How did this weekend fly by? I was not ready to start a new week but here it is, April, and well, might as well embrace it.

I got to do a lot of baking this past weekend and even created a recipe! It has been a chocolate-themed weekend for sure.

I recently was given the opportunity to review some peanut butter. I have been enjoying eating it with Fuji apples, carrots, and pretzels for my snacks or even my lunch.

Have you heard of PB Crave? It is peanut butter with a twist and unfortunately it is not vegan because it uses milk products in 3 of its flavors and honey in all 4 flavors. Either way, I was glad to be able to taste and review this product because the company has created a great cause.

Curt’s Peanut Butter Company, based in Minnesota, creates 4 unique peanut butter flavors with premium ingredients.

Choco Choco Peanut Butter–made with sweet and dark chocolate

CoCo Bananas Peanut Butter–made with dark chocolate and banana flavor

Razzle Dazzle Peanut Butter–made with white and dark chocolate and raspberry flavors

Cookie Nookie Peanut Butter–made with chocolate chips and cookie dough flavor

All their peanut butters are made with palm oil, peanuts, and cocoa butter and their chocolate is Belgium chocolate too! While I have had 2 weeks to savor these flavors I only liked 2 of them.

The Razzle Dazzle and the Choco Choco flavors were by far my favorites. The Cookie Nookie and CoCo Bananas flavoring did not appeal to me. The blend of flavors was nice but it was not my favorite even though I like bananas and all.

Did you know that with every bottle the company sells that 2% of the proceeds go a non-profit organization called Project Peanut Butter that focuses on treating malnourished children.

I plan to continue purchasing the flavors that I enjoyed. I even created a recipe using the Razzle Dazzle peanut butter too. Feel free to substitute your favorite vegan peanut butter to make this recipe vegan.

The cupcake is vegan but the frosting is not. I made 26 cupcakes and took it to a party with more than 10 kids and they all liked it!

The process was fun because I finally got to use my cupcake corer. I had been hand carving my own cores when preparing cupcakes that I caved in and finally bought one. Ha! They are fun and easy to use too!

Thanks PB Crave for letting me have a chance to review your yummy products!

Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter Icing

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 45-60 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate peanut butter cupcakes

Ingredients (26 cupcakes)

Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups So Delicious coconut milk
2/3 cups vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Icing

1 cup PB Crave White Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter ( or vegan peanut butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 sticks Earth Balance margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons So Delicious coconut milk

Instructions

For Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350. Use regular cupcake tins and line with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar let it sit for 3-5 minutes until it curdles like buttermilk. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and stirring with a spoon, fold and mix together until the batter is fairly smooth–a few dry spots will be okay–you don’t want to over mix–thus the spoon technique. Use a 1/4 measuring cup for smaller–either way, fill the cupcake holders to 1/2 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely for about 45 minutes. Prepare icing.

For Icing

In a mixer, add the peanut butter and margarine and whip until combined. Sift the powdered sugar and add the coconut milk and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are combined well and smooth.

Assembly

Using a cupcake corer or a serrated knife, make a hole midway into the center of the cupcake. Add half the icing into a pastry bag and add 1-2 Tablespoons to the center of the cupcake. Add the cupcake center on top of the icing.

Ice each cupcake with 2-3 Tablespoons of icing using a flat icing knife or spoon. Top with one chocolate cup for decoration.

*note* To make recipe vegan, use vegan peanut butter. This PB Crave product contains honey.

I FORGOT the giveaway friends!

ONE person (US Reader) will win

A PB Crave Natural Peanut Butter Variety Pack (3 pack / 16 ounce jars) given by the company:

1 CoCo Banana

1 Cookie Nookie

1 Razzle Dazzle

and

I will throw in one of those CUPCAKE Corer

What are the ways to enter?

Just tell me which flavor you would love to taste! (mandatory)

extra entries: (leave a comment for each)

Follow Opera Singer in the Kitchen on Twitter and Facebook
Follow PB Crave on Twitter and Facebook
Tweet giveaway “Artisan crafted peanut butters–Enter for a chance to win a 3 pack & a cupcake corer #giveaway http://bit.ly/HDc0MW“