Giant Peanut Butter Cup

Giant Peanut Butter Cup recipe

This year I fear Hallowe’en may be a bit of a damp squib. Even though my boys are now men, I still like to carve a pumpkin and hand out all the sweets. To keep things Covid safe, I will still leave a cauldron of sweets out for the little ones, but we’ll be sitting indoors eating a Giant Peanut Butter Cup, possibly dressed as pumpkins.

My peanut butter obsession continues with this huge take on one of my favourite chocolate treats. I am a big Reeces fan and this homage couldn’t be any bigger if it tried. Even though this is big, that’s where the drama ends. The recipe just involves a bit of melting and beating; the key to your success, however, comes with buttering/spraying your chosen tin. I’ve learnt from my mistakes; if you use a loose bottom tin, for God’s sake, line it with baking paper as the chocolate will try and make a break for it through the gaps. If your tin’s well lubed up, the peanut butter cup should pop out relatively drama free. Another tiny tip is to leave your huge treat out of the fridge for a little while before cutting it, if not the chocolate may shatter when you cut into it *mine did*.

Hallowe’en needn’t be crap this year. Still buy all the outfits, still decorate your front garden *if you’re local all things spooky available from our amazing A Party Palace*, just enjoy them whilst sitting indoors eating your Giant Peanut Butter Cup.

So few ingredients for something so huge and tasty. I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate, but you can use all milk if you would rather. Again, the recipe called for smooth peanut butter but go crunchy if that’s what you have, it will still be bloody lovely.

Start with your tin. Using either spray release or melted butter, make sure your tin is properly buttered up. Lining the tin will also help with any release issues and stop the chocolate seeping out if yours is a loose bottom tin. Next, melt half the chocolate either in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water.

Pour this into your chosen tin, smoothing into an even layer and ensuring the sides are also coated.

Pop this into the fridge or freezer to set. Obvs the freezer will set the chocolate far more speedily than the fridge so if you’re in a hurry go for the freezer option. This will take between 15 to 30 minutes. While the base is chilling, make the peanut filling by beating the soft butter and peanut butter until smooth-ish.

Adding a little at time to prevent an icing sugar snow storm, mix in the icing sugar until you have a soft doughy mixture.

Once your chocolate base has set, remove from the fridge and press the peanut mixture onto the chocolate into an even-ish layer.

Melt the second half of your chocolate then pour onto the peanut butter and push to the edges to ensure a good coverage.

Pop this into the fridge/freezer for around an hour until completely set.

I used a loose bottom tin, so I carefully released the sides without too much of a kerfuffle.

Pop onto a serving plate and leave to warm up a little before cutting into modest wedges, this will avoid any unnecessary chocolate crackage. But who cares if it cracks, it still tastes amazing *mine cracked*.

So 2020 has had a truck load more tricks than treats thus far. So let’s even things up just a tiny bit with this bloody great big treat.

Lucy x

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Giant Peanut Butter Cup recipe

Makes one bloody great big 20cm round treat

You will need a lined and buttered 20cm round fluted tin and a mixer or bowl and a hand whisk or wooden spoon

500g chocolate, I used half milk half dark

360g smooth peanut butter, although I can imagine crunchy would work too

90g soft butter

240g icing sugar

A big glass of milk to accompany a slice or two

Take your chosen 20cm round tin and butter/spray liberally and line with a circle of baking paper.

Melt half the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments or on the stove over a pan of simmering water. Pour the melted chocolate into your tin, smoothing into a level layer and making sure the chocolate also coats the sides of the tin. Pop into the freezer while you make the filling. You could also refrigerate this too if time’s not of the essence.

For the filling beat the peanut butter and soft butter until well mixed. Do this in your mixer, or in a bowl with a hand whisk or wooden spoon. Add the icing sugar a bit at a time until smooth.

Remove the chocolate base from the freezer/fridge and press the peanut filling onto the set chocolate leveling the top. Melt the rest of the chocolate then pour over the filling in an even layer. Pop back into the freezer/fridge until set, this will take around an hour in the fridge, less in the freezer.

Remove from the fridge and allow to warm up a little before cutting into modest wedges and devouring. If you cut this straight from the fridge, the chocolate will crack when cut.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for around a week.