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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Peanut Butter Pudding in Chocolate Cups....yes, I am SERIOUS!

Once upon a time, there was chocolate, and peanut butter....

I know, I know, it's a classic combination eaten for years by people with excellent taste and an incurable sweet tooth.  Reeses got it all right with this one.  It seems everyone has a recipe marrying these two delightful treats together, cookies, bars, balls, cakes, cups, the list is endless.  I am married to a peanut butter nut, and our son is the same.  The kid used to microwave peanut butter and dip anything in it he could find.  
 
 
I got this peanut butter pudding recipe from Betty's Kitchen off of YouTube a long time ago.  I have made it in many forms, added many things, served it in mini tarts, large tarts, a bowl or just a spoon!!  When it's warm, its AH-MAZING.  I mean just in case you ever decide to sneak a bite while its still warm....I have only heard, I would never, ya know, DO something like that. 

(Let me preface this with one of my dirty little secrets.  I am TERRIFIED of balloons, or rather the POPPING of balloons.  Stop laughing, didn't your parents teach you not to laugh at others?!?!?!  Pfftt ;)

Well I decided to surprise my husband with peanut butter pudding for dessert tonight.  However, I decided to attempt chocolate bowls to put it in.  I have never done this so I did some reading, some video watching, and it's easy peasy!  I purchased my balloons, and learned, some balloons don't blow up perfectly round.  How does that happen?  I blew up darn near an entire bag until I had blown up 4 perfect little balloons.  They are in the fridge hardening, and the pudding is in the fridge setting up.  My husband is going to think he died and went to heaven.  I am not kidding, he will moan and groan an tell me 100 times how amazing it is.  I will soak up all the compliments and with some cornstarch on my face and wiping fake sweat from my brow say to him, "Oh honey, it was no problem, I knew you would love it and I would do anything for your happiness"  Or, ya know, something good and dramatic like that. HA!

So in this one blog will be two recipes.  Or rather, one recipe and one methodology.  Is that a word?  It is now!  My recipe will make 4 bowls and pudding to fill them.  Good luck!!

NOTE: These actually made huge bowls for one person.  By the time you fill them with pudding they are quite alot of food for a dessert.  Next time I will do them even smaller, probably half the size!  If you are feeding hearty appetites, go for it!


Chocolate Bowls
Blow up 4 balloons.  Only blow them up a little so they will work for small bowls!
1-11.5 ounce bag of choc chips.  You pick your sweetness, I always pick MILK CHOC.
Place in clean bowl and microwave until all melted.  Dip bottom 1/3 of balloon in chocolate, circling it around to coat.  Lift out and let drip, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Continue with other balloons.  Let harden in the refrigerator about 1 hour.  Dip again, to thicken the chocolate and place back on the backing sheet and in the refrigerator or freezer for 2 hours or longer.

Take scissors and snip the balloon near where it is tied.  It will shrivel up and you may need to pull a little but the balloon will come out.  Do not put pressure on the sides, might need to hold it underneath to get the balloon out!  When all balloons are removed, keep in fridge until it is time to serve.

Peanut Butter Pudding 
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk, cream or half and half  *I always use skim milk, use whatever you like or a combo*
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and milk with a whisk and heat to boiling, do NOT stop whisking!  After it boils, continue whisking for 1 more minute and remove from heat. 
Add vanilla and peanut butter and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place the wrap directly ON the surface of the pudding or it will get that disgusting skin that is the color of real skin and really we don't need to peel what looks like human skin off our pudding!  Refrigerate until ready to serve but at least 3 hours.

Remove all components, pudding and bowls.  Fill up the bowls and top with whipped cream or peanut butter cups!!  This is a dessert you will not soon forget.  Fill these bowls with strawberries, or ice cream!!!!

Now this is what I call chocolate dreams and peanut butter wishes!

Your "feels a cold coming on" chefwannabe
Chris

5 comments:

  1. Bobbi's Cozy Kitchen linked this on FB, totally awesome, and I do the fake sweat, and with kids, there's always flour thrown somewhere, we do what we must for guilt, oops, I mean to please the ones we love, lol

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  2. I've tried this balloon trick several times and every time I put the balloon into the chocolate it pops...I always use real chocolate I'm wondering if I should use the chocolate chips and try again or if it's just plain skill and talent? I've also tried the ice cubes and chocolate just slides off cube...I've stayed with brushing the chocolate on the inside of paper cups...Is there a trick? Thanks...btw they look great!

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  3. LOL @Joan, your a woman I can relate too!!! Tara, I am not sure. This was the first time I had done it, and it seemed to work ok. I just used chocolate chips because it is what I had on hand. Here is my problem with them. They are to big. I am going to use my silicone muffin pan next time and sort of paint the sides and pour the bottoms. Much more conducive to individual servings in my opinion and with it being flexible should be able to come right out! If you have one, try it that way. My balloons needed some coaxing on the bottoms, but I had the whole bowl in my hand and used my fingers to just kind of peel it out and tug when needed. Let me know if you try them again, how they come out!

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