What is with that name?!

I could have easily kept it to "Peanut Butter & Honey Thins" but that completely misses the point of these lovelies. The point here is FAT. To consume a thin, slightly crisp and soft, melt in your mouth, delightful piece of FAT.

Yum.

But why? Why should we consume such a delightful piece of fat? 

Because we need it. It's incredibly important to include a variety of healthy fats into our diets, and cacao butter provides a variety of plant-sourced saturated fats. We really need to stop fearing saturated fats, particularly non-animal sources. They're always high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that provide tremendous benefits to the cardiovascular system, immune system, nervous system and endocrine system (thereby improving insulin response and aiding in the manufacturing of important hormones for both reproductive and thyroid health).

Also, I like to consume higher fat & protein in the mornings, as they tend to stimulate cortisol release and maintain a balanced blood sugar. Both are tremendously important for a good start to the day. Cortisol helps us to get moving, feeling energized and alert. When released in healthy amounts, it provides us with that "good stress", which keeps us motivated, but not frazzled. It's a hormone that is naturally higher in the mornings and lower in the evenings. When this gets out of whack (and it often does) it can lead to sleep issues, morning fatigue, food cravings, weight gain and many more issues. 

I usually like to have these on hand for times when I'm busy and unable to prepare a blood-sugar-balancing snack with ease. Busy mornings are a perfect time to savour one of these, or during an afternoon sugar attack. 

So consider including cacao butter into your whole foods diet and enjoy a fat-thin or two!

Roughly chop about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup cacao butter and place it over a double boiler.

Note: This recipe does not contain exact measurements. You will have to rely on your cooking intuition for this one.

Add 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice), about 1/2 tablespoon of raw honey and a pinch of sea salt.

The above photo shows more honey than I just suggested (my bad). It's best to stick with as little sugar as possible when making super high fat snacks. This will improve the body's response to the fat. If you are a stevia user, you are welcome to use it instead of honey (if you're on a ketogenic diet, this or omitting the sweet flavour altogether will be your best option). 

Gently melt everything together, giving it a good stir or two along the way.

Get yourself some hemp hearts, about 1/3 cup and set them aside. These guys are going to improve the fat profile even more by providing omega 3 & 6. They also offer protein and fibre as well as a delightful texture and a rich flavour.

Fit a piece of parchment paper into a cookie tray and place it on your counter. Pour the warm batter onto the paper and sprinkle the hemp hearts evenly over the top.

The cacao butter will give these thins a silky smooth shine and a texture that is just like chocolate. Pop this into your fridge for about an hour.

It'll become good and firm.

And so thin!

Roughly brake it into pieces. You can use a pizza cutter or a good knife if you'd prefer uniform shapes.

Now, like I mentioned, I like to have these thins in the fridge for those moments that I'm hungry but unable whip anything up. I find just one or two will stave off hunger for about 30 minutes. They're incredibly satisfying to eat and the cacao butter lends the best possible texture. There is absolutely no substitution for this wonderful fat.

Peanut Butter & Honey Fat Thins

• About 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup chopped cacao butter
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
• 1/2 tbsp raw honey (optional)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/3 cup hemp hearts (optional)

1. In a double boiler, melt together the cacao butter, nut/seed butter, honey and salt, stirring gently
2. Pour the melted batter onto a prepared piece of parchment paper
3. Evenly distribute the hemp hearts over top of the warm batter
4. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour
5. Break or cut into pieces

Enjoy!