Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Butter Cups
Listen up, people, because this is not a drill. This is real, and it’s here, and now that I’ve put this out into the world, I can officially say I’ve left it better than I found it. These are sensual, dark chocolate bombs with a creamy, warm and spicy pumpkin filling. Did that sound sexual? Because that’s how I meant it.
Now, I know the recipe title says pumpkin butter, but the filling is really more like a curd. Think lemon curd, but instead of that sunshiny tartness, you can expect a warm, spicy sweetness. Luckily, you’ll have leftover curd, so you can spread it on toast, over waffles or pancakes, or really enjoy it by the spoonful all on its own.
I wish I could tell you a story about how I came up with these, but it’s boring, and nothing is more infuriating or disappointing than a blogger who has to tell you about how her daddy’s cousin’s sister-once-removed made the best ever cornbread, only to find out the recipe is for green beans. I’m just not going to do that to you.
These are magic in every damn bite, and once you make these, you will look at your kids’ Halloween candy and laugh at them. Snickers? Ha! M&M’s? Ha! Twix? Gimme that, I’m no fool.
So here it is. The most epic — and I don’t use that term lightly — “Halloween” candy that will never make it into a pillow case or a plastic orange bucket, or last in anyone’s home for more than a few hours, honestly.
Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Butter Cups
Ingredients
Pumpkin Curd
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch salt
Chocolate Cups
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (or chips)
flaky sea salt, for topping
Process
Yields 12 candies.
In a small sauce pan, whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree. Set over low/medium-low heat and whisk constantly until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Take off heat and pour into a shallow, heat-proof bowl. Immediately whisk in butter until homogenous. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and cover with plastic wrap directly over the curd. Cool in refrigerator for an hour, or until fully chilled and firm.
Once curd is completely cooled, take out of refrigerator. In a separate, microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring each time for a few seconds until mixture is smooth and chocolate is completely melted.
Line mini muffin tin with 12 mini baking cups and using a small spoon or spatula, line the bottom and sides of each cup with chocolate. Brush chocolate up the edges, as far to the top as it will go. NOTE: Be sure not to skip that step, because I failed to do that in my first round and since the chocolate didn’t completely enrobe the curd, it was a pretty messy situation! See delicious looking photos above for reference.
Let chocolate set in fridge for about 10 minutes.
Take tin out of fridge and spoon 2 leveled teaspoons of pumpkin curd into the middle of each chocolate lined cup and use the back of the teaspoon to level each cup. Reheat chocolate for 15-20 seconds at a time and stir chocolate until smooth and shiny again. Pour chocolate evenly over the top of the curd and fill just under the edge of the liner. Let chocolate set slightly, for about 3 minutes, and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let chocolate set completely at room temperature for an hour.
Peel liners off the cups and serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. But if we’re being honest, they’ll get eaten well before that.