Recipe: Peanut Butter Cups

Halloween is upon us and so is the relentless marketing of packaged candy. Luckily, my four year old (that has a wicked sweet tooth), knows the stuff in the bags have nothing on the treats we make ourselves. I reference Michael Pollan's rule "Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself" all the time when shopping with my kids. They're not only accepting of this, they get excited about getting to make treats at home. The time, effort and ingredients we put into making our treats not only nurtures a healthy relationship for the boys with sweets but creates positive memories they are sure to appreciate for years to come. 

One of my favorite items to receive while trick-or-treating was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I was also a sucker (through my 20's and early 30's) for the holiday versions of this candy, you know, the pumpkins, Easter eggs, etc. I still have to resist the urge this time of year not to throw a few Reese's pumpkins in my cart while the boys aren't looking. Well until yesterday that is. When I finally made my own peanut butter cups.

I was originally inspired by my mom earlier this week to make my own. She was looking at all the candy on sale in an ad and mentioned wanting some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Kit Kat bars. In an effort to curb her craving and show her homemade treats are far better than store bought ones, I researched recipes and got to work. The results were fantastic. My mom, my boys and my hubby loved these little guys. Oh, and I did too! If you haven't made homemade peanut butter cups yet, I suggest you do. I'm pretty certain you'll love them as much as we do.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
About 2 dozen standard peanut butter cups

1 cup natural salted peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups milk chocolate chips (two 11.5-oz bags)

1. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until completely melted, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until completely combined with the peanut butter mixture after each addition. Set aside and let cool then stick mixture in the refrigerator.

3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments, until completely melted, stirring after each burst.

4. Using a teaspoon, spoon a layer of melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup (as thick or thin as you like). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the chilled peanut butter mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk. Place a peanut butter patty on top of each chilled chocolate-lined muffin tin.

6. Spoon more melted chocolate on top and around each peanut butter patty. (If the melted chocolate firmed up, just put it back into the microwave for 30 seconds or so to re-melt.)

7. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes or until set, then enjoy! Store in the refrigerator or freezer.