Bennington candy shop creates world record peanut butter cup

By Cat Viglienzoni

BENNINGTON, Vt. - Chocolate -- peanut butter -- and a shot at a world record.

"I'm a peanut butter fan," says Nick Monte with the Village Chocolate Shoppe. "And we found that there's really no set record for a peanut butter cup."

There will be soon though, if Monte's plan works. He's been making candies for decades and hasn't tried anything like this before.

"This is what we sell in the store -- these two," he says, showing two smaller cups.

But Friday night it was go big -- or go home. They're turning this homemade mold into a giant peanut butter cup.

Reporter: "Now, how are you going to get break this thing later on?"

Monte: (laughs) "Very carefully!"

Unless it breaks apart first.

"The only concern we have is that all the weight might push the mold apart," he says.

Only time would tell. First -- the inner layer of milk chocolate, poured on pitcher by pitcher. Then the peanut butter cream filling, as the smells wafted through the growing crowd. Each pitcher -- each bowl -- carefully weighed and recorded by town officials. Then the top coat to seal the deal.

And the final test -- could it stand on its own?

It's an impressive peanut butter cup and we have the specs: 59.5 inches wide, an impressive 70.1 pounds of chocolate, and 159.7 pounds of peanut butter on the inside. All total -- weighing in at 229.8 pounds of candy glory.

All profits from selling the pieces are going to Project Against Violent Encounters or PAVE, a local organization helping violence survivors.

"It's a great awareness for PAVE but also most of our money comes through federal and state dollars, and that doesn't begin to cover all of our services," says PAVE Executive Director Linda Campbell.

And their line stretching out the door and down the block -- their audience hungry for a sweet taste.

"Pretty overwhelmed. I'm just really excited," says Bennington College student Robin Hobkinson. "I don't know how to express myself. There's just so much chocolate and I'm so excited to get a piece!"

A sweet success the shop hopes will officially make it into the record books.

Now there's still a bit of paperwork to go before that record becomes official.

But just Friday night, they sold about 400 pieces of that giant cup and raised $1,280 for PAVE. They are still selling more pieces this weekend at the shop.