Peanut Butter Cupcakes w/Nutella

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, room temp

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin wells with paper cupcake liners.

2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

3) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Mix in egg. Add vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until batter smooth.

4) On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

5) Fill each liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/3 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. There will be cracks on the top. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Honey Nut Filling

1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

1/4 cups chopped almonds (blanched or without skins)

2 1/2 heaping tablespoons of honey

1) Combine peanuts and almonds and mix well. Add honey and stir to completely coat the nut mixture.

2) Once cupcakes are cool, use the cone method and fill each cupcake with a generous spoonful of the honey nut mixture. Replace top of cake.

Nutella Buttercream

Recipe adapted from French for Cupcake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup nutella

8 ounces powdered sugar

2 tablespoons (or more) of milk or cream

1) Cream together the butter and Nutella until blended.

2) Add the powdered sugar gradually until ingredients are combined.

3) Mix on high speed, adding cream until frosting is smooth and creamy.