Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

You guys.

I’m currently on day four of my five-day sugar cleanse and all I want to do is stuff my face with these little homemade peanut butter cups.  I know that they are hidden (by me) in the back of the freezer and I can almost hear them taunting, “Eaaaaat me. Eeeeeaaaattt meee.”  And eat them I will.  Probably for breakfast on Tuesday morning to mark the end of Sugar Cleanse 2012.

You might be wondering why a sugaraholic such as myself would EVER give up sugar.  I KNOW.  It’s the worst.  But last Sunday, I ate cupcakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  That’s it.  Just cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes.  No fruits.  No veggies.  Not even a bite of whole grains.

And do you know what?

I felt totally fine.

So then my hypochondriac WebMD-loving crazed alter ego hopped on the internet and fully convinced me that I was dying of some sugar-fueled disease.

And, now, here we are.  Sugar cleanse day four and I feel exactly the same.  Which leads me to believe (WebMD has not yet confirmed) that instead of some sugar monster eating my body from the inside out, I have a rare sugar immunity and I can therefore eat as much chocolate, cupcakes, and ice cream as I could ever want. (Kidding, of course.  Only as much chocolate and cupcakes as I could ever want.)

In true Melanie fashion, I made up my own sugar cleanse rules, which were:

1. No foods with added sugars (baked goods, chocolate, candy, ice cream, sweetened cereals, granola, etc) for five days.

2. No fruits for two days.

3. Lots of vegetables, chicken, and whole grains.

4. Plenty of water with lemon.

…and that’s pretty much it.  It’s all very scientific.

On cleanse day two, I had to take a bite of one of the peanut butter cups to get this picture.  And do you know what I did with the bite I took?

I SPIT IT IN THE GARBAGE.  Take that, sugar cleanse!  Do I have willpower, or what???

So, anywho, I’m glad I (mostly) cleansed myself of sugar, I’m glad it’s almost over, and I’m REALLY glad I have these homemade peanut butter cups waiting for me in the freezer.

They are so easy to make and taste like Reese’s PB cups, but better.  Hubbaaaa hubba.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups (slightly adapted from Miss Make)

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used creamy but I bet chunky would be good too!)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• dash of vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 12-oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

1. In a medium bowl or the bowl of stand mixer, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on medium low until combined.
2. Roll out on a piece of waxed or parchment paper to about 1/2-inch thickness.  Cut using a small cookie cutter, or you could just cut into squares using a knife.  Place the cut pieces in the freezer for 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave at 30-second intervals until smooth.  Dip each peanut butter piece into the chocolate, then place on a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper to harden.

**My apologies for the yuck photos.  Best Buy says my camera will be fixed in 5-7 days!