History: The best-known peanut-butter cups are made by Reese’s in an iconic round, tapered cup shape with fluted sides. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were created in 1928 by Harry Burnett Reese, who had formerly worked for Milton Hershey. Although Reese’s made several other kinds of candy, the peanut-butter cups in their distinctive brown, orange, and yellow wrapping remain popular today.

Serving suggestion: Wrap peanut-butter cups in gold foil and serve them in the Halloween candy bowl. Or pack them in boxed lunches for a special treat.

Candy-making note: Use a fluted cup mold or a mini muffin tin lined with fluted candy cups.

Recipe
1 pound milk chocolate
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt and temper the milk chocolate.

Use a small spoon or pastry brush to coat the cup molds with tempered chocolate. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the chocolate set.

Combine peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and salt in a bowl. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe the peanut butter mixture into the cups, filling to just below the top of the cups.

Cover the peanut butter mixture with the remaining tempered chocolate. Use an offset spatula to smooth the tops. Refrigerate peanut-butter cups until set (about one hour) before removing them from molds.

Yields: About 48 peanut-butter cups

Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

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Excerpted from Field Guide to Candy by Anita Chu. Copyright 2009 by Quirk Books. Excerpted with permission by Quirk Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.