Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have always been, and will forever be, my favorite candy. I am a peanut butter fanatic, which is unfortunate considering my big sister has a severe peanut allergy, which meant no peanut butter in the house growing up. 

The one time of year when it was "okay" to have peanut butter in the house was Halloween, since it pretty much couldn't be prevented. My sister and I would come home with our bags full of candy, and since she couldn't eat any of her peanut butter candy anyway, I always got all of her peanut stuff as well as mine (my parents would supplement her lost candy). It was a shmorgishborg and i LOVED it!!

I always saved the peanut butter cups for as long as I could so I could savor them while I had them, but let me tell you, it was ridiculously hard to make them last very long at all.

The peanut butter layered on top of chocolate

I was over the moon when I found this recipe. Being able to create your favorite candy any time you want in bulk quantities? I can't get the words "YES PLEASE!" out of my mouth fast enough!

These are soooooo incredibly easy to make and they taste delicious. Like a bigger and just as tasty version of the real thing.

If you're anything like me, and your love for peanut butter cups is anywhere near as large as mine, then you'll devour these in a second (just like I did!)

The finished product!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Prep Time: 1-1.5hrs      Yields 2-3 dozen peanut butter cups     (WW: 8pts per cup)

Ingredients::

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

1) Line the muffin tin with muffin cups, set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

2) In a saucepan over medium heat, combine peanut butter, unsalted butter and brown sugar. Stir until completely combined, and keep over heat until a few bubbles start to form, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

3) Add icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time, stirring between each addition until completely combined. Set aside and let cool.

4) In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30 sec increments, stirring each time. Continue this process until chips are completely melted and smooth.

5) Spoon about a teaspoon of melted chocolate into the bottom of your muffin cups, enough to cover the bottom surface of the cup. Place the muffin tin in your fridge and chill until chocolate hardens.

6) Meanwhile, take heaping teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture and form balls, place them on the cookie sheet and flatten them slightly into discs. If you find the peanut butter is too soft, add a bit more icing sugar until the mixture is the right consistency to work with. Once the peanut butter discs have been formed, place the cookie sheet in the fridge and chill until the discs have firmed up.

7) Remove muffin tray and baking sheet from fridge. Put a peanut butter disc on the top of the chocolate in each muffin tin. Take the rest of your melted chocolate and cover the top of the peanut butter disc, letting chocolate fall down the inside of the muffin cup (so the chocolate on top and bottom will touch and enclose the peanut butter disc). *Note: if the melted chocolate has begun to harden, repeat the microwaving technique that you used at the beginning of the recipe until it has reached a more desirable consistency.

8) Once all of the discs have been covered with chocolate, place the tray back in the fridge and let chill until the chocolate has hardened.

9) Store the peanut butter cups in the fridge, as they will begin to melt if left out for too long.

(Recipe adapted from Browneyedbaker)