homemade peanut butter cups and a very happy birthday to brandon!!!

It's August 30th and it's my husband's birthday!!! He's been gone (on vacation, yes...without me) for a little over a month and has come home just in time for celebrations and homemade peanut butter cups. 


I can't remember where I got this particular recipe, but there are others online and I especially like this one, from the blog Sweetest Kitchen. This blog is super easy to read and let's face it......her pictures blow doors over mine! But gimme a break!!! I'm using my trusty iPhone for cheese sake and soon (hopefully soon) I will have my fancy shmancy camera to take some quality pics.


Now let's get back to what is really important here....Homemade peanut butter cups!!!! So I went a little OTT (just like in the blog) and hand painted the chocolate coating into cupcake wrappers. This is totally not necessary, but it makes them look like the real deal fo' realz! 


Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
This recipe makes about 20 cups and so much more if you choose to cut them into squares


1 cup butter - melted ***I used unsalted butter and added a hefty pinch of kosher salt***
2 cups graham cracker crumbs ***I ground my own***
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter ***Any ol' kind will do. I chose all natural, no salt and organic***
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips ***This time I picked up a bag of Hershey's Chocolate Chips, but use what you like***
4 tablespoons peanut butter ***Again...natural, no salt and organic***


In a medium bowl, mix together melted butter and 1 cup of peanut butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and a hefty pinch of salt if you're using unsalted peanut butter. Press into an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. You can line it with parchment paper or go OTT like me and use cupcake liners.


Melt chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter. Either in the microwave or over a double boiler. At this stage you can either spread it over the peanut butter that's been already pressed into your pan OR coat cupcake liners halfway and refrigerate until firm. Once firm enough to press peanut butter mixture in, drop in roughly 2 tablespoons, press slightly and then cover with chocolate and refrigerate. If you decided to go with the "pan" peanut butter cups, spread the chocolate over the peanut butter mixture and also refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour before cutting. 


These keep well in the frig.....


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!