While I'm not a huge fan of sweets, there's one thing that makes me weak in the knees and salivate like Pavlov's dog: Reese's peanut butter cups. Well, they did have that effect on me until I made my own knock-off Reese's cups, and now my new love is this easy recipe for homemade peanut butter cups.
You don't have to be a master Swiss chocolatier to master these candies either, as they're simply a shell made from melted chocolate, peanut butter and pulverized graham crackers, and centers made from peanut butter and powdered sugar that can be whipped up in a jiffy.
For this recipe, you'll be "tempering" (a.k.a.: melting) the chocolate to melt it. Now, the instructions below describe how to create a makeshift double-boiler at home and the key is not getting the chocolate too hot, or it will "break", separating the cocoa solids and fats and creating a gloppy mess. (I promise this process is not as complicated as it sounds.)
Let's talk chocolate. Since you're putting the manpower into making (and calories in eating) these, make them worth it by using quality chocolate that contains cocoa butter. Cocoa butter plus cocoa solids equals real chocolate. If you see vegetable oil on the ingredients list, it's not real chocolate and it won't taste half as good as the real thing. Go for brands like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, Callebaut, Ghirardelli, Green & Black's Organic, and Baker's brand.
As for the peanut butter portion, I prefer the natural, freshly ground honey roasted kind that is smooth and creamy (easily found at natural and specialty grocers). If you pick a jarred brand, go for a natural, low-salt type.
Now if you're thinking it's too dangerous to have all of these delicious peanut butter cups within your reach, they also make wonderful party treats and gifts and are safe for shipping. If you're going to give them away, I suggest attaching a recipe card so that your recipient can recreate these little gems.
I'll bet you can't eat just one!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Makes 12 large or 24 small candies
Equipment:
One regular-sized muffin pan or one mini muffin pan
Paper or foil muffin liners (whichever size needed to fit your muffin tin)
A sauce pan with about an inch of water in it
A heat-proof bowl that transfers heat well (preferably stainless steel, glass or porcelain) and fits on top of the sauce pan without touching the water
Chocolate shell:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate (or a mix of dark and semisweet), chopped or in chip form
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (optional; used for added texture)
A pinch of salt
Peanut butter filling:
3/4 cup peanut butter (if using unsalted peanut butter, add a pinch of salt to this mixture)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1. Place muffin liners in muffin tin. Set burner to lightly simmer the water in the sauce pan and place your bowl on top of the pan.
2. Add the chocolate to the bowl, making sure it doesn't get scorching hot, and stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove bowl from the pan and stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and a pinch of salt.
3. Place about a tablespoon of this warm chocolate mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner. Chill 15-30 minutes to harden.
4. If the peanut butter is somewhat stiff, heat it over the warm water in a heat-proof bowl (or microwave for 20 seconds). Stir in the powdered sugar until completely combined.
5. Take teaspoonfuls of the peanut butter, roll them into balls with your hands, then flatten them out into fat discs and place one on top of each chocolate shell in the liners.
6. Place enough of the melted chocolate mixture on top of peanut butter to completely cover them. (If the remaining melted chocolate has hardened too much, reheat it over simmering water.) Chill candies until set, either in the refrigerator or freezer.
Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
This article appears in Dec 22-28, 2011.