Skip to main content

Chocolate and almond butter cups




So this summer I have been turning into a bit of a hippy and trying veganism, vegetarianism and eating a more raw diet. I can't say I'm a total convert yet which was made obvious last night when I ate a moo but that was just a small relapse!

My latest craze has been experimenting with funky vegan desserts using new ingredients like raw cacao butter, coconut oil and lots of dates and nuts. If you have tried raw chocolate before you have probably become a little bit obsessed, it's all creamy and amazing, not even that much like normal chocolate, more like rich chocolate mousse without the naughty stuff in it..phew! However out in the mountains it is totally impossible to get, I have one pack of cacao butter and I have a feeling it's going to be gone pretty swiftly with this new recipe. You will need to go to an organic health foods shop like wholefoods to find the raw cacao powder and butter.




makes 5/6 mini cupcakes

1/4 cup raw organic cacao butter melted
1/4 cup raw organic cacao powder
agave syrup

6 teaspoons of almond butter (1/3 cup raw almonds if you make it yourself)

I should mention that you can buy almond butter already made but it's pretty cool and less expensive to make it yourself, that is if you have a magimix.
Put your almonds in a food processor and blend for about 12 mins until they become smooth like butter. You may think you have got there when your almond mix turns into a ball but keep going for a few more minutes as after that the nuts release their oil and become smoother and less firm.

Melt the cacao butter in a bowl over some hot water and then using a whisk mix in the cacao powder and then agave. You can add in extra flavours like cinnamon, coffee essence, salt, chilli to the chocolate if you like just mix them in.

Spoon the chocolate into the bottom of your mini cupcake cases, you want just enough to cover the bottom then stick in the freezer to set for a few minutes. Tart up your almond butter with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of honey or agave and spoon a little ball into the middle of the set case and then pour over the remaining chocolate. The choccy mix may have firmed up a bit so just warm it over some hot water in your bowl again until it's at pouring consistency.

Once they are all covered sprinkle over any other toppings like coconut flakes, gogi berries, sea salt, chopped nuts. Cool in the fridge or freezer until they are firm then munch them all because as I said they are good for you! Actually maybe share a few to prove that all this hippy healthy stuff actually tastes good.

Guest photographer Melody Sky

Popular posts from this blog

River cafe polenta, almond and lemon cake

This week has been a bit up and down with the weather, lots of rain and then an absolute scorcher yesterday in the 30˚s. Yesterday was an especially good day because not only did I get a little bit less pasty but I also stood up on my surfboard about 10 times!! I did almost die about twice getting absolutely smashed by waves and ended up with my hair looking a bit like a loo brush but very happy!! Since the weather has been crappy I made a huge cake, and I think this could be my newest most favourite cake I have ever made. I have been trawling through my River cafe books and there is so much amazing stuff so since I have all kinds of great ingredients on my door step I am going to go nuts and try loads this month. Serves 12 450g unsalted butter, softened 450g caster sugar 450g ground almonds 2 teaspoons good vanilla essence 6 free range eggs zest of 4 lemons juice of 1 lemon 225g polenta flour or fine semolina 1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon of salt Preheat the oven to ...
Read more
I remember my first ever falafel, I was eighteen. I imagine not many people would remember something like that, but given that I was fresh from the Dorset countryside and there weren't many opportunities to try new food, I remember it! Maybe it was actually more memorable because of the epic shock I had when my head was blown off by the spiciest sauce ever! After a bit of swearing, sweating and a running nose I recovered and went back to my normal routine of ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately I worked minutes away from Mustafas falafel van on Portobello and my workmate and now fellow hippy food friend Philly loved them, she dragged me back and under strict instructions Mustafa was banned from the bottle of spicy sauce. Anyway end of my story is that it turned out falafels are pretty damn good once you can taste them, and if your ever hungry on Portobello go and give them a try! This recipe is from Green Kitchen Stories which is one of my new favourite blogs, it...
Read more

Smoked trout pate

I have been in the Loire Valley for the last three weeks working for a lovely family with four kids, there has been lots of spaghetti on the walls, wine drinking, chocolatey faces and bum pinching from a certain naughty four year old. We are staying in a big Chateaux and my bedroom in in a turret so I am now calling myself Rapunzel, although no french men have been at my window trying to climb up my hair yet! Here is a nice little recipe from Jamie Oliver for smoked trout pate which I have been doing as a little addition to summer lunches. So unbelievably easy to make, just mix in a bowl or chuck into a magimix for a smoother pate. serves 6-8 125g cream cheese 2-3 heaped teaspoons jarred horseradish 1 lemon small bunch of chives finely chopped 125g hot smoked trout or salmon, skin removed sea salt and pepper Mix the cream cheese with the horseradish, zest from the lemon and half of the juice. Mix in most of the fresh chives just leaving a few to sprinkle on the top when you serve it. S...
Read more