ROLD GOLD^® Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Step 1
Pretzel-Chocolate Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Step 2
In food processor, pulse ROLD GOLD^® Classic Thin Pretzels to make 1 ½ cups pretzel crumbs. Reserve 6 tbsp pretzel crumbs and set aside.

Step 3
In small bowl, stir together remaining pretzel crumbs, butter and brown sugar until blended. Press 1 tbsp crumb mixture into bottom of each muffin cup.

Step 4
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Sprinkle 1 tsp chocolate chips on top of each crust. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate chips are soft. Spread chocolate to make an even layer. Let cool completely.

Step 5
Peanut Butter Filling: In another small bowl, stir together peanut butter, reserved pretzel crumbs and confectioners’ sugar until mixture is dry but soft and fudgy. Scoop 1 tsp peanut butter filling and shape into a ball. Repeat with remaining peanut butter filling. Drop a peanut butter pretzel ball into each muffin cup.

Step 6
Cake: In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 7
In medium bowl, using handheld electric mixer, beat together eggs, buttermilk, oil, 1/4 cup water and vanilla until combined. Add eggs mixture to dry mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes or until just combined. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.

Step 8
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center of a cupcake. Let cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Step 9
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting: In heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (ensuring bowl does not touch water), whisk together sugar and egg whites. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch.

Step 10
Transfer egg whites mixture to electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat egg whites mixture on high speed until fluffy and cooled, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. One tbsp at a time, beat in butter. Beat in peanut butter until smooth.

Step 11
Transfer frosting to medium piping bag fitted with medium piping tip. Pipe frosting over cupcakes.

Step 12
Pretzel Topping: In small piping bag with tip cut off, add peanut butter. Drizzle peanut butter on buttercream icing. Top each cupcake with a ROLD GOLD^® Classic Thin Pretzel.