Peanut butter cup
Small peanut butter cups
TypeCandy
Place of originUnited States
Created byH. B. Reese
Main ingredientsChocolate (usually milk chocolate), peanut butter

A peanut butter cup is a molded chocolate with a peanut butter filling. Peanut butter cups are one of the most popular kinds of candy in America.[1] They can be made at home,[2] but like most candies, they are commonly mass-produced. They may also be available in candy shops, produced by local or regional candymakers.

The diameter, thickness, and the relative proportion of its two major components vary according to the desires of the maker. Any type of chocolate may be used for the shell, but milk chocolate is most common. Fillings are usually smooth, creamy peanut butter, but crunchy peanut butter, or peanut butter mixed with other flavors, is also used.

Brands

Three different sizes of Reese's peanut butter cups

The most popular brand of peanut butter cup is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (sold as Reese in Canada), always featuring Hershey's chocolate,[3][4] and now a Hershey brand.[5] The heavily roasted peanuts are a trademark flavor.[3] The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is considered the "finest creation" of Harry Burnett "H. B." Reese, a former employee of Hershey's, who set up his own candy-manufacturing business in the 1920s.[6] Ironically, peanut butter cups were not Reese's favorite candy.[3] He did, however, claim that he owned a trademark on the name "peanut butter cups" and repeatedly threatened legal action against other manufacturers and sellers who made peanut butter cups.[3] Originally sold in bulk, sales of their individual "penny cups" began in 1941, in response to sugar rationing during WWII.[7] The famous slogan "Two great tastes that taste great together" originated in a marketing campaign for this candy in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[3]

Heart-shaped peanut butter cups

Another brand is Palmer, which specializes in holiday-themed peanut butter cups. There are various forms that the peanut butter cups take for the different seasons. Each holiday has a different color of foil for the season. They can also come in different shapes, such as hearts or Christmas trees, during holiday seasons.

Many regional candy companies also have versions of the peanut butter cup, including Boyer Candies in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Variations

Peanut butter cups made with white, milk, and dark chocolate

Peanut butter cups are made with different variations, such as using white chocolate, dark chocolate, or chocolate-flavored peanut filling. The first variation marketed by Reese's used crunchy peanut butter in 1976.[8][5] Some have been one-time thematic variations, such as Reese's banana-flavored Elvis Special Edition in 2007.[9][10]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to peanut butter cups.
Look up peanut butter cup in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Smith, Andrew (2006). Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. pp. xxxv. ISBN 0-313-33527-3. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett Reese, a former employee of the Hershey Chocolate Company, who founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company. They were sold in five-pound boxes for use in candy assortments. Ten years later, Reese marketed these cups separately for a penny apiece. They remain one of America's most popular candy bars.
  2. ↑ Recipes abound and vary significantly. Compare this version from Candy Making Basics, p. 50 (ISBN 9781895569254) to this version from Peanut Butter Planet, p. 140 (ISBN 9781579549633)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Lieberman, Hallie (27 October 2016). "Was It Hershey or Reese That Made Peanut Butter Cups Great?". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  4. ↑ Smith, Andrew F. (2013-10-28). Food and Drink in American History: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia [3 Volumes]: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 445. ISBN 978-1-61069-233-5.
  5. 1 2 Kochan, Nick (1996-11-11). The World's Greatest Brands. Springer. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-349-14114-2.
  6. ↑ Aoyagi, William Shurtleff; Akiko (2015-03-11). Origin and Early History of Peanut Butter (1884-2015): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center. p. 357. ISBN 978-1-928914-72-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Carr, David (2003-09-01). Candymaking in Canada. Dundurn. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-4597-1269-0.
  8. ↑ Smith, Andrew F. (2007). "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups". The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 496. ISBN 978-0-19-530796-2. OCLC 71833329.
  9. ↑ Brownlee, John. "Reese's Does Elvis". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  10. ↑ "The 10 Craziest Things Reese's Has Done To Its Candy". Delish. 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
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