These homemade chocolates were inspired by Oded Brenner and his focus on the whole cacao fruit. His company, Blue Stripes Urban Cacao sells the 100% Cacao Chocolate Chips that I used to make these chocolate-tahini cups.  Check out the website for the chips and a bunch of other fun products like cacao water! at www.bluestripes.com  Use the code CACAO15 when you check out to get 15% off. They are satisfying and delicious like a good cup of espresso.  Slightly bitter, creamy and exploding with dark dark chocolate flavor.  Remember to make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before mixing or the chocolate will cool down too quickly and you won’t be able to pour it.  

Makes 24 small “cups”

1          cup [www.bluestripes.com] 100% Cacao Chocolate Chips

½         cup plus 2 tablespoons room temperature Tahini (not salted)

3          tablespoons date syrup (to sweeten)

1          teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste, like Nielsen-Massey 

1/8      teaspoon ground cardamon 

            Fresh Grated Nutmeg, about 1/16th teaspoon

            Pinch of fine-grain sea salt

Topping: 

            Maldon sea salt 

Candied ginger, cut into slivers

            Unsalted pistachios

Set a mini-cupcake tin with mini-cupcake papers.  

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or on the chocolate-melting setting of a microwave. Meanwhile, mix the Tahini, date syrup, vanilla paste, cardamon, nutmeg and salt.  Add the melted chocolate slowly and mix well until completely combined.  

Divide mixture among the 24 mini-cupcake papers.  Immediately sprinkle each with a bit of Maldon sea salt.  You can stop there or add the fruit and nuts.  If adding, place a couple of pistachio nuts on the top of each chocolate cup, and then place a sliver or two of the candied ginger. 

Place un-covered in the refrigerator to set.  Remove when hard and place in an airtight container and separate the layers with parchment paper.

I like them both cold and at room temperature.  Enjoy!

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020