If you’ve never had a buckeye before, then you probably haven’t been to the Midwest. These peanut butter fudge candies dipped in chocolate are especially popular in Ohio, but you can find them in a lot of the neighboring states. If you’re a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, this is the dessert for you! Even people who claim not to like this classic duo end up loving these cookies.
This recipe is made easy by using a boxed brownie mix as a base. By adding just a few ingredients to the mix, you’ll get a cookie with a perfectly dense yet almost creamy texture. Add on a dollop of 2-ingredient peanut butter fudge and some melted chocolate chips, and we’re in business!
Like I previously stated, this recipe starts with a box of fudge brownie mix. You’ll add vanilla, cornstarch, butter, softened cream cheese, and one egg to the brownie mix, and stir until combined. The dough will be sticky, but that’s exactly how we want it!
Pop the brownie cookies into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. In the meantime, combine peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls (one for each of the cookies).
INGREDIENTS
1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 ounce or family size)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine first 6 ingredients with a hand mixer. (The dough will be a little sticky.)
Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Smooth the edges of each to form a round cookie. Bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter in a medium-sized bowl. Form the mixture into about 1 inch balls (1 for each cookie). Set aside.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly. Cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Melt chocolate in a microwavable bowl in 30-second increments. Spoon about 1/2 a tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the peanut butter ball. Let the chocolate set. Store in an airtight container.