This candy is easier to make at home than you might think, and you can better control the ingredients and quantities to suit your taste. There are only four main ingredients, and you can find organic options for all of them.

The Science

Recognition and support for female-owned or operated businesses have been increasing, particularly for worldly goods like clothing, jewelry and specialty crops. Chocolate is one of those goods. A recent study in Environmental Conservation shows that women use more conservation practices than men in cacao farming. Specifically, when women manage cacao plantations, more agroforest is conserved. So when you choose your chocolate, look for the brands that intentionally seek out woman-run operations to promote gender equality and environmental health!

The Recipe

This should make about 24 cups.

Equipment

• 24-cup mini-muffin baking tin
• Mini-cupcake wrappers
• Non-metal bowl for melting chocolate in the microwave
• OR a glass or metal bowl to melt chocolate over pot of boiling water
• Spatula
• Small spoons

Ingredients

• 3 cups bittersweet or dark chocolate chips, or chocolate coarsely chopped
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter to mix with chocolate
• 1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter for the filling
• 3 Tbsp. melted butter
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (if your peanut butter is already sweetened with sugar then you can omit this)
• ½ tsp. salt

Cooking instructions

• Line the mini-muffin tray with mini-cupcake wrappers.
• In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, ½ cup peanut butter with your chosen texture for filling, sugar and salt until combined.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate and cook 30 seconds at a time, stirring before microwaving again until chocolate is fully melted. Alternatively, boil about 2 inches of water in a medium pot, place bowl with chocolate over water, and stir until melted.
• Once the chocolate is melted, add ½ cup of smooth peanut butter and mix until fully combined.
• Using two small spoons to scrape against each other, drop about a teaspoon of the melted chocolate mixture into each wrapper.
• Follow with about a teaspoon of peanut butter mixture for each wrapper.
• Top with another teaspoon of chocolate mixture and smooth the top to fill to the sides of the wrapper with your spoon.
• Place the mini-muffin tray with prepared candies in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
• Once set, store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper.
• Candies will store at room temp for several weeks.