Home-made Peanut Butter Cups

2011 was filled with many adventures for me.  I started my second year of grad school, I met my current boyfriend and the absolute best guy (aside from my dad and brother) that I've ever had in my life. I am so thankful we were brought into each other’s lives!  He is silly, funny, caring, smart, HANDSOME, and he loves me. I feel like a really lucky girl to have someone who feels that way about ME...little ol' stubborn, clumsy, sensitive me.  

I also started my blog *yay*, turned *gulp* 26, met some new friends, and got in touch with old ones.  I've learned a lot about people, cooking, life, and most importantly, I've learned more about myself. 
 

I couldn't think of a better way to ring in the New Year, than by doing so with chocolate.  Peanut butter is no stranger to chocolate.  It's a combination that not only works well together, it tastes amazing.  I love Reese's peanut butter cups, but I wish they had MORE chocolate.  I feel like the chocolate to peanut butter ratio isn't exactly equal.  So I made my own chocolate cups that are big and thick with chocolate, and then filled them with a light and creamy peanut butter mousse.  Yummy.

For the Chocolate Cups:

1 heaping cup of semisweet baking chocolate, melted

This makes approximately 6 chocolate cups.  Take a muffin tray and line 6 of the spots with foil.  Spoon equal amounts of the chocolate into each section.  Then with the back of a spoon, evenly distribute the chocolate around the bottom and sides of the muffin tin.  Place the tray in fridge and allow the cups to set for about an hour.  Next, carefully remove the foil from around the chocolate cup.  Then place the cup into a muffin paper just for easy handling.  Then place the chocolate cups back in the fridge while you prepare the mousse.

For the Peanut Butter Mousse:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2.3 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

 Cream together the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.  Then whip together the vanilla and heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Then with a spatula, very gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.  Remove the chocolate cups from the fridge, and then transfer the peanut butter mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.  Pipe the mousse into each cup.  You will probably have a little extra mousse left over, but don't fret. Just eat it with a spoon! Or make extra chocolate cups if you wish.  Refrigerate the cups for at least 30 minutes before serving.