Postcard-Geography Album: Ohio, “The Buckeye State”

We made a page in our geography album for Ohio. We learned about the state flag, flower (red carnation) and tree (Buckeye.) One student colored a page about these. We added our postcard from Ohio, which had a lot of pictures of things you might see in Ohio.

He also colored in Ohio on our map of the United States.

We also made "Buckeyes" which are really just a peanut butter ball candy but Buckeyes look slightly different in that the top of each bonbon is bare of chocolate so the peanut butter filling can be seen. This is done to make them look like the nut of the Buckeye tree, which is the State Tree of Ohio.

Peanut Butter Filling

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 - 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Chocolate Coating

9 ounces semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons shortening

Place the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and salt in a microwaveable bowl, and heat in the microwave for about one minute or until just soft (check and stir the ingredients every 20 seconds). Stir in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and mix until it has the consistency of a dough (add more sugar if necessary).

Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) round balls. Place on the cookie sheet and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place a toothpick into each peanut butter ball and dip, one ball at a time, into the melted chocolate, leaving the top quarter of each ball undipped, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the baking sheet. When all the balls have been dipped in the chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Makes about 40 pieces, depending on size.

"Did you know that Ohio is called "The Mother of Presidents" because eight United States presidents were born there? Or that 23 astronauts - the most of any state- are from Ohio? These and more amazing facts are revealed in "B is for Buckeye," a must-have for every Ohioan (from Ulysses S. Grant to John Glenn to Harriet Beecher Stowe). "

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