Xfood Article

The compulsive, candy-obsessed kid in me can’t quite believe I am saying this, but I’d give up my old peanut butter cups any day for these next-level versions. These are simply so delicious, so delectable and divine, the only behavior that I still carry with me is my inability to share. Workin’ on it.

Ingredients

Basic Raw Chocolate
Makes about 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
3 Tbsp. melted cacao butter
¾ cup raw cacao powder
1/3 cup raw honey
2 Tbsp. lucuma (optional – add 2 Tbsp. of cacao powder if not using)
¼ tsp. sea salt
extra sea salt for garnish, if desired. A good, flaky salt is best. 

Nut Butter Filling:
1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter: cashew, pecan, hazelnut…)
1 Tbsp. raw honey (or maple syrup)
1 Tbsp. lucuma powder (optional – add 1 Tbsp. of sweetener if not using)
sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water) melt coconut oil and cacao butter. Add honey and whisk to combine. When completely uniform, remove from heat and sift in cacao, lucuma and add sea salt. Taste for sweetness and saltiness, and adjust accordingly.
2. In silicon or paper muffin cups spoon enough liquid chocolate to cover the bottom (the amount is up to you – I kept mine rather thin). Place in the fridge or freezer and cool until solid, about 15 minutes. Remember that you are only using about 1/3 of the chocolate at this stage.
3. Make the nut butter filling (you can find recipes here for almond butter and hazelnut butter) by combining all of the ingredients until a “dough” is formed. Add more lucuma if it is too wet and runny. Taste for salt. This dough should be quite salty, but if you are using store-bought nut butter with added salt, don’t go overboard.
4. Spoon the nut dough into ½ tablespoon amounts, roll into balls, and flatten between your palms to just under the size of the chocolate in the cups.
5. Add nut butter filling to each cup on top of the solid chocolate and drizzle the remaining liquid chocolate on top, making sure to cover the filling completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Place in the fridge to harden for at least one hour.
5. When you have patiently waited, try removing one of the forms from the nut butter cups. If the chocolate sticks at all, return to the fridge until completely solid.
6. You can keep the chocolates in their forms or remove them, but either way store the nut butter cups in the fridge in a sealed container. Enjoy!