Recipe: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS



"Chocolate and peanut butter together create one of my favorite candy confections. This version has everything going for it: a sweet and salty peanut butter filling and the opportunity for a high-quality chocolate of your own choosing to balance it out. No actual cooking is required here, making this a good choice for making chocolate when the weather is scorching. You'll need paper (or silicone) cupcake pan inserts for this recipe, which, along with the finished product, create a handsome gift."

FOR THE FILLING:
1 1/3 cups fresh roasted and salted peanuts*
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil, like canola or sunflower
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE COATING:
2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

To make the peanut butter filling, place the liners in your cupcake pan, and have a holding dish standing by.

In a food processor, puree the peanuts for 3 to 4 minutes, until very smooth. Add the honey, oil, sugar, vanilla, and salt and puree until completely combined, scraping down the sides as you work.

Take about 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture into your clean hands, roll into a ball, and flatten into a disk that will fit into the center of the cupcake liner but not touch the sides. Shape the remaining 11 centers. The peanut butter should be evenly distributed.

TO PREPARE THE COATING:
In a microwave-safe bowl heat the chocolate on high for 1 minute, and stir well with a fork to distribute the heat. Heat for 1 minute more, and stir again. Heat for an additional 30 to 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly. The chocolate should be melted and quite satiny, and you should be able to drop it in ribbons from the end of the fork.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CUPS:
Working quickly, spoon about 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate into the bottom of each liner, being careful to coat the bottom in a complete, thin layer, and to coat the sides about halfway up. Gently drop each of the peanut butter disks into the center of a cup, and give it a gentle tap to secure it in the chocolate (but don't push it all the way through to the bottom). Cover each center with an additional teaspoon of chocolate, covering the top completely and allowing it to surround the sides of the peanut butter, enclosing it completely. Gently smooth out the tops with the back of the spoon or by giving the pan a gentle shake. Let sit, undisturbed, for at least 4 hours, until the cups harden completely.

Devour immediately, or store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate.

*For better flavor, roast your own peanuts or freshen roasted peanuts in a heavy skillet until lightly browned.

Makes 12 individual cups
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon