Hungrie Norie's Raw Nik-Naks 6---Raw chocolate squares

I love my chocolate, who don't? I've been buying lots of them lately, so, I decided to make them again. Some of raw chocolate taste like rubber, and don't melt nicely in mouth. Some can taste really grainy.... I have my favo brand, only a small bar and cost a bit compare to cheap chocolate. They are yummy and worth paying for.

Lots of raw chocolate recipes I've looked at have either honey or agave nectar in them, coconut nectar sounds good, but here in country town of Suffolk, no one sells it. I don't want to wait on line delivery, when I want to do something, I want to do it NOW. So, quite often, ordering on line is no good for me.

So, I used coconut sugar again. It doesn't make anything sweeter or anything in my opinion, but it gives nice flavour and cuts off bitterness from the cacao powder. I wanted sugar free and vegan, so, I added some nuts and sultanas. 

Here's the recipe, add some nice protein powder or any super food powder etc or edible oil make chocolate even taste nicer. I only add vanilla powder though, simple......

Half cup cacao powder

Half cup coconut oil

Half cup cacao butter (melt below 45℃, I kept it about 35-40℃, no re-heating)

2 tablespoon coconut sugar (I don't think it's completely raw)

2 teaspoon vanilla powder (I'm not sure they are completely raw)

2 tablespoon each cashew nuts and sultanas

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Melt cacao butter and add to cacao powder and vanilla and coconut sugar. While melting cacao butter, cream coconut oil really well.  (like making cake mix, butter and sugar to cream). Then, hold coconut oil into chocolate mixture and add some nuts and sultanas. It cools down quick, so, quickly do all. Put the mixture in lined tray (need to be already ready!), using parchment paper, flatten the surface. Hands be better with the paper, body temperature soften it. Then, when it's flat, put the parchment paper on the top of chocolate, tidy up, cool it in the fridge till set. Take out, cut into squares. 

I keep mine in my fridge.... 

When coconut oil melts, it doesn't melt together with cacao butter, means, it split/ separate. That's why I creamed it and fold in to it. 

Actually not many people tell you coconut oil doesn't melt together with cacao butter. If coconut oil is really creamed and similar texture and temperature with chocolate mixture, they combine really well (Remember making frangipane? It's a bit like that). I've made another batch since my last one, I added protein powder (vegan, raw) and carob powder. Ratio of fat and powder is different from last one, due to coconut oil melts quick in my hands and making my finger really messy........

Here's the recipe I did for second batch:

1 cup Cacao butter
Half cup Cacao powder
1 tablespoon Carob Powder
2 tablespoon protein powder
3 tablespoon Coconut sugar
3 teaspoon Vanilla powder
1/4 cup chopped hazel nuts
2 tablespoon sultanas
2 tablespoon cacao nibs
sprinkle grated coconuts on top

It's fun to play with recipes but I don't earn lots of money from my day job, so, I don't want to waste my ingredients. They are not cheap in U.K, I tend to use anything in my cupboard lying round. It's a bit similar to making a pizza isn't it? Top with anything you like!

I really liked this one, I gave a piece to my friend Tony (he's a fussy chef), and he even liked it. Chefs are really fussy on someone else's food, so i got a complement, that means good. 

I found going raw food completely is costly and I don't seem to have enough time making everything from scratch. I do what I can and when I can and I do enjoy cooked food (and cooking) with varieties of method, I get board really quick otherwise....

One thing I'm not so keen on doing this job is tiding up. I get chocolate everywhere and I got  a tiny kitchen, I wish I had a KP (kitchen porter) to wash up for me, I don't even have my boyfriend here either... 

I can almost hear my pastry chef nagging next to me....again.....