Kitchen Experiments: Home-made Peanut Butter Cups

Anyone that knows me, knows i heart peanut butter more than anything. I would give up all food and live solely on pb if I had too, not even lying. When I ran across this recipe (thanks Design*Sponge), it wasn't a question of IF i was going to try it but how soon.
Here is the recipe, is your mouth watering yet?

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chocolate ( use whatever type of chocolate you desire)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Step 1:Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. I did the regular size cupcake for this first attempt, next time I plan to use a mini muffin pan. Set aside.

Step 2:
Melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate in a double boiler. I used a microwave, melting the chocolate in short bursts. Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the stove and turn off the heat.

Step 3:
Using the back of a spoon or a pastry brush, paint a layer of melted chocolate onto the bottoms and sides of the paper liners. Don’t skimp on chocolate here; coat the liners generously. Set the bowl aside with any remaining melted chocolate left in it.



Step 4:
Put the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you make the peanut-butter filling.


Step 5:
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar and salt. Stir with a spoon until well combined. I used my kitchen aid and it did a great job. I also used my food processor for the graham crackers and it helped a ton.

Step 6:
Return the bowl used to melt the chocolate to the top of the double boiler. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chocolate and melt.

Step 7:
Meanwhile, divide peanut-butter mixture into 12 even amounts. (I used a cutting board with parchment paper on it while doing this to have a surface to rest the mounds on.)

Step 8:
8. Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator. Put one mound into each paper liner. Tap down each mound with your fingertips to “nest” it into the chocolate bottom.

Step 9:
By now, the chocolate added to the double boiler should all be melted. Using a spoon, dollop the top of each peanut butter mixture mound with a generous portion of chocolate.

Step: 10
Use the back of a teaspoon to smooth out the tops (alternately, use the spoon to make a swirl atop each cup).




Step 11:
Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator. Within one hour, your cups should be set, depending how cold your fridge runs.

Step 12:
Remove the pan from the refrigerator.Enjoy!
 

John testing the goods

j+k