Peanut Butter Cups

These are surprisingly easy to make, even though they might not look like it.  In fact, I think they’ll be one of the most rewarding candies you’ve ever made, and they will not last.  I promise.  There’s just no such thing as saying “the homemade peanut butter cups have gone bad, so into the garbage they go.”

I came up with the idea of using this recipe for the filling only recently.  It was originally for an after school type snack that came from a Betty Crocker cookbook for kids.  The cover had a bunch of heavy haired kids on it in 70’s clothes, munching on brownies.  It belonged to my friend Dani, and I borrowed it from her when we were kids and still have it!  How that happened, I don’t know.  But Dani, when you read this, I still have your cookbook.

The original was a peanut butter ball that had chocolate chips added to it.  Then it was rolled into either shredded coconut or graham cracker crumbs.  I thought it would be a good idea to try it as a filling for peanut butter cups, but it needed some vanilla and salt.  It works great!

I suggest laying out your paper cups absolutely first.  Then temper the chocolate to brush inside of them.  Tempering the chocolate is a must (don’t worry, it’s easy!), and when you do, you’ll want to start brushing it into your cups in its perfect state.  If you don’t lay out your cups first, you’ll waste valuable window time while the chocolate is perfectly tempered and malleable.

I find brushing the chocolate in the cups pretty messy, but somehow they end up looking surprisingly neat.  While they were hardening I made the filling, and many of the cups were hardened by the time I was ready to fill them. Give yourself lots of time when you make these–remember you have to temper chocolate twice as the top goes on in a second application.

The best moment comes when it’s time to take the papers off.  You may have to pry away at the edge for a second, but the paper peels off in a breeze.  You could also leave the paper on, but I like revealing the perfectly ridged sides.  When you take a look at all of them, you’ll be surprised at how easy it was to recreate what seems to be many people’s favorite chocolate treat.

https://icookandpaint.com/peanut-butter-cups/