Almond Butter Filling: 

• Combine almond butter, powder sugar, almond flour, salt, and almond extract in a medium bowl. The mixture will become thick and have a texture similar to a dough. 
• Divide almond filling into 12 equal balls and then flatten into small discs. You want the discs to be slightly smaller than the circumference of the tin. It should not touch the edges of the tin, this ensures that the almond filling doesn’t seep out once assembled. 

Chocolate:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, add 12 oz (~2 ¼ cups) of chocolate. Set the remaining 4 oz  (~3/4 cup) of chocolate to the side. 
• On half-power, melt chocolate in 20-second bursts, stirring each time until it’s completely melted. This should take about 1 ½ - 2 minutes, depending on your microwave (see note 2). 
• Add the unmelted chocolate into the bowl and stir until everything is melted and smooth. With a candy thermometer, check to see if your chocolate has cooled to 88-89° F, the ideal temperature for tempering bittersweet/dark chocolate (see notes 3 & 4).

Assembling Cups: 

Due to the chocolate setting relatively quickly at room temperature, I recommend assembling 1-3 cups at a time. 

• In a muffin tin prepared with liners, spoon a layer of chocolate to cover the bottom of the liner. Then shake and tap the sides of the muffin tin to help it evenly spread. 
• Add in an almond butter disc. Make sure that it doesn’t touch the sides.
• Spoon another layer of chocolate into the liner to cover the almond butter discs. Again, shake and tap the sides until the chocolate smooths out. Optional: if you have air bubbles, use a toothpick for popping them. 
• Repeat until you’ve assembled all 12 cups. (See note 5). 
• Finally, move your chocolate cups to a cool area and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until they are dry to the touch.
• Optional: Sprinkle with coarse sea salt before you set them to dry.