Peanut Butter Cups
One of the things I cherish most about the Christmas season is spending time with my daughter in the kitchen making sweet snacks for family and friends. I fondly remember making peanut butter cups at Christmastime with my mom when I was a child. Our hands would get sticky with the peanut butter filling and there was chocolate everywhere by the time we were finished. Now I am making these same messy memories with my own daughter – and loving every minute of it!
Ingredients:
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup light brown sugar
1 lb chocolate almond bark, cut into chunks
12 oz milk chocolate chips
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 t vegetable shortening
Small paper baking cups
Directions:
For the peanut butter filling, in a small bowl, combine peanut butter and brown sugar with a spoon until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
Place baking cups on a rimmed cookie sheet and set aside.
In a microwave safe glass bowl, place almond bark, chocolate chips, chocolate baking square, and shortening. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Continue this process, microwaving for 30 seconds then stirring, until all chocolate pieces have melted and there are no lumps.
Spoon about one teaspoon of chocolate mixture into each baking cup, spreading it with the spoon to cover entire bottom of cup. (Do this for all the baking cups before adding peanut butter filling.)
Scoop out about ½ teaspoon of peanut butter filling and shape into a ball with your fingers. Place in center of chocolate in baking cup. (Do this for all the baking cups before topping with chocolate mixture.)
Spoon about one teaspoon of chocolate mixture onto top of each peanut butter filling piece in baking cups. Spread it out to the sides of the baking cup with the spoon making sure it completely covers the peanut butter filling. If necessary, add a little more chocolate mixture.
Set aside to harden. Once hard, place in a plastic container (they can be stacked on top of one another) and store in a cool, dry place.
