Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
I’ve had a Reese’s peanut butter cup obsession for as long as I can remember, and my kids love them, too. Unwrapping individually-packaged peanut butter cup after cup until there is a veritable mountain of discarded orange and black wrappers is their usual post-Halloween ritual. And I decided to find a perfect recipe to cook them at home – healthier and better. You will be surprised, but making your own homemade Reese’s cups only takes about 15 minutes and requires no cooking time at all.
Ingredients
1 cup smooth peanut butter
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
500 g /16 oz chocolate (for melting, not eating during the cooking!)
Instructions
Step 1
Line 3 x 12 hole mini muffin tins with paper patties.
Step 2
Combine peanut butter, butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until melted, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble gently. Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, stirring vigorously to dissolve into the peanut butter mixture.
Step 3
Set the peanut butter filling aside to cool (refrigerate to speed up the process).
Step 4
Melt half the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
Step 5
Pour about 1 1/2 to 2 tsp of melted chocolate into each muffin cup.
Step 6
Scoop up one slightly heaped tsp of the peanut butter filling and roll into a ball then flatten slightly. The disc should be smaller than the muffin cup diameter as you want chocolate to cover the side of the peanut butter filling. Place into the center of the muffin cup. Repeat with remaining peanut butter filling.
Step 7
Refrigerate for 20 minutes until the chocolate is set.
Step 8
Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
Pour about 1 1/2 to 2 tsp of melted chocolate into each muffin cup, covering the peanut butter filling. Gently bang the muffin tin on the counter top to even out the surface of each peanut butter cup.
Step 9
Refrigerate for 20 minutes until the chocolate is set. Remove paper patties and serve.
Tip
It is best to use a good quality icing sugar (powdered sugar), not the cheapest ones sold, because the icing sugar needs to dissolve into the peanut butter filling. I find that cheaper brands are grainier and don't dissolve properly.
Bon appétit!
And what is your favorite candy or chocolate bar? Share with me in comments!
