With my birthday this weekend and good news about the results of my licensure exam from last Friday, it’s time to celebrate here on the blog. And I can’t think of any better way to celebrate than with peanut butter-flavored vodka! Yup, I infused some Tito’s with mini Reese’s and made little chocolate cups to serve my peanut butter-chocolate cocktail in. The result is a fun party treat that combines some of my favorite things: peanut butter, chocolate, and of course, vodka. Another edible shot glass to add to the list (including chocolate covered strawberry ones) because we all know chocolate makes for an excellent chaser!
In order to make peanut butter cup flavored vodka, you can either buy something like “NutLiquor” if you can find it anywhere in a store near you (I couldn’t), or you can just let a handful of Reese’s hang out in some vodka for a week to infuse all the delicious flavors. I’ve had all sorts of fruit-infused vodkas, but this was my first time experimenting with candy-infused alcohol, and I’m so excited to try more! The vodka definitely had a strong chocolate-peanut butter flavor, and tasted even more delicious when combined with some chocolate milk, Bailey’s, and a bit of melted peanut butter. I made the chocolate cups out of milk chocolate to keep true to the Reese’s combination and used this silicone mold to really mimic the look of a Reese’s. They were a hit with my friends and I think it made for a great change-up to to all the jello shots I’ve been making the past year :)
So go ahead and grab a bag of mini Reese’s, some vodka, and a glass jar to start infusing so they’re ready for next weekend! It takes a bit of patience, and somewhat of a strong stomach to watch the chocolates slightly disintegrate in the liquid over time, but no fear – once you strain out all the chocolate pieces, you’re left with an amazing smelling and smooth, infused vodka. Cheers!
Peanut Butter Cup Shots
Recipe adapted from A Day Dreamer Desserts
Ingredients:
for the peanut butter cup infused vodka:
1/3 cup mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 cup vodka (I used Tito's)
for the chocolate cups:
10 oz milk chocolate chips
chocolate mold
for the peanut butter cocktail:
1 part peanut butter cup infused vodka
1 part chocolate milk
1 part Bailey's Irish Cream liquor
Drizzle of melted peanut butter
Directions:
for the peanut butter cup infused vodka:
- Combine peanut butter cups and vodka in a glass jar with a lid. Close lid tightly and store in a dry, cool place for at least 7 days to infused the flavors. Shake the jar at least once a day.
- After 7 days, use a fine meshed sieve to strain out the chocolate and transfer to another jar. Store vodka in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
for the chocolate cups:
- Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe dish for 30 second intervals, stirring between each round, until completely melted and smooth.
- Use a brush, spoon, or offset spatula to spread a layer of chocolate on all of the sides of each mold. Pop the mold in the freezer for 5 minutes to let the chocolate set. Patch up any spots that are missing chocolate and store chocolate cups in the fridge until ready to use.
for the peanut butter cocktail:
- Combine the infused vodka, chocolate milk, Bailey's, and a drizzle of melted peanut butter in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously so the peanut butter gets distributed. Pour mixture into chocolate cups.
- The yield of this recipe really varies depending on how much of your infused vodka you want to use and how many chocolate cups you made. That's why I kept the cocktail recipe in parts so you can alter it based on how many you're serving!
Oh my gosh you are absolutely evil making these! Love!
You have the results of your licensing exam already? Times have certainly changed! I had to wait forever! Congratulations!!!!!!!
What an amazing idea! Love all the ingredients too – can never go wrong with chocolate and PB……and well, some vodka! :)
These are so cute and sound delicious. You’re so creative! Happy early birthday and congrats on your exam. These sound like a great way to celebrate!
holy cow! as if I didn’t have an addiction to the creamy crunchy salty stuff already! I’ve pinned and can’t wait to when I have a chance to make it. Thanks a bunch, and congrats on your achievement.
I love the sound of these! They look so good too!
These sound amazing. I hope you had a wonderful birthday
I don’t really understand how to make the cups. How do you make them so that they’re just cups, and not filled with chocolate also?
I made these over the weekend for Wifey’s birthday, because she LOVES Reece’s cups, here’s my experience:
First let me say that I found the fact that was no yield listed frustrating in trying to figure out how much of the ingredients I would need on hand. “The yield of this recipe really varies depending on how much of your infused vodka you want to use and how many chocolate cups you made. That’s why I kept the cocktail recipe in parts so you can alter it based on how many you’re serving!” WWJD? (What Would Julia [Child] Do?) She would give a yield! :) (so that you can multiply or divide or alter based on what your desired outcome is, as the yield gives a baseline.)
Ok, other than that, the recipe was easy to follow.
Wifey is mildly allergic to cane sugar and dairy, so I had to alter the recipe accordingly, which quite certainly affected the outcome. Her allergies meant I couldn’t use milk chocolate for the cups or chocolate milk for the filling (and prob shouldn’t have used Bailey’s, but whatevs) and had to use the natural peanut butter that is made from only peanuts and salt.
For the cups I used 12 ozs of 100% Ghiradelli’s chocolate bars (3 bars of 4oz each), then slowly added them to warmed up soy milk (3/4 c.) and coconut sugar (1 ½ c.) until melted. I did this to make my own milk chocolate that Wifey would be able to eat, it still came out like dark chocolate.
For the vodka, I used 1c vodka with about ½ c peanut butter (the peanuts and salt only kind) and let it sit for a week as directed.
Then for the filling I used 1c peanut butter infused vodka, 1c Bailey’s, about 2 or 3 Tablespoons peanut butter and maybe I Tablespoon cocoa powder. Mixed it all together (though powder didn’t really mix).
Using mini-muffin cups (be sure to grease the inside of the paper muffin cup, to keep chocolate from sticking to the paper!), I got a yield of 75 Reece’s shots out of the 12ozs of chocolate and the filling mix I made.
Now for how it came out: rich. While Wifey loved them, these were not the hit I had thought they’d be. My theory is they were too rich, maybe that is because of the dark chocolate. Actually one person told me the shot part was really good, but once she got to the chocolate cup it was too much. Like I said I made 75 mini-cups, and I think we ended up with probably about 50 left over. Maybe this was the fault of the chocolate being too dark, I would be willing to try it as only a shot, serving only the filling mixture, but with lower hopes of it being a blockbuster.
So that was my experience, take it with a grain of salt, as I had certain limitations which caused for significant alterations.
they now make peanut butter whiskey – I will use that instead of the vodka