June 27, 2011

Banana Peanut Butter Cups recipe - with only four ingredients

Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana are the Three's Company of flavor pairings; they never fail to bring a smile. So what's better than peanut butter cups? Peanut butter banana cups? With only 4 ingredients? I was going to throw some bananas, chocolate, and peanut butter in a glass and call it a trifle or a parfait or something, but I think you'll agree this is better. Easier than you think, too.


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chocolate (I like a 60-70%)
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 of a banana
Note: Chocolate means chocolate, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are full of "extra" ingredients (read oil and flavorings) and don't melt or temper like real chocolate does. Really, I'm not a chocolate snob, I just had to make sure you didn't try to use chocolate chips and end up disappointed. If you're in a fix, a Hershey's bar works just fine.

Directions:
  1. Step one: temper your chocolate. The easiest way to do this is in the microwave. Put your chocolate in a small bowl and put it in the microwave for ten seconds at a time. Be sure to stir it after every round for 20-30 seconds, to melt as many chunks as possible. The idea is to keep the temperature as low as possible while still melting the chocolate. This should only take about 4 blasts, if you have a high powered microwave.
  2. Next, pour the chocolate into your molds. It doesn't take much chocolate at all to coat your molds, so go easy with it. The idea here is to pour out as much of the chocolate in each mold as possible. Swirl the mold around so that the chocolate coats all of the sides. Be sure to hold it upside down and let all of the chocolate drain out that will. Your molds should look something like the picture above (sorry for the bad photo). Save the rest of your chocolate. You can also use those tiny cupcake papers, if you double up on them and work carefully. 
  3. Now, let your shells set at room temperature as you prepare the filling. First, mash the banana as much as you can. A food processor works well if you have the gumption. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  4. Once your shells are set (you should be able to tell when they're nice and solid by looking), spoon in the filling. Be sure to leave room at the top for the rest of your chocolate.
  5. Finally, temper your chocolate again and pour it over the filling. Swirl it around a bit and scrape the excess level with the mold with a bench scrape or offset spatula. Let these set (room temperature is best, but freezer works if you're in a rush and don't mind condensation), rap the mold against the counter, and flip the cups out.

And there you have it, easy banana peanut butter cups. What're your experiences with making candy bars and chocolates at home? Are there any you've always wanted to try but never found a recipe for?
Share on Tumblr submit to reddit

1 comment:

  1. I have made them and they are really delicious. Thank you so much for sharing these!

    ReplyDelete