Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes

First of all, let me thank so many of you for all the wonderful birthday wishes! It's wonderful being a part of the foodie world and sharing our families, stories, trials, triumphs, recipes and special events together! You all made my day so very special, thank you! :)

Last week my Mom gave me my birthday present a little early. When I looked inside the bag, I was incredibly excited to see several new cookbooks. Yay!! I could hardly wait to sit and read through each one. It's a running joke in our house that I'm constantly reading cookbooks..it's an illness, really. One of the cookbooks is a cute, little book titled simply, "Perfect Baking". My favorite part of this book is that every delicious recipe is accompanied by a full, color photograph. Don't you love it when there's photos of a recipe that look so mouth-wateringly delicious that you feel you have to bake right away? Thanks Mom for my new books!!! I LOVE THEM!

One of the first recipes I marked to try right away were these wonderful frosted peanut butter cupcakes. Just the title had me checking the pantry to verify that I had all the ingredients on hand. Mmmm! When Sarah and I were baking last week, we decided that these were a must try for the day. The original recipe did not call for chocolate chips, but, hey-what's a peanut butter cupcake without some mini chocolate chips? The addition was perfect! When we were preparing to mix the frosting, we were sure that there was a misprint-there didn't seem to be enough liquid to create a soft cream. But, boy were we wrong! The frosting mixed up beautifully and made an already delicious cupcake, D.I.V.I.N.E.
Isn't this the cutest little cupcake? Mmmm, it was just sitting there calling my name.....I couldn't resist....
I thought that one tiny bite would surely be enough to whet my craving for this irresistible combination of chocolate and peanut buttery goodness! Right?
Wrong!!! The first bite was heaven!! I quickly looked around to see where the kids were....realized they were still at school and....yes.... took a second bite. Oh. My. Word. And before I knew what I was doing......
Oops, did I eat that whole cupcake? No!!.....well.....maybe....well......yes O.K.! I ate the entire thing and loved. every. bite! :)

From the heart of my kitchen to yours may your experience be fun and the food always flavorful. Enjoy!

Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes

4 Tbs. butter, softened
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Put 15 muffin paper cases in a muffin pan.

Put the butter, sugar and peanut butter in a bowl and beat together for 1-2 minutes or until well mixed. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder and then, using a metal spoon, fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk. (Fold in the chips) Spoon the batter into the paper cases.

Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 350 degrees, for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Frosting

1 cup full-fat soft cream cheese
1 Tbs. butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar

To make the frosting, put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together until smooth. Sift the confectioner's sugar into mixture, then beat together until well mixed.

When the cupcakes are cold, spread the frosting on top of each cupcake, swirling it with a round-bladed knife. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: Perfect Baking