Homemade Reese's Almond Cups

Sometimes (read: usually), my recipes don't turn out nearly as good looking as the pictures that accompany the original recipe.

Case in point:

It's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, minus the peanut butter.

You couldn't tell, could you?

It's alright, my feelings aren't (too) hurt.

Even though it was ugly, it tasted awesome. Subbing in the almond butter was a great option, though I'm quite curious to try it with peanut butter too.

And, even though mine was ugly, the recipe was very easy.

Chocolate Covered Almond Cups

(slightly adapted from Design*Sponge)

Ingredients

½ lb dark chocolate (like callebault or, if you're not picky, get some chocolate chips)
½ lb dark chocolate bar with almonds
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Either get yourself disposable muffin tins, or line a 12 count muffin pan with liners.

2. Melt the dark chocolate (the one without the nuts)  in a double boiler. Remove bowl from heat and turn off stove (but don't throw out the water, you'll need it later!)

3. Using a pastry brush, paint a layer of melted chocolate onto the bottoms and sides of the paper liners. Make the layers thick - you're forming the cup part of the chocolates, and it needs to be sturdy.

4. Put the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you make the filling.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar and salt. Stir with until well combined.

6. Chop the dark chocolate-almond bar up with a knife, or in a food processor. Be careful not to overheat the food processor and melt the chocolate (take it from one who speaks from experience). The almonds should be in small chunks at this point.

6. Return the bowl used to melt the first batch of chocolate to the top of the double boiler. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the pieces of the dark chocolate-almond bar and melt.

7. Meanwhile, divide almond butter mixture into 12 even amounts.

8. Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator. Put one mound into each paper liner. Smooth out with a spoon, or, if you're tactile like me, your fingers (making sure they're scrupulously clean).

 9. By now, the chocolate added to the double boiler should all be melted. Using a spoon, dollop the top of each almond butter mixture mound with a generous portion of chocolate.

10. If you're finicky, smooth the tops out. If you're not, do as I did and leave them crispy looking.

11. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator. Within one hour, your cups should be set, depending how cold your fridge runs.

Because the chocolate here isn't tempered, you can expect to experience a bit of melting in your hands... but getting messy is half the fun of chocolate, isn't it?