While I’ve always enjoyed crafting and baking with my kids, since the pandemic took hold of our lives and robbed the children of many of their scholastic and social activities, I’ve clung to the holiday’s as a source of inspiration for our making. The activities have helped to pass the hours at home and, I hope, to inject some extra joy into their little worlds. We’ve made Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themed cards, ornaments, and bakes, and surprisingly I feel for the first time in a long time that I’ve been able to savor each season and celebrate it in the fullness it always deserved.

Before the pandemic, work and the holidays, and the basic needs of our lives always seemed to clash and vie for my energy. But now, with less social and extracurricular commitments and with all of us learning and working from home in various ways, those combatting currents seem to have melded into one swiftly flowing river. I’ve learned that celebration is as vital to our well being as the sleep we get, the food we eat, the work we do, the precautions we take, and the sunshine we gather. So in this pandemic I guess I’ve become chief party planner as well as chef de cuisine and amateur electrician.

That’s why for Valentine’s day this year, I’m spending a little extra effort making some special things for my family. These little peanut butter cups are an adorable gift for any holiday really, but wrapped in pink foil and a cute little bag, they’re a perfect way to express love in February. I think they taste better than the store bought version, and I love that they can be customized to your own tastes. If you need a nut free version, use sunbutter. If you prefer milk chocolate, go for it. If you have a particular favorite brand of nut butter, that’s great too. The end product will be delicious, and you’ll know exactly what’s inside.

This recipe is also SUPER easy to make. As far as chocolate candies go, this is about as simple and fool proof as they come. Chocolate can be a very tricky material to work with, and I’ve definitely had my fair share of nightmarish experiences trying to create candies, hot chocolate bombs, and glazes. Because the recipe uses chocolate chips instead of bar chocolate, and because there’s no mold chilling time, the melting and pouring process goes very smoothly and without much fretting over temperatures. The result is magical. A nice, smooth, solid chocolate shell and a creamy peanut butter center make for the perfect bite-sized indulgence.

Here are a few tips to help you on your way to peanut butter chocolate bliss. Be sure to get all the equipment listed before you begin. You absolutely could use mini muffin tins as molds; and you could use the microwave to melt your chocolate; and you could spoon or drizzle chocolate and/or filling instead of piping, but each of these is messier and ultimately more likely to result in imperfect candies. To avoid that frustration, go for my recommended equipment. Also be sure to watch your chocolate carefully while melting. You don’t want it to burn, so keep it around 90ºF for best results.

Equipment:

• Mini peanut butter cup candy mold (I use these from WeBake)*

• Double Boiler/Heat safe bowl & pan

• Food thermometer

• 2 piping bags

• 2 small tips (I used Wilton 12 for the chocolate & Wilton 32 for the filling)

• Candy wrappers/foil

• Silicone gloves

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup good quality chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, or bittersweet)

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (substitute sunbutter for a nut free version)

• 1 1/2 TBS. powdered sugar, sifted

• Pinch of salt (optional - only add this if your nut butter is low in sodium or salt free)

Method:

1. Wipe out your molds with a clean cloth to make sure there’s no residue.

2. Mix the peanut butter, salt (if using), and powdered sugar together in a small bowl until completely incorporated and smooth. Pour this into a piping bag prepared with the Wilton 32 or similarly sized star tip. Set aside.

3. Melt the chocolate in the double boiler. Stir continuously, and once the chocolate starts melting, check the temperature frequently. Make sure to remove the bowl/pan with the chocolate from the heat once it reaches 90ºF. All the chocolate may not be completely melted but it should melt as you stir. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted, shiny, and smooth.

4. Pour the melted chocolate into the piping bag fitted with the Wilton 12 or similarly sized round tip. Pipe chocolate into 20 cups on your silicone molds, filling only one third of the way up.

5. Immediately pipe about 1/2 tsp. of filling on top of the first layer of chocolate. Try to pipe in the middle of the cup and leave enough room for covering the top and sides with more chocolate.

6. Pipe a final layer of chocolate over the peanut butter filling. Gently tap and shake the mold so that the chocolate settles evenly. If you have any extra chocolate and filling, make a few more candies.

7. Chill the candies in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. With gloved hands (to minimize melting and fingerprints) remove the candies from their molds and wrap them in foil. Store at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator for several days.

Recipe adapted from Tasty

* I am not paid to advertise any products; these are just the products that I use and recommend from personal experience.