Has anyone made these, i.e., sort of like the Reeses's Peanut Butter
Cups? I've seen two basic recipe variants. Most commonly, peanut butter
is mixed with powdered sugar, 2:1 ratio, for the filling. The other,
from a Tyler Florence show, uses a mousse:
<http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/...OD_9936_24657_
PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html>

Any reason to favor the Tyler Florence version? The recipe is called
"Frozen Peanut Butter Cups"; does this imply that the cup filling is
overly soft at room temperature? All the recipes use plain semi-sweet
chocolate for the shell.

Some of the recipes call for adding vegetable shortening to the melted
chocolate. How would this effect the shell's texture?

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I had always been told that adding a vegetable shortening or something along
those lines added the 'sheen' or shiny effect to the chocolate when it
melted, for example when many people do the coconut and peanut butter balls
in my neck of the woods around Christmas, you can always tell who added the
shortening and who didn't. It just seems to make the chocolate a little bit
'smoother'



--

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I do not wish to expiate, but to live.
My life is for itself and not for a spectacle.
I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain,
so it be genuine and equal, than that it should be glittering and unsteady.
I wish it to be sound and sweet, and not to heed diet and bleeding."

"It is not attention the child is seeking, but love" - Sigmund Freud
"Scott" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone made these, i.e., sort of like the Reeses's Peanut Butter
> Cups? I've seen two basic recipe variants. Most commonly, peanut butter
> is mixed with powdered sugar, 2:1 ratio, for the filling. The other,
> from a Tyler Florence show, uses a mousse:
> <http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/...OD_9936_24657_
> PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html>
>
> Any reason to favor the Tyler Florence version? The recipe is called
> "Frozen Peanut Butter Cups"; does this imply that the cup filling is
> overly soft at room temperature? All the recipes use plain semi-sweet
> chocolate for the shell.
>
> Some of the recipes call for adding vegetable shortening to the melted
> chocolate. How would this effect the shell's texture?
>
> --
> to respond, change "spamless.invalid" with "optonline.net"
> please mail OT responses only

In article >,
"Emily Quesenberry" > wrote:

> I had always been told that adding a vegetable shortening or something along
> those lines added the 'sheen' or shiny effect to the chocolate when it
> melted, for example when many people do the coconut and peanut butter balls
> in my neck of the woods around Christmas, you can always tell who added the
> shortening and who didn't. It just seems to make the chocolate a little bit
> 'smoother'

It also lowers the melting point.

Miche

--
If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
-- Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"

"Scott" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone made these, i.e., sort of like the Reeses's Peanut Butter
> Cups? I've seen two basic recipe variants. Most commonly, peanut butter
> is mixed with powdered sugar, 2:1 ratio, for the filling. The other,
> from a Tyler Florence show, uses a mousse:
> <http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/...OD_9936_24657_
> PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html>
>
> Any reason to favor the Tyler Florence version? The recipe is called
> "Frozen Peanut Butter Cups"; does this imply that the cup filling is
> overly soft at room temperature? All the recipes use plain semi-sweet
> chocolate for the shell.
>
> Some of the recipes call for adding vegetable shortening to the melted
> chocolate. How would this effect the shell's texture?


The mousse one sounds interesting..I may have to give that a try. It sounds
as if it's being frozen for the chocolate's sake more than the filling, but
who knows. I guess making the filling would be the best way to know the
consistency Shucks! lol
Adding shortening to chocolate is something some people do to thin it when
melting and using for coating. Using a good chocolate makes this not only
unnecessary, but IMO, a sacrilege. Making good peanut butter cups is
actually very easy. You can make mini with the candy cups sold in stores
like Michael's, or you can take the time to trim regular cup cake cups to
make full size.
Melt & temper some good chocolate. The easiest way is to save out a chunk
and melt the rest, then stir the chunk in the melted chocolate until you can
touch it to your lip and it is neither hot nor cold. Not exactly scientific,
but it works for this. Of course, you can google chocolate tempering for
more exact instructions.
I use a paint brush to paint the chocolate into the cups and allow it to set
up. You can do that well in advance, actually, but it helps to do it when
you're making the candy so you don't have to prepare the chocolate twice! I
like to get chunky peanut butter and whiz it in the processor until it's
somewhere between creamy and chunky, more towards creamy, but with a little
texture. Next, melt it slowly either in a double boiler or over low heat.
Let it cool to room temp, then spoon into the chocolate cups. Top with more
chocolate, tap to level and let set. You can chill them if you just can't
wait to have one, but letting them set up at room temp makes them more
flavorful (chill kills flavor), IMO.

kimberly

"Scott" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone made these, i.e., sort of like the Reeses's Peanut Butter
> Cups? I've seen two basic recipe variants. Most commonly, peanut butter
> is mixed with powdered sugar, 2:1 ratio, for the filling. The other,
> from a Tyler Florence show, uses a mousse:

I've made them with the powdered sugar recipe. They're really good.
Haven't heard of the Tyler Florence method, but sounds like a fun
experiment...let us know how it goes!

> Some of the recipes call for adding vegetable shortening to the melted
> chocolate. How would this effect the shell's texture?
>

As previously stated, the shortening adds sheen and smoothness. Makes the
chocolate a lot easier to work with. Be *really* careful not to get even a
drop of water into the chocolate mixture, or it will sieze up on you (i.e.
get clumpy and stiff). If that happens, you can add more shortening and
keep stirring to try to resolve it.

Chris and Bob Neidecker wrote:

> "Scott" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Has anyone made these, i.e., sort of like the Reeses's Peanut Butter
>>Cups? I've seen two basic recipe variants. Most commonly, peanut butter
>>is mixed with powdered sugar, 2:1 ratio, for the filling. The other,
>>from a Tyler Florence show, uses a mousse:
>
>
> I've made them with the powdered sugar recipe. They're really good.
> Haven't heard of the Tyler Florence method, but sounds like a fun
> experiment...let us know how it goes!
>
>
>>Some of the recipes call for adding vegetable shortening to the melted
>>chocolate. How would this effect the shell's texture?
>>
>
>
> As previously stated, the shortening adds sheen and smoothness. Makes the
> chocolate a lot easier to work with. Be *really* careful not to get even a
> drop of water into the chocolate mixture, or it will sieze up on you (i.e.
> get clumpy and stiff). If that happens, you can add more shortening and
> keep stirring to try to resolve it.
>
>

I wonder if cocoa butter or palm kernal oil might work as well as
shortening? Cocoa butter seems more natural somehow, and would contribute
some flavor as long as you don't buy deodorized cocoa butter.

Bob

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 23:27:07 -0600, zxcvbob >
> wrote:
>
> >I wonder if cocoa butter or palm kernal oil might work as well as
> >shortening? Cocoa butter seems more natural somehow, and would
contribute
> >some flavor as long as you don't buy deodorized cocoa butter.
>
> Some recipes call for paraffin (wax). I kinda like the veggie
> shortening better (or even coconut oil - which is solid at room
> temp). Is palm kernel oil solid at room temp? I've never seen it
> sold in stores (it's supposedly really nasty shit - or is that
> palm oil?).
>
> -sw

If you're using good chocolate, you don't need anything added. You have to
be careful what cocoa butter you buy...some will make it so the chocolate
doesn't completely harden at room temp. Adding any of the ingredients
mentioned will make it so the chocolate melts in hand faster and will likely
need refrigeration. Ok, if you like your Reese's cups cold! lol

kimberly