Halloween is miraculous. It's like a gateway drug for the holiday season. The "fun size" portions of Twix, Skittles and M&Ms, quickly snowball into second helpings of apple pie at Thanksgiving and before you know it you're eating a whole gingerbread house. By yourself.
Embrace it.
As Cady Heron once said, "Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it."
I say, "Halloween through Christmas is the one season a year where you can eat whatever you want AND no other girls can say anything about it." That gets us right into today's recipe. Chocolate, peanut butter and graham cracker cupcakes, aka Reese's Cups in Pastry form.
I had two for breakfast yesterday (don't tell my mom).
Servings: 12 cupcakes Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
(graham cracker bottom)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp butter, melted
(chocolate batter)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 cup softened butter
(peanut butter filling)
3 oz of light cream cheese
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream or 2% milk
4 tsp butter, melted
(chocolate batter)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 cup softened butter
(peanut butter filling)
3 oz of light cream cheese
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream or 2% milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter.
3. Line cupcake tin and spoon about half a tbsp of graham cracker mixture into each tin. Press down with back of spoon or a measuring cup. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and sugar. Slowly mix in butter, vanilla, water and eggs.
5. Pour batter into cupcake tins, filling 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese, peanut butter, 2 tbsp sugar and whipping cream or milk.
7. Once cupcakes have cooled, cut 1/4 inch off the corner of a pastry bag and fill with a small tip. Spoon filling into pastry bag and carefully push bag into center of cupcake. Squeeze about 1-2 tsp of filling into each cupcake.
3. Line cupcake tin and spoon about half a tbsp of graham cracker mixture into each tin. Press down with back of spoon or a measuring cup. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and sugar. Slowly mix in butter, vanilla, water and eggs.
5. Pour batter into cupcake tins, filling 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese, peanut butter, 2 tbsp sugar and whipping cream or milk.
7. Once cupcakes have cooled, cut 1/4 inch off the corner of a pastry bag and fill with a small tip. Spoon filling into pastry bag and carefully push bag into center of cupcake. Squeeze about 1-2 tsp of filling into each cupcake.
8. Frost and decorate as desired! I used a 16 oz package of store bought vanilla frosting and used food coloring to get desired colors (orange and green). I also bought a small black frosting and reese's pieces, sprinkles and licorice strings to decorate. Decorating is my second favorite thing...after eating.
