Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

Since my last experiment with peanut butter, the peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, I haven't been able to resist eating the stuff. Its an addiction, I've been eating it on toast morning, noon and night, taking spoonfuls of the stuff straight from the jar. I have even started stirring it through curries, which if you have never done you really must try it, its simply delish. So to deliver on a promise I made to you, to start baking with more peanut butter (well thats what I'm telling myself, definitely not to satisfy my cravings), I have come up with these peanut butter cup cakes. To take the peanut taste a little further, I have topped them with a crunchy amber peanut brittle. So if you need a nutty sugary fix these are simply perfect.

Chocolate Cup Cakes

Cup Cake

250g dark chocolate buttons

200g butter

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Pre heat oven to 180C

In a double boiler heat the chocolate and butter until they melt and come together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar together with and electric whisk until they are pale and fluffy, this will take about 5 minutes. Slowly add the chocolate and butter mixture to this, whisking the entire time.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa and stir through until the mixture is combined. 

Spoon the mixture into 12 cup cake cases, fill them till about half way as they will rise.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked, let cool before icing

Peanut Butter Frosting

200g soft butter

1/2 cup of peanut butter

2 cups of icing sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a bowl and beat with and electric beater until they are pale and fluffy. Sift the icing sugar in, and stir through until combined. Place in a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cup cakes.

Peanut Brittle 

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of water

Place the peanuts on a lined baking tray, set aside. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan on a medium heat. I like to swirl the pan just to combine the sugar and water, I never stir it. You don't want sugar crystals to form, many people use a wet brush to brush down the sides of the pan. I just leave it to do its thing, it will take about 5 minutes to become a beautiful amber colour, just make sure you watch it the whole time as it can burn very quickly. When it turns amber remove from the heat and pour over the peanuts. Be careful as it is ridiculously hot. When the toffee is hard either chop it up with a knife or place it into a bag and smash it with a rolling pin. Sprinkle over the top of the frosting and place the bigger shards into the top.