Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

I needed a break from blogging, so I took one. Now I'm back.

We're going to a friend's for dinner tonight and these are the cupcakes I baked to take along. The recipe came from a Taste of Home bake sale magazine. Actually, the cupcake part of it is from one recipe and the frosting is from another, but they work really well together. I've made them before and they are really good. If you like peanut butter and chocolate (who doesn't?), give them a try.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar ( I use light brown)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
12 miniature peanut butter cups

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla (scrape down sides of bowl). Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill paper lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup batter. Press a peanut butter cup into the center of each one until the top is even with the batter but not covering. Bake at 350 for about 22 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes then remove to wire pan to cool completely. (The recipe says 16, but I find it makes 12 nice, big cupcakes.)

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 3/4 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner's sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons milk

In a mixing bowl. cream the butter and peanut butter. Add the vanilla, confectioner's sugar, and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. (I piped the frosting on with a decorating tip rather than spreading it.)


Yes those are Winnie the pooh cupcake papers, and yes, only adults will be eating them. And after we finish off the cupcakes, we'll be eating the rest of these: