Double Trouble: Two Simple Chocolate Recipes for Valentine's Day or Any Day
Need a gluten-free and/or vegan treat for your Valentine?
After the jump, I'll share a simple recipe for vegan peanut butter cups and chocolate-dipped cookies.
If, like me, you don't have someone special to share Valentine's Day with, you can make these simple chocolate treats for yourself.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cups (makes 8 mini cups)
1 cup vegan dark chocolate*
1/4 cup peanut butter
1. Line mini muffin pan with 8 mini muffin wrappers. (Optional, but it will make removal easier)2. In a microwave or double-boiler, melt vegan chocolate. Stir occasionally. Using a teaspoon, spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each muffin cup.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt peanut butter. (I microwaved on high for 15 seconds, stirred, and microwaved another 15 seconds. Your microwave may take more or less time.)
4. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons melted peanut butter to each muffin cup.
5. Top with remaining melted chocolate.
6. Let cool. Then, enjoy. To speed cooling, place in refrigerator or freezer.
Variation: For peanut butter chocolate truffles, add confectioner's sugar or protein powder** to the peanut butter and roll the peanut butter mixture into balls. Then, roll the balls in the melted chocolate for peanut butter chocolate truffles. Place on wax paper to cool.
*I used vegan melting chocolate. If you can't find that, you can use vegan chocolate chips or chop up a bar of vegan chocolate
**I tried this with a single-serving packet of vegan French Vanilla protein powder. First, that was way more than I needed for 1/4 cup peanut butter. I had to double the peanut butter and chocolate. Second, it'll also change the taste and color of the peanut butter, not just the texture. Don't be surprised if your peanut butter doesn't look or taste like peanut butter anymore.
Have leftover melting chocolate stuck to the side of the bowl or double boiler? Simply grab some cookies and you're ready for my next recipe.
Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
Cookies (I used vegan, gluten-free oatmeal cookies, but anything will work)
1. In a microwave or double-boiler, melt vegan chocolate. Drop oatmeal cookies into melted chocolate or use a rubber scraper to scrap the chocolate off the double boiler and smooth onto a cookie.
2. Place on wax paper to cool.