Peanut butter and chocolate is my kryptonite.

I have a horrible sweet tooth, hence the theme of this blog, but with peanut butter and chocolate I lose all control. Most people have a voice in their head, or stomach, that says it's time to stop or you'll be sick. I don't have that voice. I call it going to "the dark side." This happens roughly once a week. My husband knows it's best to just look the other way. When things get really "dark" I melt chunks of chocolate and peanut butter together and eat it with a spoon. Like soup. I probably shouldn't admit that. 

It doesn't matter how the two come together. A bowl of ice cream, cupcakes, even a protein bar will satisfy a craving. I'll take anything that comes my way. But the BEST; the truest, most original way to indulge is the classic chocolate peanut butter cup. No fuss, just a straightforward hit of salty, sweet, rich, decadence. And I have the BEST homemade version. 

Reese's are great. I love them. I steal them out of my kid's halloween candy every year; and then blame their dad. But they've been sitting on a shelf for an eternity. They're always broken and crumbled. The chocolate has a pale, faded color. They'll do in a fix, but we can do better. We deserve better. 

The greatest thing about this homemade recipe is you can wing it. Semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, bittersweet, it all works. Same with the peanut butter; creamy, crunchy, natural, even almond butter. You can tailor this recipe to suit your personal taste. I used milk chocolate melting wafers (Ghirardelli works great) and creamy Skippy peanut butter because I'm old school. I also add salted caramel and pretzels because I’m awesome.

This is a wonderful recipe to make with your kids. It's simple and easy to put together. They'll love making candy from scratch. There's no oven time and measurements don't need to be exact to have a delicious outcome. So grab some mini helpers. Unless you don't want to share, which I can completely relate to. 

These chocolate peanut butter cups make wonderful gifts. Stack them in their wrappers in a cellophane bag, tie with twine, and give them to your neighbors for holidays. 

Homemade Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 18 large cups

You’ll need:

• 2 10 oz bags of milk or dark chocolate melting wafers, such as Ghirardelli (I wouldn’t use candy melts)

• 1 teaspoon of shortening (this is optional, the shortening makes the chocolate shiny)

• 1 cup of peanut butter (any kind will do, I use creamy Skippy)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup caramel (store-bought is just fine or see my recipe below)

• 1/2 cup chopped pretzels

• course sea salt for finishing (optional)

*Baker's Note: Depending on the type of chocolate and peanut butter you can add a tablespoon more of powdered sugar to taste. For example, if using dark chocolate and natural peanut butter you may want to sweeten the peanut butter mixture a bit more. 

1. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate wafers and shortening (if using) together. You can use a microwave or a double broiler to melt. If using a microwave melt for 20 second increments, stirring between, to prevent burning the chocolate.

3. Using a spoon, scoop melted chocolate into each paper liner. Push the chocolate up the sides, about 2/3 of the way, making sure it’s fully coated. You'll use a little less than half the chocolate.

4. Place the melted chocolate aside. Put the muffin tin in the fridge for 10-15 min till the chocolate sets.

5. While the chocolate is setting, in a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. I use an electric mixer, but a whisk will do the trick.

1. Take the muffin tin out of the fridge. Sprinkle the bottom of the cups with chopped pretzels. Add a drizzle of caramel, covering the pretzel bits. Add a spoonful of the peanut butter mixture on top of the caramel. Lightly pound the muffin tin on the counter a couple times so the peanut butter mixture levels out, but try not to let it touch the sides of the paper. Place back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. If needed, reheat the chocolate. Top each cup with the remaining melted chocolate. Lightly pound the muffin tin again so the chocolate settles, covering the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with extra chopped pretzels and sea salt. Place the cups back in the fridge for a final 15 minutes util set.

3. Remove the cups from the muffin tin. Keep them in their paper wrappers till ready to eat.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 1 cup

You’ll need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

• 1 tsp pure vanilla (or scrapings from a vanilla bean)

• 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt

1. Over medium heat, stir the sugar in a medium sauce pan until melted. The sugar liquifies, be patient, and will become a golden amber color.

2. Once all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter. Use a whisk to combine.

3. Once the butter has melted, slowly whisk in the cream. The mixture may bubble up. Continue whisking till the mixture turns a golden brown.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

5. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken. Refrigerate for 20 minutes till fully thickened and ready to use.

Enjoy!