Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

 There's actually nothing more delicious than the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. This I am sure. The batter is filled with crushed peanut butter M&Ms for an even more special treat, and the frosting is topped with Hershey's Milk Chocolate shavings. 

I had some extra butter milk so I decided to find a good recipe online. This one got some great reviews, and the batter was delish.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
9 oz. Peanut butter M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk and water mixture, beating well after each addition. 

Place peanut butter M&M's in a plastic bag and use the back of a spoon or back of a frying pan to break them. If you prefer, you can make a rough chop with a big knife, but this takes longer! Feel free to add more or less based on preference. Stir just until combined. Spoon heaping tablespoons into prepared baking cups (2/3 full) and bake 15-20 minutes.

The peanut butter frosting was taken right from Martha Stewart of course. I like this frosting because the whipped cream really makes it nice and light as compared to some of the other cream cheese peanut butter frostings.

Finally I took a knife to a block of Hershey's Milk Chocolate to make some pretty shavings. These are also great topped with a half of a Reece's Pieces (or mini!).   

Enjoy!