Buckeye Balls

(Recipe from Connie Gaspar of Malone, NY)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-16 oz package confectioner sugar (3.75 cups)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 Tbsp. shortening

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioner sugar with spoon or hands to form a smooth dough.  Mixture will be very stiff.  Shape into balls, using 2 tsp. for each.  Place on waxed paper and put in refrigerator.  In top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water, melt chocolate and shortening together (I usually do this in a 2 or 4 cup pyrex measuring cup in the microwave (takes 1.5-2 minutes on 80%, stirring halfway through, and then again when done, until smooth).   Remove balls from refrigerator.  Insert a toothpick into each ball and dip one by one into the melted chocolate so that 3/4 of the ball is coated -- I sort of spin off the extra before returning to waxed paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick.  Cover toothpick hole with a dot of melted chocolate.  Place in paper candy cups and refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.   Freezes well.  Makes 5-6 dozen.

***