June 2007 Newsletter

RAW CHOCOLATE...it's almost too good to be true!

Tower of strawberries with chocolate sauce running over them

I re-invented an old favourite recipe for my last birthday:
Chocolate-Coconut Banana & Strawberry Bites!
Yumm... everyone thought it was a cream fill! Little did they know it was completley RAW= enzyme and fibre rich and actually good for you! Plus, it only took me 15 minutes to make two tray-fulls including the washing up!

Raw chocolate is so easy, and good for you. No sugar high, only a pleasant release of feel good hormones... it's almost too easy and good to be true!

I'm going to share my recipe with you here so grab your pens and Cacao nibs:

Gourmet Raw Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients
Raw Cacao powder, Cacao nibs (optional), Cold-pressed coconut oil, Agave Syrup. That's it! There is so much more you can add to personalize them such as Maca, Goji berries, coconut flakes, superfood etc.
Equipment
A long bladed grinder, such as a coffee grinder. I use a Braun 3-in-1 blender grinder (the reg. blender is my morning smoothie jug and the grinder is perfect for chocolate making!).
Method
1) Add into grinder 4 heaped tbsp of coconut oil and 4 heaped tbsp of cacao powder with 1 tsp of Agave syrup (to taste). Blend till smooth. The coconut oil will become liquid and will retain it's healthy oil properties. Taste and adjust acc. to your taste.
2) To make special chocolate pieces, pour the smooth mixture into ice-cube trays. You can find some special ones with flowers, butterflies, stars and hearts which make a home made chocolate look fantastic.
3) Refrigerate chocolate trays until hardened. No need to freeze unless your in the tropics!

Choco-Coco Frozen Fruit Recipe

1) Cut Bananas into bit size pieces or use Raspberries, Strawberries and other small fruit.
2) Dip the fruit into the raw chocolate mix immediately (before it hardens at room temp. which takes 15 min.- 2 hours).
3) Then dip into a bowl of shredded coconut
4) Place on a cookie sheet (which is on a tray or plate that fits into your freezer ; ).
5) Freeze for minimum 2-3 hours.
6) Place on stunning plate that shows your creation off at it's most scrumptiousness... best let defrost for 5 minutes before serving.
HOT TIP
If you live in a hot country or its a sunny english summer day the coconut oil will dissolve quickly. You might wish to add some Cacao butter, which is the oil of the cacao pod (also called cocoa). This butter smells amazing, like white chocolate, yet it has zero flavor. It is very hard so you need to chisel some scrapings off and dissolve them in a glass cup in boiled water. Make sure you don't cook it, remove as soon as it melts and add to your chocolate mix to add an irresistible aroma and a familiar chocolate firmness that resists melting immediately.

WHY NOT? email us your original raw recipes and we will put our favorite 10 into next newsletter for public taste vote! They might even end up in our 'Delicious Detox' Booklet...

OK, thats all for now! ENJOY your chocolate!!! x Shoshana

Page Updated: 25/01/2008 15:30:57