Dark chocolate almond butter cups
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If you’ve been reading ADC for a while, you may already know I’m pretty much obsessed with nut butters of all persuasions. Cashew, hazelnut, sesame, almond, sunflower—the list goes on. The greatest thing about them is that they’re so versatile; they work their magic in both sweet and savoury recipes and can add a creamy richness to just about any meal. Happily, most grocery stores carry a variety of nut butters beyond the usual peanut version, but the downside is often the price tag. Unless you can find it on sale, a jar of nut butter can cost anywhere from $5 to $12. That’s why I prefer to make my own.
As Lisa and I wrote in our latest VegNews article, making your own nut butter is ridiculously simple, and also easy on the wallet. To make the almond butter for the recipe I’m sharing with you today, it took 1 cup raw almonds, a quick 10-minute roast at 325F, and then a whirl in my food processor until a creamy buttery consistency was achieved. And that’s that.
The idea for these almond butter cups came to me the other day when I had just whipped up a fresh batch of almond butter. Rather than spreading it on a banana in my usual fashion, I decided to go straight for dessert. I knew I had a few blocks of ultra-amazing organic and locally made dark chocolate in my cupboard—thanks to the fine folks at Chocosol, who sent me home with a bagful of goodies after a culinary event last month—and so I immediately knew the almond-and-chocolate combo was meant to be.
After a quick Google search, I found a recipe on Sprouted Kitchen, and I tinkered with it ever so slightly to make these beauties. If you’re still looking for an Easter treat to share, these could not be easier to make and are charming in every way. They made a perfect gift for the host of a baby shower I attended last weekend, but I also have another batch ready to go for Easter weekend festivities.
These dark chocolate almond butter cups are picture perfect and can be whipped up in no time—seriously, I think it took all of 30 minutes to make them. You can, of course, make your own almond butter (using 1 cup raw almonds) or use store-bought if you’re in a pinch or already have some on hand.
Also, I used these muffin liners. They look nice and peel away beautifully from the candy. Enjoy!
PrintDark chocolate almond butter cups
Yield: 12 to 14 mini cups
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup natural almond butter (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 7oz (195g) dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, stir together the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Place in the freezer while you make the chocolate coating.
- Finely chop the chocolate. Place it in a double boiler, or a pot of simmering water with a heat-proof bowl resting over top, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally.
- Place 12 mini cupcake liners in a mini cupcake tin. Spoon 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into each liner. Tilt and twist each liner so the chocolate coats the sides of the liner (to about halfway up) and place back in the tin.
- Take the almond butter filling from the freezer. Scoop out 1 teaspoon and gently roll it out into a ball between your palms. Place it in the centre of a chocolate-coated liner. Press the top down gently to flatten. Repeat with remaining filling.
- Spoon another teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each almond butter ball to cover completely. You may need to add a few drops more to get the chocolate to level above the almond butter ball. Top each cup with a few cacao nibs or flaked salt, if desired. Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Recipe adapted from Sprouted Kitchen.
