I was in the supermarket last week doing a last minute shop and happened to be hungry. Bad mistake - many things go in my trolley that shouldn't go in there ;). Anyway, I saw for the first time wheat based Peanut Chocolate Nut Butter cups by Nature Valley. Loving the combination of dark chocolate and peanuts I slipped a packet into my trolley (hoping my family didn't see). For those of you who don't know I'm not on a wheat free diet (nor is anyone else in my family) so if they saw the packet I would be obliged to share them.

Of course I ate a couple and of course my daughter found the packet and ate a couple.

They were pretty delicious and I thought I could probably make them.

I'm really ecstatic at how my gluten free version turned out - they are seriously good.

I've included a photo of the wheat based ones for comparison.

This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour. 

  

Bikkie Ingredients

Dry 

300 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour

150 g Buckwheat flakes (I get them from Sunnybrook Health & Healing)

125 g Brown sugar

1 tsp Baking powder

1/8 tsp Salt

25 g Chopped dark choc bits

25 g Chopped peanuts

 

Wet  

250 g Melted butter

50 g Hot water

 

Peanut Butter Icing

100 g Smooth peanut butter

pinch of salt

25 - 40 g Icing sugar (I use 40 g)

40 g Copha

 

Extra chopped peanuts for topping & dark chocolate for the base

 

Method

In a bowl mix together the Bakers' Magic flour, buckwheat flakes, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Put the butter into another container if using a microwave or put it into a saucepan if melting the butter on a stove top. Melt the butter and add in the hot water. Do not let this wet mixture cool down. 

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine. At first the mixture will be quite runny but will thicken on standing. It will also appear slightly greasy. 

Put the dough into the freezer for approximately 10 - 20 mins to cool down. Flattening the dough will allow the dough to cool faster. 

Turn the oven on to 160^oC (fan forced). 

Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Bring the dough out of the freezer. If it is really hard knead it to make it more flexible. 

Mix in by hand the chopped peanuts and chopped chocolate bits to the dough.

Take approximately 25 g of the dough, roll it into a ball and transfer it to one of the trays.

Repeat with the remaining dough. 

Find something that can make an indentation into the dough. I've used my thumb however the peanut butter icing tended to drip from one side of the 'cup'. In the end I used one of my probe thermometers. 

Transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 25 mins. The actual baking time will depend on your oven. Turn the trays halfway through baking if your oven has a hot spot.

Bring the trays out of the oven. Wait until the biscuits are cool before coating the bases with chocolate.

Melt some dark chocolate. 

Carefully dip the base of each biscuit into the molten chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the biscuit against the side of the container to get rid of some of the chocolate (why am I saying get rid of the chocolate? up to you if you scrape off the chocolate). Put the biscuit back onto the tray. 

Repeat with the remaining biscuits.

Peanut Butter Icing

Melt the copha with the peanut butter & sifted icing sugar. Blitz the warm icing with a stab blender if you didn't sift the icing sugar. 

Warm the icing until it has a pouring consistency.

Spoon enough icing to fill the cup.

Sprinkle some of the extra chopped nuts on top. 

Set aside until the chocolate and peanut butter icing have set. 

Simply enjoy!