These Marzipan Maca Hibiscus Cups are utterly delightful! They are naturally vegan and are fairly simple to make. I made the marzipan by blending blanched almonds, coconut sugar and almond extract with a little maca. They have a perfectly balanced flavor with a subtle sweetness to them. The maca adds a wonderful lift to your energy while the hibiscus adds a tangy citrus quality that also provides antioxidants.
This has been a fantastic spring month of new beginnings thus far! The rain has stopped, the flowers have sprung up and it was Robby’s and my two-year anniversary on the 18th. On our anniversary day, we had a leisurely day around the house and then a wonderful dinner at one of our favorite restaurants “East End Gastropub”. It was a perfectly simple evening!
Another great surprise that occurred this month was that one of our friends Antonia moved to Santa Cruz. Antonia and Robby met each other as kids a couple years before I entered the scene. We were a group of 8 that hung out together as teenagers. This has been a wonderful gift from the universe for me. While I do have some great girlfriends here, it is difficult to connect because they either live a little too far or they are busy with kids. I have been asking the universe for a friend to spend some girl time with where we can inspire each other. My prayers were literally answered. I love it when that happens!
This month, I also started adding maca to my morning coffee and boy does it give me an extra boost. I am loving it! There are a few types of maca. There is black, red, yellow and gelatinized. I have been hooked on the yellow maca, which is great for boosting energy and concentration while it also helps to balance hormones.
These cups will satisfy your sweet tooth while boosting your energy. What’s not to love?
The delightful cups pair nicely with a dessert wine, port or a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Maca Hibiscus Marzipan Cups Recipe:
Ingredients
Marzipan
- 2 1/2 Cup Raw Almonds - blanched - recipe below
- 1 1/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Almond Extract
- 2 Teaspoons Yellow Maca Powder
Chocolate
- 100 g or 1/2 Cup Grated Cacao Butter
- 50 g or 1/4 Cup Grated Cacao Paste - divided
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/3 Cup Cacao or Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Yellow Maca Powder
Garnish
- 3 Tablespoons Hibiscus Flowers - powdered
Instructions
Blanched Almonds
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Bring about 4 - 5 cups of filtered water to a boil.
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Once boiling, add the almonds and put on a timer for 55 seconds. Immediately dump into a colander and let cool.
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Peel the skins off the almonds and place on a paper or kitchen towel to dry.
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Do not overcook or they will become bitter.
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Immediately dump into a colander and let cool.
Chocolate
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In a small double boiler or a glass or ceramic bowl fit snug over a small saucepan of water, add the cacao butter, half of the cacao paste and maple syrup on medium-low heat until completely melted.
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Take off the heat and stir in the rest of the cacao paste until melted.
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Next, stir in the cacao powder.
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Take off the heat and stir in the rest of the cacao paste until melted.
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Next, stir in the cacao powder, maca and coconut sugar. (Make sure no water gets into the chocolate or it will seize up!)
Marzipan
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Place the dry almonds in a food processor and pulse it a bunch of times to break them up evenly, then turn it on until it turns to a fine crumb.
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Add in the coconut sugar and maca, then turn the processor on and slowly add in the almond extract.
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Make sure and scrape the sides and bottom. Sometimes the extract will stay on the bottom.
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Pulse until it starts to stick together.
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Scoop out the marzipan with 1/2 oz. cookie scoop or 1 leveled tablespoon and firmly press it into the spoon while making it level. Shape into 20 discs a little smaller than the molds or liners and set aside on a plate.
Assemble
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First, grind the hibiscus flowers in a coffee or spice grinder to a fine powder. Set aside
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There are two ways you can do this.
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*This way does take a little practice.
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I use plastic molds that are made for peanut butter cups and a small round pastry brush.
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Swirl the pastry brush around the chocolate to load up the brush.
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Swirl the chocolate around the cup molds starting on the bottom and swirling up the sides. Put into the freezer.
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I do this one or two more times to make sure there are no thin spots. The sides are the toughest parts.
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Drop the marzipan discs into the bottom and press down. Top with chocolate and smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle on the hibiscus powder.
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Place back into the freezer until completely hard. You can tell if they are ready by looking at the bottom to see if it is dark brown or if it has lifted.
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It will be cloudy looking. Turn them over and pop them out onto a plate.
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You can either use kitchen shears to trim up the edges or carefully use a paring knife.
Or
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Spread out 18 - 20 cup liners on a baking sheet.
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Pour in about 1 1/2 teaspoons of chocolate into cupcake liners to cover the bottom and then spread the chocolate around with a spoon.
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Drop the marzipan discs into the liners and making sure to leave room for the chocolate to spread around the edges of the marzipan.
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Drizzle about a half teaspoon over the top of the marzipan or until it is covered.
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Spread the chocolate around and sprinkle on the hibiscus powder.
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Place back into the freezer until the chocolate completely hard.
Health benefits:
Almonds reduce cholesterol, heart diseases and help to regulate blood pressure. They also help keep the bones strong preventing osteoporosis. They have a high content of Vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant and helps strengthen the immune system. They are very high in protein. Almonds have important fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids that help reduce inflammation in the body. Almonds protect against diabetes by helping to reduce the rise in glucose and insulin levels after meals. They are high in fiber helping to prevent constipation and colon cancer. They help maintain brain help reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. They also improve the skin’s complexion and health.
