This is a Friday night that just couldn't come fast enough. After a crazy long week chalk full of difficult assignments, all I want to do right now is curl up on my couch in some yoga pants, drink some tea, and watch last night's season finale of Suits. (No worries, it's coming back over the summer, but I don't know if I can wait that long to get another dose of Harvey Specter). Spring Break is 14 days away, but before I get to relax, I have three midterms and a few papers due. In order to cope with all the work I am going to have to do this weekend, I want chocolate. And peanut butter.
If you're like me, then you love that salty sweet combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Saying no to a Reese's peanut butter cup is insanely difficult. However, it's freezing and windy outside and I am not up for a trip downstairs to the bodega to pick up a Reese's. Also, I'm too lazy to walk down and up four flights of stairs in my five floor walk-up. So I decided to make my own. Really, it's not a good thing that these are the easiest thing to make in the world (besides toast), because I am going to be making them all the time and that's really not a good thing when swimsuit season is fast approaching.
This recipe can also be made with almond butter, or for a super chocolatey experience, nutella.
Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. Dark Chocolate, chopped or chips
1/3 c. Peanut Butter
1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1/3 c. Powdered Sugar
Cupcake Liners
Directions:
1. Melt half (3/4 c.) of the dark chocolate. Can be done two ways. The first is in the microwave using a microwave safe dish on 15 second intervals, stirring well in between so chocolate doesn't burn. Or you can simmer water in a metal saucepan over low-medium heat, place a metal bowl on top so it is resting on the sides of the saucepan (bottom of bowl cannot touch the water, be careful metal gets quite hot) and place chocolate in the bowl and stir until melted.
2. Remove bowl from heat.
3. Line a cupcake/muffin pan with liners (recipe makes anywhere from 6-10 depending on size). I used silicone cupcake liners on top of a cutting board. You really just need something that will contain the melted chocolate on top of a flat board so that you can hit it on top of a table/counter so that the chocolate/peanut butter/chocolate layers will spread out evenly.
4. Spoon even amounts of melted chocolate into the liners, either on a cookie sheet, cutting board or in a muffin pan. Hit/Drop on top of a table a few times so chocolate spreads out and covers the entire bottom of liner. Place in freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. While in freezer, mix peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. It will almost be about the same consistency of frosting. It's okay to use any type of peanut butter. The kind I used was all natural and runny so I added a bit more powdered sugar to make up for that.
6. Remove from freezer and spoon even amounts of the peanut butter mixture into the cupcake liners. Bang/Hit on top of table to even out. I also used a cake frosting knife (I think that's what they're called) to spread it out evenly. Then place back in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. While freezing, melt the remainder of the chocolate in the same way as before.
8. Remove from freezer, add chocolate, and repeat banging process. Can use the frosting knife if you need to. Put back into freezer one last time, 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Take out of freezer. Eat. Shout delicious sentiments from the rooftops.
Store in an airtight container in freezer, fridge or pantry. I have them in freezer, so I'm not sure if they'll melt in the pantry.