Perfect Peanut Butter Frosting

Over the last couple of days I have shown you how I made my Easy Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and my Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting I used to fill them. I also showed you a sneak peak of the Peanut Butter Cup Whoopie pies (pictured above) that I also brought to the same PTO meeting. Well, today I'll show you the recipe for the Peanut Butter Frosting I used. It's a recipe that I got from a friend, who read it on a recipe of Ina Garten's, who got it from one of her friends. The recipe's name is actually called "Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing." I haven't been able to find a peanut butter frosting that I like better, so that is why I dubbed it "perfect" peanut butter frosting (besides the alliteration makes it sound cooler). ;)
   It's incredibly easy and quick.

Here's how I started:
Butter and salt went into a medium mixing bowl. (This is actually a mix & serve - or mix & pour? from Tupperware. I love these things! Anyone else have one?)

Next comes the peanut butter. Creamy please.

Powdered sugar

and vanilla.

Now just whip it all together until very smooth. (5 minutes?) Scrape down the bowl a couple times to make sure everything is incorporated.

When the peanut butter mixture is all smooth, add in the cream. This is what makes it light and fluffy.

Continue to whip until the frosting is lighter in color and lighter in texture. See?

Now you can use this to frost a cake or cupcakes. Or you can fill whoopie pies like I did.

Yum!

Needless to say, these were the first to go at the PTO meeting. Most everyone loves chocolate and peanut butter! It's a match made in heaven. ;) -I'll post the recipe for my whoopie pies soon. In the mean time you can whip up the frosting and see how "perfect" it is for yourself. Trust me. It's good!

Here's the recipe:

Perfect Peanut Butter Frosting

(AKA Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing)

1 cup confectioners' sugar    

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl . Mix on medium-low speed until creamy (about 5 minutes?), scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. 

Let me know what you think. Is it really "perfect?" Perhaps not, but it's pretty close! ;)