Super Easy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

If I had to pick my all time favorite confection, it would have to be Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. When I think about, I have to wonder why it took me so long to make homemade cups since they're just so easy! I wish I would have taken pictures, but they were gone before I even thought about it! Next time...

To make these delicious treats, you only need 5 simple ingredients and mini cupcake liners. This recipe adapted from Have Cake, Will Travel will make about 12 peanut butter cups. Now, I have to say that these came out perfectly fine without tempering, but if you want a nice crunch on the outer shell and also prefer not to have the chocolate melt in your fingers, I would temper. I definitely plan on doing that next time I make these.

Ingredients:
12 mini cupcake liners
3/4 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips.
1/2 cup peanut butter + an additional spoonful to add to the melted chocolate
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt or plain salt

Melt the chocolate in the microwave stopping the microwave often to stir the chocolate so it does not burn. Or melt the chocolate over a double boiler, which is my preferred method. Or you can temper the chocolate. After the chocolate is melted, let it stand to cool for a minute and then add in the extra spoonful of peanut butter. Once the PB is incorporated, take a spoon and coat the bottom and the sides of the cupcake liners. Use enough to make a thick outer shell, but not too much that you don't have enough to go on top of the peanut butter. Once all the papers are coated, stick them in the refrigerator and start to put together the peanut butter filling.

For the filling, mix the last four ingredients in a small bowl. It should look like a paste almost.

Check to see if the shells are hard. If they are, remove them from the refrigerator and put a spoonful of the peanut butter filling in each shell. After all the shells have filling, pour the rest of the chocolate over the tops of each cup, making sure there is no peanut butter showing. Put back in refrigerator to harden. You may have to re-melt the chocolate.

Have fun:)