Peanut Butter…Chocolate…has their ever been a more perfect pair? The brilliance of combining the two borders on genius, and has captivated dessert lovers for generations. I’ve made these particular cookies several times, and they are always foolproof (and disappear in a matter of minutes). I can’t say enough about these mouthwatering cookies, and can guarantee that almost everyone will love these Peanut Butter Cookie Cups.
It’s thanks to Harry Burnett Reese for making “two great tastes that taste great together” a reality. Reese, a dairyman and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey (yup, this guy) invented the Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup in 1928. He went on to create his own company as the addicting candy became more and more successful; Hershey®’s purchased rights to the brand years later.* Fun Fact: For those of you who can’t get enough of this perfect pairing, Reese’s® apparently creates enough peanut butter cups to provide every person living in the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, China, Africa, and India with one cup per year!**  It should be noted that while Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are ideal, other brands can be used (I, for one, used the Trader Joe’s brand – shown in the photo above).
These cookies are fairly simple to make, though timing is everything – it’s absolutely crucial to have the candies unwrapped and chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes prior to baking the cookies. Otherwise you will have nothing more than a melted mess of Reese’s (despite how delicious melted Reese’s may seem, you don’t want to be cleaning that off your kitchen counters – this is from experience). Though you will hate the wait, allowing the cookies to cool for the appropriate amount of time is very important as well. So stop debating about whether or not to bake these – click HERE to get started on these awesome cookies!
The idea that peanut butter and chocolate are a “match made in heaven” evoked, for me, the romance of Robert and Clara Schumann. Schumann was a 19th century German composer, best known for his piano works and lieder, or songs for voice and piano. Clara inspired much of Robert’s writing, who said the following on his inspirations: “You write to become immortal, or because the piano happens to be open, or you’ve looked into a pair of beautiful eyes.”^ Robert fell in love with the piano virtuoso when she was only 15, and they were married 6 years later. Their love still stands as one of the greats in classical music history. For this pairing (thanks to Tim Wilfong!), I chose the song Widmung from Myrthen – a collection of songs dedicated to Clara. This recording is by coloratura soprano Diana Damrau, and is a beautiful interpretation – enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QpChVbsPm8&NR=1

Sources Cited:
* “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups” Wikipedia.com 
** Reese’s Website 
^ “Robert Schumann: A Romantic Hero.” NPR.org 
# “Robert Schumann” Wikipedia.com