More peanuts/peanut butter???!!! Seriously Amber, get a room 😉 . OK, I promise I’ll do something not peanut butter related for next week, but stick with me here, because these are actually totally different from anything else peanut buttery that I’ve done before. I mean look at those innocent looking candy cups of joy! They just look so cute and cuddly that you just want to eat their little faces. Now usually when people say that kind of thing (’cause y’all make cannibalistic comments like that as well sometimes right? No? Just me? Hmmm…maybe that little green talking fairy that landed on my shoulder last week was right to call me crazy 😉 ) it’s about super cute babies, or animals (or the true holy grail – super cute baby animals), you can’t really eat their faces (well…you could, but that’s just taking too dark a turn for me. Get out of my head Hannibal Lecter!!! (literally and figuratively 😉 …OK, I admit that I took that one a little too far) *shudder*).
Moving on from that “Thai”rade ( 😉 ), I introduce you to these spicy Thai peanut butter candy cups. Inject a little of this heat into your life and I promise (lawyer’s note – not a legally binding promise) that your candy cups, although they might not be (well…definitely are not) milkshakes, will still bring all the boys to the yard. A deliciously smooth, peanut butter-tastic filling infused with lemongrass, ginger, red pepper flakes, chilies and all kinds of other goodness, before being topped with candied ginger and goji berries (for that hot pepper look).
Summer may be all too rapidly coming to a close (NOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Say it ain’t so!!!!! lalalala, I can’t heeeeaaaarrrr you!!!), but these morsels of deliciousness will keep you warm and toasty, and dreaming of exotic and warm locations all year long.
They may even have the ability to Set Fire to the Rain (and maybe even snow? – who knew that these were what Adele was really singing about? 😉 ).
Yield:Â 2.5 dozen
Ingredients
- ½ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 2-inch segments and smooshed a bit with the back of a spoon or knife
- 2 large (~1/2 inch) sliced circles of fresh ginger smooshed a bit with the back of a spoon or knife
- 2-4 Thai chilis (depending how hot you like it)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – just adds a bit more kick)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ½ cup peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter)
- 1 tablespoon vegan white chocolate, melted
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
- ~30 small candy cups (the number you end up with will be determined by how small or large your candy cups are)
- 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger (optional)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped goji berries (optional)
Directions
- In a small sauce pan, bring the coconut milk to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the maple syrup and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the lemon grass, ginger, chilis, red pepper flakes (if using) and lime zest. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then muddle the spices a bit with the back of a spoon. Continue to simmer for another 3 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and strain out the solids/ spices.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine peanut butter/sunflower seed butter, melted vegan white chocolate, coconut milk mixture and lime juice. Mix thoroughly and then refrigerate while preparing your candy cups.
- I prepared a cookie sheet with wax paper and laid out my candy cups on that, but a plate or anything you’d like to use is also fine. Melt your chocolate (either in a double boiler, or the microwave). Using the back of a spoon or a pastry brush, coat the inside of each candy cup with melted chocolate. When you have about half of your cups prepared, place them in the refrigerator while you finish the other half.
- Remove the first half of your cups from the fridge and place the 2nd half in the fridge. Recoat the first half (you don’t have to do this, but if there are any thin spots, this will ensure you have a solid cup). Repeat with the second half of your cups before returning everything to the fridge for another 5 minutes or so.
- Once the chocolate in the cups has set, remove your filling from the fridge, and spoon some into each cup, filling it 3/4 of the way to the top. Remelt your leftover dipping chocolate at this point if necessary, and top each cup with a bit of melted chocolate, then sprinkle on a few pieces of candied ginger and goji berries (if using) while chocolate is still wet.
- Refrigerate until firm. Ideally store in the refrigerator, but they should be OK at room temperature as well.
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