I’m so happy to be back! It took longer than anticipated, but my new website is finally up and running. Have a look around and check it out! What do you think?
In between building a website, working, and summer fun, I also spent some time working on new recipes to share with you. Today I’m sharing my decadent version of chocolate peanut butter cups. I’ve replaced the peanut butter with homemade almond butter, and added fresh raspberry puree for a PB&J kinda feel. They are absolutely tasty, and fairly simple to make. I love that decadent desserts can also be healthy, if you just choose the right ingredients!
The idea for these treats had been in my mind long before raspberry season came about. As it goes with seasonal eating, I patiently waited for those first juicy red raspberries to make their appearance at the farmers market. As I type this now, it’s a bit late in raspberry season, but depending on where you live you may still be able to find fresh raspberries. If not, feel free to thaw some frozen ones.
This recipe doesn’t actually require much raspberry puree. I used a whole pint of raspberries, and very little of it was needed. All that leftover puree called for some creativity… aka the next recipe I’ll be posting! Pop that leftover puree in the freezer until then, or swirl it into oats, granola, chopped fruit, milk kefir, or smoothies. Use it as jam, eat it off a spoon, or just don’t use a whole pint of raspberries to begin with.
If I’m being totally honest, I’ve been finding it easier lately to be creative with healthy desserts rather than savoury dishes. Most of my meals are basically just a mixture of whatever vegetables I have on hand, either raw, sautéed, or steamed, served with whatever carb, protein and/or fat I have around. For example, I often eat steamed vegetables and chickpeas, drizzled with coconut oil and topped with Bragg’s spices*. There are so many variations on this basic formula, but I don’t want to be repetitive with my recipes. In summer the available produce is so varied that it seems a shame to do anything besides just eat it! That being said, my goal here is to help people eat healthier in general, not just to help people indulge in healthier treats. As winter approaches and variety dwindles, I’ll be forced to become more creative with my main dishes again for fear of boredom. In the meantime if there’s anything specific you’d like to see more of here on Newleaf Nutrition, please give me a shout and let me know!
- 1 pint raspberries, very ripe
- 1 ½ tablespoons chia seeds
- raw local honey to sweeten if desired
- ¼ cup raw cacao butter, melted
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- 2-4 tablespoons raw local honey, to taste
- pinch mineral salt
- 3 tablespoons raw almond butter (learn to make your own!)
- mineral salt for sprinkling
- Place raspberries in a small bowl and mash with a fork until a puree forms. Sweeten with honey if desired. Mix in chia seeds and let sit for 15 minutes to thicken.
- Melt cacao butter in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, place a heat-safe bowl over a small pot of boiling water. Once melted, whisk in cacao powder, honey, and a pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust sweetness. Add more cacao butter to thin the chocolate, and more cacao powder to thicken it until you reach your desired consistency. It should be fairly runny but not excessively so.
- If your muffin liners are floppy, place them in a muffin tray so they hold their shape. Using a small spoon, scoop 1-2 spoonfuls of chocolate into the bottom of the muffin liners. Make sure to save half the chocolate for the tops of the cups. Keep the chocolate over the pot of simmering water while you work so it doesn't harden. When you're done with it, you can turn off the heat. Place the muffin liners on a flat surface such as a small cutting board or cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes until the chocolate is hard.
- Remove the cups from the freezer. Spoon 1 teaspoon or so of almond butter into each muffin cup. Spread your dollop out so it's relatively flat, but not touching the edges as much as possible. If your almond butter is unsalted, sprinkle a bit of salt over the almond butter. Place back in the freezer to firm for another 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and add a layer of raspberry puree on top of the almond butter, about 1 teaspoon per cup. Again, try to keep it from touching the sides as much as possible, so the chocolate you'll add on top can settle in down the sides. Place the cups back in the freezer for another 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat back on the double boiler to re-melt your chocolate. If it has thickened too much, melt in a bit more cacao butter until you reach your desired consistency. Once the chocolate's ready, remove the cups from the freezer. Spoon another 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate over top each cup so it runs down the sides and covers all the raspberry puree. Place the cups back in the freezer one last time to harden.
- Remove the cups from the freezer 15 minutes before eating to thaw.
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