The Festive Fusion
The origin of this recipe lies in the combination of two existing ones: Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies and Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups.
The creator adapted these recipes, making minor changes to produce a treat perfect for the holiday season. The recipe aims to provide a healthier, paleo-friendly dessert alternative, avoiding refined sugars and soy lecithin. The recipe is divided into steps for both the chocolate cups and the cookie base, ensuring a well-rounded and cohesive result. It acknowledges the time-consuming aspect of paleo baking, but assures the end result is worth the effort.
Cup Ingredients, Prep
To begin creating these delightful cups, you'll need the following ingredients: 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of honey, and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. The process starts by preparing a mini-muffin pan with paper liners. Then, melt the chocolate, honey, and coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat. Use a spoon or pastry brush to coat the bottoms and sides of the paper liners with the melted chocolate. Place the pan in the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden before proceeding to the next step.
Filling and Assembly
Once the chocolate has hardened, the almond butter filling is prepared. This requires 2/3 cup of almond butter, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of arrowroot, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, all combined in a small bowl. The almond butter mixture is then spooned over the hardened chocolate in each cup. A final layer of melted chocolate is added on top. The pan is then returned to the fridge to allow the cups to fully set. After they've hardened, the cups are removed from the pan and their paper liners are removed.
Cookie Base Baking
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The cookie base uses a combination of 1 cup of almond butter, 1/3 cup of honey, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed meal, and 2/3 cup of unsweetened coconut. Mix these ingredients thoroughly. Grease a larger mini-muffin pan. Then, evenly scoop the dough into the greased cups, filling them. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. The baking time might need adjustment based on the oven used.
Final Steps & Enjoy!
Remove the pan from the oven. Immediately press one of the chocolate almond butter cups into the center of each cookie while they are still warm, pressing down gently. Allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan. Once cool, take them out of the pan and enjoy! The recipe notes the chocolate doesn't always harden like typical candy due to the ingredients used, but it still tastes delicious. If a firmer texture is desired, the use of dark chocolate chips in the chocolate layer can help it to harden more, as per the original Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups recipe.
