I apologize for not posting as much. Since the new year, I've been on a eating healthy kick, and while eating healthy is really good for you, it doesn't exactly give you the exciting recipes to post about. I mean, would you rather read about foie gras or vegetable soup? Don't get me wrong, I love a good vegetable soup, but it's not nearly as crazy as making my own Cadbury- Creme Eggs.
With that being said, we have company in town this weekend. BOTH of our extra bedrooms are being used (HOLY COW!), and so I went a little crazy. Not only did I go out and buy new sheets (not that we didn't already have plenty of lovely sheets), but I also decided that I needed to make something for our guests.
So I started with the Cadbury Eggs; I thought they would be a nice treat, something to pop on the go. But after I made them, there were only 12. Not that 12 isn't enough, but when I get on my crazy-train, I can't stop. So I figured if I was already tempering chocolate, I may as well keep going. And so I decided to make homemade peanut butter cups.
I must say, for a first attempt, I think they turned out really well. Moreover, they are so much easier than the Cadbury Eggs. Something that you could do in an hour or so and have something delicious and fun to show afterwards.
A few things I did, I used mini baking cups, they're the size of a small Reeses. I put the cups in take out containers, they're small enough that I can put 12 cups in there, and then pop them in the freezer. You can use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, or a fill a small pot with water and use a rounded bottom glass bowl.
Ingredients
20oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Go with Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger
1 Cup of Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
4 TBS Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
Maldon Flake Salt
Mini Baking Cups
Melt half of the chocolate. Once it starts to melt, remove it from the heat and stir it until it's smooth and shiny.
Using a small spoon, place a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom of each of your cups. I kept going until I didn't have any more chocolate left, which was about 30 cups. A note, after each layer, generally tap the tray on the table to level out the chocolate or peanut butter layer, so that they cool flat.
Place the cups in the freezer and begin working on the peanut butter filling.
In a bowl, combine peanut butter and butter and whip until the butter is fully combined. The slowly add the Confectioner's Sugar. Make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated.
Once the chocolate is frozen, take a small spoon and spoon in the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate. You will have leftover peanut butter. I saved it for The Husband to put on his sandwich. Again, tap down to smooth out the layer.
Pop the cups in the freezer again. As they freeze, temper the last half of the chocolate.
As you spoon the chocolate onto the peanut butter, sprinkle some of the flake salt onto the top. Be sure to do so before it cools. And remember, tap again.
When all of cups are covered in chocolate, pop them back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
From here, you can take them out and leave them at room temperature so that they're creamy, or do what I did, and leave them in the freezer. They're crisp and creamy and salty and sweet.
With that being said, we have company in town this weekend. BOTH of our extra bedrooms are being used (HOLY COW!), and so I went a little crazy. Not only did I go out and buy new sheets (not that we didn't already have plenty of lovely sheets), but I also decided that I needed to make something for our guests.
So I started with the Cadbury Eggs; I thought they would be a nice treat, something to pop on the go. But after I made them, there were only 12. Not that 12 isn't enough, but when I get on my crazy-train, I can't stop. So I figured if I was already tempering chocolate, I may as well keep going. And so I decided to make homemade peanut butter cups.
I must say, for a first attempt, I think they turned out really well. Moreover, they are so much easier than the Cadbury Eggs. Something that you could do in an hour or so and have something delicious and fun to show afterwards.
A few things I did, I used mini baking cups, they're the size of a small Reeses. I put the cups in take out containers, they're small enough that I can put 12 cups in there, and then pop them in the freezer. You can use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, or a fill a small pot with water and use a rounded bottom glass bowl.
Ingredients
20oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Go with Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger
1 Cup of Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
4 TBS Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
Maldon Flake Salt
Mini Baking Cups
Melt half of the chocolate. Once it starts to melt, remove it from the heat and stir it until it's smooth and shiny.
Using a small spoon, place a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom of each of your cups. I kept going until I didn't have any more chocolate left, which was about 30 cups. A note, after each layer, generally tap the tray on the table to level out the chocolate or peanut butter layer, so that they cool flat.
Place the cups in the freezer and begin working on the peanut butter filling.
In a bowl, combine peanut butter and butter and whip until the butter is fully combined. The slowly add the Confectioner's Sugar. Make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated.
Once the chocolate is frozen, take a small spoon and spoon in the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate. You will have leftover peanut butter. I saved it for The Husband to put on his sandwich. Again, tap down to smooth out the layer.
Pop the cups in the freezer again. As they freeze, temper the last half of the chocolate.
As you spoon the chocolate onto the peanut butter, sprinkle some of the flake salt onto the top. Be sure to do so before it cools. And remember, tap again.
 |
| You can see the delicious layers |
When all of cups are covered in chocolate, pop them back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
From here, you can take them out and leave them at room temperature so that they're creamy, or do what I did, and leave them in the freezer. They're crisp and creamy and salty and sweet.
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