Butter

Nut Butter Cups or Cincinnati Buckeyes

by:
October  8, 2010
5
1 Ratings
Nut Butter Cups or Cincinnati Buckeyes
  • Serves About 24 candies
Author Notes

These are a take on classic peanut butter cups or Cincinnati, Ohio's beloved Buckeye candies (my mom is from there). I LOVED Halloween growing up, the dressing up, and most importantly, the unsupervised scarfing down of candy that I was able to do before I came home from trick or treating. After that, my mother took charge and rounded up all of the Halloween candy from my brother, sister, and I. She hid it and dispensed it one piece at a time depending if she deemed it a "special" dessert night. I think it was mainly for her benefit...she loves peanut butter cups and this may have been her way to hoard ours. I originally made these for Christmas presents for her and my mother in law a few years ago as they both share candy love for this special chocolate and peanut treat. I have put my own sort of healthier twist on these in decreasing the sugar, using dark chocolate, and using a more exotic nut butter. Enjoy! - testkitchenette —testkitchenette

Test Kitchen Notes

I made testkitchenette's Nut Butter Cups with almond butter and loved the results. The maple syrup is a wonderful touch. Painting the melted chocolate into the cups is easy and quick, without a ton of mess.- Stephanie —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate
  • 1 cup nut butter (I like almond or cashew)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • mini cupcake liners
  • Waxed paper and/or foil candy wrappers
Directions
  1. Melt chocolate down in double boiler (I used a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water) over low heat (stirring periodically) until smooth. I did not bother tempering the chocolate.
  2. In bowl mix together nut butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt (if using) until it’s combined and the consistency of play dough and chill. Using the paintbrush, paint the bottom and sides of the liners with a thick coating of the chocolate. Put these into the refrigerator and chill until hardened. When chilled, roll the nut butter mixture into approx. 3/4 inch balls that will fit inside the chilling chocolate cups. Remove the chocolate cups from the fridge and press the nut butter balls into the chocolate cups. Brush/fill the cups the rest of the way with the melted chocolate mixture. Chill until hardened.
  3. I wrapped mine in squares of waxed paper (the way that salt water taffy is wrapped).
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8 Reviews

Midge
Midge October 13, 2010
I just had my first buckeye a few weeks ago and wondered where they had been my whole life. Love the dark choc. and nut butter twist.
 
testkitchenette
testkitchenette October 13, 2010
Buckeyes are awesome, I am in total agreement. I love the classic milk chocolate and peanut butter but dark chocolate makes them sooo much better! My mom left Ohio to work in the test kitchens of General Foods in White Plains, NY following her graduation from the U of Dayton in 1967 and ended up staying in NY. Buckeyes were one thing (of many) that she craved when missing her home state and family. They are supposed to resemble the nut from the buckeye tree and if you've ever seen one, they really do!
 
testkitchenette
testkitchenette October 9, 2010
Thanks lapadia, TiggyBee, Sagegreen, and gingerroot for your kind and thoughtful comments. I am so impressed by what everyone is putting forth for this challenge. I am going to have to increase my running and spin workouts to keep up with the tasting of recipes that will be incurred before this challenge ends! A & M are going to have to throw us a vegetable challenge after this one!
 
lapadia
lapadia October 9, 2010
I like decreasing the sugar, thanks for sharing!
 
TiggyBee
TiggyBee October 9, 2010
Delish!!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen October 9, 2010
I love your direction of the dark chocolate and almond nut butter! It will be great fun to see what everyone offers this week. Sorry I don't have much time to experiment more trying these out!
 
testkitchenette
testkitchenette October 8, 2010
Thanks gingerroot! I love them too and have tired of peanut butter and like to experiment with others nut butters.
 
gingerroot
gingerroot October 8, 2010
I can't have peanuts so have never been a fan of peanut butter cups, however, I love almond butter and cannot imagine life without dark chocolate - these sound amazing! Thanks for the recipe!!