Recipe: Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups

Mandy and I were infected with the baking itch a while back, and we eventually succumbed to it by making these babies. We knew that this quick recipe would come in handy with Christmas and the New Year right up on us(Cue: countless parties, potlucks, gift exchanges and the mood for festive indulgence)and so we wanted to share it with you today! 

For all of you who are looking for affordable gift ideas, something to bring to a party or just something quick to treat yourself with(that would leave you feeling warm and fuzzy nonetheless), this one's for you. You would also be glad to know that these Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups are a speedy fix that are fairly easy to make, saving you the unnecessary baking stress and inconvenience that often follows with the baking of elaborate and intricate desserts .

Mandy and I managed to nail these in an hour and a half, inclusive of all preparation and washing up. Pretty fast right?

However do note that if you're quite new to washing butter off your equipment it may take you a little longer. 
TIP: Try adding bicarbonate of soda to warm water and soap - it does help to take off the grease a little faster! 
For those science geeks out there who may be wondering why, the soda probably acts as an enzyme of sorts if I'm not mistaken.

Taste-wise, this recipe is probably as sinful as it gets given its rich, full flavors. If you(or the recipients of these cups) are a huge fan of Nutella and Peanut Butter, this would be pure gold. When done right, you will eventually get golden-brown cups with a crumbly peanut butter exterior that packs a punch of flavour and saltiness, nicely counterbalanced with the sweetness of the creamy Nutella centre.
Yes, my house smelt equally heavenly whilst they sat in the oven.

They have also stole the hearts of many of our loved ones- Mandy's mother loved them, and I had a friend who even considered marrying these precious things. She kids of course, but you do get the idea.

On a side note, it was pretty amusing to see Instagram go wild upon seeing the molten centre. One of our friends even got turned off his food in the army as a result. Sorry mate, we will make it up to you real soon.

Without further ado, here is the recipe!

YIELD: 10 large cookie cups
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
COOLING TIME: 15-20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg
3/4 cup Skippy Roasted Honey Nut Creamy Peanut Butter 
(We used 1 whole bottle of skippy peanut butter, the small one. 
I'm unsure of the exact grammage, but on hindsight, we could have used less so it would be a little less oily)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
10  teaspoons of Nutella, frozen 
(We highly recommend freezing the jar for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight, so it's easier and less messy)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place jar of Nutella in the freezer to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan extremely well with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Cream together the first 6 ingredients on medium-high speed until light and fluffy with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.
5. Using a 1/4-cup measure, portion out the dough, into 10 equal-sized mounds. 
6. Roll each mound between your palms to create round, smooth globes, and set them on a plate or flat work surface.
7. Remove Nutella from freezer and using a 1-teaspoon measure, scoop out rounded teaspoons, and place one teaspoon of chocolate on top of each mound of dough.
8. Gently push the chocolate peanut butter down into the dough mound, and use your fingers to carefully stretch up the sides of the dough to fully encase the Nutella. Make sure it's fully encased so it doesn't leak while baking. Repeat for all 10 mounds.
9. Place one mound in each of the cavities of the prepared pan.Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes (I baked for 14 1/2), or until tops are just set; making sure not to overbake because cookies will continue to cook in pan (carryover cooking) while they cool. Allow cookies to cool in pan for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm enough to remove.
10. To dislodge cookies if you're having any trouble, gently run the tip of  rubber spatula or plastic knife around the rim of the cavity; a sharp knife will scratch your pan. Or, invert the pan and tap the bottom and they'll pop out. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Unbaked cookie dough mounds can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Adapted from Reese's Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies, Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies in Peanut Butter Comfort, and Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups by  Averie Cooks 
*Note:the molten filling may be drier than shown depending on your oven conditions!
edit: so to fix that problem, add water to the nutella filling, freeze before baking and it should help. 
Credit to CL for the tip! 
If you guys still struggle to get the filling right just drop us a comment and we will get right back to you.
We hope you will enjoy making the Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups as much as we did, and we would love to hear about how it turned out for you! Thank you guys all for your great support for the blog-
I am working on yet another recipe with some sort of runny action going on too, so stay tuned and Mandy also has some other things up her sleeve to satisfy your party needs and hers should be up some time this week or the next as well. So stay tuned and look out for them!

Love,

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