Peanut Butter Ball Cupcakes

Horray for my first batch of cupcakes in Germany!  Now, I didn't have all my tools... no Kitchen Aid, no scoop for the batter, no bowls or scrapers or pans or liners... So, I bought new ones!! I love my hubby for letting me buy a hand mixer, new Bella Cupcake pans, bowls, scrapers, liners and all the ingredients to make cupcakes!

One of the last cupcakes I had back home was the chocolate peanut butter cupcake from New York Cupcakes in Bellevue, WA and really... it's probably my all time favorite cupcake.  It's a super delicious chocolate cake with a baked in chocolate covered peanut butter ball, toppeed with peanut butter frosting.  Seriously, so good.  So... these first cupcakes are inspired by my favorite NYCC cupcake.

For the cake, I used my standard chocolate cupcake recipe, but tweaked it just a little bit by adding sour cream.  I also only had regular cocoa instead of dark.

I hand rolled the peanut butter balls in the middle... the recipe is really so simple and can be made ahead of time.  I actually made them the day before and they sat in my freezer until I needed them.

The last time I made peanut butter frosting, it turned out really too thick.  Almost unspreadable.  So, this time, I tried things a little different and really loved how it turned out.  I'm pretty sure I can find a dozen different uses for this frosting too.  It's THAT good.

So... without further adieu... here's the recipe!

JavaCupcake's Covered Peanut Butter Balls
Makes about 24 balls

1 cup creamy peanut butter (crunchy would be good too!)
2 tablespoon room temperature soft butter
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup of powdered sugar, sifted
1 12oz package of milk chocolate chips

1. In a medium-heat safe bowl, microwave the salt, butter and peanut butter for about 45 seconds or until it's soft, but not completely melted.
2. Add the vanilla a mix it all together using a rubber spatula/scraper.
3. Add the powdered sugar and mix together until it's a paste like consistency.  Add more sugar if it's too soft.
4. Roll ¾ in balls in your hands and line on a cookie sheet.
5. Freeze for 1-2 hours or until hard.
6. After 2 hours, melt the chocolate.
7. Dip each frozen ball in the chocolate, shake off the excess and place back on the cookie sheet.
8. Freeze another 1 hour.
9. Make sure balls are completely frozen when baking them in cupcakes.

JavaCupcake's  Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1cup milk

premade peanut butter balls

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together until combined.  Make sure all the flour and cocoa are thoroughly combined and all clumps are gone and the mixture is very fine.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl,  (with my new hand mixer!) mix oil and sugars.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.  Beat on high for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until incorporated.
6. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together.
7. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in three parts, adding half the milk between each addition.  Make sure to begin and end with the flour and to scrape the sides of the bowl.  Do not over mix.  Tip:  After flour has been mostly incorporated with the mixer, use a large spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl & mix.  You don't want to work the flour too much, so hand mixing will help with that.
8. Place one chocolate ball in the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Pour batter over the top of the ball until the cup is almost full.
9. Bake at 375 F degrees for 10 minutes.  Rotate pan 180 degrees and bake another 5-6 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

JavaCupcake's creamy, light, fluffy not-too sweet, not-too peanutbuttery PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes

½ cup room temperature soft butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used JIF)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoon heavy cream
2-3 tablespoon non-fat milk

1. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter about one minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again another 30 seconds.
2. Add the vanilla in mix to incorporate.
3. About ½ cup at a time, add in the sugar alternating with the heavy cream first then non-fat milk. You may not need all the milk.  Scrape the sides after each addition of powdered sugar.  Add only enough milk until you get the consistency you want.
4. Mix together another 1-2 minutes.  Do not over mix.

ASSEMBLY
1 cup milk chocolate chips
peanut butter m&m's

1. Place one ball in the liner before adding the batter.  Make sure it's centered.
2. Frost cupcakes.  Melt 1 cup chocolate and drizzle over the frosting.
3. Top each cupcake with peanut butter m&m's.