The Purest …..the Best.
The Easter Bunny didn’t visit our house. Not that I would be able to eat most main stream chocolate since I am slightly dairy sensitive and milk chocolate hasn’t passed my lips in many many years. I react with eczema and the dry itchy skin is not pretty. Being a skin care therapist this isn’t a good look. I know what triggers it, and I have always preferred dark chocolate …. Green and Blacks was always my favourite, but now so I have discovered an alternative. A much purer alternative. A friend brought me a nougat of this delight last year. She led me to believe it was very ‘potent’… and as she had recently visited Peru I was slightly concerned it had more in it than she was letting on…. I kept it in the fridge, uneaten for a few days. I did some research. I ate it. Fabulous. The ‘potency’ is due to the purity of the bean. The ‘rawness’ of it. The packed antioxidants…more than any other food stuff on the planet, ounce for ounce. Yes, it will give you a ‘high’, but so does too much coffee… So best not eaten within and hour of going to bed….and best restrict intake! I usually have one a night. Although an extra one during the day is sometimes required! Since becoming a convert to Raw Chocolate last year, I have been asked by many clients… ‘How?’ and ‘Why? Why? Well because it is dairy free. Totally. And sugar free…. just Agave syrup added to taste. Or raw honey…or a product called Sweet Freedom. It is organic, mainly from Ecuador and growers are normally members of the Fair Trade Association. It is not heated above 42 degrees so all antioxidants are retained.This classes it as ‘Raw’. This is the real deal. this is how chocolate should be. The over produced confectionery we see on our supermarket shelves is packed with rubbish…vegetable oils, sugars, enhancers…. This is so pure, and strong… you don’t need much to satisfy you. How do you make it? Like this….
You will need all your equipment and ingredients ready and weighed before you start. The area must be free from water. All utensils washed and dried thoroughly or the chocolate will split.
The way that the Cacao Powder and Butter have been originally split form the Cocoa Bean to be called RAW is under as cool temperatures as possible. So, reforming it should be the same. If you heat it, you will lose all the antioxidants. This is a basic recipe. You can play with the quantities. You can add all sorts of extras like bee pollen and flax seeds…but not too many in each batch or it will turn out grainy. You can add lemon zest, essential oils ( food grade only!) I often add a dried cherry. Not Glace.. or the sugar will ooze out. You can also soak dried fruits in Green Tea…but dry them off well before popping into the mould. There are many recipes. Play around. Have fun.
I also recommend Sweet Sensations who do a wonderful raspberry powder to give your chocolates some sparkle and a little zing! Beetroot Powder is a wonder antioxidant addition too…. and makes the chocolate a rich purple colour.
If you are always stocked with ingredients, you will never run out of chocolate. Elements for Life do a great starter kit…. and if you find that the making is not your ‘thing’…. you can always purchase ready made Raw Chocolate Bars from them….. although I do like creating my own. Enjoy!
