Dark Chocolate Tahini Buttercups

Tahini in a dessert? It's an amazing, silky combination. Tahini on it's own is a little....tart for lack of a better word. It's not sour or bitter or salty. It has this amazing note of creaminess that can not be imitated by another butter. In essence, if you don't know, it's sesame butter. When I combined it with coconut oil, which is a little sweet in it's natural state, it totally bloomed! Especially when paired with  the semi-sweet layer of dark chocolate, it was incredible! So, I posted a similar tahini cup recipe before that had a date-caramel layer instead, which is amazing, but this was way different. I made the chocolate layer from coconut and almond butter and cacao powder and a little maple syrup. You could totally use a chocolate ice cream or Coconut Bliss if you didn't want to make it from scratch or have the time. I'm all about quick, healthy substitutions. I mean, we don't always have the time to do it all and in a pinch, I use fixes like anyone else. I'm including the recipe for it, which is what I did. I should note that I made these in mini silicone cups. They are not muffin sized. I highly recommend investing (like $10-$15) in these reusable cups. It reduces waste by not using paper and allows you to avoid using an aluminum muffin tin.

INGREDIENTS
equal parts tahini + coconut oil,  melted
chocolate butter or
1|2 cup almond butter + 2T raw cacao powder
1|4 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1T maple syrup
pinch sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Pour a bit of the tahini mixture into the bottom of each cup. Put them on a sheet pan and put into the freezer for half an hour. In the mean time, make the chocolate mixture in a blender or food processor. Blend until thick and pourable. If you need to add more coconut milk or liquid, do it until it's smooth and creamy. Pull the cups out of the freezer. Pour in about 1|4 inch for each cup, depending on how many you're making. This recipe makes 10-12 mini cups. Pop them back into the freezer for another 30 minutes. Then top them with the remaining tahini mixture and then back into the freezer until set. These are ready to eat in about an hour. So delicious!

ENJOY!!

Raw Tahini Buttercups

I am pretty sure I found my new favorite treat. Seriously. I have never experienced tahini in sweets and I'm totally in love with this simple, raw, vegan confection. Dessert does not get any easier or healthier, friends. This recipe has four ingredients and all you need is a food processor or blender. You could still mix everything by hand if you didn't have either of those and it would still be delicious. I've been talking about how much I love my little silicone cups for the longest time and they are a super investment for your kitchen. Totally affordable, you can find the standard size or the mini cups, which is what I used here. You'll never have to fiddle with paper liners or muffin tins made of aluminum or with non-stick coating. Highly recommended! These are frozen and hit that ice cream spot for me while satisfying my deeply-rooted desire for chocolate but without chocolate. I cannot take full credit for this gem of a recipe as I adopted it from The Chalkboard Mag. I will definitely be putting a twist on this one in the future.

INGREDIENTS
SHELL:
1|3 cup raw tahini
1|3 cup melted coconut oil

FILLING:
1 cup pitted dates such as Halawi or Medjool
1|2 cup cooled espresso

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor or blender or by hand, combine the tahini and the coconut oil until smooth. Fill the bottom of each cup with about a teaspoon of the mixture, reserving half for the tops. Put the cups into the freezer to set while you make the filling. Put the pitted dates into the processor and add the espresso gradually until you get a sticky paste. When the cups have set up (about 20 minutes) take them out and put a dollop of the filling into each one and smooth it out. Top with the rest of the tahini mixture and then back into the freezer for about an hour. These are most delicious eaten immediately with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top.

ENJOY!