I got hooked on these when I worked at the restaurant Wild by Tart. I was sceptical at first, but soon realised that they are quick to throw together and make for sleek petits fours, and I soon started to make them more often. The arrival of high-quality peanut butter on our shelves now means you can make really good versions of this favourite American sweet at home.
Chocolate peanut-butter cups
You could swap the peanut butter for another nut butter of your choice – it just needs to be thick enough to hold its shape, which will help when portioning it out. You will need a mini muffin tin and mini muffin paper cups.
Prep 10 min
Chill 2 hr
Makes 12 small individual pieces
40g smooth peanut butter
40g crunchy peanut butter
A pinch of sea salt, plus more to decorate
10g maple syrup
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
10ml olive oil, or a neutral oil
Salted peanuts, to decorate (optional)
Make the filling: stir the two peanut butters with the salt and maple syrup, and set aside. Put the mini muffin papers in the tin.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and melt it, either in a bain-marie or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring frequently. Once melted, stir in the oil.
To assemble, put one teaspoon of melted chocolate into each muffin paper. Take another teaspoon and gently divide the peanut butter mixture in the middle of the chocolate in each muffin paper (don’t worry about being too neat). Top the contents of each muffin paper with another teaspoon of melted chocolate, so the sides and top of the peanut butter mixture are covered, then put in the fridge to set for two hours.
Once set, sprinkle extra sea salt on top, or decorate each cup with a roasted peanut. Serve chilled: once made, these will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
UK readers: click to buy these ingredients from Ocado
