Salted Chocolate Almond Cups

Hi, my name is Brett Chamberlain, and I am a sugar addict. I admit it! I love it in any form. Sweet treats, alcohol, bread and pasta. Unfortunately for me, the impact of my sugar intake is reflected in my stomach.

Personally, Spring is a cleansing season. I organize my home. Pick weeds out of my garden in preparation for planting. And, like many others, its a season to focus on personal health. The perfect time to cleanse my system from the nasty habits of Winter. As I suggested in this post, the ideal cleanse is one that is manageable -- meaning I can sustain normalcy in my daily routine (i.e. being active, enjoying my kids, etc). And, most importantly -- I can enjoy my sweets.

My husband and I chose to follow an eating regimen, focusing on "whole foods." Unprocessed. From the ground. Natural. Keeping within these guidelines (mostly), I found several recipes online to satisfy my sweet tooth (even if it is just a few days a week).

This one, in particular, caught my eye:

SALTED CHOCOLATE ALMOND CUPS (slightly adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie)
6 cups

1/4 cup almond butter (crunchy or smooth)
1/4 cup powdered sugar (I know, I know, it's processed, but neither honey nor maple syrup were strong enough binders for this recipe. I will continue to work on it.)
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons maple syrup, room temperature
2 tablespoons coconut oil
sprinkle of salt + fleur de sel
silicone mini muffin pan

ONE: Blend the almond butter with the powdered sugar. Place a teaspoon of the blend and press into the six of the individual muffin compartments. Place in the freezer for an hour.
TWO: Combine the cocoa, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt in a bowl. Stir until fully blended and there is a slight sheen to the chocolate sauce. Note: If the coconut oil is blended with cold ingredients, it will cease. If this happens, just zap sauce in microwave for 10 seconds.
THREE: Once the almond butter blend is slightly hard from the freezer, top each with a teaspoon of the chocolate sauce and sprinkle a bit of fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt on top. Freeze until solid.
FOUR: For best results, keep in freezer overnight.

My family ate these faster than I could pick up my camera to snap a shot. They were delicious!

**UPDATE: I just had a thought. Desiccated coconut (purchased in bulk section at Whole Foods), may be a nice alternative to the powdered sugar. It will absorb the moisture from the almond butter, and blend into a solid batter. If you try this, please share your results.