Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Lately I’ve been having tons of food revelations.

It started with kale chips. I’m pretty sure I’m the last being on earth to hop on the kale chip train. Like, WHAT have I been waiting for???? Kale chips are like eating air!!! Delicious, nutritious, super crispy air. I want kale chips all day every day UNTIL THE END OF TIME. Please remind me of this the next time I start resisting a trend.

Next: hard-boiled eggs. Umm…yeah. I really don’t have an excuse. I think I thought they weren’t good so I never bothered trying them but…WHY?! They make my salad 2352353262 bajillion times better! And more filling! Eggs!

Aside: I’ve decided I want to get chickens! We’ll talk about this later.

And speaking of salads… my sister recently introduced me to fresh peas on my salads. HELLO. I love how they *pop!* when you bite into them. The last time I ate peas I was 10 and had been pushing them around my plate for at least 2 hours, refusing to eat the one last bite that would release me from the dinner table. What was I thinking???? Peas! Duh! Yum!

Um, also? Lentils. I want to knock myself over the head. LENTILS ARE MAD YUMMY AND GOOD FOR YOU, MELANIE. WAKE UP. Cooked in a little vegetable broth and served with cous cous? Eeeeeattmeee.

And finally….baking without flour. Who knew it was possible? I certainly did NOT. I always thought the rules of baking were:

1. Butter
2. Sugar
3. Eggs
4. Flour
5. Vanilla

So it came as a total surprise when I decided to bake cookies sans rule #4 and they came out AMAZINGLY.

W-O-W. Chewy ooey gooey melty goodness.

Have you had any food revelations? What other delicious things am I missing out on??!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted very lightly from Martha Stewart)

yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup chunky unsalted peanut butter (you could also use smooth or honey roasted, but I liked the texture of chunky PB best)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla on medium until smooth. Stir in the baking soda and salt until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Roll the dough into balls, one heaping tablespoon* at a time. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Don’t let them overcook – you want them to be a bit gooey inside! Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

*I wanted my cookies to be a bit bigger so I made roughly 1 1/2-2 tablespoon balls of dough. If you do this, make sure to add about a minute of baking time.

Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream

This week marked the beginning of both student teaching AND my last semester of grad school, which means I’ve been having meltdowns left and right. For starters, the first week of the semester/student teaching = new. New people, new school, new experiences.

And Melanie ≠ good at new.

I am that girl who would happily stay within her comfort zone and routine for the rest of her live-long days – if only that didn’t mean I would likely have stopped experiencing new things around age 7. You do NOT want to know how long it took my parents to get me to call and order pizza over the phone, because that would mean UM, TALKING TO A STRANGER.

I like to know what to expect. I like my schedule. I like things to happen the way I plan them to. So it goes without saying that the night before I started my brand-new student teaching I got totally nervous and spent eighteen hours running through every possible scenario in my head: What if I wear the wrong thing? What if I forget my lunch? What if my bus breaks down? What if the kids don’t like me? What if I’m supposed to bring pencils but I only brought pens? What if I forget the teacher’s name? What if I forget my name? WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ANY FRIIIIIEEEEENDS?

Thanks (!) but no thanks, I’d rather stay in my familiar apartment with my familiar experiences. I have plenty of cookies friends here.

BUT, alas. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, and this girl’s gotta finish her master’s degree. So I put on my best I’m-not-scared-of-new-things-or-people face and marched to school and survived the day – and immediately came home and ate a giant chocolate peanut butter sundae, complete with homemade peanut butter oreo ice cream, brownies, and chocolate peanut butter ganache.

Thank you, Ben & Jerry’s, for helping this hermit get through yet another [SCARY AND UNFAMILIAR] new day.

Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream (based on Ben & Jerry’s recipe)

yield: ~one quart

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped Oreos (I chopped mine into quarters, but you can make the chunks smaller if you’d like)

Directions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the sugar a little bit at a time, then whisk until fully incorporated, about another minute. Pour in the cream, milk, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Place about one cup of the mixture in a separate bowl and whisk in the peanut butter. Add the peanut butter mixture to the rest of the ice cream base and stir until fully combined.
2. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker/attachment and freeze according to maker/attachment directions. When the ice cream has frozen to soft serve, gently fold in the chopped Oreos. Place the ice cream in an airtight container and put it into the freezer until frozen to desired consistency (I like it best after it has hardened up in the freezer over night).

I served my ice cream with these brownies and chocolate peanut butter ganache (pour 1/4 cup hot [not boiling] heavy cream over 3/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter. Whisk to combine.)

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Guys. I took a major hiatus from blogging. LIFE, ya know??

Luckily I made something craaaaaaaazy good to make it up to you. Gooey brownie and peanut butter frosting and peanut butter cups GALORE. Let’s not even pretend I waited for the brownies to cool before frosting them, hence the melting peanut butter cups in the photo below. My life.

These brownies are super gooey-fudgy-rich just like boxed mix but without the mix. They are PERFECTION. And the peanut butter frosting? DIE. Dead.

(Also dead from the heart attack from the 80 pounds I gained when I accidentally ate THE WHOLE PAN. Okay I shared two with Mike. And two with friends. But the rest? I ate.)

MAKE ‘EM ALREADY, would ya???!

 

Chewy Gooey Fudge Brownies (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker and Cook’s Illustrated)

makes 15-20 brownies, depending on size

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped and divided in half
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and water until combined. Stir in half the chopped chocolate until most of the chocolate has melted. Add the melted butter and vegetable oil; whisk until combined. Whisk in the egg + yolk, vanilla, and sugar. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, salt, and the other half of the chopped chocolate.
3. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan to cool completely. Top with peanut butter buttercream (recipe below).

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2-3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup of peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening on medium high until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl and add the peanut butter.  Beat on medium high until fully incorporated.
2. Scrape down the bowl and add 2 cups of the confectioners sugar.  Start with the mixer on low, and as the sugar becomes incorporated, turn it up to medium.  Beat for about a minute, then scrape down the sides and add up to another cup of confectioners sugar 1/4 cup at a time, depending on consistency.
3. Add 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla, and salt.  Beat on high for 1-2 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy.  If the frosting seems too thick, add another tablespoon of milk and beat until incorporated.
4. Spread the frosting on cooled brownies; top with chopped peanut butter cups. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store at room temperature.

S’mores Peanut Butter Blondies

Not sure if you noticed, but I am on a very serious s’mores + peanut butter kick. It’s basically all I think about all the time. My latest creation is the love child of peanut butter blondies and peanut butter cup s’mores bars and HOLY GUACAMOLE are these babies ooey-gooey-GOOD.

Peanut butter s’mores blondies are essentially the answer to all of life’s problems. For example,

90 degrees outside and 100 in your apartment? Stick some blondies in the fridge and then eat seven in the name of “cooling off”.

Nervous about a presentation for class? Hand these blondies out to your classmates and have a silent giggle when they get fluff all over their faces. Don’t feel guilty about it because it’s the equivalent of picturing your audience naked.

Boyfriend annoyed because you consistently make him wait till you take a picture of his food before he’s allowed to eat it? Shove a s’mores bar in his face. He’ll forget.

Unsure of where you’re going to live next year and the end of your lease is rapidly approaching? Stress-eat any combination of peanut butter and s’mores. Always.

Find a ginorm spider in your curtains? Make someone else kill it and then pay them with a blondie. They’ll be your spider-killer for life.

Forget your umbrella and get stuck in a torrential downpour/thunderstorm? Learn your lesson, MELANIE. S’mores blondies won’t help with that.

The combination of slightly-undercooked and therefore chewy and gooey peanut butter/graham blondie + marshmallow fluff + milk chocolate coating is U.N.R.E.A.L. Another perfect s’mores bite all rolled into one. I’m going to eat five rightNOW.

S’mores Peanut Butter Blondies (slightly adapted from Peanut Butter M&M Blondies)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7 graham crackers, finely crushed)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ~2 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff*
• 6 full-sized Hershey’s milk chocolate bars

*The marshmallow fluff can be eyeballed as it’s tough to measure – just make sure you have enough to spread over a 9×13 pan.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper; coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. After the peanut butter mixture has cooled slightly (it should still be warm but not hot – you don’t want it to cook the eggs!) add the vanilla; stir until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until fully incorporated.
5. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until ingredients are fully incorporated, then pour the mixture into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Top with marshmallow fluff.
6.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are just barely golden (bake for 5-7 minutes longer if you don’t want a gooey center).
7. Immediately place the 6 chocolate bars on top of the fluff. Allow them to melt for a few minutes, then spread the chocolate over the fluff until it fully covers the blondies. Allow to cool completely before cutting (I found it easiest to cut the blondies after they spent the night in the fridge).

Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bars

WARNING: This post is going to be 97% rant and 3% delicious baked goods.  It’s my blog and I can rant when I want to.

It’s kind of a rite of passage into adulthood that at some point in your grown-up years, you have a really terrible landlord.  But I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…my landlord is pretty much the WORST.

Exhibit A: The other day my roommates and I got locked inside our apartment (HELLO fire hazard) because our doorknob fell off.  Just a casual turn of the handle and *pop!*…bye bye doorknob, bye bye ability to open door.  So we’re locked in our apartment imagining all the ways we’re going to die and trying not to use up all the oxygen as the walls slowly close in on us and we think, who can help us get out of this pickle?

Our landlord, right?

Wrong.  Though she lives one floor below us, we are NOT allowed to call the landlord.  For any problems, whatsoever, periodendofstory.  It’s even part of our lease agreement!  Locked in your apartment?  Tough.  Hot water stops working?  Too bad.  Raccoon burrowed in your bedroom wall?  Deal with it.

Luckily we have a back door and were able to escape, praise Jesus.

Exhibit B: I recently received an IRATE phone call from Landlady Extraordinaire because we’ve apparently been shortchanging her on rent each month.  Which would typically be a big deal, but…

Try to guess how much we’ve been shortchanging her by.  Seriously, guess!  Bet you can’t.

ONE.  PENNY.

A penny!  One cent!  1/100th of one dollar!

I get it.  Times are tough.  But lady?  Even if we shortchanged you every month for 2 years, you wouldn’t even be missing a QUARTER.

So obviously we stuck an envelope of pennies underneath her door with this month’s rent.  We really know how to do the mature thing.

Exhibit C: She threatened to call the police last month because she heard the guys who live across the hall swearing.  Seriously!  Can’t make this stuff up.  I live in an orphanage.

Luckily I have the coolest apartment with the best natural kitchen light in all of Brookline, which totally makes up for my mean old landlady.  But you better believe I am NOT sharing my baked goodies with Cruella de Vil anytime soon.

None of that had to do with peanut butter cup s’mores.  But these bars?  They combine my two ALL-TIME-FAVORITE baked goods and are the new *!*!*Best thing I’ve ever made!!*!*!  I’m never eating a s’more sans peanut butter cup or peanut butter cup sans s’more ever again.  Cross my heart hope to die.  Peanut butter cup s’mores are life.

Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bars (adapted from Pinch of Yum and Sprinkle Some Sunshine)

yield: 16 large/20 small squares

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 16 peanut butter cups, regular size
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff*

*Fluff is pretty impossible to measure, so this doesn’t have to be an exact amount, just kind of eyeball it. As long as you have enough to cover the PB cups, you’re good to go.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8×8 baking dishing with parchment paper; coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl of the bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Scrape down the sides.  With the mixer on low, stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and graham cracker crumbs until mixed.
3. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Lightly press the peanut butter cups into the dough, then spread marshmallow fluff on top.  Press the remaining dough on a non-stick surface into the shape of an 8×8 square.  Place the square on top of the fluff and press down lightly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.  Allow to cool for at least two hours* to give the bars a chance to set, then remove from the pan and cut into squares with a large, sharp knife.

*Originally I said the bars needed to cool for 8 hours, but after making them again I’ve realized they’re ready to go after only about 2. I also bet they are DAAANG good straight from the oven 😉

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!

Peanut Butter-Peanut Butter Blondies

There is only one thing better than peanut butter blondies, and that is peanut butter blondies stuffed with peanut butter cups.

(Do I love stuffing peanut butter cups in baked goods, or what?)

I wanted to share this quick and easy blondie recipe in case you are looking for something scrumptious to make for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day.  It’s basically just a Valentinesified (word? no?) version of these peanut butter M&M blondies, amped up a bit with the addition of mini mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.  The blondies are sliiiightly underbaked to provide maximum peanut butter gooeyness.

Seriously, who could resist?

Peanut Butter-Peanut Butter Blondies (adapted from Handle the Heat)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup M&Ms (or chocolate chips)
• 3/4 cup mini mini peanut butter cups (or regular PB cups, roughly chopped)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil; coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. After the peanut butter mixture has cooled slightly (it should still be warm but not hot – you don’t want it to cook the eggs!) add the vanilla; stir until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until fully incorporated.
5. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until ingredients are fully incorporated; fold in 1/2 cup M&Ms and 1/2 cup peanut butter cups.
6. Spread batter into prepared pan; smooth it out with a spatula (or your hands) until evenly distributed.  Top with remaining M&Ms and peanut butter cups and lightly press them into the batter.  Bake for 22 minutes or until edges are just barely golden brown.  The center will be slightly gooey but should set as it cools.
7. Allow blondies to cool completely, then cut and serve.

Cupcake Giveaway!

It’s funny how one little {insanely delicious, absurdly fattening} cupcake can make you feel like you’ve really made it in life.  Since posting my Peanut Butter Oreo cupcake recipe, my blog traffic has skyrocketed, my turducken cupcake has popped up all over the internet (I’m pretty much a viral YouTube video, blog style. *brushes shoulder off*), and I’ve felt like a million bucks.

They like me, they really like me!

I recently entered my Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcake in the Cupcake Crown competition at Celebrations.com and I need your help.

I need you to click the button below, then click “Vote for this cupcake!” once a day, every day, until February 12.

And if you vote?  You just might get a Peanut Butter Oreo cupcake reward.  Thaaaat’s right!  I’m giving away a batch of these unbelievably delicious cupcakes (or a baked good of your choice, if you’re allergic to nuts, gluten-free, etc.) to one lucky voter 🙂  All you have to do is:

1. Vote here.  Seriously.  I’ll know if you didn’t really vote, and so will your karma 😉

2. Comment on this post that you voted. (one entry)

And/or:

3. Tweet that you voted, with this link: http://www.celebrations.com/cupcakecrown/2012/cupcake/peanut-butter-cup-oreo-cupcake and the tag #pboreocupcakecrown (two entries)

4. Check back on Friday, Feb. 3 to see if you’re the winner!

You have until Feb 2 at midnight to enter.

Hubba hubba.

Photo a Day Challenge: 25

Something you made.

I smooshed a mini mini peanut butter cup inside an oreo and made the best oreo of my (and your) life.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’m going to let this photo do most of the talking.

I think this picture is saying, “Hello. I am a chocolate cupcake stuffed with an Oreo AND a peanut butter cup.  I am topped with OREO PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM and I taste like a dream come true.  I taste like Christmas morning and smush-face kittens and all the best things in life.  I am the reason you are fat. Goodbye.”

Seriously though, don’t check the cals on these puppies.  Don’t do it.  Just stuff your face and call it a day.

These cupcakes are excessive in all the best ways.  Peanut butter cups and Oreo crumbs galore.  And if you thought the original peanut butter buttercream was dreamy, get ready for your mind to be blown.  Oreo peanut butter buttercream is where it’s AT.

I would suggest baking these cupcakes if you want to make new friends.  I brought them to a birthday party this weekend and suddenly I was the most popular gal in the room.  Funny how peanut butter + chocolate will do that to people.

This is real life.  Sorry I’m not sorry.  It just tastes so darn gooooood.

Chocolate Oreo Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes (adapted from The Sweet Little Book of Cupcakes)

yield: 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 20 chocolate sandwich cookies
• 20 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners.  Place an oreo in the bottom of each liner.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Stir in the chopped chocolate.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the buttermilk and allow to incorporate for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the flour mixture and beat on medium until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.  Divide the batter evenly among the paper liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cupcake.  Allow to bake for 10 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the muffin tin to cool completely on a wire rack.  Frost with oreo peanut butter buttercream (recipe below).  Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Oreo Peanut Butter Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2-3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons oreo cookie crumbs

Directions

1. Separate ~8 oreo cookies and discard the cream filling.  In a food processor or plastic bag, crush the cookies into fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening on high until fully combined.  Beat in peanut butter.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 2 cups of the confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and a pinch of salt.  Start the mixer on slow, then eventually crank it up to high and beat for 2 minutes.  Add more confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until you reach your desired consistency (more sugar = thicker buttercream).
4. Add the cookie crumbs and beat on high for 2 minutes.