Alright, so the chocolate votes win!
I couldn’t wait to post these. I feel like a 4th grader, beaming with pride, waiting for show and tell time to share them with you.
It’s kinda crazy how good these are, and how easy they are to make. Figuring out the right formula was a total beast, but now that I’ve got it *poof!* it’s magic. Since I can make delicious vegan, “everything free” paleo-friendly chocolates in less than 5 minutes, I may now be done with chocolate bars for good.
So I wanted to make my own chocolates. And I seemed hell-bent on finding every way there was to fail at it. Maple sugar, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, too much fluid…none of them worked well. They seize, the get grainy…all sorts of ick. And I know there are cocoa butter/cocoa powder recipes out there, but (IMHO) the taste is great, and the mouthfeel is just wrong. But these babies…they’re pretty marvelous, even if I do say so myself.
It’s so amazing to me how my body responds to cane sugar, even a small amount. I have some, I want more, I have more, I want more…and repeat. So yes, I can and do often eat them mindfully, but I need to do it deliberately and it takes effort.
However, I have one (or two) of these and I say, oh, that was tasty. And I’m done. My body is happy.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can probably eyeball it.
What you’ll need:
- 2 oz 99% or 100% cocoa mass
- .5 oz cocoa butter (nuts.com is certified GF!)
- 2 TBSP maple syrup, room temp
- 1 dropperful vanilla stevia
- 1/8 tsp ground vanilla beans*
Add ins: chopped nuts, nut butters (I love macadamia butter, hazelnut butter and Brazil nut butter), unsweetened cherries, toasted coconut flakes, etc.
Candy mold trays and/or mini liners
For the small molds, I use about 1/8 tsp add ins. For the hazelnut butter cups, I use a scant 1/4 tsp.
In a heavy glass bowl, nuke the cocoa mass and cocoa butter for 90 seconds, or do it over a double boiler. Microwave the maple syrup for 10 seconds, or have it at room temp. Once the chocolates are thoroughly melted, quickly add the maple syrup and mix thoroughly. Add in stevia and ground beans. Allow to cool down for a few minutes, stirring every 30 sec.
Pour chocolate into a mold and layer the chocolate with add ins.
ALLOW TO COOL COMPLETELY. This will take a few hours. (This is the only hard step. Best of luck)
*Notes: I presume vanilla extract works, but I haven’t tried it.a few!
You can easily double this recipe.
I’m submitting these to Ricki’s Wellness Weekends. Hop on over to see other yummy eats & treats!
Stumble It!
Mmmmm! Looks delicious! The chocolate looks so smooth and I love the idea to use nut butters, too. =D
I’m with you on the sugar thing. You described it perfectly with your “more, more and repeat” phrase. These look amazing and all the work you went through to perfect them is greatly appreciated! Brazil nut butter!? I’m on a specialized thyroid-nourishing nutrition plan of my own concoction and one or two Brazil nuts every other day or so is part of my plan. It never entered my mind to try Brazil nut butter. Thank you! You always have such brilliant ideas. I can’t wait to make these for my Valentine. =)
Sending a big thank you and some good (but below zero) energy your way from out west!
Melissa
Kathryn–they are AMAZING! as much fun to make as they were to eat.
Melissa, Brazil nut butter is so awesome, and pairs beautifully with chocolate.
Glad you’ve got your snow, and I hope you keep it to yourself!
These look incredible! LOVE THEM! And I’m with you on cane sugar. It’s pure evil. Worse than crack. (I’m assuming here, ha!)
These do look and sound amazing! Can’t wait to try them. But they’re called Hazelnut Buttercups–but I don’t see any hazelnut butter in the ingredients??
Hi Heather,
I totally hear you!
Ricki–Hazelnut butter is the add in I used for the pics, and it’s in the instructions. I edited the recipe to bold it and hopefully make it more obvious.
I TRULY cannot wait to try this Cheryl! I’ve been thinking about it since you shared you got it right a few weeks ago! This might just be made in the GLG kitchen this weekend!!! And it would also make a certain husband I know very happy as well! LOL
Carrie,
Let me know how they go! It took me a while until I was happy with them. Or maybe I just needed an excuse to keep making them. 😉
Ooo these look so fun! In 30 days I can eat nuts again, so macadamia nut butter will be first on the list to try! I’ll mark it for a birthday treat 🙂