This week’s obsession is Almond Butter.
Peanuts are a controversial ingredient, as a legume rather than a nut – (yes, it’s true) they are a prime allergen. But we don’t need them… Almonds are just as good…
These no bake, almond butter cups are magnificent. The inclusion of a small blob of jam right in the centre just tips this superbly delectable treat into blissful perfection.
The smoothest of smooth sweet almond butter encased in a rich milk chocolate with just the right balance of sweet and salty.
A wonderful after school snack, the best pre or post work out snack you could possibly imagine and divine with a cup of tea or a fruity beer. So tasty that once you have taken a bite you will fall on the floor with pure joy.
THIS IS THE NUTS.
To make these delicious delectable treats you will need…
160g Chocologic’s No Added Sugar Milk Chocolate, (you can get it from Tesco In the confectionery section) or 160g of your favourite dark chocolate – I’d go at least 70% so it has less sugar in it.
160g Almond Butter. You can make this yourself by roasting 160g almonds for 10 mins on a baking sheet at 160C, and then blasting with a food processor until smooth – this can take rather a while, processing the nuts whilst still warm speeds this process up, but still, your food processor will be running for a good 10 mins. You can always buy almond butter ready-made from your local supermarket or health food shop. Meridian do an excellent almond nut butter.
2 Tbls Sukrin Icing sugar alternative. This is a natural sugar free icing sweetener. You can get in more and more places now. I get mine here: www.sukrin.co.uk or here http://www.healthysupplies.co.uk/sukrin-sweetener-icing-sugar-powder.html
60g Coconut Butter I love Lucy Bee’s extra Virgin Coconut butter. It is very pure.
50g No added Sugar Raspberry Jam – I love the St. Dalfour Rhapsodie de Fruit – you can get it everywhere – (for our American friends, that’s raspberry jelly…) This bit is entirely optional. The cups work well without it, but it does add something rather special.
Method
Makes 20 small butter cups.
You will need 20 small cup-cake cases or moulds of your choice. I used a ‘Formflex’ silicon mould. It’s great for these cups, but you definitely don’t need this, cup-cake cases are just perfect.
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C
- Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for around 7 – 8 minutes.
- Whilst still hot, transfer the roasted almonds to the bowl of your food processor. Blitz until very smooth. This takes a while. Mine took around 10 minutes to get a really smooth butter.
- Add the Sukrin Icing sugar, and the coconut butter to the processor and blitz again until very smooth. Set to one side.
- Melt the chocolate – I use a microwave oven for this job. Break up the bars into chunks and pop it all into a microwave-safe bowl. Give it 10-20 second blasts in the microwave, nudging the chunks around the bowl with a spoon in between each blast until totally melted. Give it a good stir.
- Dollop a teaspoonful of melted chocolate into the bottom of your mould or cup-cake case and smooth out. Place in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and dollop a layer of your almond butter mix onto the frozen set chocolate. Then a ¼ tsp of the fruit Jam in the middle of the almond butter. Don’t let it splay to the outer edges of the almond butter layer, keep it confined to the middle. – Place back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the last layer of chocolate over the frozen almond butter and jam and smooth to cover the almond butter layer completely. Pop it all back in the freezer once again, just to set.
- You can keep them in the freezer and eat them straight from there if you like. I prefer to leave them out for a few minutes at room temperature before devouring.
