Well, it’s the New Year.
All you people are fresh and sparkly and full of resolutions and new beginnings.
Me? I’m about the same.
I am definitely not fresh and sparkly.
I am tired and need a shower.
I mean, I didn’t have any major, party people plans for NYE, but I did stay up and watch the ball drop.
My 7 year old was slightly disappointed with the whole “ball” situation.
He was fully expecting there to be damage. Anything less than the ball smashing, shattering glass and oozing lava was completely unacceptable.
So when the ball began it’s 2012 decent at the usual geriatric speed, I could see his thoughts loud and clear: “I stayed up for THIS?”
On top of that, we were watching Ryan Seacrest’s NYE special and I don’t know about you, but Jenny McCarthy frankly scares the poop out of me and I was worried the children might have nightmares.
My NYE in a nutshell.
But anyway, since I stayed up past midnight, I will now be moving at geriatric speed all day long.
Maybe tomorrow too.
And since I am so tired, I am a little cranky, which makes me want to squish-squash all your New Year’s diet resolutions.
So I made Peanut Butter Cup Spread.
It’s basically the filling of a peanut butter cup, in spread form.
Spread it on your graham crackers, a chocolate bar, your toast, a sandwich, or even your {gasp} celery.
But ideally on a spoon to shovel into your face when no one’s looking.
Get on it.
I want to tell you guys how very easy this spread is.
BUT trying to come up with an honest replication of the innards of a Peanut Butter Cup wasn’t as easy as I had anticipated.
Yes, I have made Peanut Butter Balls before, yes, I’ve made Buckeyes, and yessss I’ve even made Peanut Butter Eggs.
And while all of those are delicious, the peanut butter filling isn’t very spreadable.
It took me 5 tries, 6 cups of peanut butter, 2 pounds of powdered sugar, a whole box of graham crackers, 413 curse words and infinity tears to crack the code.
Round one…I thought I would be all smart and use my blender.
Well.
This worked. Until I went and added too much milk.
Trash.
Curse 1-6.
Then I tried it again. In the blender.
Then I didn’t add enough milk and overheated the blender. Which subsequently makes everything in the blender hot, and in this case greasy.
Curse 7-30.
So then I tried it in the mixer.
Better.
Then I messed it up again by adding too much other stuff.
Curse 31-267.
Meanwhile my kitchen started to look like this…
Another try, too crumbly…
Curse 268-412.
Then I stopped taking pictures because I was over it.
But I’m not one to let peanut butter beat me.
And I had one more cup left.
So I went for it…and it worked.
This is the only picture I have of the final product being made…
Curse 413.
Any guesses?
Finally…
Happy New Year!
Print
Peanut Butter Cup Spread
Description
makes about 2 1/2 cups spread
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2–3 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs (about 1/2 a full cracker)
Instructions
- In mixer cream together peanut butter and butter until smooth.
- Add in powdered sugar and salt and beat until mixed in. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Slowly add in milk and turn mixer up to medium-high until a spreadable consistency forms.
- Add in graham cracker crumbs and mix until incorporated.
Notes
serve on cookies, crackers, sandwiches etc.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
If you choose to refrigerate, let it come to room temperature before serving.
Thank you for all of your trial and error so that you could bring us this madfully sinful spread! 🙂 Happy new year, Shelly! (And, I’m with your son. If I’m going to stay up that late, I need to see some destruction!) 😉
I can’t tell you how happy this post makes me as a self proclaimed peanut butter addict. I think the picture with the pb spread on the Hershey bar is my favorite thing ever. I’m walking into my kitchen to make this now. And I agree about New Years, one of my resolutions this year was to never stay up til midnight on New Years Eve again… overrated!
I’m almost sorry I’ve seen this recipe, as it means my ‘healthy intentions’ for the new year have gone out the window (who I am kidding?!)
What did you end up doing with the extra batches? 😉 Sounds like a worthwhile whirlwind to me! Perhaps it would make for a smoother batch if you started off with homemade peanut butter; I love the thin consistency of it, and it gives that great nutty taste without the thickness that I find over-thickens/chunkifies any sort of dip I want to make. Just a thought, but this recipe is great at any rate. Cheers!
OMG I was laughing out loud as I read your story, that my son had to ask me what was so funny and he had to peak at what I was reading…I’m sure he was not expecting a story on how to make peanut butter spread! I can’t wait to make this…I LOVE Reese’s cups minus the chocolate…well …sometimes I eat the chocolate. Thanks for your trials and tribulations.
It is a good thing you don’t pay your kids a $1 for each curse word!!! LOL 😉
Thanks again for sharing!!!
Yes! Who needs resolutions anyway? Glad you pulled through, and figured this out, because this is amazing!
I’m so glad you persevered! What a creation and I like how it can be eaten with a candy bar. Love.
The ball drop is completely anti-climactic, right? I just don’t get it. Oh, and my New Year’s resolution is to cut down on sugar–your blog is going to break me, I know it! This looks goooood.
I wonder if you can use Nutella instead of peanut butter?
I don’t see why not!
oh the torment of trial and error. glad you didn’t give up!!