When I was but a youngster (to differentiate from my advanced years now?!?) I belonged to the Girl Guides of Canada and during one of the meetings, we learned how to make peanut butter cups. It was something like 25 years ago , but what I remember is that it was really easy. Mix icing sugar with peanut butter for the filling and use melted chocolate wafers for the chocolate coating. As for the quantities, well, obviously I wasn’t going to remember them over 25 years later. But also, I’m big on flexibility in the kitchen, so I decided to mix up my own batch recently. (Or maybe not so recently, given that I’ve been posting about posting this recipe since at least this post).

Rambling aside, it really is easy to mix up a batch of your own. Plus, wayyyyy healthier than the (admittedly delicious) store-bought kind, since there are three ingredients and no preservatives. Let’s begin!

Healthier-For-You Peanut Butter Cups

• X tbsps. of peanut butter (X being the number of peanut butter cups that you want)
• icing sugar
• chocolate chips (or molding chocolate wafers. I just used what I had at home at the time of the craving, which was chocolate chips!)

Mix peanut butter and icing sugar to taste. Seriously, I cannot give you an exact amount, because everyone likes a different amount of sweetness. I used chunky peanut butter, but you can use all-natural or already sweetened or hey, why not almond butter! Add enough icing sugar to the peanut butter that it becomes a sort of dough. It has to be able to be rolled into little balls of about a tbsp. each. If you put in too much icing sugar, it will crack, but too little icing sugar and the peanut butter will stick to your hands.

Roll the peanut butter mixture into little balls, the size of the molds. I happen to have a candy mold that I bought on sale in a craft store, but frankly, you could use the molded plastic that chocolates often come in, when they’re in layers in boxes. Or even a mini muffin tin in a pinch.

Melt chocolate chips or chocolate wafers in a mug in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until fully melted. Paint the inside of the molds, and set the mold in the freezer until the chocolate is set. Push a ball of the peanut butter mixture into every mold. Brush the top with the melted chocolate and return to freezer (technically, a fridge is better, but my cravings have no patience). When set, pop out the peanut butter cups from the molds, and voila! Healthier-for-you peanut butter cups!

These are really easy to whip up! I was craving them late one evening, so I started making them. The DH popped his head in to the kitchen and was all it’s-late-what-are-you-doing and I was all ‘I’m making peanut butter cups, obviously! I mean, what else would I do in the kitchen at midnight?’ Circadian rhythms. My cravings do not follow them.

I also made up some wine jelly bonbons. These are great for a more adult end to a nice dinner, to serve with coffee! I used some wine jelly that I had lying around the kitchen, possibly from this recipe. You follow the same instructions as above in terms of the chocolate coating, but just use the wine jelly as an alternative to the peanut butter filling. Easy-peasy homemade fancy chocolates! Can we say holiday entertaining? *grin*

Next Post: Maybe a Memories of Meals Past post. I did make some Chicken-Fried Tofu recently that was unbelievably delicious! Or maybe that grind-your-own garam masala that I’ve been teasing you with. Any preferences?