Perfect Peanut Butter Cups Recipes

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.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• With a pastry blender, cut the peanut butter, 1/2 cup margarine and powdered sugar together by hand DO NOT USE A MIXER OR IT WILL BE TO CREAMY; the mixture may need to be "kneaded by hand".
• Line a 13x9x2 inch pan with foil, spread the mixture with slightly buttered hands into prepared pan.
• In top of double boiler over boiling water, add 1 tablespoon melted margarine and 12 oz chocolate chips taking care not to get water into the mix.
• Stir constantly until melted, mixture will be glossy.
• Spread immediately over peanut butter mixture.
• Allow to cool and harden slightly, cut into squares.
• DH suggested using a pizza cutter to cut these into squares and it works great!
• After these are cut and the chocolate has set, I store these covered in a tupperware container.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• To temper the chocolate: Chop the chocolate in to small pieces and place in a bowl over barely simmering water to melt. Bring the chocolate up to 113 degrees F. Turn off the heat, remove the bowl from the simmering water, and let cool, stirring until it reaches 82 to 86 degrees F. It will begin to set a little around the edges at this point. Return the bowl to the hot (now turned off) water for a few seconds at a time, until it reaches 88 to 91 degrees F. Do not let it go over 91 degrees or it will go out of temper.
• Pour melted milk chocolate in a candy mold with individual fluted cups to coat the insides. Pour the excess chocolate back into the bowl and let set or chill to set.
• Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter with the confectioners¿ sugar. Using a small spoon or pastry bag with a large plain tip fill each chocolate cup with the peanut butter filling leaving room for a chocolate seal and chill slightly.
• Using a paper cone or pastry bag filled with melted milk chocolate, fill in the surface of the cups to enclose the filling with chocolate. Let set, then turn out of the mold.