february sweet treats series :: chocolate almond butter cups {paleo}

Upon going paleo-style I was dismayed to discover that peanut butter was not on the docket any longer as a staple food item. Sigh. I love(d) peanut butter. However, a close (now, very close!) second on the love-o-meter is almond butter. It’s nearly the same texture, it’s still got that nutty goodness that I love, and it can be a p-butter sub any day of the week and twice on Sundays. As such, and since everything is better with chocolate according to my hubs, we stumbled upon these UH-MAY-ZEENG chocolate almond butter cups and perfected the recipe to make it our own. I’m not kiddin’, these are incredible. Probably my favorite dessert alongside cupcakes (and that’s saying a lot!).

Here’s what you need to make these amaze-balls chocolate almond butter cups:

• 1 heaping cup of unsalted almonds
• 2 bags of Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 6 tsp of coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla
• 2-3 pinches of salt (or to taste)
• A muffin tin (12 count)
• 12 paper cupcake baking cups

And here’s how you make these incredible tasting morsels of chocolatey almond goodness:

• Start by putting the paper cupcake baking cups into the muffin tin.
• Melt 1 bag of Enjoy Life chocolate chips in a double boiler with 2 tsp of coconut oil.
• Immediately pour 1 tablespoon at a time of the melted chocolate into each of the paper cupcake baking cups. Make sure that the melted chocolate covers the bottom of each cup.
• Place the muffin tin with melted chocolate cups into the freezer for approximately 12-15 minutes.
• While the chocolate is in the freezer, in a food processor combine almonds, 2 tsp of coconut oil, vanilla and salt until it forms an almond butter paste (this will take anywhere from 4-6 minutes to accomplish).
• Begin making balls with the almond butter paste. You should end up with 12 balls. Then flatten each of the almond butter balls. 
• Bring the frozen chocolate cups out of the freezer and place a flattened almond butter ball into each cup, leaving space around each so that they don’t touch the sides of the cups.
• Now, take the 2nd bag of Enjoy Life chocolate chips along with 2 tsp of coconut oil and melt in a double boiler.
• Immediately pour 1 tablespoon at a time of the melted chocolate into each of the paper cupcake baking cups so that the melted chocolate completely covers the flattened almond butter balls.
• Place in the freezer for 20-25 minutes to get them nice and firm.
• Once they are firm, bring out of the freezer and gently remove the paper cupcake baking cups from each chocolate almond butter cup.
• Place on a plate and enjoy!

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. | Isaiah 55:2