Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Icing

I don’t know what your favorite candy is, but I have always loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I love the sweet and salty combination.

When I moved a few months ago I had the opportunity to get out all of my cookbooks that had been boxed in a garage for a few years. One of them was the Chocolate Bar cookbook. The Chocolate Bar is a store and chocolate bar in New York City featuring all things chocolate. Flipping through the book I saw this recipe for Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache icing. Yum, yum!
Cupcakes:
¼ cup peanut butter
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk

Chocolate Ganache Icing
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to  375F.
Line a muffin time with paper cups.
Cream the peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until well mixed. Gradually add the sugar to the mixture, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. In three alternating batches, add the sifted ingredients and milk to the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed in between additions. Beat until incorporated.

For larger cupcakes fill the paper cups until just below the rim. For medium cupcakes fill the paper cups two-thirds full.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring the cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.

Icing:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a heavy 1-quart saucepan, using a wooden spoon, combine the cream, butter, and corn syrup and cook over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until blended. Let the ganache cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

One by one, dip the top of each peanut butter cupcake into the ganache. Let excess ganache drip off before flipping the cupcake to an upright position.