Mini Chocolate Pumpkin Butter Cups
I've been loving Fall this year, more than I probably ever did before. I've been finding joy in the smallest moments. I find myself smiling when I step into my slippers, when I put my favourite oversized sweater on, or when I walk around the house wrapped into a blanket. It's the little things that make it so special. Fall is growing on me and it's the best. And…it's that time of year again! The 2017 #virtualpumpkinparty is hitting the internet today. Lots of pumpkin deliciousness is being shared this morning in the blogosphere.
I think we have over 70+ bloggers from all around the world participating in this epic party, so be sure to pop over Sara's page to see what everyone else has been making! My contribution this year is these cute little cups. A hard dark chocolate shell and a melting center of pumpkin puree and nut butter, flavoured with a homemade pumpkin spice blend and a bit of molasses. It's the perfect little sweet bite for this time of year. Be sure to pop over here to check out all the other pumpkin recipes being shared today and follow all the creations on Instagram too. Thanks to Sara for putting this celebration together once again.
Notes: I always roast a big batch of pumpkin at this time of year and make my own puree. I freeze half of it for later and keep the rest in the fridge that I use in all sorts of recipes. To make your own pumpkin puree, slice a pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place the two halves cut side down in a baking dish or baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes at 400F (cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pumpkin), or until the flesh is really soft. Scrape flesh and place in your food processor or blender. Blend until you get a smooth puree.
Chocolate Pumpkin Butter Cups
Makes 20 mini cups (or 6-7 large cups)
2 tbsp coconut oil
200 g./ 9 oz dark chocolate (I used 70%)
⅓ cup pumpkin puree (see note above)
¼ cup nut butter (I used half cashew/half almond)
2-3 tsp molasses or maple syrup (or more to taste)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (see recipe below to make your own)
Small pinch of sea salt
Optional: 1 tbsp lucuma or mesquite powder (adds a subtle caramel-like flavour)
Optional: 1 tbsp coconut flour, or as needed (helps firm up the filling and makes it easier to work with)
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp ginger powder
¼ allspice
⅛ tsp ground clove
For the chocolate
In a double boiler (or a glass or stainless steel bowl placed over a pot of simmering water) melt the coconut oil and chocolate, whisking often. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Pour ½ tablespoon of the thin chocolate sauce in 20 mini muffin cups (or fewer normal-size muffins cups if you’re making them full-size). It should be just enough to cover the bottom. Set the remaining chocolate sauce aside. Place cups in the freezer to set for 5-10 minutes.
For the pumpkin pie spice
Combine all the spices for the pumpkin pie spice blend in a small jar.
For the pumpkin filling
In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, nut butter, molasses and/or maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice (keep the rest for other Fall recipes), sea salt, and lucuma or mesquite powder (if using). Taste and add more molasses or maple syrup if you like it sweeter, or more pumpkin pie spice, to your liking. If the mixture is quite soft, add a bit of coconut flour (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time). This will help firm it up and make it easier to work with. (The more coconut flour you use, the thicker your filling will be. If you don’t use any, the center of your cups will be quite soft and gooey - like you see here on these photos). Place in the fridge to thicken slightly.
When ready to assemble, remove the muffin cups from the freezer and pumpkin mixture from the fridge. Place about one teaspoon of pumpkin mixture on each chocolate cup (or about a tablespoon if you’re making regular-sized cups) and flatten slightly. The mixture should cover almost the entire surface, leaving just a bit of space around. If the remaining chocolate sauce has firmed up, reheat it slightly so that it’s pourable again. Pour a small spoonful of the chocolate sauce into each cup to cover the pumpkin filling.
Sprinkle with extra pumpkin pie spice and place in the freezer to set for at least 20 minutes (or more as needed).
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Enjoy!
