Perfect Peanut Butter Cups Food

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Keep the chocolate warm over low heat until you are ready to start assembling the peanut butter cups.
• Combine the peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, saltines, butter and salt in a bowl and blend with an electric mixer until well combined
• Prepare a muffin pan with 18 paper muffin liners. Add 1 teaspoon melted chocolate to the bottom of a muffin liner. Using the teaspoon, spread the chocolate in a thin, even layer on the bottom and a third of the way up the side. Repeat with the remaining liners. Place the muffin pan in the freezer until the chocolate is set and hardened, about 5 minutes.
• Spread 2 heaping teaspoons of the peanut butter filling in the bottom of a chocolate-coated muffin liner (it should come to below the chocolate line). Top the peanut butter filling with 2 more teaspoons of melted chocolate, spreading it over the top so no filling is visible. Repeat with the remaining liners. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, butter and salt until smooth. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth., Drop teaspoons of chocolate mixture into paper-lined mini muffin cups. Drop a scant teaspoon of peanut butter mixture into each cup; top with another teaspoon of chocolate mixture. If desired, decorate with sprinkles. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.

PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix peanut butter, cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Use a whisk if it's lumpy.
• I then use my smallest cookie scoop and fill, not quite to the top, Wilton 1 1/4 inch diameter mini baking cups. (You can buy them at Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, and the fancy ones at Michaels.).
• Put them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer to set.
• In the meantime melt the chocolate chips. Use a spoon and put a dollop on top, spread it out to the edges.
• Return to the freezer to set the chocolate.
• I've also used a Ziploc baggy with the corner snipped to fill the cups but find my cookie scoop much easier.
• If you don't have the mini baking cups you can spread into a 9x9 baking dish but I recommend lining with foil and when set; remove, turn upside down and cut into the peanut butter side.