salted almond butter cups

I have a new (somewhat ambitious) goal.  I want to do something new every week.  Being in high school, I feel like I often get stuck  in the school/homework/procrastinating on the Internet rut. Don’t get me wrong, homework will still get done and there are way too many fun personality quizzes on the Internet to give them up entirely.  However, I really want to seize life by the horns, live to the fullest, and conquer my fears.  I have a lot of fun ideas of things I want to add to my “new things bucket list” — and I am extraordinarily excited to give this new project a try.

I love the idea of a bucket list to begin with — maybe I’ll publish one on this blog someday to hold myself accountable and see how many of the things on it I actually get done.  Simply writing my dreams down makes them come more alive.  I want to see a koala in real life and see the northern lights with my own eyes.  I want to attach a lock to a love bridge and go to la tomantina in Spain.  However, I’m not going to get a plane ticket to Australia or a tomato chucked at my face this week (hopefully).

Nonetheless, there are a lot of slightly less extravagant, yet exciting new things right in my own neighborhood.  Starting this week, I want to try something new every week — even if it’s as small as eating something that resembles a peanut butter cup.  This is a project that I want to continue for the rest of my life. Think about it — that means 52 new things a year! 156 new things before I turn 20! 

Here’s to Day One of my 365 day adventure trying new things.  Today, I am going to eat something that resembles a peanut butter cup.

Now, you’re probably thinking “wow, this girl has really lost it now.” What’s so special about a peanut butter cup?  If you’ve been reading Cannella Vita for a while, you may have noticed that my blog is completely devoid of recipes with peanut butter.  It’s a little odd since every other baking blog on the planet has some sort of chocolate-peanut butter thingamabobber.

I’m a pretty adventurous eater, and am usually totally down to trying new things, but peanut butter makes me queasy.  I’ve always steered clear of it at all costs.  Once, after eating a peanut butter granola bar, I had hives for a week! Thus, never in my life have I tasted a peanut butter cup.

This is ironic because my dad is obsessed with peanut butter cups.  He will always happily take them from my bag of Halloween candy. 

Obviously, I am not going to eat something that is going to give me hives for the rest of the week — however, I came up with an alternative so that I, too can experience the joy of peanut butter cups — almond butter cups!

These are mindbogglingly easy to make — and are a little more gourmet than a drugstore peanut butter cup thanks to the addition of maple syrup and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

If you’re in need for some almond butter to try out — take a look at Barney Butter, it comes in all sorts of mind-blowing flavors like vannilla bean-espresso and cocoa-coconut!

What new thing will you try this week?

With love,
Erica

Ingredients

7 oz. dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond butter (I used Barney Butter)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. fine grain salt
sea salt flakes for topping

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 1-2 minute intervals, stirring between, until completely melted.

Line six muffin cups.  Spoon about a teaspoon of melted chocolate into each cup. 

Mix the almond butter, syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt together until smooth to make the filling. This mixture should be dough-like.

Scoop out a tsp. of the almond butter mixture and gently roll it into a ball between your palms. Flatten it out a bit and place it on top of the thin chocolate puddle. Repeat so that there is an almond butter ball in each cup.  Spoon chocolate, about another tsp., on top of each almond butter ball to cover completely. Add a little pinch of flaked sea salt on each one and chill in the fridge to set.

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