Sometimes food is medicine, and sometimes that medicine is an aphrodisiac!

These nut butter cups are just the thing you need this Valentine’s Day!

The special ingredient is MACA.  Maca is a root vegetable and food of the Andes mountains of Peru and is sometimes called Peruvian ginseng because it boasts ginseng-like properties. Like ginseng, maca is used to increase strength, energy, stamina, and libido.

YouTube player

INGREDIENTS

200g dark chocolate

1/2 cup almond butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 tbsp. maca powder

1/8 tsp. sea salt (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water) melt chocolate
  2. Prepare muffin tins with paper liners.  (i used both a regular muffin tin and miniature muffin tin)
  3. Spoon enough chocolate to cover the bottom and sides of the paper liners (the amount is up to you – I kept mine rather thin).
  4. Place in the fridge or freezer until set, about 5 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, prepare nut butter filling in a small bowl by combining almond butter, maple syrup, maca and sea salt.  Stir until well combined.
  6. Remove chocolate cups from refrigerator.
  7. Spoon almond filling into prepared chocolate cups. (I used 1 tbsp. of filling for regular sized cups and 2 tsp. for miniature sized cups)
  8. Press filling down evenly and then cover with additional melted chocolate.
  9. Drizzle with coconut flakes (optional)
  10. Freeze or Refrigerate 15 minutes or until set and ENJOY!