Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

By msippigrl

Tastes just like the famous candy we all love!! Make them special for Christmas or Valentine's Day by topping with sprinkles.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips*
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil, divided
• Sprinkles for decorating tops, optional
• NOTE-- *The chocolate chips listed above are the ones I used, but you can use whatever kind or combination you like.

Preparation

Step 1

Line 24 mini muffins cups with paper liners. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners sugar. Refrigerate.

In another small bowl, combine both kinds of chocolate chips then set aside 1 cup of them until later.

Melt the remaining 1 cup of chips and 1/4 teaspoon oil in the microwave until smooth, or as I did, in a 1-qt. non-stick saucepan on the stove top over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic ziptop bag and secure the top with a tie wrap close to the chocolate. Snip off a small opening from one corner of the bag. Squeeze about a tablespoon of the melted chocolate into the bottom of 12 muffin cups. (It's easier working with 12 at a time since the chocolate starts to set up pretty quickly.) Using the back a small spoon, spread the melted chocolate out evenly in the bottom and up the sides of the paper liners. Place pan in the freezer. Continue with the remaining 12 muffin cups.

Remove the first 12 muffin cups from the freezer. Spoon about a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture into each muffin cup (leaving enough room at the top of the paper liner to add the top layer of chocolate), tapping it down with the tip of the spoon to somewhat smooth and level on top. Refrigerate. Continue with the remaining 12 muffin cups.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1/4 teaspoon oil and transfer to another ziptop bag. Remove the first 12 cups from the refrigerator. Working with 6 muffin cups at a time, squeeze out enough of the melted chocolate to seal the sides and completely cover the top of the peanut butter mixture, being careful not to overflow the paper liners. Seal the edges with the back of a spoon, and immediately swirl the tops or decorate with sprinkles. Continue with remaining muffin cups until all are finished. Refrigerate at least an hour to harden.

Store in the refrigerator. Set out at room temperature about 10 minutes before serving, if desired.