Nutritious Indulgence: Almond Butter Cups

We all have chocolate cravings sometimes. You know what? It's okay to indulge, especially when you eat high-quality dark chocolate. It's a wonderful source of polyphenols, which are the same antioxidants found in red wine, and it also provides fiber and iron. Marry chocolate with almond butter - packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats, magnesium, potassium and Vitamin E - and you've got a nutritious update on a classic pairing. (I used almond butter because it is delicious and it is also very nutrient-dense; it has eight times the calcium of peanut butter, for instance.)


These are a great, not-too-sweet treat for kids, too; my son loves them and even helped me drizzle the chocolate. But remember that raw honey is not recommended for infants under one year of age because of the rare risk of botulism.


This treat is also a nice balance of carbs and protein to fuel your body; they are caloric, though, so eating the whole batch probably isn't a good idea. Luckily, these cups are so rich and luscious that one or two should satisfy you.


Ingredients
(yield: 10-12)
3.5oz bar of dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa (preferably organic)
2T natural almond butter 
3/4-1T raw honey (to taste)


Break chocolate bar into uniform pieces and melt in microwave or double boiler until smooth and glossy.

Fill a mini muffin pan with papers and pour about a 1/2 teaspoon of the melted chocolate in the bottom of each. Chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes until the chocolate has hardened.

Mix almond butter and honey in a small bowl. Spoon about 1/2 tsp of this mixture into each cup. Press down a bit to flatten.

Drizzle the rest of the melted chocolate (you may need to reheat for a few seconds if it has hardened) over each cup, covering the almond butter. Chill for a few more minutes in the fridge and enjoy!

A little lop-sided, but they taste amazing!