Mini chocolate peanut butter cups

  Have you ever started eating Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and had a very hard time stopping?  Me neither...yeah right!!!  They are my all time favorite candy.  I look forward to fall when I can buy them in autumn colored foil and they become a "decoration" displayed in a pumpkin jar.  (Never mind that they are a 2- 3 day decoration).
  After I found out I was gluten intolerant, I went to a search to see if I could still eat them.  Some sites say yes, some sites say no.  With the way I feel after ingesting gluten, I am still afraid to try, because I KNOW that I can't eat just one.  So, I broke out my Alicia Silverstone book, The Kind Diet.  I used to make her peanut butter cups a lot when I could have graham crackers.  I tried making them with gluten free graham crackers a few times, but it just wasn't the same.  So, I tried what I have done a lot for the past year, and instead of trying to duplicate an old recipe, only to find that it "doesn't taste as good without the gluten ingredient", I tried to make something new. I wasn't happy with the results a few times, but now I can say that I am happy!

You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter!

To make 12 cups in a mini muffin tin:

1. 2 1/2 Tbl. peanut butter (I used Natural chunky)
2. 1 1/2 Tbl. refined coconut oil
3. 1 Tbl. brown rice syrup

Stir together and fill the mini muffin cups.

In a separate bowl, combine:

1. 1 1/2 Tbl. melted coconut oil
2. 1 1/2 Tbl. melted butter (I used Kerrygold)
3. 1 Tbl. mini chocolate chops (I love Enjoy Life vegan chips)
4. 1 Tbl. cocoa powder ( I used dark this time, but love the regular as well)
5. 1 Tbl Maple syrup

Stir this mixture, and pour over the top of the peanut butter mixture that is already in your tin.  Then top with chopped peanuts, or since I was out this time, I used chopped almonds.  Refrigerate for an hour, or if you can't wait, pop in the freezer for 20 minutes!   

They are so much prettier than my photo shows.  I hope to improve my photography one day!

Enjoy...candy made with all natural ingredients!

I hope you will give them a try, and let me know how they work out.  I will surely miss the red and green Reese's when it comes to Christmas, now what will I use as a "decoration" in my snowman jar?
Many Blessings,
Joanna