Peanut butter cups have just started to be widely available here in the UK (finally!). I love them, so I thought I’d try making some. In the easiest possible way. Pile them into a simple glass jar, and they make a perfect last-minute Christmas gift.
Having just spent a wonderfully relaxing week in sunny Spain, I’ve been reminded of a couple of things.
One: British people get a raw deal when it comes to winter sun (no surprises there). Two: Not only do the Spanish get a far far better deal in this department, but they also have some beautiful little eating traditions, too. And no, I don’t mean paella (lovely as I know it can be, we ended up ordering what has to be one of the world’s worst paellas one evening. I mean, really, surely it isn’t supposed to be brown? Surely it’s supposed to have a few more bits of fish and meat in it than that?).
Anyway, enough with the paella digression. All is forgiven, because pretty much any café you go to in Spain has the most incredible coffee with toasted bread and tomato breakfast deal. I love strong-ish, steaming hot coffee with plenty of milk, and that’s exactly what you get consistently in Spain – or certainly in the area we were in just north of Alicante. As for the toasted bread and tomato, perhaps it doesn’t sound very exciting to you but it’s SERIOUSLY good – the freshest, softest baguette-style bread cut in half, lightly toasted and then covered in a generous layer of tomato pulp. Drizzle with a little (or, in our case, a lot) of olive oil and savour each deliciously sweet, juicy mouthful.
I’m determined to try this now I’m home (as you do when you’ve just got back off your hols!) and hope you do too. I know you’d like it because I suppose it’s like a sort of simple bruschetta – and everyone likes bruschetta, don’t they? 😉
What I’ve been working up to saying here is that time and time again I’m reminded that if the ingredients are top quality then food doesn’t have to be complicated to be really, really good.
And I firmly believe this principle can be applied to chocolate, too! These peanut butter cups couldn’t be more different than Spanish bread with tomato, but they’re certainly as super simple and delicious.
Just melt peanut butter with white chocolate and set aside. Melt milk chocolate separately and drop teaspoons of it into muffin papers. Drop a teaspoon of the white choc peanut butter mixture into the middle of each, then stick in the fridge for 5 minutes to set. Dump a final teaspoon of milk chocolate on the top of each, then sprinkle with crushed peanuts and leave to set.
In the same way as the Spanish bread and tomatoes, these American peanut butter cups will definitely taste better if you use your favourite good quality chocolate.
Come on now, admit it. Don’t they look CUTE in their swanky little jar?
Now these don’t taste exactly like Reese’s peanut butter cups. The peanut buttery middle is far less sweet, which is just the way I like them!
The easiest peanut butter cups in a jar (homemade food gift!)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces white chocolate
- 1/2 cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy – I like crunchy
- 11 ounces milk or dark chocolate your choice!
- a handful roasted salted peanuts chopped (I used a small food processor)
- 10 cupcake wrappers
Instructions
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Break up the white chocolate into pieces and melt it in a bowl together with the peanut butter. You can do this in the microwave in 30-second spurts (I find 3 x 30 seconds is about right) or in a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water*.
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Stir the peanut butter and white chocolate mixture together well and set aside.
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Now melt the milk/dark chocolate in a separate bowl in the same way as described above.
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Line a cupcake/muffin tin with cupcake wrappers, and spoon a teaspoon of milk/dark chocolate into each. Then spoon a teaspoon of the white choc/peanut butter mixture on top. Freeze the whole tray for about five minutes.**
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Spoon another teaspoonful of milk/dark chocolate into each cupcake case and smooth it over a little so that it covers the peanut butter layer. Finally, sprinkle a pinch of nuts over each cup.
Recipe Notes
*If you choose the second option, make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
**Freezing after the white choc and peanut butter layer helps the top layer to go on more cleanly.
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Denise @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
08 Dec 15 at 3:19 amAaah I want to go to Spain SO badly! Partially for the paella, that’s so disappointing! Love the looks of these PB cups, such a cute gift idea 🙂
Helen says
08 Dec 15 at 9:37 pmI think that a little browse on Trip Advisor before your trip might scout you out some nice paella, Denise, so don’t worry too much. I think it’s the ordering in random restaurants that can be a bit risky! I really hope you do get to take that trip some day, though. Spain is beautiful!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
08 Dec 15 at 5:01 amSpain is on our short list of places to visit and you’ve just moved it up a few notches. 🙂 Peanut butter cups are one of my all-time favorite treats and yours look like perfection! What a decadent gift, that is, if they ever make it out of my house…
Helen says
08 Dec 15 at 9:35 pmHahaha .. I’ll let you into a secret. These ones I made HAVEN’T made it out of our house! You really must visit Spain some day. It’s a beautiful country, the people are kind and friendly, and there’s some great food to be discovered, too! 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
08 Dec 15 at 10:03 amWelcome back! I hope you had a nice time in Spain 🙂
These would make such a nice gift. I love making gifts like this to give out at Christmas, and they always go down so well.
Helen says
08 Dec 15 at 9:33 pmHi Dannii! Thank you so much for the welcome. I’m not happy to be back in the dark and gloom, but it’s great to get back into bloggy stuff! Glad you like the pb cups … I always wonder if these sorts of Christmas gifts are a bit naff, but then I think about how I’d feel to receive one and decide again that they aren’t naff at all!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
08 Dec 15 at 7:42 pmI am so intrigued by this toasted bread and tomato for breakfast deal! I am so intrigued I just might have to try it – but would it be bad if I had some bacon with it? 🙂
BTW Helen, your PB&Chocolate cups look amazing – I love that you combined Peanut butter and white chocolate in that middle layer – so so delicious! And perfect for gifting – though I think these are better off with me! 🙂
Helen says
08 Dec 15 at 9:31 pmHello Shashi! I’m so happy you like the sound of the tomato toast. Actually, the Spanish sometimes have serrano ham with theirs so I think it’s perfectly fine to add bacon!! Glad you like the pb cups, too … I thought I’d keep them super super easy. 🙂
Linda says
08 Dec 15 at 7:50 pmThese look so delicious and easy to make! Have you tried these using natural peanut butter?
Helen says
08 Dec 15 at 9:30 pmHello Linda! I’m really glad you like these. I love that they’re so easy to make, too! I haven’t tried using natural peanut butter, but it will be absolutely fine. It really doesn’t matter what type you use. I used ordinary supermarket crunchy. Let me know if you do get around to giving them a go! 🙂
Chrissy says
09 Dec 15 at 3:13 amThese are gorgeous and surely so much better than Reese’s. Also, I loved all the Spanish food I cooked- simple, fresh ingredients and you really don’t need anything else!
Helen says
09 Dec 15 at 9:09 pmWow, thank you for the huge compliment, Chrissy! I couldn’t believe how beautiful the bread with tomato was. Have you tried it?
Heather says
09 Dec 15 at 3:43 amThese look fantastic Helen! I must might need to give them a go – for gifts of course 😉
Helen says
09 Dec 15 at 9:08 pmHello Heather! So happy you like these. And of course I believe you’re going to make them just for gifts … absolutely no trying along the way 😉
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
09 Dec 15 at 8:44 amGlad you had a great time in Spain – minus the dodgy paella! 😉 I love Spain and Spanish food – the tomato bread dish is delicious. I ate something similar called pa amb oli which is olive oil bread with tomatoes in Mallorca. It’s really simple and tasty, and one of my favourite things to eat for breakfast. These PB cups look delicious. I’ve always wanted to make my own because I love Reese’s!
I tried your halloumi fries the earlier this week and they were amazing! We served them with Greek salad, pitas and homemade tzatziki. So crispy and delicious. Thanks for sharing Helen – will definitely make again! 🙂
Helen says
09 Dec 15 at 9:07 pmHi Jess! I’d love to try making the ‘pa amb oli’ at home – I just couldn’t believe how delicious it was for something so, so simple!
And of course I’m SO happy that you tried the halloumi fries and liked them! Brilliant idea to serve them with Greek salad and tzatziki. I’ve got to try that! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know what you thought 🙂
mira says
09 Dec 15 at 10:46 pmThese cups are so cute and will make a great holiday gift! Glad you had great time in Spain, but sorry for that paella… I really need to go there again, love it, the food is not the greatest at some restaurants, but I liked the toasted bread with tomato!
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 5:01 pmGlad you like them, Mira! And that toasted bread with tomato …. mmm,craving it again!
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
10 Dec 15 at 2:27 amSpain sounds amazing! Your paella experience reminds me of my ravioli experience in Venice – I think the restaurant we dined at literally reheated a can of Chef Boyardee in a microwave – ha!
So chocolate and peanut butter cups are one of my very favorite desserts.And I’m with you, I don’t like things to be too sweet, so I appreciate the less-sweet filling.
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 5:00 pmSo many people have described similar experiences to me, Kathleen, especially in Italy! It’s a shame, but I suppose it would be the same here too. You can get some mighty awful fish and chips over here sometimes!
marcie says
10 Dec 15 at 7:30 amI’m officially jealous…SPAIN?? I’ve always wanted to go there, and gosh, I love my coffee. 🙂 These peanut butter cups look incredible, and we all need great gift ideas right now. This one is a keeper!
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 4:54 pmThank you so much, Marcie. I really hope you get to go to Spain some day – I promise you, you’ll love that coffee and breakfast! 🙂
Eva says
10 Dec 15 at 1:55 pmOh la la Helen, on la fait à nouveau ! On a eu la même idée d’emballage cadeaux ! Ta recette est à tombé par terre et comment il me restent encore des bocaux, je veut recommencer avec ta recette !
Je suis contente de tes vacances en Espagne ! Le petit déjeuner avec le pan et tomate c’est aussi le préféré de mon mari et moi j’adore aussi.
Dessolée pour la paella mais c’est vraie que je mange jamais dans les restaurants, la meilleure paella est celle qu’on fait à la maison !
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 4:53 pmBonjour, Eva! Je suis d’accord que la meilleure paella est celle qu’on fait a la maison. Quand j’etais a Granada il y a beaucoup d’annees, j’en ai mange une a la maison d’une amie et c’etait parfaite!!
Joyeux Noel!! 🙂
[email protected] says
10 Dec 15 at 4:48 pmWhen I first came to America, I had no idea what a peanut butter cup was, and then I tried one. WOW. I’ve never thought of making my own and now I’m inspired to try your yummy recipe.
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 4:51 pmGlad you like them, Janette, and hope you give them a go some time. They’re SO easy!
cheri says
11 Dec 15 at 11:53 pmHi Helen, white chocolate and peanut butter sound like a match made in heaven, you cannot go wrong with anything made with that combo. Spain is on my bucket list, fingers crossed, one day soon. Happy Holidays!!
Helen says
16 Dec 15 at 4:49 pmHope you do get to visit Spain some day, Cheri – it’s a great country!