Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups With Sea Salt Recipes

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS WITH SEA SALT

Steps:

• line a mini muffin pan with paper liners
• clear a large enough space in the freezer to be able to place the pan in without it tilting or tipping
• melt dark chocolate chips options for melting
• gently spoon about 1 teaspoon (about 1/4 - 1/3 of the paper liner to be filled) of the melted dark chocolate into the paper liners making sure to shake and drop the tin frequently so chocolate settles smoothly and evenly
• once all the paper liners are filled, cover the bowl of melted chocolate with plastic wrap and place the tin in the freezer for 15 minutes
• while the chocolate freezes, combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar and mix together with a hand mixer until fluffy
• when the first layer of chocolate is ready, pull the tin from the freezer and carefully spoon about 1/2 teaspoon (more or less to your liking) of the peanut butter layer over the top of the first frozen chocolate layer.
• once all chocolate layers have a peanut butter layer, place back into the freezer for 15 minutes
• after 15 minutes, remove the tin from the freeze and fill the remaining portion of the paper liner up with the rest of the melted chocolate topping with a pinch of coarse sea salt.
• place back in the freezer once more for 15 minutes.
• store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
• NOTE: it may be easier to place both the melted chocolate and the peanut butter picture into a ziploc bag and clip the tip to allow for more control over the flow into the paper liner

GIANT PEANUT BUTTER DARK CHOCOLATE SEA SALT BUCKEYES

Steps:

• Melt the white chocolate chips in a medium glass heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water on medium-low heat. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat but keep the bowl over the warm water. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract. Mix together until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the melted white chocolate and beat on medium until smooth, about a minute. Place the bowl in the freezer until the mixture is firm enough to form a ball, about 30 minutes.
• Using a small scoop or spoon, roll the peanut butter mixture into about the size of a golf ball. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mixture. Freeze until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and roll the scoops into smooth balls. Plunge lollipop sticks or short, thick skewers into the centers of the balls. Freeze for another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Melt the dark chocolate in a medium glass heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water on medium-low heat. Stir until melted. Sprinkle in the espresso powder and stir. Taste the chocolate; if you want more coffee flavor, add more espresso powder 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Keep the bowl over the pot of hot water to keep it hot while dipping.
• Holding the balls by the skewers, dip the balls only three-quarters of the way into the melted dark chocolate, leaving a quarter inch of exposed peanut butter at the top (this way, it looks like a real buckeye). Let the excess chocolate drip off, then quickly sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt or pink salt right on top. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Remove the skewers from the buckeyes. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.