Pickerington resident Cathy Ryland has a secret talent: making buckeyes.
She learned some tricks while working for a chocolate company, and although she hasn’t worked there for some time, she still enjoys making Ohio’s famous chocolate-and-peanut-butter treats.
Learning the craft
Ryland’s buckeye journey began at 15 years old, when she scored what she calls her first real job at Noelle’s Chocolate Works in Pickerington.
In its heyday, Noelle’s helped make The Ohio State University’s official buckeyes. However, the company has since closed, and the location is now home to Combustion Brewery & Taproom.
“I would just walk there after school and work for three to four hours, make a couple hundred buckeyes, and that would be my day,” says Ryland.
A typical workday for her would consist of rolling the peanut butter balls and putting them in the fridge to be dipped in chocolate the next day. On average, Ryland would make anywhere from 300-500 buckeyes a day.
Ryland was encouraged to work at Noelle’s by her two older sisters and her mother, who were already employed there. One of her most memorable moments happened when she was being trained by her sisters.
“When I rolled a tray of buckeyes, they went through and smashed the ones that weren’t perfect enough, and I had to reroll them,” says Ryland, “I think they got a little carried away because I was their sister… but I’ll never forget it.”
Ryland credits her sisters’ unorthodox training process for her particularness, which allowed her to perfect the craft.
Despite working in a completely different career field, Ryland still finds herself making buckeyes fairly frequently years later.
“It’s a pretty time-consuming process for me, so I don’t typically make them just to make them. Someone has to need them for me to make them, but that’s pretty often.” says Ryland.
She still enjoys making buckeyes for special occasions, such as holidays, bake sales and gifts for her children’s teachers. She also sends buckeyes for the nurses at Mount Carmel East along with her sister, Christy Sykes, who donates care bags to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Caring for others
As it turns out, helping others is just something that runs in Ryland’s family. She attributes their collective, generous spirit to her parents.
John Cooper, is an Abraham Lincoln presenter who participates in many community events, educating others and sharing his passion for history with them. She also says her father always encouraged them to try different things growing up, which helped them grow into the people they are today.
“If we were interested in something, he made sure to help us find out if that was something we wanted to pursue or not,” says Ryland about her father.
She also heavily credits her mother.
“She’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met. She’s always willing to help others, so I think that’s where some of that comes from,” says Ryland.
No matter the case, it’s clear that Ryland and her family inspire each other and share a special commitment to creativity, tradition and giving back to their community.
“I always want to help people,” says Ryland, “So even if that’s something as simple as making buckeyes, if that’s something that will help someone else out, I’m happy to do it.”
Cathy’s Buckeye Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks of butter (firm)
- 1 18oz jar of peanut butter (Jif recommended)
- Roughly 4 cups of powdered sugar
- Roughly 4 cups of milk chocolate wafers (Clasen or Nestle recommended)
Directions:
- Mix butter and peanut butter together until creamy.
- Slowly add powdered sugar into batter until no longer sticky.
- Roll batter into balls and place on a tray in the fridge until firm (overnight recommended).
- Once firm, pull from fridge and melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.
- Place a toothpick in the batter balls and dip into the chocolate.
- Once dipped, place back on tray and place in the fridge until chocolate is set.
Ryland keeps it simple when it comes to her ingredients, often choosing whichever brand is on sale, and encourages others to use whichever brands they prefer.
Cathy’s #1 Tip for Beginner Buckeye Making
“Chunk it!”
Ryland learned this technique while working at Noelle’s. To get buckeyes identical in size, first roll the batter into a long, snake-like shape. Then, tear or cut it into pieces that are close in size. This will keep you from having to reach back into the bowl constantly, making the process faster and a bit less messy.
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.