Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

There is absolutely no question about where my heart lies when it comes to candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces are it for me. (I know, huge shocker.) Reese’s cups were my favorite Halloween candy as a kid and they were what my Chief Culinary Consultant bought me to celebrate liberation from a quarter-life-peanut-allergy-crisis a couple of years ago. So it’s only natural that I immediately cozy up to recipes like buckeyes and peanut butter cup bars.

One of the most wonderful things about blogging is receiving emails from my readers. I get emails from high schoolers, college students, busy moms, grandparents, and even widowers. Each and every one of them gives me the warm fuzzies. And I especially love when a reader wants to share with me one of their own recipes. Lissa B certainly knows me well, as she sent me the recipe for this filling, which she said she perfected to taste just like the inside of of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. She served it in bar form like the peanut butter cup bars, and I adapted it to make actual homemade peanut butter cups. She nailed this mixture – these taste every bit like the real thing! Thank you, Lissa!

These are really super simple to make, and don’t require special equipment.

First up, line your mini-muffin tin with paper liners…

Then roll the peanut butter mixture into balls, then flatten then slightly…

Add some melted chocolate to the bottom of the paper cups, then refrigerate everything…

Next up, drop a peanut butter filling on each chocolate base…

Finally, cover everything up with more melted chocolate. Refrigerate again, then voila! Your very own peanut butter cups!

So, so delicious.

One year ago: Fall-Themed Wedding Shower Cake
Three years ago: Fettuccine Alfredo with Fresh Pasta

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Yield: About 3 dozen peanut butter cups

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Chill Time: 1 hour, total

1 cups creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1¼ cups powdered sugar
4 cups milk chocolate chips (two 11.5-oz bags)
¼ cup vegetable shortening

1. Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Line a baking with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until completely melted and starting to bubble a little, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar a ¼ cup at a time, stirring until completely combined with the peanut butter mixture after each addition. Set aside and let cool.

3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, until completely melted, stirring after each burst.

4. Using a small cookie scoop or a couple of teaspoons, spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.

5. Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop out the peanut butter mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk. Place on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once finished with all of the peanut butter mixture, refrigerate both the muffin tins and the peanut butter patties for about 30 minutes.

6. Place a peanut butter patty on top of each chocolate-lined muffin tin. Then use a scoop or spoon to add more melted chocolate on top and around each peanut butter patty. (If the melted chocolate firmed up, just pop it back into the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds or so to re-melt.)

7. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes, then they’re ready to serve! Store in the refrigerator or freezer. You can keep at room temperature in an airtight container if you’re going to serve them the same day, but they’ll start to get soft if not at cool room temperature.

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Tagged as: Milk Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter, Powdered Sugar

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