Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I'm here! I haven't forgotten about my blog- I have just been occupied with other things... work, school and my internship being the most time consuming. And let me just add, there are only 4 weeks until I graduate!! (Even less really, because of Thanksgiving break). I am soo excited and ready. It's been a long time coming and I can't believe I will finally be DONE with school :)

Now, for these yummy cupcakes... I made them for my boyfriend's birthday, he just turned 24 also!  Remember his cake last year... well he tried to get me to do something very specific this year too-

 Boone Pickens Stadium...

Right after I finished laughing at him, I told him no. I enjoy a challenge, but like I have the time right now to construct THAT. 

So, he got these instead...

They aren't exactly a stadium, but he liked them :)

And it gave me a chance to try out a recipe I'd saved a while back.  They were pretty easy and tasted like a peanut butter cup, mmm!

Here's the recipe if you would like to try them:

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

adapted from TLC Cooking

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard (2-1/2-inch) muffin pan cups with foil baking cups.

2. Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth; beat in sugars until well mixed. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched and toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean.

5. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to racks; cool completely before frosting.

***I filled my cupcakes before frosting with a little bit of a peanut butter and butter mixture.  Warm about a 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 2 tbsp of butter in the microwave and with a piping bag, fill each cupcake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

 

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 to 5 tablespoons milk, divided
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
 
Combine powdered sugar, cocoa, 4 tablespoons milk and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at low speed until smooth, scraping bowl frequently. Beat in additional 1 tablespoon milk until of desired spreading consistency. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.