Dirty Buckeyes are Bacon and Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls and are the perfect marriage of sweet & salty in one bite. Bacon lovers rejoice.
Bacon covered and chocolate-coated peanut butter balls are another way to serve bacon as candy.
Everyone has heard of bacon candy and there are about 6 gazillion ways to make it, but not everyone has heard of bacon covered peanut butter balls.
Serve your bacon and candy this and set yourself apart from the crowd!
Dirty Buckeyes! Ha. I am not calling names at any NCAA sports team or school, even though we are SEC fans and might be caught talking smack about other divisions.
Go Dawgs!! Imagine having to admit that right smack in the middle of Big 12 territory……. Another story for another day.
These are simply buckeyes covered in crunchy bacon bits.
No, not the pinkish-red salty smoky little rocks out of a jar, real bacon.
Bacon that has been cut into small pieces, fried until crispy, drained, cooled, then fried again.
Once you are done with them, they look like buckeyes that have rolled around in the dirt and dried leaves. Is that a lot of work? Yes.
Does it produce perfect little crispy nuggets of goodness that tastes amazing paired with peanut butter and chocolate? Yes!!
Now, you could use jarred bacon bits, but if you must, please use the real kind.
There are so many options available these days there is no reason to use the original kind that tastes like sawdust soaked in liquid smoke.
These are reserved for very special snacks or very special guests.
Bacon is not cheap, plus this is guaranteed to plug up your arteries if you eat too many.
Remember, all things in moderation.
These do best stored in the refrigerator until just before serving time.
Allow them to come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes prior to eating.
MORE BACON RECIPES
Bacon Wrapped Baby Potato Bites
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Dirty Buckeyes
Ingredients
- 32 ounces thin-sliced bacon
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 12 ounces milk chocolate
- 2 tablespoons solid shortening IE Crisco, 1/4 block food grade paraffin wax can be substituted
Instructions
- Cut bacon in small pieces and cook over medium-high heat until no fat is visible.
- Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
- Set bacon aside to cool.
- Line cookie sheet with non-stick foil or wax paper sprayed with baking spray.
- Mix together butter and peanut butter in a bowl.
- Add powdered sugar and mix until sugar has disappeared.
- The mixture should be the consistency of a peanut butter cup center. Add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until that consistency is reached.
- Roll peanut butter mixture into equal sized balls.
- Set balls on prepared cookie sheet.
- Place cookie sheet in the freezer and leave until balls are firm.
- While waiting for peanut butter balls to firm up, place bacon into a food processor and grind until only small pieces remain. This can also be done in a blender or finely minced with a knife.
- Place bacon pieces into a clean skill and cook over medium heat until all pieces are completely brown, stirring frequently. More fat will be rendered during this process.
- Once bacon is completely cooked and no more fat is being rendered, removed from pan and drain on paper towels again. Set aside to cool.
- Melt chocolate and shortening together in a double boiler set to simmer. Microwave can be used by microwaving chocolate and shortening in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval. This method may require reheating during the coating step.
- Place a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil on another cookie sheet and place on workspace near the chocolate.
- Place bacon into a bowl and place near the chocolate station.
- Remove peanut butter balls from freezer.
- Remove balls, one at a time using a toothpick or candy making dipper.
- Dip 2/3 of the ball into chocolate, leaving the top 1/3 uncoated.
- Let excess chocolate drip back into melted chocolate.
- Immediately set chocolate covered balls into bacon bits and cover wet chocolate with as much bacon as you would like.
- Set coated balls on lined cookie sheet.
- Allow chocolate to set completely before attempting to move them onto a serving plate. They can be refrigerated at this point for a quicker setting.
- Store at room temperature, refrigerator, or freezer.
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