Chocolate Peanutbutter Cupcakes (Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes)

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 recipe of Peanut Butter Frosting
1 recipe of Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
shaved milk chocolate and/or bite-size chocolate covered peanut butter cups, halved

Directions:
1. Allow butter and eggs to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter; beat until combined. Gradually add brown sugar and sugar, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape side of bowl; beat about 2 minutes more or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
3. Place half of the batter into a separate mixing bowl; add melted chocolate. Beat with electric mixer on low speed just until combined.
4. Fill prepared muffin cups by alternating spoonfuls of peanut butter batter and chocolate batter, filling each cup about 2/3 full. (They WILL puff up a lot at end of cooking!)
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
6. Fit a pastry bag with a round or star tip. Spoon Peanut Butter Frosting along one side of the bag; spoon Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting along other side of the bag (frostings will be side by side in the bag). Pipe frostings in swirls onto cupcakes. Top with shaved chocolate and/or peanut butter cup halves.


Peanut Butter Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
milk

1. Allow cream cheese to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches piping consistency. Divide frosting into two portions (if making Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting)


Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 batch of Peanut Butter Frosting
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
extra powdered sugar and/or milk

1. In a medium bowl combine one portion of the Peanut Butter Frosting and milk chocolate, melted and cooled. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. If necessary, beat in additional powdered sugar or milk until frosting reaches piping consistency.