Divine raw white chocolates

We’ve cracked it! After many trials and tribulations we’ve managed to come up with a white raw chocolate recipe for all you white chocolate lovers.

This raw chocolate version is still dairy free, gluten free and guilt free and although may taste a little different to commercially produced white chocolate, still tastes pretty divine (if we can say so ourselves J) and is a CHOCtastic alternative.

Ingredients

• 50g CHOC Chick organic cacao butter
• 50g Ground cashew nuts (easily blitzed in a food processor)
• 2tsp Lucuma powder
• 1tsp Vanilla bean extract
• 2-3tbsp Sweet Freedom or Agave nectar
• Mini baking cups/petit four cases or silicone ice cube tray/mould

Directions

Here are the ingredients we used to make white raw chocolates

Melt the cacao butter in a baine Marie (bowl over a pan of hot water) on a low heat. Add the Sweet Freedom and mix well with a metal balloon whisk. Mix in the Lucuma, vanilla and cashew nuts and taste. Add more Sweet Freedom for a sweeter taste and mix well.

Remove from heat and spoon a teaspoon of the mix onto mini baking cups or pour into a plastic tub for a chocolate bar (feel free to decorate with freeze dried strawberries or other dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries etc.).

Please in freezer to set for 30 minutes and enjoy cold straight from the freezer.

Makes approx. 28 CHOCs.

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I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by cacao pods!

So where did I get up to? Right we still have the cocoa plantations to visit!  After spending the entire morning learning about fermeting and drying cacao seeds/beans, we hit the road again and wound our way up the mountain side to our first cacao plantation. Calisto, who was the first president of the cacao association took us to visit his family’s farm and it was truly a sight to behold. Beautiful and colourful cacao shells were everywhere and in the midst sat Calisto’s father Ricardo, his mother Maria and brother Edu, chopping the cacao pods with machetes and scooping out the seeds.

Beautiful cacao pods

Cacao pods and shells all around us. Magical!

Amazing the different sizes and colours of cacao pods around us.

We spent several hours wandering round the plantation and it was wonderful to see how so many varieties of plants and fruit trees were growing together. All the cacao trees were surrounded by banana trees and coffee trees and the colours and scent was truly magnificent! This blend and variety of trees growing together must somehow affect the final flavour of the fruits grown and I’m sure the distinctive and beautiful aroma of the Nacional Arriba bean is influenced by the variety of plants growing happily together in the rich Ecuadorian soil.

A picture says a thousand words so I think the best way to convey this experience is by simply adding as many photos as I and share these lovely images of cocoa growing in Ecuador. Enjoy!

Beautiful banana and coffee trees growing together with the cacao trees.

Single green cacao pod

Amazing how the cacao grows on the tree barks as well as the branches.

It all starts with a delicate cacao flower the blooms and buds off the bark and branches of the cacao tree.

The cacao flower buds into a small cacao pod which grows and changes colour as it ripens

Luscious red cacao pod ready to harvest.

Santiago and I with our lovely cacao pods.

Santiago explaining the benefits of bio dynamic farming (and I still have that massive grin on my face!)

After Calisto's family farm we moved on to Luis's (the current President of the cacao association) family farm higher up in the mountains.

Josh and I comparing who has the biggest cacao pod!

And finally more cacao pods!

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So to thank Tamsin for her wonderful advice I decided to create a recipe in her honour, Tamsin’s Tantalising Chilli and Coconut CHOCs, which I’m munching away on as I write this.

Tamsin’s Chilli and Coconut Raw Chocolates

Here’s how to make these delicious raw chocolates:

Ingredients

• 50g CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Butter
• 3 Tbsp CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder
• 3 Tbsp Sweet Freedom or Agave Syrup 
• 2 Tbsp Organic Dessicated Coconut
• 2-3 Pinches of Cayenne Chilli Powder (to taste)
• Plastic tub

Directions

1. Gently melt the raw cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of water on a low heat (Baine Marie).
2. Add the raw cacao powder and sweetener and mix well with a metall ballon whisk.
3. Remove from heat and mix in a bit of chilli powder.  Taste the CHOC mix and add more chilli powder unti you have the right warm and spicey taste (not too spicey though, you don’t want to over power the chocolate).
4. Pour the CHOC mix into a plastic tub or two small takeaway tubs (clean or course!) and sprinkle with the dessicated coconut.
5. Place the tub/tubs in the freezer and leave to set for 15-20 minutes and enjoy!

Ingredients for Chilli and Coconut Raw Chocolate

Melt the raw cacao butter, add the powder, sweetener and mix well with balloon whiskPlace the raw chocolate mix in the freezer to setPlace the raw chocolate mix in the freezer to set Place the raw chocolate mix in the freezer to set

Place the raw chocolate mix in the freezer to set

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Delicious raw chocolate spread recipe, perfect on pancakes!

CHOCalicious Raw Chocolate Spread Recipe

Ingredients

• 65g CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Butter
• 45g CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder
• 4 tbsp Sweet Freedom or Agave Nectar
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 55ml Coffee (or other liquid such as organic milk, soya, rice milk, hazelnut liquor….)

Directions

1) Melt the cacao butter, cacao powder, sweetener and vanilla in a bowl over a pan of water on a low heat.

2) Stir with a metal balloon whisk until you have a nice, smooth mix.

3) Dissolve 1 tsp Coffee Powder in about 55mls water (just under 4 tbsp) and add to the chocolate mix about a teaspoon at a time, stirring well until all the liquid is incorporated.

Pour into a plastic tub or glass jar and leave to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours or in the freezer for around 30 minutes (its gorgeous spread on warm bread just as the cacao butter is beginning to set and perfect as a frosting for our Super Simple Gluten Free Chocolate Cake).  Store in the fridge and leave out for around 10-15 minutes before spreading (try not to eat it all up with a spoon though!!).

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I’ve started doing the CHOCShot Non Diet this week and am drinking 1tps of raw cacao powder mixed with warm water (in a small espresso cup) three times a day before my lovely meals and have even started exercising! Wonders never cease I know, but I’ve discovered the joys of the Power Plate! I’ve started going to a Power Plate session at the wonderful Revitalise in Hove and it’s amazing how great half an hour of intensive exercise has made me feel.

I’m also particularly enjoying my breakfasts which is usually a bowl of porridge with raw cacao powder, sweet freedom, blueberries and bananas and this week I was sent a CHOCtastic recipe by one of our favourite customers Holly. She now starts her day and sometimes ends her day with a Chocalicious Power Bowl, which is not only a boost of antioxidant goodness but has actually helped her and her partner loose weight!

Here is the lovely email I received from her: 

Hello Galia!

Here is a photo of our chocolicious power bowl!! It is your basic chocolate recipe before putting it into moulds – sometimes I get fancy and add some vanilla. The other part is sliced banana, blueberries (blackberries and raspberries are favourites too), goji berries, chopped nuts, and topped with organic coconut. We vary it daily and also add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, honey propolis and sometimes cacao nibs. Any seed and nut mix works but key is the berries and banana as well as goji berries and coconut. WOW we eat this for breakfast or any chance we can get. Hope you can try it…and be generous with the chocolate sauce!

Thanks Holly! I’m looking forward to trying this and hope everyone has a Happy, Healthy and CHOCtastic New Year.

Gx

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The only thing I wanted when we finally made it home on Thursday was to curl up in front of a warm fire with a lovely cup of hot chocolate. But not just any hot chocolate, the extreme weather called for an extremely special Hot CHOC, so I set about creating a lovely mulled hot chocolate with our CHOC Chick raw cacao powder, milk, spices, Sweet Freedom, plenty of rum and brandy and a little cream. The result was absolute heaven and totally heart warming. I felt warm and cozy within minutes and I have to confess had more than one cup!

deliciously warming hot chocolate with rum

Here is the delicious and super simple recipe which I hope will keep you warm and happy too:

• 4 cups organic full fat milk (substitute with rice milk or soya milk for a dairy free version)
• 6 tbsp CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder
• 4-6 tbsp Sweet Freedom or Agave or honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks or 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 2-3 whole cloves or 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4-6 capfuls of Rum, Brady and or Cognac (to taste!)
• 4 tbsp double cream (optional, but highly recommended)

Heat the milk gently in a heavy pan together with the cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. Maintain a low heat and add the raw cacao powder, Sweet Freedom and alcohol, mixing each ingredient in with a metal balloon whisk. Continue mixing and taste to ensure you have the right combination of ingredients (add more to taste if desired) and mix in the double cream before drinking or top with whipped cream. Remember to leave on a very low heat so as not to boil away the alcohol!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did (hic!).

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I’d been in floods of tears (of joy of course) from the minute I woke up yesterday till I went to sleep (just as the 29^th Miner was brought to safety) and then again first thing this morning when they replayed the final rescue of the 33^rd Miner.  What a phenomenal celebration they all had!

So since Chile has been on my mind so much, imagine my delight when I found Lisa Faulkner’s amazing recipe for Chilli Con Carne with chocolate, which was shown on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday as part of National Chocolate Week.  I of course decided I had to make this amazing recipe in celebration of Los 33 and National Chocolate Week using CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder (my family and I have enjoyed eating this hearty Chilli while watching the emotional events in Chile). Viva Chile and Chilli!!

CHOC Chick’s adaptation of Lisa Faulkner’s Slow Cooked Chilli with Chocolate

CHOCtastic Chilli Con Carne with Raw Chocolate

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 1 kg braising / stewing steak, cut into chunks (we had some leftover venison from our Sunday lunch, so I used 500g braising steak and 500g venison)

• 200g chorizo, sliced

• 2 onions chopped

• 4 garlic cloves chopped

• 2 tsp ground allspice

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp cayenne chilli pepper (I tend to use about 3/4 tsp)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 medium dried chilli (chopped)

• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp Sweet Freedom

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

• 200ml red wine or stock

• 30g CHOC Chick raw cacao powder

• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained

• salt and pepper

To serve

• chopped fresh coriander

• tortilla chips

• sour cream

• rice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 140C, gas mark 1.

2. Heat olive oil in large frying pan or casserole dish and brown meat. Set aside.

3. Brown the chorizo. Set aside.

4. Add a little extra olive oil to the chorizo oil, add the onions and garlic and cook gently until softened.

5. Add spices, bayleaf, chilli, balsamic vinegar, Sweet Freedom, ketchup and tinned tomatoes and season.

6. Put the meat and chorizo back in the pan, stir together, then add red wine and raw cacao powder and bring to boil.

7. Transfer to casserole dish if not already and cover.

8. Cook in the oven for 2 hours. After this time, add the kidney beans then return to the oven and cook for a further 45 – 60 minutes.

9. Top with chopped fresh coriander, and serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and rice.

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Ella and Becky's Messy Chocolate Cake

Overall, we are having a pretty decent summer here on the South Coast. We are pretty lucky to have had quite a lot of sunshine so far (I’ve even managed to top up the Ibiza tan this week!), but there have been some stormy and rainy days and with the kids off school, making chocolate and baking has been an absolute godsent!

My 10 year old daughter Ella has a real passion for baking and she and our neighbour Becky have been busy conjuring up recipes and using my raw cacao ingredients wherever a recipe calls for chocolate or cocoa powder.

Last Monday was a particularly rainy day and the girls decided they wanted to get messy in the kitchen and made the most delicious Messy Chocolate Fudge cake!

Here is the recipe Ella and Becky made all by themselves!

Ingredients

• 2tsp Sunflower Oil
• 250g (8oz) Self-Raising Flour
• 6tbsp CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder
• 2rsp Baking Powder
• 300g (100oz) Butter
• 300g (10oz) Unrefined Brown Sugar or 200g Sweet Freedom or Agave
• 2tsp Vanilla Bean Extract
• 6 Large Eggs
• 2 20cm (8in) Round Cake Tins

For the Messy Frosting

• 100g (3.5oz) CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Butter
• 50g (1.75oz) CHOC Chick Raw Cacao Powder
• 3-4tbs Sweet Freedom
• 150ml (1/2 pint) Double Cream

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 170 C, 325 F, Gas mark 3. Cut round circles of greaseproof paper and place over the baking tin bases.

2. Brush sunflower oil over the inside of the tin and the greaseproof paper.

3. Sift the flour, cacao and baking powder into a bowl. Place another larger bowl onto a damp dishcloth.

4. Place the butter and sugar/Sweet Freedom into this empty bowl and beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat some more.

5. Crack 1 egg into a cup. Add it to the bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour. Beat well and repeat with each egg.

6. Stir in the rest of the flour gently using a metal spoon and moving the spoon in the shape of a number eight (this keeps the mixture light).

7. Pour the mixture into the two cake tins. Place in the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes (fan overs will take less time).

8. Remove carefully from the oven (don’t forget to wear oven gloves!) and leave to cool for around 5 minutes. When a bit cooler, run a knife around the sides of each tin and turn each tin upside down over a wire rake, peel the paper off and leave to cool some more.

9. For the Messy Frosting – melt the raw cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water (bain marie) on a low heat.

10. When the cacao butter has melted, add the raw cacao powder and the 3 tbsp of Sweet Freedom and mix well with a metal balloon whisk. Taste to see if sweet enough and add an extra tbsp of Sweet Freedom for a sweeter taste.

11. Once the raw chocolate has melted, add cream and mix well.

12. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Place in the fridge to cool for around 15 minutes and stir the frosting occasionally to thicken.

13. Once the frosting has thickened (a bit like soft butter), spread a third of the icing on one cake and put the other cake on top. Cover the top and sides with lots and lots of messy frosting and enjoy!!

Adapted with thanks from “Usborne Cookery School Cooking for Beginners” book.

Ella and Becky carefully icing the cake

Who needs to carefully ice the cake? Let's just eat the icing ourselves!

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