Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Recently, my best friend Katelyn celebrated her birthday at a restaurant with her closest friends.  As usual, I brought dessert.  Katelyn loves peanut butter cups, so I decided to make it in cupcake form.  The good thing about taking cupcakes to a restaurant instead of a cake, is that you don't have to pay the cake-cutting fee.

Cupcakes Recipe (makes 24)

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 pinch salt
48 chopped up chocolate peanut butter cups (buy the mini ones in a tub)

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with liners, or grease the cups
Step 2: Mix brown sugar, oil and peanut butter until fluffy
Step 3: Beat in eggs one at a time
Step 4: Stir in vanilla, flour, lemon juice, baking soda, and salt alternately with milk
Step 5: Fold in chopped up peanut butter cups
Step 6: Fill each paper liner 3/4 with batter
Step 7: Bake 15-20 minutes until the cupcakes spring back upon touch

Chocolate Frosting Recipe


Ingredients:
2 cups softened butter
5 cups confectioner sugar (add more if you want it sweeter)
2 1/2 cups baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (more or less perhaps)

Method:
Step 1: Cream butter in large bowl
Step 2: Gradually beat in sugar, cocoa, and vanilla (it gets everywhere if you aren't careful)
Step 3: Add milk slowly, until frosting reaches the right consistency (a bit less milk if piping)

Result: