I've been away for awhile, but I'm back showcasing another amazing blog with the Secret Recipe Club this month! I was assigned to the delicious blog, Smells Like Brownies, written by Melissa. Melissa is all about eating healthy and has a great selection of nutritious recipes on her blog, but she also knows all about balance and has some decadent recipes she shares too, like this one I made!
I bookmarked several recipes to try, like Wasabi Tuna Salad (I made it and LOVED it!) and Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts, but ultimately decided I was destined to make her Fudgy Brownie Buckeye Cookies because...
I bookmarked several recipes to try, like Wasabi Tuna Salad (I made it and LOVED it!) and Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts, but ultimately decided I was destined to make her Fudgy Brownie Buckeye Cookies because...
um...
HELLO...
I live in Ohio and my son is a student at OSU! It was like the recipe was MADE for me!
Unfortunately, Melissa has never had a buckeye! (I'm sorry Melissa, you need to change that!) Which is just crazy to me, because here in Ohio, you can't grow up NOT knowing what a buckeye is!
Unfortunately, Melissa has never had a buckeye! (I'm sorry Melissa, you need to change that!) Which is just crazy to me, because here in Ohio, you can't grow up NOT knowing what a buckeye is!
So what exactly is a buckeye?
It's a tree nut grown on the buckeye tree, which happens to be the official state tree of Ohio. And you know what? The nut is actually not edible because it's poisonous. As legend has it, sometime in the 1960s, Ohio resident Gail Tabor invented buckeyes while trying to dip peanut butter balls in chocolate. And the rest, as they say, is history. Ohioans (like myself) are obsessed with all things buckeye. The chocolate and peanut butter combination is irresistible.
They are easy enough to make at home, but if you live in Ohio, you can get them just about anywhere you go. My favorite brand to buy is Marsha's Buckeyes made in Perrysville, Ohio.
Why this recipe works:
These cookies just take the buckeye I've grown up loving and elevate it up to a whole new level! I mean, chewy brownie cookies AND a buckeye is just pure genius! They are very rich though so make sure, if you make them, you leave some room for dessert!
Melissa left her cookies "un-robed" but keeping with the buckeye tradition, I finished mine with some melted milk chocolate I dropped onto each cookie to give it a little extra guild. My cookies turned out a little flat and more meringue like than Melissa's did. The flavor was outstanding though. I think when I make this recipe again, I might add a bit more butter to the batter and adjust the flour a little to get a thicker cookie.
Melissa left her cookies "un-robed" but keeping with the buckeye tradition, I finished mine with some melted milk chocolate I dropped onto each cookie to give it a little extra guild. My cookies turned out a little flat and more meringue like than Melissa's did. The flavor was outstanding though. I think when I make this recipe again, I might add a bit more butter to the batter and adjust the flour a little to get a thicker cookie.
Thank you Melissa for this great recipe and for sharing your wonderful blog. I know I will be a frequent visitor now that I have discovered your delicious recipes.
More cookie recipes for you!
Yield: 26 servings
Buckeye Brownie Cookies
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 8 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 38 Min
Peanut butter Buckeyes and chocolate brownies collide in this fun peanut buttery chocolate cookie!
Ingredients
For Peanut Butter Balls:
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 TBSP creamy peanut butter (do not use all natural in this recipe)
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 TBSP milk
For Brownie Cookies:
- 1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
For Chocolate topping:
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
Instructions
Make Peanut Butter Balls:
- Make the peanut butter balls by combining 6 TBSP unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, and pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add in the powdered sugar and combine on low until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add the milk to help pull it all together.
- With a small cookie scoop (about 1 TBS) scoop out mixture and roll into balls and place on waxed paper lined baking sheet. You should get somewhere around 25 - 26 balls. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set aside.
Make Brownie Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or use a silpat. (This is VERY necessary, as the cookies have very little fat in them and they will stick if you don't use one of the two to cover the baking sheet).
- Melt the semisweet chocolate chips and butter together in a small bowl. ( I used a microwave and was just careful about how long I microwaved them, if you aren't comfortable with melting chocolate in the microwave, then melt them in a double boiler) Set aside the melted mixture to cool a little.
- In the same bowl you made the peanut butter balls with (no need to wash it if you got all the peanut butter mixture out) combine the sugar and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until they are thick and pale. Fold in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With same scoop you used to make the peanut butter balls, scoop out batter and place on prepared sheets about 2" apart. Bake in oven for about 8 minutes or just until cookies are set and start to crackle. Take out of oven and place a peanut butter ball immediately onto the middle of each cookie and press down slightly. Allow the cookies to sit on pan for about 10 minutes, before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Make chocolate topping:
- Melt the milk chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwavable bowl in microwave or in a double boiler. (see directions to melt in microwave in notes section below). Drop chocolate by teaspoonfuls onto the peanut butter balls on the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before eating.
Notes
To melt chocolate for topping in the microwave: In a small microwave-safe bowl or large glass measuring cup add the chocolate chips and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for an additional 20-25 seconds on high before stirring again. Repeat process in 15-second intervals, stirring between each time, until melted and smooth and thin enough to drizzle.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
200.67Fat (grams)
10.56 gSat. Fat (grams)
5.53 gCholesterol (grams)
24.33 mgCarbs (grams)
25.52 gFiber (grams)
0.95 gSugar (grams)
22.21 gNet carbs
24.57 gProtein (grams)
2.06 gSodium (milligrams)
30.9 mgNutritional information is an estimate.
Copyright © 2016 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
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These look amazing! Great SRC choice.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kate!
DeleteRenee, glad you enjoyed these! Would you believe I've STILL never had a proper buckeye? I like your idea of coating the pb balls with even more chocolate!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, you need to get to Ohio and get yourself one! haha Thanks for the great recipe!!
DeleteRenee, there oh so many things that I'd like to say about this recipe and post. First of all, my husband hails from Athens, OH and went to both Ohio University where he was raised (you know, it's that great university town in the southern part of the state). He also went to Ohio State for his PhD and is an absolute, crazy-maniac Buckeye! We know all about both the edible and the non-edible buckeyes! I've never made them, but I like how you have prepared them in a brownie/cookie form! He will go crazy when I tell him about these. Lastly, I would love to be privately tutored by you on how the heck you take such great food photography. Message me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this fun Buckeye recipe!
As my husband always says to another Buckeye fan: "O-H" or "I-O".
Roz
I-O! Awe...thank you Roz. You are just too sweet!! These were very good. Loved the buckeye portion, but the brownie cookie, while it tasted great, was a little meringue-like for me. I'd love to remake this recipe and put the brownie batter in a mini muffin tin and then top with a pb ball and chocolate. I think that would be so fun!!
DeleteAs for my photography, you are just too kind. It's definitely a work in progress. I just keep experimenting with settings and editing.
These look heavenly Renee!!
ReplyDeleteThank Nora!
DeleteThese sound amazing. I love the chocolate on top.
ReplyDeleteThese have to be the best looking cookies I've ever seen! Who wouldn't love these!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness do these look good! Love the extra layer of chocolate and like Melissa I've never had a buckeye! Gotta change that pronto!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Buckeye candies!! :) And so genius to make them into a brownie cookie.
ReplyDelete