By Tracey
Homemade White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
(Note: you can definitely substitute regular peanut butter here instead – no other changes are necessary.)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup white chocolate peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- generous pinch of salt
- 12 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
Directions:
Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
Add the white chocolate peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture is melted and smooth. When it starts to bubble around the edges, remove the pan from the heat and add the confectioners’ sugar in two additions, stirring until well combined each time. Mix in a generous pinch of salt and taste. Season with additional salt as necessary – this peanut butter is quiet sweet so you might need one or two additional generous pinches. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool while you continue with the recipe.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, allow to melt completely. Spoon about 3/4 teaspoon of the melted chocolate into one well of the prepared mini muffin tin. Use the back of the measuring spoon or a paintbrush to spread the chocolate about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the liner. Fill only a few wells at a time and spread the chocolate (rather than filling them all at once in the beginning) so the chocolate won’t start to set up before you get a chance to spread it. Once all the liners have a chocolate coating, transfer the mini muffin tin to the refrigerator and chill until the chocolate is set, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the top of the pan.
Meanwhile, shape the filling. Working with about 1 heaping teaspoon of the peanut butter filling, roll into a ball and then flatten into a patty with a diameter just smaller than the diameter of your mini muffin pan. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling then refrigerate the patties for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the bowl of chocolate back over the pan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Transfer to a heatproof measuring cup just before beginning the next step.
Remove the mini muffin pan and peanut butter patties from the fridge. Place one peanut butter patty in each chocolate cup. Pour chocolate over the peanut butter patty in each well of the pan until it is covered. Lift and drop the pan on your counter a few times to get the chocolate to level out, then if any of the peanut butter cups are still exposed, pour a little more chocolate over the top. Lift and drop the pan on the counter again to even out the chocolate.
Transfer the pan to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set – it’ll take about 30 minutes. Store the peanut butter cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few weeks or freeze for a month. I like to let mine soften at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying!
Makes about 18 peanut butter cups.
