Marbled Tahini Chocolate Cups

I watch MasterChef Junior and am sort of in awe of those kids, on television, articulating themselves so well, while perfectly icing cupcakes. Like, what was I doing at age 10?!

Let’s see…I was probably convincing my mom to give me money (or trying to earn it by doing random chores) so I could ride my bike to the corner store and load up on Starbursts to only pick through them and only eat the pink ones. I was probably thinking about my frizzy hair and how unlucky I was to be born this way bc no boy would ever like me. Now, I like my hair but still only like the pink Starbursts. We don’t change that much!

I feel like tahini is the more grown-up peanut butter. Am I right? It’s more bitter than peanut butter and I sort of like that. Because it’s a little bitter, it works really well with white chocolate.

For the longest time, I was always such a white chocolate-hater but I’ve come around and now sort of appreciate it for what it is. It’s very sweet and doesn’t have all that much character but that’s why I think when it is used, it needs to be used with other ingredients that’s the star. In last week’s case: miso. This week’s case: tahini. Feel me?

The tahini gets all weird when you mix it vigorously with honey or brown rice syrup, so I say barely stir in it. Striations of honey or brown rice syrup are a good thing.

Other than that, this recipe is stupid simple. If you own a microwave, which I didn’t until a few weeks ago (and I sort of love it), then it’s even easier. I think the microwave is the best way to melt chocolate—forget a double boiler!!

Marbled Tahini Chocolate Cups

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Serving Size: 9 to 12 cups

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoon brown rice syrup or honey
• Salt

Directions

• Line a muffin tin with 9 to 12 muffin liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, add the dark chocolate chips. Place in the microwave for 1 minute; remove and stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds and then stir vigorously until completely smooth.
• In another medium bowl, add the white chocolate chips. Place in the microwave for 1 minute; remove and stir. If needed, microwave for an additional 30 seconds and stir until completely smooth. (With white chocolate I usually only need 1 minute.)
• In a small bowl, add the tahini, brown rice syrup or honey and a pinch of salt. Barely stir them together (Striations of the syrup or honey are a-ok!)
• Add a scant tablespoon of dark chocolate to half the liners. Add a scant tablespoon of white chocolate to the remaining liners. Smack the muffin tin on the counter to even out the chocolate.
• Using a fork, add little drops of white chocolate to the dark chocolate cups and little drops of dark chocolate to the white chocolate cups. Using a knife, run it through the drops, creating swirls. Move quickly because the chocolate will set (depending on how cold your house is).
• Transfer to the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Remove it from the freezer and add a teaspoon of the tahini mixture to each cup. Transfer back to the freezer to set for an additional 5 minutes.
• I found that the marbled tops worked best to do them in small batches of 2 to 3 cups. So, top 3 of the white chocolate cups with a scant tablespoon of white chocolate. Add a few drops of dark chocolate to the surface of the white chocolate cups and run your knife through them, creating swirls. Repeat this process, working in batches of 2 or 3 cups, until you’ve created swirls in all of the cups. Give it a gentle tap on the counter to even out the chocolate and transfer to the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

If you don't own a microwave, be sure to invest in really good white chocolate so it doesn’t seize on you and you also may want to consider adding a teaspoon of heavy milk to the white chocolate (but this is only if you’re doing it via stovetop).