Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
By carpenter5
@carpenter5 (6782)
United States
May 12, 2009 11:37pm CST
We drew names in our ladies group and have what we call Secret Sisters. Here's how it works for those who don't know. You keep the name you drew a secret. Throughout the year, you purchase things like birthday and anniversary gifts, Mother's day presents, funny little cards or trinkets for Easter, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving. I've even been known to do silly things like a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and a jar of homemade jelly for "National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day". Then at Christmas time, we get our secret sisters a nice gift and reveal to them who we are. Sometimes, they have already guessed it for one reason or another.
Well, this year I have my daughter's best friend. She is a young, single mother so it's been fun to get things for her. I bought Hunter, her 8 year old son, something for his birthday and have just had a ball watching her try and figure out who it is. She sits in my livingroom and talks about it because she thinks it's someone else. I don't say a word
For mother's day, I bought her this really neat Deviled Egg platter. It has a plastic lid and grooves for 24 eggs. Enough to make a dozen eggs and then cut them in half. But to give it to her, I made homemade peanut butter cups in it! I used white and milk chocolate and it looked like a flower!
I melted the chocolate and spread it on the bottom of the dish.
Then I took 2 cups of peanut butter and mixed enough powdered sugar with it until it was a cookie dough consistency. When the chocolate had hardened, I pressed the peanut butter mixture in. Then I covered it with more chocolate.
Have you ever made homemade Peanut Butter cups?
5 people like this
9 responses
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
19 May 09
Many churches do the Secret Sister/Secret Pal program. I've done it at least at three other churches that I remember. My mom's church does it as well. Lauren was very excited when we drew because she was finally old enough to participate. She has been funny because she drew her boyfriend's mother's name.
@flutterbykisses (593)
• United States
14 May 09
Yes I do...they are my husband favorite.
I make them at Easter and Christmas.
What a nice idea though with the deviled egg plate. That would be a great way to give a gift at Easter to someone who is close to you,but would not enjoy a complete Easter basket.
I have some elderly I try and visit once a month that have no family and this would be a great little gift for them along with some flowers.
Thanks so much for the idea.
flutterby
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169590)
• United States
15 May 09
She is such a generous person. I like the idea of giving a gift in secret.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
23 May 09
You guys are so sweet!
It was really kind of a fluke that I did this. I was looking for something different to do for her Mother's Day, and just walking through Fred's Department Store with no ideas of what to buy. I happened to see it just sitting on the shelf...it was the last one, and the idea hit me.
It was like the platter was left just for me! LOL
I think your elderly ladies would love it. Especially if they still like to cook!
@flutterbykisses (593)
• United States
23 May 09
Isn't it something how an idea just jumps right out at you sometimes?I have had that happen and it was something so simple it was like why didn't I think of that?Great idea that I am going to borrow next Easter if that is ok...I have some ladies in mind right now that will just love it and I know my husband will!!!flutterby
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
24 Jun 09
I have never made any, but I do love peanut butter cups. I love dark chocolate so I wonder if you can make them using that. I do shop at our Bulk Store and they have little molds for the cups. Oh do you buy the bulk chocolate and then melt? I often wondered about that, how they actually did it.
But it was a nice thing for you to do for this young mother.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
24 Jun 09
Thanks I have always loved chocolate and peanut butter, but most of the Hersey bars I see are for milk chocolate, even the crunchy ones. We do have a bulk store here and we can most of the ingredients, including dark chocolate, so now I will have to learn how to make them if I do not eat them while doing so. 
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Well part of the fun of cooking and baking is to eat part of it as soon as it comes from the oven, or licking the batter from the bowl and the mixer beaters. My girls are 19, 20 and 24 and they still fight over who is going to lick the beaters! If their brother is home, he will take it all and hold it over their heads where they can't reach it.
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
24 Jun 09
You can purchase the dark chocolate melts at most craft stores. Occasionally I will see the dark chocolate melts at the grocery or bulk stores, but mostly just the milk chocolate and vanilla there.
I have the molds for peanut butter cups, and several other shaped molds.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (121277)
• United States
14 May 09
We call them Secrets Pals in our church. It is such a fun thing to do! I have not participated in quite a while because of my off and on church going. Being sick, I don't want to commit to something like that if I can't be there all the time. It is so sad when someone commits to be a Secret Pal, and then the person they pick doesn't get but one gift all year! I hate when that happens. But now I'm wishing I was your Secret Sister because you made me crave peanut butter cups and a big glass of milk!
2 people like this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
18 Jun 09
What are mothers for though if they can't have fun with their kids? Tonight, my other daughter brought her new boyfriend home to meet her dad and I. My friend Angie was here, and we were shoulder to shoulder sizing Jake up and saying things like "Oh, I like this one don't you?" "He's too cute." and "He doesn't have a tatoo like the last one." (the last guy she dated did NOT have a tatoo.)
Kristen was rolling and hollering Ya'll shut up!
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
23 May 09
Isn't it funny how the smallest things can make you want something to eat? LOL
Mother's Day when everyone was getting their gifts and their baskets, I noticed my daughter over by the table looking all over it. I slipped up next to her and asked what she was doing. She said "I'm looking for my present. I don't see one for me". I had to remind her that it was MOTHER"S DAY and she isn't a mother yet.
She got red and went Oops.
Silly girl
1 person likes this
@caver1 (1762)
• United States
25 Jun 09
We have had a Secret Sisters group at our church before, but are not doing it right now.
I have made peanut butter balls. You mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar like you said and then form into 1 inch balls. Then you dip the balls into melted chocolate or almond bark. Delicious, but probably not as pretty as yours.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
3 Jul 09
OH but I bet they tasted just as good. I love doing secret sisters. It's been fun to try and find things to purchase for mine this year. And my daughter's is even better. She drew the name of her boyfriend's mother! Poor Lisa has no idea. LOL Nathan is helping to throw her off the trail.
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Jun 09
Oh, yes! I've made those peanut butter cups. I gave everyone some for Christmas one year and they LOVED them! Only, I didn't make cups. I just made balls of the peanut butter/powdered sugar mixture and dipped them in melted chocolate, some milk chocolate and some white chocolate. For the white ones, I sprinkled on powdered chocolate; for the milk chocolate, I sprinkled on powdered sugar. They looked so pretty and everyone scooped them right up!
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
3 Jul 09
oo..I bet they did! I was thinking that I may just make some for us to eat here, because it really sounds good about now. We were all off work and out of school today for the three day holiday, so I fixed a brunch of bacon and eggs about 10:15. The problem is that now it's mid afternoon and we're all starving!
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
4 Jul 09
That's the trouble with brunches. You're not hungry at lunch time but can't wait for dinner time!
But, somewhere awhile back I read something on health that said we should take lessons from animals. They eat when they're hungry, sleep when they're tired and, uhh... well, you know... when they have to go. I know that's not possible for most of us, but since I was told to eat several smaller meals every day instead of 3 larger meals because of hypoglycemia, I thought that sounded like a pretty good idea and began taking "snacks" with me to work. They were healthy snacks, like bite sized veggies and some lowfat dressing, an orange, things like that. After awhile of that, I never got really hungry and my stomach shrank so I never ate too much. I've felt better since eating this way, too.
Of course there is the problem of sleeping when we're tired. You just can't lie down at work and take a nap. It's a shame because I think employers would have more productive employees if they were allowed to take 20 minute naps!
Hmmm, now that I've gotten WAY off track here, I guess I'll end this. I think I'll be making some of those peanut butter cups tomorrow! 
@GardenGerty (169590)
• United States
15 May 09
Somewhere I have a recipe for a homemade peanut butter cup recipe, but it is much more complicated than that. I got it from a 4-H display at the State Fair.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
18 May 09
Yeah, I have seen the much more complicated that this one too, and I don't use them for that very reason. I have to have something simple, because I don't have time for much else. I think that's why I love the Semi Homemade show on the Food Network, because she take store bought things and turns them into something extra ordinary!
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
26 May 09
oh my gosh. that sounds wonderful. i've never made those. i used to make peanut butter cookies tho and every kid in the neighborhood would stop by and gobble them when the kids were all little. i'd try that here ,your peanut butter cups, but i'll bet if i bring it up, she will say they dont care for them or something about the peanut butter scare.
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
18 Jun 09
I think if you're careful about peanut butter and look and make sure it doesn't come from the one plant (isn't it strange that I can't even remember now where it was?) you'll be alright. I just bought JIF all the time, because they put out a statement saying their peanut butter did not come from that processing plant.
@marites31 (267)
• Philippines
23 Jun 09
i will try your recipe for this peanut butter cups.
1 person likes this
