Halloween Candy Mini Cupcakes (a.k.a. the PERFECT Halloween treat)

I'm not even going to insult you by quipping, "Oh, these are great to make with all that leftover Halloween candy!"  Because it's pretty specific - you need mini Reese's cups and candy corns.  Candy corns, okay, you might have some of those left over.  But who has Reese's cups sitting around?  They are the first to go at my house.  (For the true Halloween leftovers, we need a recipe that uses things like Laffy Taffy, Jolly Ranchers and Sweet Tarts - anyone?)  So you have to go out and buy - or carefully save out - the candy for these.  You can do that. 

I will also not insult you by pointing out the only Halloweeny thing about these is the candy corns.  You can - and should - make these any time of year with just the Reese's, or with any relevant holiday accent atop.  Cadbury mini eggs, Christmas color M&M's, etc.  But Martha Stewart called these "Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes" and I thought that name was dumb, so I changed it.

OK, so you've got a peanut butter batter, one delicioso Reese's mini cup which fits in there perfectly, and a candy corn on top.  Pretty much the PERFECT Halloween treat and I'll tell you why:

1. They are bite-size, maybe 2-3 bites for smaller kids.  Imagine you're at a school or church Halloween party and the sugary spread is massive.  Do you or your kids really want an entire marshmallow-ghost cupcake when there is so much sugar to be had?  Better to go smaller.
2. They are festive - you know, Halloween colors and all that.  Plus everyone loves a surprise filling, no one more than me.
3. They are EASY.  We already know baking is my thing; decorating is not.  I want my food to look nice and appetizing without hours of multi-color piping if I can avoid it.  Plopping a candy corn on top is my kind of decorating.
4. They are peanut butter and chocolate, only the best candy combination EVER.

 And those are just a few of the reasons.  Make up your own if you need more. 

 

 Halloween Candy Mini Cupcakes (print recipe)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
48 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups
48 pieces candy corn, for decorating

1.  Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, butter and brown sugar on high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in egg and egg yolk, scraping down bowl as needed.  With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture, buttermilk and vanilla until combined.

2.  With the large end of a melon baller (or extra small cookie scoop), place 2 tsp batter into each muffin cup, then press a peanut butter candy into each center until batter aligns with the top edge of candy.  Bake until puffed and set, about 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.  Immediately place a piece of candy corn on top of each cupcake; let cool completely in pans on wire racks.  Makes 48 mini cupcakes.

Recipe from Everyday Food, October 2011

Peanut Butter Cashew Brownies

Can any of us be surprised that these won Dessert Club this month? Their creator found this recipe on How Sweet It Is via foodgawker. In fact, several DC members find their stuff through foodgawker - do you know it? I admit, I spend what little free time I can scrounge up either baking or writing - I almost never surf or browse, though I know just how much I am missing. But after these brownies, I am bookmarking it. Maybe for stuff like this I can come up with a few minutes to gawk once in awhile.

Peanut Butter Cashew Brownies (print recipe)

1 batch brownies (boxed mix or homemade)
1/2 cup salted cashews
1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups, and bake for 4-6 minutes more.

While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Top each brownie with a dollop of Peanut Butter Frosting and a bittersweet chocolate chip.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Put sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in mixer. Mix on medium low until creamy, scraping with spatula as you work.Add the cream and beat on high until the mixture is light and smooth.

1 year ago: Dark Fudge Bundt Cake
2 years ago: Chocolate Chip Crunch Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Oh, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, how do I love thee?

Here is yet another way.I go through phases in my baking. I haven't been so into cookies lately; I'm taking a break. But a few weeks ago I went on a cake recipe hunt that resulted in a stack of about 8 or 10 that I can hardly make fast enough. Of course a cake really requires an occasion, preferably where there will be enough people to eat all or most of it in one sitting. I don't really need a lot of cake sitting around my kitchen.

Luckily, people have birthdays. My friend Alicia, for example. We had a little birthday lunch with some friends and guess what I volunteered to bring. Shocking, I know.Allergics aside, can anyone resist chocolate and peanut butter? They are meant to be together, especially when it's done well. Hello - peanut butter cake, cream cheese peanut butter filling like an inch thick, fudgy frosting, and lots of nuts and peanut butter cups on top. Totally for a special occasion. Or a Thursday.

I was a little worried about the cake. I've made peanut butter muffins from a few different recipes and they've always been dry or chewy or bland. Not so here - the cake has proper crumb and lovely flavor. The whole ensemble is a bit rich but whatever! It's FABULOUS.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk

Peanut butter filling:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Fudge Frosting:
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
About 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons milk

Finishing:
Reese's peanut butter cups, quartered
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and peanut butter until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture 1 at a time, scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed. Beat in flour mixture and milk in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.

2. Butter and flour 2 round 9-in. cake pans. I also line the pan bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Divide batter evenly between pans.

3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Invert onto a rack, remove pans, and let cool to room temperature, at least 40 minutes.

5. Make frosting: Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Add butter and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and the milk; beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if frosting seems too thin.

6. Make filling: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and fluffy.

7. Assemble cake: Dollop 1 tbsp. peanut butter filling onto a cake stand (to hold cake in place). Place 1 cake layer on stand. Spread with remaining peanut butter filling. Top with second layer. Starting with the top, then working down the sides, frost cake with fudge frosting. Decorate the top edge with candy pieces and peanuts.

Recipe from Sunset magazine, May 2009

VGP #15 Peanut Butter Bites

Here's your second SURPRISE! cookie.

I think we all know from the Blow-Outs that I looove peanut butter & chocolate. And we also know I had a half a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups left after making them (that's right folks - I didn't eat them!) So imagine my thrill at finding these little treats in yet another Better Homes and Gardens cookie magazine. It's like a more refined (and self-controlled) version of the Blow-Outs. Lovely cocoa-dusted peanut butter bites...

with a super SURPRISE! inside.Honestly, I don't know why anyone would ever make plain peanut butter cookies again.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

About 17 to 20 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, halved

Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl combine butter and peanut butter - beat with electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour. If necessary, cover and chill about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Press a peanut butter cup half into each ball and shape dough around peanut butter cup to enclose. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms very lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. If desired, sprinkle with cocoa powder. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

VGP #5 Chocolate Peanut Blow-Out Cookies

I have died and gone to chocolate peanut heaven. And you can, too. You know anything with this going on is gonna be special:
I've done pretty well with my diet amongst all this baking - a few tastes of dough, one or two cookies, then freeze or give the rest away. Yeah, but I really struggled with these. I had to call Ed at work and have him talk me through it while they cooked. Honestly! I just wanted to eat all the dough! And then all the cookies!

These are soooo yummy and comforting. They are Christmas Eve cookies, feel-better-on-a-bad-day cookies, impress-the-church-potluck-or-school-bake-sale cookies, make-your-kids-seriously-smile cookies, and definitely must-put-on-holiday-goody-plate cookies. Anyone you share these with will beg - BEG! - for the recipe (between stuffing their mouths with them!) And they're never better than ooey gooey hot right out of the oven.

Come to Momma.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped bite-size chocolate-covered peanut butter cups (about 15)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add the sugars, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides.

2. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour a little at a time. With wooden spoon, stir in chocolate pieces, peanuts, and chopped peanut butter cups.

3. Drop dough by generously rounded teaspoons (or cookie scoop) 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 3 dozen.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens 100 Best Cookies