You may have noticed that a significant number of recipes on
this blog are of the sugar variety. I definitely have a sweet tooth. I like my
muffins, coffeecakes, cookies, tortes, cupcakes…even candied bacon!
I’ve never been a junk food addict. I don’t down Coke every
day, rarely eat at a fast food restaurant, don’t decimate a bag of chips in one
sitting (like Mr. B), and rarely buy packaged or prepared cookies, candy, cakes
or ice cream.
But I do bake. A lot. Unfortunately, as the years creep up
on me, I just can’t have those temptations around. I still bake for Sunday
dinners when the family is here, for special occasions, for friends. It’s just
not enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.
So what’s a girl to do???
I’ve been hunting around for something that is small in
size, easy to prepare and that has less guilt attached to it (healthier), while
at the same time able to provide me a satisfying sweet treat.
I found a recipe online for a paleo Reese’s Cup. It’s
basically a nut butter cup with dark chocolate on top. I’ve been experimenting
with the base recipe for a few weeks now, adding and subtracting unsweetened
shredded coconut, using all almond butter, using a mix of almond and peanut
butters, trying different chocolates, even using different pans.
I’ve finally hit upon the right combination of
ingredients—and the right vessel to put them in—and it’s time to share the
recipe with you.
I have to say that I really love these. I keep them in the
freezer and take one out when I am in need of a sugar fix, usually at 2 or 3 in
the afternoon and around 8 or 9 at night. They weigh in at under 100 calories a
piece but also have some protein, given the quantity of nut butters. They are
good for a paleo diet, low-carb diet, Atkins, etc. They are also gluten free
and, if you use the right chocolate, dairy free.
I particularly like this combination of ingredients and have
adjusted the amounts so that when frozen, the nut base doesn’t get all soft and
gooey while the chocolate is harder than a rock. I found the best peanut/almond
butter combo to be Trader Joe’s Creamy Almond Butter and Jif Extra Chunky
Peanut Butter. For the top, I just use a thin layer of chocolate—Nestle Dark
Chocolate Morsels are great—but you can go thicker if you want. You can also
omit the coconut, as it acts more as a sweetener and to add some bulk to the
candy.
Note: I originally used
mini muffin pans for these. No grease necessary, just fill and freeze and then
pop them out as needed. Now I use silicone
mini muffin cup molds. I place them on a tray, fill and freeze. Once frozen,
I put them in a Ziploc in the freezer. They pop out really easy and I get about
2 dozen this way. They are slightly smaller than the muffin pan I was using,
and the perfect size for me.
Nut Butter and
Chocolate Treats
½ cup smooth almond butter
½ cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, minced
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (you can also chop up bar
chocolate)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Put your nut butters, coconut oil and honey in a glass bowl
or measuring cup and microwave until mixable, about 30-45 seconds. Stir or
whisk until the mixture is creamy. Add minced coconut and stir to incorporate.
Using a small ice cream scoop, ladle or tablespoon, fill your
mini muffin cups about 2/3 full. Gently bang your muffin pan or tray on the
counter to level the ingredients.
Place the chocolate and teaspoon of coconut oil in a glass
measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave
Pour the mixture on top of the nut cups, starting at the
outside edge and moving in. When done, gently bang the pan or tray again to
even out the chocolate.
Yield: 2 dozen