Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Yesterday marked the re-start of working out and it all began with an early morning power walk (okay throw me a rope - 9am is very early for me to even contemplate combing my hair much less leave the house).  When I first started this blog six months ago I was in tip-top shape - walking, pilates, Jillian Michaels beat downs, eating right - you name it.  It was the best I have felt since my youth (ahem, 2 years ago), but I made the mistake of overworking, working out, blogging and not getting enough rest.  Flash forward and I was in bed with what I thought was the flu...uh, no - that would be walking pneumonia.  It was a hot mess (read:  me); I could barely get out of bed to get my job done and blog much less work out marking the end of my physical fitness routine.  Why can lethargy be so attractive?

In honor of my pole vault back into the get fit saddle I decided to have one last hurrah in the treat department until Thanksgiving.  In true form I went out with a bang by making dark chocolate (my fave, but you can just as easily use milk), homemade peanut butter cups.  If you've never made them - get ready for goodness.  They were so fun to make and turned out so marvelously I was shocked.  Hold me...it's going to be a long few weeks.

It looks like a child's art project, doesn't it?

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Filling - Ingredients
1/2C   Peanut Butter
2T      Butter
1/2C   Confectioner's Sugar
1/2t    Salt

Mix by hand or with hand mixer until smooth, but do not over mix.

Chocolate Coating - Ingredients
2C     Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips
8oz.   Dark Chocolate, chopped
1T     Vegetable Oil

Place chocolate and oil in mixing bowl and microwave on medium heat at 30 second intervals.  Stop and stir every half minute until chocolate can be easily stirred - do not overheat.  The ideal temperature for dark chocolate is between 88 and 90 degrees; 86 to 88 degrees for milk chocolate.  Usually we use a double boiler to temper the chocolate, but I was short on time (read wanted to eat these before the clock to watching what I eat-ville started) so just used the microwave method and it worked fine.  I made sure to keep checking the temp to be careful with the chocolate.  It was painless and the results were excellent.

Begin by gathering a mini-muffin pan, mini cake liners (I got mine at Sur La Table - they have such a fun selection), and some little paint brushes (think Rite-Aid Crayola kids brushes).

 Begin by spooning a bit of chocolate into a cup, then take your 
artist's brush and "paint"the chocolate up the sides.
Once filled, allow the chocolate to set (become firm) before adding peanut butter.
This keeps the peanut butter mixture from sinking through
to the bottom of the cup.
In the meantime make little pb balls to place in each center.
After each cup contains peanut butter begin covering with chocolate.  
Notice how the chocolate is shiny?  That's from a combo of
the oil addition and maintaining a right temperature.
You may have to periodically re-heat your chocolate.
 Allow them to set at room temperature or place in the 
refrigerator for about half an hour.
 
Et voila!  The paper peeled off like a charm and these are de-lish!
(pardon the horrible lighting...thx for nothing daylight savings)
 Super cute in treat bags, too.
I gave these to a friend of mine last night and she loved them -
packaging and all.

I guess I'm going to have to come up with some sort of better solution for lighting given our shorter days...aside from the pictures these turned out perfectly.  If you are a fan of peanut butter cups, I couldn't recommend more highly!  Sigh.  Work out regimes.

p.s. - I was in the woods w/work yesterday, but will be catching up on your blogs today :)

91 comments:

Laura said...

oh my YUM! Reese's peanut butter cups are my absolute FAV and they don't have them here... (or atleast no where I can find- trust me, i've looked)... I HAVE to make these.. my fiance would devour them too. Keep trucking w/ the working out.. I have been REALLLY bad lately and lazy- or maybe it's just because it's minus degrees out.. but anyway, I've just been walking too- and it's better than nothing :) don't forget, you can always occasionally mix in those yummy PB cups for a special treat - don't starve yourself from them. hehe

xoxo

Miles Of Style said...

oooh these look sooooo adroable! delightful little treats for sure!

jemina said...

LOOKS so Yummy and it looks so FUN to make, thanks for the recipe and I hope you get well soon :)

XOXO
J

fashion clocked said...

Oh wow these look amazing, love the photos, the paper cups and definately looks like something fun to make....only thing I dont like..(shock) peanut butter... but just working out what i can use instead! perfect. I hope you are heading back on track it is so easy to overwork and get run down, Im just working on some sort of life work blog fun balance.... hmmmm.Kisses. Katie.xx

fashion clocked

Anonymous said...

Yeah, those look delicious. Stay strong until Thanksgiving - its almost here! (Right? I think so...)

Leia said...

YUM, definitely going to try these!

Leia

Collette Osuna said...

Ohhh myy...do these look yummy or what???
Wayyy to early in the morning for me to be craving these!!

Sooo making these soon!!


Stop by and say Hello ♥
Enter my Awesome ModCloth Giveaway

Kendall said...

yum & what a great gift idea for the holidays!!

Anonymous said...

Glad you are feeling better. I understand completely, I just started seeing my friend Mr. Treadmill again. I have realized that blogging can make you fat, (lots of sitting). My daughter would LOVE to make these I am putting the recipe aside for her! xo

Diana Mieczan said...

Ohh yummy..Those are so adorable and I bet delicious too..What a great idea:) Kisses,sweetie
Enjoy your day

ChinkyGirLMeL said...

OMG! I can't wait to try making this myself. I wanna go make some now but I don't have all the ingredients! grrr!

Cool Gal said...

Yum.

Unknown said...

something i normally would do with my Niece - but she has Peanut allergies - but these would be perfect for my boyfriend!!!!

PS - want FREE art? - come 1 come all and *JOIN PHOTOgraphy Give-Away * .. if you interested of course!

*kiss kiss*
Erika

LyddieGal said...

Yum, yum, yum and more yum.
Why is the combination of chocolate and peauntbutter so delightful?

I'm worse than you in the fitness dept. Good for you for getting back on track - especially before the holidays and winter (lack of sunlight = lack of motivation for me)

heather said...

these look so good! i have been scheming up ways to use (bake) the rest of our peanut butter before we go (and while we still have things to bake on). Last week, I decided to bake cookies the day after I sold our cookie sheet... um, yeah.

good luck with your workout regime! i like what debby says about how blogging can make you fat! i agree. (and toward the end of pregnancy, you start to store all that fat in your back, like love handles but with a wider range: hi pregnancy bumps 2 and 3.

bailey said...

I know just what you mean about lethargy become a sucky routine. good luck, you can do it!

erica said...

First let me just tell you when I saw this post I thought "oh dear lord" the reason in college my roommate(who was terrible at cooking, cleaning, baking and anything that involved some work) decided to make homemade chocolate peanut butter cups. Her reason for this off the wall adventure was because not enjoy peanut butter came in the Reese's ones. I return from class to what looks like the stove had caught on fire and the biggest mess ever. Her response "I probably should have waited for you I really don't know what I am doing" the bottom of the oven was FILLED with chocolate that had run over. Worst day ever lol. I dont get how she managed to mess these bad boys up they're pretty easy.

Okay now onto yours love the recipe you used, and them wrapped up in the bag they look so chic!

Yum!

xo

Lilacandgrey said...

HELLO! how cute are they!!
<3 Cara
PS. A Giveaway is going on @ Lilac and Grey...HINT HINT: "KEEP CALM"

Danielle (elleinadspir) said...

Those look amazing!

Staley Mc said...

Those look so good! What a fun thing to make!

Julie Leah said...

I've been eating peanut butter cups all moring, lol :)

Those look especially yummy, though, in their pretty packaging!!

Xo

k said...

I think my mouth just dropped open at the fact that i can make these. Will definitely be trying - and I think giving them away will be really hard to do but that's a really good idea!

Beth said...

those look super delish! and good for you getting back into the work out routine. i don't work out but for 5 years, i've tried to stick with the weight watchers regime as it works for me very well. but i've fallen off the wagon and i now realize it's time to get back on as my pants are too tight and i usually end up having to unbutton them towards the end of the day. :(

hip hip gin gin said...

Oh my goodness, these look amazing! And i love their little polka dot cups. But truth be told, I should never learn how to make candy at home. I already eat so much of it in a sitting that I get a stomach ache (like a little kid, for pete's sake) so I usually don't keep it in the house. Being able to hop off the couch and whip up a batch of candy whenever the mood strikes might prove disastrous to my fit-in-my-pants ability =)

Alleen said...

These look dangerously good! A great treat to add to holiday baskets.

Good luck with the exercise routine...you can do it, just not over do it again :)!

xoxo

Sara said...

Yummy!! Peanut Butter cups are my favorite candy ever...I don't know if I have the guts to make them but it doesn't look hard.

Isabel said...

these sound delicious! i want to make them.

nibblethis said...

I was just thinking of making these for holiday gifts! I'm going to try this! Thanks!

Daniela said...

yummmmm I love how you wrapped it. Great little holiday gifts, instead of a plain old xmas card.

McKenzie said...

Those look scrumptious! :) And hey, I'm with you on the whole "back on the saddle" thing. Good luck!

Nikki said...

OMG no way!!! these look amazing! I love peanut butter cups and I love how yours look even richer and more amazing than Reeses!


xx
Nikki

Unknown said...

oh my gosh, those look AMAZING Carrie (and I hate using that word, but it's the only word to describe these). stop tempting me with treats, though... i have a wedding dress i need to wear in a few months!

xx

Jude said...

These came out soo cute! (haha, I love the lethargy thing - my inner beach bum is way too attracted to being lethargic). You've already given me a great idea for Christmas favors :)

Chiara said...

Carrie this is amazing!!! One of my favorites is always Reese, but with Ghirardelli Chocolate.... talk about an upgrade!!
xoxo
www.joiedevivre-chiara.blogspot.com

essentially aimee said...

Oh, I've definitely got to try this!

alli/hooray said...

I love that you made these + even packaged them up cute. These are my hubby's absolute favorite - must make these this weekend!

PursuitOfLLT said...

Such a cute project...and tasty. YUM!

Josie said...

I have a recipe VERY similar to this that I use every Christmas to make these for my brother, who's a peanut butter freak. However, my homemade peanut butter cups never turn out this pretty. Maybe with a little attention to detail (AKA me not just trying to finish so I can lick the bowl) they'd be gorgeous enough for me to give as gifts!
xo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Carrie honey, you've just killed me! I LOVE PB cups ! And to make them myself would be such an accomplishment. I would have to reward myself by eating every single one!

Good luck getting back into the workout swing. I have to do that myself but I can't seem to get there. Maybe eating tons of PB cups might finally motivate me :)

Happy Tuesday, honey xoxo

Marie a la Mode said...

These look SO GOOD! I eat peanut butter every day. Why not add a little chocolate to it riiight?

Nikki said...

You are evil! I'm trying to kick sugar...this week ;)

But now I will be making these with almond butter. Yum!

kimbirdy said...

oh those are my favorite! and so easy too! i think i'll be making some of these for holiday gifts this year. thanks for sharing!

Valerie said...

I have never had a homemade peanut butter cup but I MUST get my hands on one right away. These look divine and perfect for holiday gifts. I usually make fudge for friends around Christmas but this year I might have to make a batch of these. Thanks for the recipe! I agree that sometimes lethargy and naughty food look way more appealing than a workout. But good for you for getting back in the saddle!

xo
Valerie

kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

dark chocolate PB cups are the shiz. i think you're torturing me with this post today, as i'm trying to push myself back into a better looking/feeling shape than i'm in right now. :P

but what a way to go...

A Crimson Kiss said...

The idea of homemade peanut butter cups stopped me in my tracks-I am whipping these up this weekend, waistline be damned!

Natalie said...

These look amazing!

Courtney Erin said...

These look so good!!!! Wow!

xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com

Amber said...

oh my these treats look dangerous

Unknown said...

OMG. Need to make. ASAP.

Catita said...

hmmm such a yummie recipe! Plus the finish is amazing! you are such a profesional!
xoxo
Catita

Taylor said...

SERIOUSLY....girl was it really necessary to post these?!?! I am back on the gym wagon with a goal of sheading a few before x-mas....now this!!! Peanut is a fav and so are Reese's....now i want one!

BenchesnChandeliers said...

so cute! and delicious...

http://www.benchesandchandeliers.com

Leeann @ Join the Gossip said...

Those look SO good and are the perfect gift! Your friend is lucky :)

Anonymous said...

So sweet!
I like to make white chocolate pretzels. Talk about taking the easy way out. ;)

Lila said...

Such cute wrapping and perfect for Xmas gifts to neighbors. Thanks for the idea.

Tiffany Kadani said...

No way! These are incredible! I would make them for every party and for Christmas. Perfect!

Marissa said...

These are my most favorite candy in the world! I'm thinking holiday gifts.

Gorgeous Glam said...

so delish looking! And I love your bowls they are o cute! Good for you on making the change, I'm in the same boat. I tried pilates for the first time last week and didn't like them, I was balancing on my shoulders with my legs up in the air squeezing my buttcheeks all at once!Does it get better? Anyway, good luck! xo

stylenuggets said...

This looks so deceptively simple and I love how easily the wrapper comes off. And full marks for how colourful they look

Claire Kiefer said...

So curious as to how you got those to look so dang perfect. They're precious. I think I'll add this to my Christmas baking rotation, although I suspect they will be quite dangerous to have just lying around the house. Can't imagine they'll last long . . .

Unknown said...

Be still my heart! Who wouldn't love those?! Off to find some pb in my pantry!

Marcie said...

Yum! These look fabulous and perfect for office holiday gifts. I love your pretty packaging. I am admiring all your comments, Carrie! You are really taking off in the blog world! Much deserved.

xo M

Kristen said...

these looks so yummy and i love the pretty packaging.

best of luck with the new workout regime.

oh and thanks for all your sweet comments while I was away! I appreciated hearing from you often!! xo

Closet Fashionista said...

MMMM!!! those look sooo good!!! i really need to start being healthy and working out again too *sigh* haha
http://aclosetfashionista.blogspot.com/

Lori said...

Yummy! A friend of mine makes these all the time but I have never tried them ~ I will have to do just that now that I have a handy dandy step by step recipe! xo

little luxury list said...

De-licious looking! Thanks for the recipe dear, that is one way to go out with a bang before your fitness routine starts up again. With that I'm off the the gym!

Alicia Lund said...

Yum these sound delicious Carrie and cute! The perfect little gift for a girlfriend. And PS: I feel ya on the not working out thing - since starting my blog I think that's what has gone out the window the most... sad.

Meghan said...

yum!! I am going to make these for Christmas :)

Lisa Griffin said...

awesssome! chocolate and peanut butter is my favorite combo ever, i may have eaten a store bought box of these in the cube of my new job this week-that will be our secret- but these look soo much better!
www.indramaticfashion.com

B. Inspired. said...

Yum! Brilliant.. homemade chocolate peanut butter cups! And to think that I am about to stop eating sugar...I might have to try making these first! Glad I came across your blog!!

Evie said...

Oh my gosh, those look so good! What a great, inexpensive Christmas gift idea!

allison said...

Those look really pretty in the packaging! You're awfully crafty!

Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox said...

ooh they look delicious! I usually make fudge for xmas, but I'm gonna have to try these!!

p.s. you have been given an award, HERE!

abigail said...

Yum! I can't wait to try these out.

silviasiantar said...

LOOKS soo yummmy! thank you for your sweet comment on my blog.

following your blog now.

poisepolish.

keep in touch

Nubiasnonsense said...

Yummy this looks great. You should totally sell them

Hélène Heath said...

omg YUMMMMM i MUST try these!!!

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

YUM!
I would be thrilled to receive a bag or two or three...haha I'm greedy!

xo

Unknown said...

Carrie! Love this post, and the super cute liners are adorable. Need my addy to send me some?! Lol good work:-)

Mimi said...

i love peanut butter cups! i will try this recipe. thanks for sharing! :D

<3, Mimi
http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/

Lisa Lisa Lisa said...

This looks DELICIOUS!!!! I think it is the perfect "back in the saddle" last hurrah.
I too need to be better about my workout routine. I was so good this summer. Now I am trying to hit the gym 2 times a week (starting with last week.. haha). Fitness buddies?

L said...

I am a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate... yummm.

Anonymous said...

You rock my socks. I triple puffy heart love you and want to come visit (as I watch it snow)

Signe said...

These are great and such a nice gift idea :)

Kara Endres said...

::Gasp:: I want those right now! Oh, they look soo good!!

http://sprinklesinsprings.blogspot.com/

Tash said...

Love it!

Oh, My Darling said...

Yum yum yum! What a great gift or treat!

allergic to vanilla said...

um these look delish-- and apparently sound easy enough to make!! Looks like dating a Chef has rubbed off on you missy ;)

xo Carlina
AllergicToVanilla.com

Diana said...

This is a dangerous discovery for me! These look delicious!

michelle allen said...

yum!!! thank you for commenting on my blog and leading me to yours. these look delicious and not at all good for my thighs!!!

cass said...

I am so making these I love my Resses Peanut Butter Cups so can't wait to try these homemade versions and I hearbyou on getting back on the diet and exercise wagon...... :) CP

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