What do you get when you give the classic peanut butter cup a makeover? A delectable hazelnut strawberry butter cup! Filled with homemade hazelnut butter and strawberry cream filling, this treat is sure to delight both kids and adults.
Hazelnut Strawberry Butter Cup
Ingredients
Hazelnut butter
- 1 ¼ cup raw hazelnuts (300 grams)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (43 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry cream
- 6 ounces strawberries, sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (32 grams)
Remaining ingredients
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (240 grams)
- ¼ cup avocado oil (62 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with muffin liners and set aside.
- Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and rub the hazelnuts with a clean towel to remove the outer skins. Transfer nuts to a food processor and process for 7-8 minutes or until smooth.
- Pour hazelnut butter into a medium bowl and add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar to the nut butter, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Scoop 2 teaspoons size portions and shape them into a ball. Flatten each ball into a small disc and chill in the freezer until ready to use.
- Make strawberry cream. Combine sliced strawberries with sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook until strawberries are softened. Remove from heat and puree strawberries until smooth. Let cool completely.
- Whip heavy cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Add whipped cream to strawberry puree, folding in the whipped cream until combined. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Combine chocolate chips with avocado oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Pour 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate in each muffin liner, gently tapping the pan to evenly spread the chocolate. Place one hazelnut disc per muffin, lightly pressing it down into the chocolate. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.
- Remove from the freezer and pour 2 teaspoons of strawberry whipped cream filling per muffin. Return to the freezer and chill for another 20 minutes or until strawberry filling is set.
- Remove from the freezer and top each butter cup with the remaining chocolate, about 2 teaspoons per muffin. Return to the freezer and chill for 1 hour or until completely set. Remove from the freezer and enjoy.
Notes
Watch how to make this:
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The Inspiration
Earlier this year, I had the idea of creating a different version of a peanut butter cup. I had no idea how, but I knew it was going to be a terrific summer dessert. Over the next several months, I played around with ideas in my head, thinking of different combinations. How would an orange creamsicle filling pair with the chocolate shell? Or how about a passionfruit puree? Should it be one flavor or two?
Not wanting to stray too far from the original peanut butter cup, I decided to simply replace the peanut butter with hazelnut. Add an extra layer of strawberry filling and suddenly you have an almost elegant peanut butter cup. Not only do the flavors pair wonderfully, but the dessert also looks beautiful with the duo layers. And the best part? It's a no-bake dessert, making it perfect for the summertime!
The Ingredients
- Hazelnuts: You can use either raw or toasted hazelnuts to make the hazelnut butter. If using toasted nuts, skip steps 1 and 2. You can also use store-bought hazelnut butter and add powdered sugar and vanilla to the butter. However, I do recommend using one without sugar already added or else the filling will be very sweet.
- Powdered sugar: This type of sugar helps thicken the hazelnut butter and turns it into a paste. Do not substitute with another type of sugar.
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries would work for this recipe.
- Dark chocolate chips: To offset the rich hazelnut butter, use dark chocolate chips for best results.
- Avocado oil: I use avocado oil because it has healthy fats but you can use coconut oil or any other neutral-flavored oil instead.
How to Make Hazelnut Strawberry Butter Cup
Step 1: Prepare the Hazelnut Butter
To create the rich and creamy hazelnut butter for these delectable hazelnut strawberry butter cups, begin by toasting raw hazelnuts in the oven until they turn a golden brown hue. Once toasted, remove them from the oven and rub off the outer skins using a clean towel. Don't worry if you can't remove all of the skin.
Transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor and blend for several minutes until a smooth and velvety butter forms. Next, combine the hazelnut butter with a touch of vanilla extract and gradually incorporate powdered sugar, stirring diligently until the ingredients are well combined. The butter should thicken into a paste once all of the sugar is incorporated.
Shape the hazelnut butter mixture into small discs and allow them to firm up in the freezer while preparing the other components.
Step 2: Make the Strawberry Cream Filling
While the hazelnut butter is firming, make the strawberry cream filling. This luscious filling adds a burst of fruity sweetness complimenting the hazelnut butter. Start by simmering sliced strawberries with a hint of granulated sugar in a saucepot until they become tender and fragrant. Once the strawberries have softened, remove them from the heat and puree them until smooth. Allow the strawberry puree to cool completely.
Meanwhile, whip heavy cream together with powdered sugar until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled strawberry puree, creating a light and airy strawberry cream. Refrigerate the mixture until it is ready to be used.
If strawberries aren't in season, you can use frozen strawberries instead. However, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet the frozen berries are.
Step 3: Putting it All Together
Now it's time to assemble the hazelnut strawberry butter cups. Melt dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl along with avocado oil and vanilla extract, stirring at regular intervals until the chocolate becomes smooth and glossy. Make sure to check the chocolate every 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate doesn't overheat. When the chips are almost melted, simply stir the chocolate until the rest of the chips melt.
Line a cupcake pan with muffin liners and pour 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate into each liner, ensuring the bottom is evenly coated. I like to gently tap the muffin pan to evenly spread the chocolate.
Place a hazelnut disc on top of the chocolate in each liner, gently pressing it down. Then, pop the pan in the freezer for the chocolate to set.
After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and spoon 2 teaspoons of strawberry whipped cream filling onto each hazelnut layer. Return the pan to the freezer, giving the strawberry filling ample time to set. Once set, remove the pan and crown each butter cup with another layer of melted chocolate. Return the pan to the freezer for a final round of chilling, ensuring that the butter cups are completely set before serving.
When it's time to serve these heavenly treats, simply remove them from the freezer and serve immediately. You can also let them sit for about 5 minutes to soften the chocolate shell just a bit before enjoying them.
I was a little nervous about how these hazelnut strawberry butter cups would turn out. Would the layers be too thick or too thin? Was it too rich? Fortunately, they were a hit! My friends enjoyed the layer of flavors and the combination of hazelnut with strawberry and chocolate worked wonderfully. It's just a magical combination!
FAQs
Can I use store-bought hazelnut butter instead of making it from scratch?
Yes, you can but just make sure it doesn't have sugar added or the filling may be too sweet.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones for the strawberry cream filling?
Yes, frozen strawberries would work well with this recipe. Taste the filling and adjust the amount of powdered sugar if needed since frozen strawberries aren't as sweet as fresh.
How long do these butter cups last?
They can last up to a month when stored in the freezer.
Can I make these butter cups in advance?
These hold well in the freezer, however, they should be kept in the freezer until ready to serve. The hazelnut strawberry cups will start to melt and soften when thawed.
For more no-bake dessert inspiration check out this no-bake Greek yogurt cheesecake!
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