CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
November is a time for special desserts. Two of my children have November birthdays plus my family celebrates Thanksgiving. I decided to make a healthier option of "Buckeyes" which I used to make when my children were young (a knock-off of Reese's cups). Of course these cups were awesome so I was happy I made a double batch!
I only use peanut butter made from organic dry roasted nuts. There is nothing in it but the nuts and sometimes a bit of salt but no other ingredients. Many of my patients eat Jif and although I like to support local industry, I cannot recommend any peanut butter that has added sugar and vegetable oils.
The recipe is by Chef Laura Theodore, AKA “Jazzy Vegetarian.” I initially made the cups in 2016 but the webpage where I found the recipe is no longer available. She posted the recipe on her Facebook page September 2019 so here is that link: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Apparently it is also in her cookbook called “Jazzy Vegetarian Classics : Vegan Twists on American Family Favorites.”
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (I used 70% dark)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
Line a mini-muffin tin with 10 paper liners. (I didn’t have a muffin tin so simply arranged the liners in a cake pan.)
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring often. When the chocolate has melted, put the pan on a wire rack.
While the chocolate melts, put the peanut butter and maple syrup in a medium-sized bowl and stir vigorously with a fork to thoroughly combine.
Pour the melted chocolate into the peanut butter mixture and stir until smooth and well blended. (I poured the peanut butter mixture into the chocolate.)
Divide the chocolate–peanut butter mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups and smooth the tops using a rubber or offset spatula. (No need to use a spatula to smooth the tops, just lift the pan a bit off the counter and drop it down...repeat a few times and the vibration will even out the tops.)
Freeze for 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes more before serving. Serve chilled. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the cups will keep for about 4 days.
Chef’s note: If desired, you may use your preferred nut or seed butter in place of the peanut butter.
