Chocolate nut butter cups

Filled with hazelnut, pistachio or peanut butter, these lovely little bites are a perfect after-dinner treat to share with coffee

Prep:1 hrs
Cook:15 mins
plus 2 hrs chilling

More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 399
fat 27g
saturates 13g
carbs 31g
sugars 27g
fibre 4g
protein 5g
salt 0.2g

Ingredients

300g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
125g butter, softened and chopped
250g icing sugar
140g nut butter (I used smooth peanut butter, hazelnut butter and pistachio nut butter – but you can use just peanut butter if you prefer)
25g nuts (I used peanuts, hazelnuts and pistachios)
flaky sea salt (optional)
about 24 foil petit four cases
2 mini muffin tins
3 piping bags
gold leaf and a paintbrush, to decorate (optional - see tip)

Tip

Storing your chocolates

As these chocolates have not been ‘tempered’ (heated and cooled to precise temperatures), they may become dull and develop chocolate ‘bloom’ (white patches) if kept for more than 1 week.

How to use gold leaf

Place a whole nut on a small sheet of gold leaf and gently ease the sides up over the nut with a paintbrush to coat.

Method

Tip half the chocolate into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Put the petit four cases into the holes of the mini muffin tins. Put 1 tsp of the melted chocolate in each one, then pick up a petit four case in your hand and swirl it gently to get the chocolate to coat the sides. Repeat with all the cases, leaving about a third of the chocolate in the bowl. Pop the tins in the fridge to firm up while you make the fillings.
Put the butter in a large bowl with the icing sugar. Beat well with electric beaters or a wooden spoon until light and creamy. Divide the mixture into three bowls, then stir the peanut butter into one, hazelnut butter into the second and pistachio butter into the third (if using). Transfer the fillings to three piping bags.
Take the chocolate cups out of the fridge and fill with the nut mixtures. If your reserved chocolate has hardened, melt again as before. Once melted, carefully spoon it over the top of each cup to seal in the nut butters.
Top each cup with with a whole nut (or a nut coated in gold leaf, a pinch of coarse sea salt – or any combination). Chill for at least 2 hrs. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week (see tip).