Ingredients

  • FOR THE PRETZEL CRUST:
  • 1-1/2 cup Salted Pretzels, Crushed
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • FOR THE CUPCAKE:
  • 2-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1-1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 cups Light Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 cups Canola Or Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 cups Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1-1/2 cup Buttermilk Or Substitute A Scant 1 1/2 Cups Milk With 1 1/2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice Stirred In
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • FOR THE GANACHE:
  • 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
  • FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
  • 2-1/2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • 12 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • 5 cups Confectioners Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 2/3 cups Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Crushed Salted Pretzels, For Topping

Method

  • First, start with the pretzel crust. Process the pretzels in a food processor until you have a fine crumb. Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in the microwave (keeping an eye on it so it doesn't scorch) and pour over the crushed pretzels mixing until pretzels are evenly coated.
  • Line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners and spoon a tablespoon of the pretzel mixture into each liner, set aside.
  • Preheat your oven to 375 F.
  • In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, set aside.
  • In a large bowl beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, oil, and applesauce until combined. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition, set aside.
  • Measure out the buttermilk (milk and lemon juice) in a measuring up and stir in the vanilla. Add even amounts of the flour mixture and the milk mixture alternately into the peanut butter/brown sugar mixture, beating in between the addition of each until it forms a smooth mixture.
  • Fill the liners with the batter using a regular sized ice cream scoop (or fill them 2/3 of the way full) and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Then remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
  • Then using a sharp knife, cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake about 3/4 of the way down, being careful not to cut through to the bottom. You can eat the part that you cut out! Set cupcakes aside.
  • For the ganache: In the top of a double boiler (with water simmering in the bottom), heat together the 1 cup of chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir often and be careful not to scorch. Once it's a smooth combined mixture, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • Once completely cooled spoon the ganache into the center hole of each the cupcake until it's filled to the top.
  • To make the chocolate buttercream topping, melt the 2 1/2 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave (heat it for 30 seconds at a time, stir, then heat for additional 30 second increments until melted). Then set it aside to cool completely.
  • In a large bowl beat (using a mixer on HIGH speed) the butter, sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla until fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). While beating (on LOW speed), pour in the cooled melted chocolate and continue to mix until completely combined into the frosting.
  • Frost the cupcakes then garnish with extra crushed pretzels and enjoy!