Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Is there anyone out there who didn't love Reese's Pieces peanut butter cups as a kid? No? Didn't think so. It's an irrefutable fact that the combination of sweet chocolate and creamy peanut butter is one that is nearly impossible to beat. But in recent years I've grown to shy away from typical drugstore candy, preferring to get my sugar fixes from good quality chocolate, freshly baked sweets, and homemade ice cream. I mean, if my diet's going down, it might as well be with the good stuff, right? If I ever really dieted, that is. Anyway. My point is is that as much as I love peanut butter and chocolate together, I can't really justify eating Reese's Pieces to myself anymore--it's got loads of weird, chemical-sounding ingredients that I can't pronounce, and to be honest, it really doesn't taste all that great to me anymore.

Enter, this vegan, all-natural, homemade version, made with Earth Balance butter, soy milk, carob chips, and organic crunchy peanut butter. Not only does it taste better by leaps and bounds (I promise), it's also almost guilt-free. Confession: the recipe called for maple sugar, but I couldn't find any so I just used good, old-fashioned Domino granulated sugar. If you're of the school that vegan food can't taste good, make these immediately. You'll see. xo

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
From The Kind Life with Alicia Silverstone
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup Earth Balance butter
3⁄4 cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1⁄4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (I used regular sugar and it was fine)
1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1⁄4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk
1⁄4 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts 

Directions:
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

They are great soft, but even better a little firmer!