Puffed quinoa peanut butter cups

"To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses."

                                                          The Dance-Song, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche 

Reese's cups remind me of London. I had a knack for finding Reese's cups. Every time Maëlia looked for some, they were nowhere to be found. The peanut butter cup curse. Life seemed (was) much simpler at the time (well, except for the Reese's cup crusade). There was no giant hole in me slowing my daily thoughts, keeping me wild awake at night. There was no need to staunch my tears.

I can re-play the memories to bring back the dirty pubs, the Fred Perry trips, the tipsy late night bus rides, the fresh Pimm's, the early morning runs in the Heath. What I sometimes forget is that I've got friends who are here. Now. Friends who have seen both parts of me - the cypresses and the roses - and are still by my side. There are few of them but I'm so grateful to have such friends. They seal the cracks a little. Without them, I'd be a lot more broken than I am today.

The friend I talked about when I mentioned Reese's cups, Maëlia, paints wonderful watercolours. I'm the proud and happy owner of a nightingale. You can check her shop if you'd like!

Those peanut butter cups are crunchy and dark. Not your average Reese's cups. Feel free to use sweet peanut butter and "less dark" chocolate if you want a sweeter taste!

Puffed quinoa peanut butter cups
(vegan, gluten-free)
inspired from this recipe

10 g puffed quinoa
55 g salted creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

200-250 g dark chocolate, melted

In a small bowl, combine puffed quinoa and peanut butter. Set aside. In cupcakes moulds or candy moulds, pour dark chocolate up to 1/5. Let sit in fridge until it hardens. Take a small portion of the puffed quinoa and peanut butter mixture and form a small ball. Flatten it and place on dark chocolate. Repeat with all your moulds. Pour dark chocolate on top until the peanut butter and quinoa center is covered. Place in fridge for at least one hour. 

"Il est vrai que je suis une forêt pleine de ténèbres et de grands arbres sombres ; mais qui ne craint pas mes ténèbres trouvera sous mes cyprès des sentiers fleuris de roses."

                                           Le Chant de la Danse, Ainsi Parlait Zarathoustra, Friedrich Nietzsche 

Cups au beurre de cacahuète et quinoa soufflé
(végétalien, sans gluten)
inspiré de cette recette

10 g quinoa soufflé
55 g beurre de cacahuète crémeux,

200-250 g chocolat noir, fondu

Dans un bol, mélanger le beurre de cacahuète et le quinoa soufflé. Réserver. Dans des moules à cupcakes ou à chocolats, verser du chocolat noir fondu  jusqu'au 1/5. Mettre au frigo pour que le chocolat durcisse. Puis, prendre une petite boule du mélange au quinoa soufflé et l'aplatir dans le creux de la main. La déposer sur le chocolat. Verser du chocolat noir jusqu'à ce qu'il recouvre le centre. Mettre au réfrigérateur pendant une heure au moins.