes! i was so excited that we won yesterday (phew!).

    i wish i could go to the OSU vs UM game this year!

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  10. Yum. I love these! Chocolate and peanut butter, always a favorite combo. I've had these tons, but never knew their official name!

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  11. I love your healthier buckeyes! I was just thinking that a buckeye would be the perfect thing to make for OSU/Michigan week, but wasn't sure I was ready to add more calories into the Thanksgiving week. Thanks for the better alterntive! :)

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  12. I didn't know what you were talking abt until I saw the ingredient list and the pics! Ah, I just want to nibble on one...or a handful! I like mine with a bit of chopped nuts, maybe you can roll them around crushed nuts too? :-)

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  13. I love you! Now I know what to do with that jar of peanut butter in the fridge that I keep spooning!

    Thanks, girl!

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  14. I've never had a buckeye but I'm pretty sure that needs to change!!!

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  15. Never had a buckeye and I have only really seen them on your blog. They look great and I am glad you made them a little more healthy.

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  16. I still hate them because of the buckeye name. Yes, yes, I'm that disgruntled Penn State alum and that PSU/OSU record since joining the big ten makes me sad. ;)


    All kidding aside - My aunt used to make them, although I can't remember what she called them. They were delicious and I could probably eat 3000kcals worth of them in about 10 minutes. Good memories.

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  17. i've never even heard of buckeye candy before but your recipe sounds delicious!

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  18. I just left Nicole's blog and she had buckeyes too!

    Um, pretty sure yours are healthier though! :D

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  19. I have never had these but what a great combo! I don't know if I would stop at one though! :)

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  20. I never had these before but this is the 2nd time I see it on a blog (TODAY!) maybe it is a sign that I need to make these asap!

    (thank you for always being so supportive on my blog!)

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  21. ok, I NEED to make these because I've never had them and that's my fav combo!

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  22. I'm loving the healthier version! I love buckeyes, one of the few things I have to be proud of as an Ohioan! I posted some on my food blog too :)
    http://damegoodeats.blogspot.com/2011/02/buckeyes.html

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