Though I’m not the best at remembering to create recipes for every holiday, Valentine’s Day isn’t one that I let slide. Something about the hunger-inducing red theme and celebration of all things chocolate makes it impossible to ignore. And this year, I teamed up with Pascha Organic Chocolate to create these decadent Chocolate Cups filled with an easy but impressive, from-scratch Strawberry Cream.
This recipe was inspired by a trick that I learned from the talented Cat Ruehle. She uses freeze-dried fruit to infuse flavor without moisture – brilliant! A sweet, strawberry-infused cream was definitely the first item up on my Valentine agenda, and what better way to enjoy it than in dark chocolate cups!
I’m not much of a cake girl – in fact I prefer to enjoy sweet dairy-free whips as “undiluted” as possible. I’ve been known to frost graham crackers, but chocolate seems like a tastier medium, don’t you think? I liken these chocolate cups to whipped frosting shots, but with an edible delivery system! And the beauty: you can choose semi-sweet for a milkier, more indulgent treat on up to pure dark for bittersweet contrast. I took the middle ground, and used 85% cacao chips.
Keep in mind, when making a recipe that uses only a handful of ingredients, the quality of those foods is oh-so important. As mentioned in the recipe, make sure to use full fat coconut milk or cream that sets up into a very thick cream. Brands that have too many stabilizers will stay liquid. Purity = creamy goodness.
Also, you really want to use top notch chocolate. Pascha Organic is my current favorite, as not only is it dairy-free and available in whatever cacao percentage suits my mood, it’s also certified fair trade, organic, non-GMO and has an amazing, pure taste.
Special Diet Notes & Options: Strawberries ‘n Cream Chocolate Cups
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian and top food allergy-friendly. Just make sure you choose a pure brand of chocolate like Pascha, which is free of soy lecithin, made in a top allergen-free facility and certified vegan.
For paleo strawberry cream chocolate cups, use coconut sugar in place of the powdered sugar. However, place it in your spice grinder with the strawberries to powder. Also, opt to use 100% unsweetened chocolate chips (you can add a few drops of alcohol-free stevia to the melted chocolate, if desired).
As referenced above, this post is sponsored by Pascha Organic Chocolate, but only because I asked them to. I really do love their chocolate!
Strawberries 'n Cream Chocolate Cups
Prep time
Total time
See the note at bottom before diving in! This recipe is really easy, but it is best to pop the coconut milk / cream in the refrigerator the day before you plan to make it. While you're at it, pop the mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator, too.
Author: Alisa Fleming
Serves: 16 to 18 chocolate cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pascha Organic Chocolate Chips (55%, 85% or 100%) or Chopped Chocolate Bars (55%, 70% or 85%)
- 1 teaspoon non-hydrogenated shortening (I used Nutiva)
- 1½ cups chilled coconut cream (see note below)
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 6 tablespoons organic powdered sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Generous pinch salt
- Chocolate shavings, optional for garnish (I used a peeler to make shavings of the 85% chocolate bar for contrast)
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate with the shortening, preferably using this method.
- Brush half of the chocolate on the sides and bottoms of silicone mini-muffin cup or candy molds (these will provide the easiest release, I do not recommend paper liners or metal tins!). Chill while you prepare the strawberry cream.
- Place the strawberries in a spice grinder and whiz until powdered. If there are a few little specks remaining, not a worry.
- Place the chilled coconut cream in a mixing bowl (chilled if possible), along with the powdered strawberries, sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat with a hand mixer until fully incorporated, thick and just a little fluffy. Cover and chill while you finish the chocolate cups.
- Brush the rest of the chocolate on the chocolate cups to make them a little thicker / stronger, and return to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Scoop the strawberry cream into a piping bag and pipe into the chocolate cups. If desired, garnish with chocolate shavings. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Chilled Coconut Cream: Pour full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream from two cans/packages into a container. Cover and chill overnight. When ready to use, scoop 1½ cups of the thick cream from the top. Do not use any liquidy coconut milk - it will not whip. To get the thickest cream with pure ingredients, I use So Delicious Culinary Original Coconut Milk.
