Peanut Butter-Chocolate Twist Cupcakes

Yesterday (by the time I get this post up it will have been 2 days ago) I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes. Oh, wait. That would be Peanut Butter-Chocolate Twist Cupcakes. Anyway. I got the recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications - Cupcakes. I don't know what I was thinking. I worked all day and then picked up my daughter and decided to come home and bake a, not really complicated, but involved cupcake. Something that required more than dump, mix, and scoop. But I did it. I even had to take a break at one point so that I could play blocks and play kitchen with Bella in her room. (I even had a homemade chicken pot pie ready for the oven when my husband got home.) Ambitious I know, but it worked out. Anyway, due to my busy evening, I didn't get any pictures while I was baking so I will just provide the recipe and some pictures of the final product. (I will get better at this blogging thing, I promise.)

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Twist Cupcakes

Makes 34-36 cupcakes (I only got 25)

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

4 ounces of melted and cooled milk chocolate (I didn't have time to wait for it to cool because of the rug rat running around and my batter was way too thick)

1 recipe for peanut butter frosting

1 recipe for chocolate frosting

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line muffin pans with liners. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and beat until combined. Gradually add brown sugar and granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl; beat about 2 minutes more until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
3. Place half of the batter into a separate bowl; add melted chocolate. Beat with mixer on low speed just until the chocolate is combined. 
4. Fill prepared muffin cups by alternating spoonfuls of the peanut butter and chocolate batter, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Use a skewer to swirl the batter in each cup. (Had my chocolate batter not been so thick this would have been easy to do. So, once again, let the chocolate cool before adding it to the batter.)
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely.
6. Fit pastry bag with the tip of your choice. Spoon peanut butter frosting down one side of the pastry bag and spoon the chocolate frosting down the other side of the pastry bag. Pipe frosting into swirls onto the cupcakes

Peanut Butter Frosting
Allow 8 ounces of cream cheese to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, and 2 tsp of vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 6 cups of powdered sugar. Add milk 1 tsp at a time until it is piping consistency. Divide the frosting into 2 portions and set one aside for the chocolate frosting. (Makes two 1 1/2 cup portions.)
Chocolate Frosting
In a medium bowl combine one portion of the peanut butter frosting and 4 ounces of melted and cooled milk chocolate.
Beat on medium speed until combined. If necessary beat in additional milk or powdered sugar to get the consistency you need.  (Makes 1 1/2 cups.)

I had enough batter to make 25 cupcakes and enough frosting to frost 36, so I made a dozen vanilla cupcakes to use the frosting.