Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

My husband's birthday was a couple of days ago, and today we will be celebrating with family. There will be children present, and there will be my husband and I present, which I decided meant we had to have cupcakes. Cupcakes that showcase the most glorious dessert combination known to man: chocolate and peanut butter.

These cupcakes are unusual, since there is no real frosting, but with the rich, sweet peanut butter filling, frosting would just be too much. These cupcakes are decadent with a capital D. Made with quality chocolate, all natural peanut butter, and a not-quite indecent (but almost) amount of butter, these are cupcakes fit for a birthday party. And the filling is so full of itself that it not only resides in the middle, but bursts forth from the top of the cupcake as well.

If you are better at food artistry than I am, you might be able to make these look prettier with a swirly pattern on top. Mine are more like little peanut butter volcanoes. But hey, they taste just as good!

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

the chocolate
2/3 cup white whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

the peanut butter filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

2. While the melted chocolate cools, make the peanut butter filling. Combine all the filling ingredients and stir together until smooth. Set aside.

3. Whisk granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

4. Preheat oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate batter into each lined cup, followed by 1 tablespoon peanut butter filling. Repeat with another tablespoon of chocolate, and top with 1 teaspoon peanut butter filling. Swirl top of cupcake batter and filling with a wooden skewer or toothpick.

4. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in muffin tin before removing cupcakes.

Enjoy, whether it's your birthday or not!