Chocolate Peanut Butter and Coconut Cups

To me, Valentine's Day is more than a day to get flowers and candy from your significant other.  It's about taking the time to really appreciate those around you, and showing them how much you care.  Because, at the end of the day, the ones that love you make your life worth living.

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been the image of pure love in my life.  I remember being a little girl, thinking she was the most perfect and beautiful person in the entire universe with the most soothing voice, softest skin, and comforting touch.  I grew up with the everyday intention of trying to make her happy, because making her happy meant everything to me.

I look back to grade school, when I had extreme difficulty with reading comprehension, my mom would read me entire novels aloud so that I would do well on tests and write book reports.  In sixth grade, when my science teacher had a vendetta against me and gave me failing grades for no reason.  My mom took inventory of every test and homework in my binder, then set up a meeting with the school counselor where it was discovered I had an A in the class.  When I was sick for three months, she would rub my back every night and watch entire television series on DVD with me.

So, no matter how many times I tell my mom that I love her, that I appreciate her, that I thank her, I feel like it will never be enough.  She has done so much for me and I will never be able to repay her.  She even puts up with me when my blood sugar drops and I become an insane lunatic.  Now that is love.

So, this Valentine's Day, I decided to make my mom a simple yet indulgent treat.  I combined three of her favorite ingredients(or food groups)- chocolate, peanut butter, and coconut, and used a muffin pan to create a similar size and shape to the nostalgic Reese's cups.  These cups contain minimal ingredients, take less than a half hour to prepare, and are the perfect treat to make for the extra special person(s) in your life.  Happy Valentine's Day, Mom.  I love you.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Coconut Cups

makes eight

1 12oz bag, or 2 cups or vegan chocolate chips

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tbsp brown rice syrup

approximately 1/3 c natural, creamy peanut butter

Line a standard sized muffin pan with eight cupcake liners.

Toss together coconut and brown rice syrup.  Place in freezer until tacky and easy to mold.  Once ready, shape the mixture into eight small disks.  They must be slightly smaller in width to the muffin cups.  Return to freezer until ready to use.

Bring a small pot of water to boil.  Place a glass bowl overtop of the pot and add the chocolate chips.  Stir continually until the chocolate chips are completely melted.  Add in the coconut oil and continue to stir until chocolate is very smooth. 

Spoon enough of the melted chocolate into each muffin liner so that the bottom is covered.  Take 2 tsp of peanut butter and place it in the middle of the chocolate.  Top each peanut butter center with a coconut disk.  Cover each coconut disk with additional chocolate.  Repeat until all chocolate has been used.  Refrigerate/place in freezer until candy has hardened.  Trim liners so that they are the same height as the candy.  Enjoy!