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Bitten Peanut Butter Cup

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

dana vento
I believe this what you would call an In The Kitchen With Dana Signature recipe.
While every peanut butter will be different, my process is tried and true.
Saying that I make this recipe once a month, is a truth.
In fact, I had to slow down in order to actually write the recipe and recant the ingredients and measurements.
Often I am more a Pinch of this and a drop of that kind of gal!
Do know, that you have 'room to move' in this recipe.
In other words, if you like it softer, you'll add less confectioner's sugar.
Want it runnier?
Use a bit more butter, but caution on that too!
Thicker, and easier to ball up?
Follow me!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Recipes
Cuisine candy
Servings 18 silicone mold spheres
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces of chocolate bark melted and stirred smooth**Read Notes Below
  • 18 silicone spheres (or use a tray of 6 3x, but your time will increase for prep.
  • A Tablespoon of Butter melted
  • 3/4 C Confectioner's Sugar
  • 3-4 Tablespoons of Peanut butter crunchy or plain***

Instructions
 

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt your butter, just enough that it's melted, do not COOK the butter.
  • Next, add in the confectioner's sugar.
  • Then the peanut butter.
  • Combine well.
  • Scrape down the sides to incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Set aside.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt your chocolate (8 ounces at a time), following melting directions on your selected product.
  • Once out of the microwave, stir until smooth.
  • Begin by dropping about a teaspoon of chocolate into each sphere.
  • I'll warn you now this is not an exact science refer to notes about chocolate and thickness below.
  • Using a silicone brush, working from the middle, spread the chocolate up the sides of the walls of each sphere.
  • Then, make sure there are no bare spots.
  • If there are, just drag chocolate from the bottom to the bare spot.
  • Then transfer the spheres to the refrigerator to set which will be just about 5 minutes.
  • Grab your cookie scoop and you can prepare 18 scoops, or you can wait.
  • Now, since your peanut butter mixture had the chance to sit for 5 minutes while you prepared the chocolate spheres, how does it look?
  • If it looks too creamy, the scoop won't work.
  • You may need to add a few tablespoons more of confectioners sugar and combine it well.
  • Look at my photos, mine turns out like this every time and is perfect for scooping with the cookie scooper.
  • I like it this way because it is not sticky but tastes delish in the end,
  • Additionally, I can pack it down, as you see me doing before I drop the chocolate top on to seal.
  • Therefore ensuring me, without sticking to it, I can pack it down, and seal it without chaos.
  • After 5 minutes in the refrigerator, your molds should be set.
  • Pull them out.
  • What does the set mold look like?
  • Check out the photo, it's no longer shiny (No worries, the outside will be super shiny!)
  • Now, drop by the cookie scooper full of the peanut butter mixture.
  • Push down gently, so that you will be able to get that chocolate topping on there without it spilling about (no worries, if you over-packed the mold, just scrape some out with a spoon, or leave it and you will just have to crack it when you take it out of the mold, I promise this works perfectly!
  • Microwave chocolate again (8 ounces) following the package directions.
  • Stir to smooth.
  • Then, (I use my silicone brush) drop a 'splotch' of chocolate atop each of the peanut butter cups.
  • Using your brush, spread it side to side across each individual cup.
  • This is where the non-sticky peanut butter is perfection.
  • You can drag your brush without dragging your peanut butter in each cup.
  • So, now for a word of advice.
  • I never worry if there is an 'overhang' of chocolate and you can see that when I paint mine.
  • If you are looking for perfection, do not drag the chocolate beyond each cups' edge.
  • I do this because I know I can break that chocolate off, plus other than the photo's for you, my family is just happy to have the candy. So, if you prefer, just stay within the boundaries of each cup when you spread the chocolate.
  • Now transfer each to the refrigerator, and let it set.
  • Usually 5 minutes, 10 max.
  • Remove from the refrigerator.
  • Pop-out of the spheres and enjoy!

Notes

** The heavier you paint the sphere, the more chocolate you use.
I generally melt it at 8 ounces at a time.
It's so easy to melt more that I don't over-do it.
IF you paint the cup thicker on the base or side walls of the sphere you will use more chocolate.
Additionally, when you seal the cup, it will depend how deep you need to fill the cavity of the mold.
I generally use 14 ounces, but, I've used up to 16, when I fill the cup with a bit less of the peanut butter filling.
SO if you are a chocolate person you will fill it heavier with chocolate and less with peanut butter thereby using MORE chocolate.
You get the idea.
For Painting The Sphere.
It's best to work in the middle to distribute the warm melted chocolate to the sides.
Move to each sphere, and then come back to 'fix' each making sure the sides are painted.
PRO TIP: make the bottom a bit more 'hearty' so that it does not break when it is slid out of the mold.
However, being that the molds are super easy to work with, I generally paint everything evenly.
It's just if you have never done this, you may want to coat the bottom with a dab more, and naturally hardening time increases by just a bit!
*** Peanut butter is all different in consistency, so I go with 3 Tablespoons, but there have been times when the peanut butter was really not enough, so I added in the extra tablespoon.
Keep in mind it's really yummy solo too, so no foul if there is a little extra to nibble on, lol!