Vegan Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups

I know that being a runner doesn't define me, but I still get kind of sad and feel lost when I have an injury and can't do the thing I love.  It usually takes me a few weeks to adjust, because to me, it is my therapy, and what keeps me from getting as stressed out as I would otherwise.  I has always been that way, ever since I was in college and I had my first bad injury that sidelined me for a few months.  A few weeks back I was running fine and did a race, then bam!  Injury struck again.  I have had a lot of stressful things going on in my life lately and lots of change which I don't do well with (being a very routine person who likes things the same), and I think my body was just tired of it.  So I am taking time off from running now for a few weeks (or as long as this stubborn thing takes to heal).  I have to still fill that time with something active though, or I will go nuts!  I have been biking, and thank goodness it is nice outside!  I went on a 31 mile bike ride last Saturday, and not only was it nice, but while I was enjoying the scenery along the trails, I spotted a bunch of black raspberry bushes. I didn't have anything with me to carry them if I picked them, so later me and Eric came back and picked some.

I love Minnesota wild black raspberries!  You can't usually buy them at the store, most of the time you have to find them wild and pick them.  I hit the jackpot with all those bushes!  Normally I find a bush here and there, maybe with about 5 ripe berries on it, but these bushes had loads of them!  It must be a really good year for raspberries.  We picked a good sized container, and later I decided to make some black raspberry almond butter cups.  Both white and dark chocolate for variety. Eric approved of my choice of dessert to make with them, and he was excited about trying them as well. Nut butter cups are one of my favorite things.  Ever since I was exposed to Reese's peanut butter cups as a child.  Although, I like my home made ones better.

These were pretty simple to make, because I actually had some vegan chocolate already made and on hand.  But in case you don't I included the recipes so you can make some.  For the dark chocolate, you could just melt vegan dark chocolate chips and use those instead of making your own if you want to simplify things.  I just mashed the berries with a touch of maple syrup (not much was needed because they were so flavorful already), and it tasted like really good jam.  A bit of almond butter for the filling as well, and I could not wait to try them!  Once they were all set up and ready to enjoy and I was able to try them, they were heavenly!  I can't pick which one I like better, the white chocolate is equally as good as the dark.  If you have access to black raspberries where you live, give these a try (or use red raspberries if you can't get black).  They definitely put a smile on my face, and made me forget about the running injury.  The berry picking was a fun adventure too!

Vegan White Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups
Makes 6 large candies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cacao butter (2 oz)
• 2 Tbsp raw cashew butter
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Filling:

• 6 scant tsp almond butter*
• 1/4 cup black raspberries
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.  Pour into the bottoms of 6 larger peanut butter cup tins (or molds), then place them in the freezer to set.
2. Once the chocolate has hardened, spoon a heaping 1 tsp of almond butter over it, then mash the berries with the tsp maple syrup until jam like, and spoon 1 tsp of that over the almond butter.
3. Pour more chocolate over the cups until the jam is covered, and place them in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
4. Store any extra in the refrigerator.

*Please note: if your almond butter is the runny variety, you may need to add some coconut butter to it to firm it up so it doesn't run when placed in the cups. Add about 1 tsp coconut butter to it if it is runny.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups
Makes 6 large candies

Chocolate:

• 3/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup melted cacao butter (warmed to liquid)
• pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp maple syrup divided (at room temperature)

Filling:

• 6 scant tsp almond butter*
• 1/4 cup black raspberries
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions:

1. To make the chocolate, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
2. Spoon a little chocolate into the bottoms of 6 peanut butter cup molds, filling them about 1/4-1/3 full.  Place in the freezer until hard, about 10 minutes.
3. Once the chocolate has hardened, spoon a heaping 1 tsp of almond butter over it, then mash the berries with the tsp maple syrup until jam like, and spoon 1 tsp of that over the almond butter.
4. Pour more chocolate over the cups until the jam is covered, and place them in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
5. Store any extra in the refrigerator.

*Please note: if your almond butter is the runny variety, you may need to add some coconut butter to it to firm it up so it doesn't run when placed in the cups. Add about 1 tsp coconut butter to it if it is runny.