Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This may be the first time I have baked for absolutely no reason whatsoever...and it most certainly will not be the last. I was so good about following the recipe this time...at least the cupcake part. I made them mini, and I think I only baked them for about 6-8 minutes before they were done. The ones that I pressed 2-4 peanut butter chocolate chips into were SO GOOD!  For the frosting, I left out the peanutbutter, b/c I felt there was enough peanutbutter going on in this recipe and it needed some solid chocolate to even it out. The frosting was thinner than I expected, so I still haven't gotten to do a cupcake where I pipe on the decor, but they were tasty!  I kept them refrigerated b/c the whipping cream made me nervous and the frosting tended to get really soft after sitting out too long.

In the future, I may do a darker chocolate frosting that is more of a butter-cream or cream cheese type. All that said...they were delicious!

Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 oz good quality dark chocolate
1/2 stick butter, room temp
4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups milk
1 cup peanutbutter chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting
3oz milk chocolate
1/2 stick butter cut into small pieces
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
Peanut-chocolate candies (peanut M&M's, Reese's Pieces etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Set aside and cool.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cooled chocolate and blend well. Alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few peanut chocolate chips over each cupcake, gently pressing them into the batter with a fork. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
6. To make the frosting: heat chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a microwave until just melted.
7. Remove from heat and cool. Using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat sugar, salt, cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture and peanut butter and beat until blended. Put the frosting in the refrigerator until it thickens (about 20-30 minutes).
8. Remove from refrigerator, beat until frosting is of spreading consistency and frost cooled cupcakes. Decorate with peanut-chocolate candies.