Chocolate Cups

December 21, 2010 By Leanne Vogel December 10, 2018

Today marked my last day at the office until the New Year and the completion of our blondies in a jar Christmas gift project. I got to the office at 6am and hustled to get everything done so I could leave with a clear mind at the end of the day. I topped the day off with a lunch hour mental break of Vinyasa flow yoga at Sanguine yoga studio. Although it is challenging for me to get to these classes, I’m always grateful when I return to the office after class with a clear mind, heightened productivity and a positive attitude. If you struggle with stressful days and get overwhelmed with a never ending to do list, I highly recommend heading to a yoga studio at lunch to de-stress yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in the latter half of the day after giving yourself a mental break! When I got home at around 5pm my plan was to make a quick sandwich, cuddle up on the couch, and finish reading Journey to Optimum Wellness through Sound Nutrition. But once I entered the kitchen I didn’t leave for 4 hours. Oops! Sometimes my creative juices start flowing and I just can’t stop! Without further adieu… lets get to recipe #2 #3 with Artisana nut butters!

Chocolate cups

Author: Leanne Vogel

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

It started off with a “peanut butter” jelly cup and quickly morphed into a 3 flavoured experiment. These cups are great as a gift instead of store bought chocolate or can be brought along with you to a friends’ dinner party. Can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.

Instructions

Once chocolate is made (see recipe below), drop into silicon muffin molds and fill to ½ of the mold
Move the tray around so that the walls of each individual mold is covered (note image to the right does not have chocolate on the walls. This really messed up my cups so I highly recommend you do the chocolate walls!
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes set aside
Meanwhile, prepare flavours (see ingredients below). Each flavour will make 6 cups
Grab the chocolate molds and place small dollops of flavour into each cup making sure that the flavours do not go past the top of the mold
Top off each mold with chocolate (may have to reheat in hot water bath before using)
Place coconut or cashews on the tops of each mold or leave plain
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes before removing and popping out of the mold

The Chocolate

Author: Leanne Vogel

Ingredients

8 cups water, boiled
1 cup cacao butter, melted – alternatively you can use coconut oil
2 cups cacao powder aka cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Boil water and place in glass or metal mixing bowl
In smaller bowl, combine cacao butter and vanilla. Place small bowl in mixing bowl with water and use as a “double broiler”
Be careful not to splash water into cacao butter mixture or it will seize (you’ll know that it’s seized when the chocolate gets hard and will not melt no matter how hot you get it. I now have 5 sets of chocolate fudge because of seizing :| )
Continue to stir cacao butter until melted. Remove from water and add cacao powder
Continue to stir until mixed

The Flavours #1: Strawberry cheesecake

Author: Leanne Vogel

Ingredients

Combine then set aside

2 tablespoon tofutti cream cheese
1.5 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Combine then set aside

2 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1.5 teaspoon sucanat

Set aside

Crofters strawberry jam

#2: Peanut butter jelly

Author: Leanne Vogel

Ingredients

Artisana cashini butter (cashews and sesame seeds – tastes similar to peanut butter)
Crofters strawberry jam
3 cashews, split in half

#3: Coconut date

Author: Leanne Vogel

Ingredients

1 date, cut into 6 pieces
Artisana coconut butter
2 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut

The Leftovers: Unbaked strawberry cheesecake minis

We had a bunch of leftover strawberry cheesecake ingredients so I layered the leftovers like cheesecake in IKEA tea light cups (we use them in the kitchen for condiments and such). These are incredibly sweet so the small cup is really all you need!