When I found egg-shaped molds at the local Bulk Barn a couple weeks ago, I just had to make peanut butter cups for Easter. I altered the recipe a little from my usual mix, and they turned out very well. Chocolate fillings are one of my favourite things to experiment with, and it’s been a hobby for more than 10 years now. I’m sure you will see other filling recipes here later on.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ⅔ cup powdered skim milk
• ¾ cup icing sugar
• ¾-1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ⅛ cup melted butter
• 3-4 cups chocolate wafers, chips, or chopped

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the peanut butter, skim milk powder and icing sugar. Add the graham cracker crumbs and butter. If it seems sticky, you can add more graham cracker crumbs, but make sure that it’s still sticky enough to mash together into balls.

To melt the chocolate, I use a chocolate melter that doubles as a fondue set.. but I doubt you’re as crazy as I am about making chocolates to own such a thing. If you do, congratulations! Go ahead and melt the chocolate, though I recommend starting at a low heat with only part of the chocolate, and then add heat and more chocolate when you have a coating of melted chocolate in the pot.

The traditional method of melting chocolate is to use a double boiler. Put some water in the lower part of the pot (make sure never to get water in the chocolate, or it will get grainy), not quite touching the top part. Bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat. Put in some of the chocolate and stir until melted. Add more chocolate, stirring constantly.

Easiest method: If you have a microwave, you can simply melt chocolate in a bowl. This isn’t recommended because it’s also easy to scorch the chocolate, so the chocolate might get an odd texture, but it doesn’t change the taste. Make sure to melt it at a medium power level and/or stir frequently (every 30 seconds at least).

Finally, to put it all together.. Fill each chocolate mold about halfway. Use a paintbrush to push the chocolate up the sides of the mold so that it’s fully coated. Chill for 10-15min. Loosely fill each mold with peanut butter mix, then pack it down tight. Fill the rest of the mold with chocolate and then chill at least 15min (the longer it’s chilled, the easier it will be to remove from the mold). Turn the molds upside down, and tap lightly to remove the finished cups.

Note: I also found that mini silicone baking cups work perfectly for these, though to remove them you will have to peel the mold off.

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