Peanut Butter Cups

I promise that Beluga Bakery will eventually hop on the cookie train, but I couldn't resist sharing these delicious treats. Whenever I have that oh-so-familiar chocolate/peanutty craving, I make these. So simple and so scrumptious. I followed this recipe the first time, but decided to make some slight personal changes to my subsequent efforts, which I think created a much more satisfying result. The best part about these is that they require no time in the oven, just some time in the fridge or freezer.  I was addicted to Reese's throughout my first semester of college and if I'd known how easy it was to make my own peanut butter cups then, I probably would've made these weekly. Back then I could afford to stuff my face since I was rowing crew, now it's probably better that I have to go through the slight effort of making these goodies instead of simply buying a bag of Reese's at the store. I'm still active, I'm just not up at 5 AM every morning burning obscene amounts of calories. Now I try to justify indulgence by making it myself because mentally it seems better; ultimately it's all the same.

 I truly believe that silicone cupcake liners are one of the best inventions ever.

 I am a huge fan of all things crunchy, so crunchy peanut butter is a must!

It's a good idea to let these sit out for a little bit before enjoying so that they aren't as difficult to sink your teeth into.


Beluga's take on the peanut butter cups (makes a dozen):
For the chocolate:

• 16 ounces of semisweet baker's chocolate (although chocolate chips would do the trick as well)
• 1 heaping spoonful of peanut butter (do yourself a favor and buy the all natural/organic kind, it's a little more expensive but has no nasty stuff like hydrogenated oils, so it's better for you!)
• dash of salt

For the peanut butter filling:

• 3/4 cup of peanut butter (I used crunchy!)
• 1/3 cup powered sugar
• dash salt

Directions:
 Melt the chocolate in one minute increments in the microwave, stirring the chocolate after each interval. After all of the chocolate has melted, mix in the spoonful of peanut butter and pinch of salt. Set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, stirring until the mixture is nice and creamy (if you store your peanut butter in the fridge it helps to stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften for easier mixing). Use about half of the chocolate to fill the bottom of the cupcake liners. Next, add the peanut butter; if you're concerned with aesthetics avoid letting it reach the edges of your liners. Use the remaining chocolate to cover the peanut butter, then place the finished peanut butter cups in the fridge or freezer to harden. (I'm impatient so I put mine in the freezer, where it only takes about 20 minutes for them to harden.) After they've hardened, remove the cups from the cupcake liners and enjoy! Tip: keep them stored in the fridge to avoid any loss of form.