Thursday, January 5, 2012

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups


    I'm not sure what it is about the combination of peanut butter and chocolate but I can
    NEVER seem to get enough. 

     Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are always an option but I feel like they have no flavor,  
     another option is to go to a gourmet candy store and buy Peanut Butter Cups but why   
     would you do that when you can make them at home from stuff you probably already     
     have in your kitchen cupboards?! These homemade Peanut Butter Cups are 
     inexpensive and taste SO much better than anything you can buy at a store. Somehow 
     they all disappear in one day. :]

     Ingredients:

   For the chocolate:
   1-cup semisweet chocolate chips
   1/2-cup milk chocolate chips
   2 tablespoons peanut butter
   Pinch of salt

   For the filling:
   3/4-cup peanut butter
   1/3-cup powdered sugar
   Pinch of salt

   Prepare a standard muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

  Using a double boiler, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and salt stirring continuously
  to avoid burning the chocolate. (If you don’t have access to a double boiler you can place    
  ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and heat in 1-minute intervals stirring occasionally
  until all ingredients are combined.)

  Place about 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate mixture in each cupcake liner and  
  carefully spread around with the back of a spoon at the bottom and about 1/4 to 1/2 of the 
  way up the liner. Repeat with all 12 liners. Place the muffin tin with all 12 chocolate liners 
  into the freezer for about 5 minutes to harden.

   While the chocolate liners are hardening, prepare the filling: Combine peanut butter, 
   powdered sugar and salt together. (I found it easiest to combine these ingredients by also 
   melting them in a double boiler.)

   The chocolate liners should be hard by now. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon into each of the 
   12 liners pressing down gently to make sure the peanut butter mixture spreads evenly.
   Place in the freezer again for another 5 minutes to let the peanut butter harden.

   Top with 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate mixture, spreading carefully so that none of 
   the peanut butter can be seen. Place cups in freezer once more to allow the top layer to 
   harden.


   Just make sure to store them in either the fridge or freezer, as they tend to melt easily. 
   Enjoy!