Peanut Butter Hearts

Happy Monday, friends. This “snow storm” is rather disappointing. Stephen has a two hour delay (update: school is now closed and Stephen’s jumping up and down like a little boy), which usually causes more stress than it’s worth. Anyway, I wanted to thank you guys for your thoughts, suggestions, and support with the next steps in our TTC process. It’s overwhelming, but I know we’re doing the right thing.

Now for something fun: My mainstream candy weakness? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Not just the cups, though, I love this gigantic pumpkins, trees, hearts, and eggs that only come out on special occasions. The ratio of peanut butter to chocolate is optimal. And I’ve seen copycat recipes in the past, but most contain a load of confectioners sugar for sweetness.

So, I got to think about the flavors I like most in the candy. When they’re very fresh, there’s almost this hint of coconut I taste. It could be all in my head, but I taste coconut. Immediately, I knew what I needed to do. These guys are vegan, gluten-free, and contain more nutrients than the real deal.

#nom:

REESE’S COPYCAT PEANUT BUTTER HEARTS

What you’ll need . . .

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar*
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut flour*
• 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoons coconut oil

Method . . .

1. Combine your peanut butter, coconut sugar, coconut flour, and maple syrup in a food processor. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and have played with the ratios to suit my taste. For a slightly stiffer cup, I used 3 tablespoons of both coconut sugar and flour and just 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Another time, I used 2 tablespoons coconut sugar and flour and 3 tablespoons maple syrup. See what you like best for consistency and adjust as necessary.
2. Then pulse to combine until mixture rolls into a ball. Take the ball out of your processor and place it on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Divide into 8-10 balls and roll.
3. Then shape into whatever you like. I did some messy hearts and eggs. You can also just leave them as balls, but I think the coating part is easier when they’re a bit flattened out.
4. Place hearts in your freezer for an hour or more. Before removing, make your chocolate coating.
5. In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate chips and coconut oil on low, stirring constantly until melted together. Remove from heat.
6. Take your hearts out of the freezer and then -- one by one -- place in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Coat all sides and then return to the wax or parchment. Repeat with all hearts.
7. Return everything to the freezer (you can spoon any extra chocolate onto the tops of the hearts) and let rest until set.
8. I store the eggs in my freezer to keep them fresh and also to deter me from eating ALL of them at once.

* Nutiva sent me samples of their Coconut Flour and Coconut Sugar to try. I’ve actually used their brand in the past with coconut oil, so it was neat to check out the other products in their line. I see they also carry hemp, chia, and red palm stuff -- but I’m all about the coconut.

Yum:


If you’ve never tried these ingredients, coconut sugar contains potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. It’s also reported to be lower GI than other sweeteners, which is why I’m favoring it these days. Coconut flour is much the same, with lower GI than standard flours and high fiber. Tip: When you’re using coconut flour in baking, use it for up to 1/3 of the flour. It tends to absorb a lot of liquid.

Have you made candy at home?

A while back, I had whipped up some Peanut Butter Twix, definitely time consuming but fun. I’ve also made Basic Peanut Butter Cups using a special blend of graham crackers + Homemade Peanut Butter.

Disclosure: Nutiva sent me the flour and sugar you see above, but I received no other compensation. My opinions are my own. And I hope you enjoy the peanut butter cup recipe! It’s a good one!

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