My mom used to use wax on them. I really don’t want to eat any wax! I’m ok if they aren’t shiny as long as they are smooth.
Thx. A little butter next time instead of water. I guess I got lucky last night, dipping my cookies.
Anyone have tips on dipping the buckeye balls? Mine always look awful and I end up with a chocolate mess.
We did put toothpicks in the balls to aid with the chocolate - it worked well with some, not so well with others - plus I was annoyed at the little toothpick hold in the buckeye and had to go back and close them all up. 
My tip would be to make sure you have a vessel to melt the chocolate that is deep enough that you can dip deep enough - you really just want at not too big peephole of peanut butter ball showing - like the size of a dime or so?
Just make sure your chocolate is warmed enough - but not so hot that it seizes up and that the chocolate is fully melted - no chip clumps. I did my chocolate in the microwave warming on 50-70% power and checking and stirring it first after a minute and then every 30 seconds or so.
I melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie and I add a tablespoon of shortening. I use a slotted spoon and give the ball a slight roll in the chocolate. I tried toothpicks and all kinds of things and this wirjdx bedt for me. I also like the chocolate thin enough that the coating is smooth so adjust the amount of shortening to get to the consistency I like.
^^ thanks for the tips !
Our neighbor used to make buckeyes and she used a toothpick to dip them and then put a little drop of chocolate on top of the hole. My father always called them “little tits”
I use a microwave safe glass bowl, about 8 inch side. Start melting in the microwave a minute to start, then 30 second increments. I use the wax cake (melt on the stove, add to chocolate about 2 minute mark), thins out the chocolate and you really don’t know you are eating wax. The chocolate has to be very hot, but not too much to wreck the chocolate. I drop a chilled/frozen ball into the chocolate, remove with a soup spoon to a slotted fork, use spoon to wipe chocolate from underside of fork, then gently slide onto waxed paper on a cookie sheet. I also reheat the chocolate every 20-30 balls to keep it thin.
I never knew chocolate was so finicky for coating and dipping until I watched the British Baking Show. If you don’t wnt to add shortening or wax to your chocolate, temper it. Here is what Ghirardelli says about how to make their chocolate ready for shiny, glossy coating : https://www.ghirardelli.com/tempering-chocolate
“Anyone have tips on dipping the buckeye balls?”
I don’t even try to make them buckeyes. I just enrobe the whole thing in chocolate. Plop them in, fish them out resting on a fork (they sell chocolate dipping tools/forks but I just use a regular dinner fork) knocking on the side of the bowl/pot a few times to remove excess chocolate. Just call them peanut butter balls. More chocolate never hurts.
^^^That would go over well in Ohio!!!
Good thing I’m not in Ohio.
Making them with almond butter, I closed the hole by gluing a slivered almond to the top with a drop of chocolate. The almond ones were incredible.
I am going to try the orange/basil biscotti (new to me), a lemon cake mix cookie enhanced with fresh lemon juice and zest (light and refreshing), an almond meal cookie with coconut, chocolate and almond slices (new to me- sounds like an almond joy), and one from my mom which we called ‘rolled up cookies’ - a cream cheese based dough with cinnamon filling - pizza shapes rolled from outside to the point.
All ingredients are here; I start tomorrow.
The almond joy treats I make are Emeril’s coconut bonbons. These are really a candy I think.