Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

I've been getting the third degree lately on not posting any recipes lately. The end of August was a whirlwind for me. I have tried to fit in a vacation at the beach, which in my family, isn't a vacation. It's a week of sun and celebration, and when it ends, you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. I've also tried to plan the start of the school year. And lastly, I've taken a position as the head coach of varsity cheerleading at the school. That is basically equal to adopting 20 teenage girls. 43 if you count the JV team. I will be posting much less than I do in a normal month, but I promise to try and post at least once a week. I'm not sure when I became such a productive human being...I just hope it doesn't kill me.

Since it is now September, that means the weather is cooling down and it's almost fall. That means it's almost squash time, and pumpkin time, and chili time, and fondue time, and football tailgating food time. With the long weekend upon me, and me being absolutely lazy today (no seriously, I got off my couch to take the dog out, grab a couple things at the grocery store, and eat dinner with my parents), I decided I would keep my night busy. I was all excited to make a crazy cupcake concoction that included Ferrero Rocher chocolates on top. Today is Macadamia Nut Day, and in my own mind, I was absolutely sure that inside those chocolates is a Macadamia nut. But no. It's a hazelnut. Which I actually knew, but I think I just wanted to pretend it was a Macadamia nut so I could make something for the special day. Instead, I went through all of my cupcake recipes (all 60) and decided upon one where I had almost all of the ingredients. All I needed was pudding, sour cream and the peanut butter cups. Thankfully (and frightfully) the Halloween candy is already out, so Reeses was in abundance. Halloween, already?!

* Note: The original recipe called for the espresso granules to be dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water. I overlooked this step until right now when I was looking up the recipe to type....they turned out ok though. I was wondering why the picture from the website had a batter that looked thinner than mine, that explains it....

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
from The Little Kitchen

Cupcakes
1 18.25 oz package devil’s food cake mix
1 3.4 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant espresso granules
30 Reese’s Miniatures peanut butter cups, frozen

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 lbs powdered sugar
3 - 4 tbsp low-fat milk
Reese's peanut butter cups minis

 For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake or muffin pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix together all of your ingredients except the peanut butter cups for minute or two until well mixed.
3. Place 3 tbsp of cake batter in each cupcake liner. Take one frozen peanut butter cup and place in the center of each cupcake on top of the batter, press down a little bit.
4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until several cupcakes pricked with a toothpick come out clean. Do not prick the cupcake where the peanut butter cup is inserted. There will be a slight indentation or hole where the cupcake is sunken in from the peanut butter cup, you'll fill that with icing. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove cupcakes from the pans and place them on a cooling rack & let them cool all the way. While the cupcakes are baking you can make the buttercream icing.

For the icing:

1. In your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened butter and peanut butter on low to medium speed. Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended. Be careful, the powered sugar can go everywhere!
2. Add vanilla and 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk a little bit at a time while blending on low speed. Blend until well combined. You'll start to see the icing pull from the sides of the bowl. Add a little bit more milk to get to the right thinness (to your preference). Keep blending, higher the speed, until nice and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Using a big round tip and decorator bag, pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes and top with a mini on each cupcake.