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1. For the cupcakes: bake your cupcakes using the cake mix according to the instructions on the box, or if you feel like being an overachiever, bake your favorite 'from scratch' chocolate cake recipe. If you use a boxed mix, I fill my cups to at least 1/4 cup full, which means it only makes 18 cupcakes. I like 'em big. Let cupcakes cool.
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2. For the icing (this recipe is all over the net): mix the room temperature butter, half of the milk, and peanut butter. Begin gradually adding the powdered sugar and remaining milk. (Sometimes I need to add a little more milk, sometimes I don't add all the powdered sugar-it's 'weather permitting.' Just play around until you like the way it looks.)
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3. Place Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (about one per cupcake) in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Pull them out and chop them up. Set aside for garnish.
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4. Ice cupcakes. I like to put at least 3 tablespoons of icing on each cupcake. Unless you are married to a dentist, the more the better-even if it's too sweet with this much icing, you can scrape it off later, but it adds to the cupcake drama impact. Drama is a good thing in cupcakes.
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5. For the ganache: Melt the chocolate pieces (milk chocolate or semi sweet, whatever you like best) in a small bowl. Stir in the oil. Dip your cupcakes into the ganache. (This covered 18 cupcakes perfectly, so if you have more, you may need more ganache.)
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6. Drop Reese's bits on top of cupcakes for garnish.
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7. Set cupcakes aside to dry (they may drip a little), about 2-3 hours, or overnight (to speed drying, throw them in the fridge). The ganache will set and harden (it reminds me a dipped ice cream cone from Dairy Queen).
