Peanut butter, honey and chocolate cupcakes

Back to American inspired baking with my favourite peanut butter and chocolate combo but with the addition of honey.  These cupcakes are based on  my previously successful peanut butter cupcakes with a hidden surprise. It might seem like a honey overload but it worked really well.  I used honey peanut butter instead of normal peanut butter; substituted the sugar for honey and added a tablespoon of honey to the frosting as well.  I used leatherwood honey which I brought back from Australia. It's incredibly fragrant and tastes like real honey! I visited a local honey farm over there and had the best honey ice cream in the world.  This pot of honey has a lot of air miles and carbon footprints so I'll be looking at local sources once my supply runs out. If anyone has any recommendations, do let me know as honey is one of my favourite ingredients. 

I'm entering this to We Should Cocoa, a monthly blogging challenge created by Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog and Chele from Chocolate Teapot. Choclette is our lovely host this month and she has chosen honey as the special ingredient.  

I'm also entering these cupcakes to Tea Time Treats hosted by Kate from What Kate Baked and co-hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage. The theme for this month is fairy cakes, cupcakes and muffins. 

I bought these from America - mini Reese's peanut butter cups and a jar of peanut butter blended with honey. 

 adding melted chocolate to the frosting

 how cute are the mini peanut butter cups? 

 hidden (normal sized) peanut butter cup) inside 

Peanut butter cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

75g butter
130g honey peanut butter (you can use smooth peanut butter)
130g honey (+ 50g brown sugar if your honey is not too sweet)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
60ml semi-skimmed milk
12 Reese's peanut butter cups

Chocolate Buttercream frosting
175g dark chocolate
225g butter

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g icing sugar, sifted

• Preheat the oven to 160C.
• Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases. 
• Cream the butter, peanut butter and honey (and sugar if using) until well blended. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time and then stir in the vanilla extract. 
• Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.
• Add 1/3 of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well.
• Pour 1/3 of the milk and beat again.
• Repeat until all the flour and milk have been added. 
• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases - I used a large ice cream scoop. 
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes and remove from the oven. 
• Prepare your Reese's cups by removing the wrappers and case. 
• After 10 minutes, the tops of the cake will be cooked but the middle is still soft.
• Insert a peanut butter cup into each cupcake, pressing gently.
• Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-12 minutes until cooked.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. 
• Beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract, honey and icing sugar until smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and continue beating until thick and creamy.
• Pipe the chocolate frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate as desired.