ecobites

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Use organic chocolate nibs / yummy organic cocoa butter.

Molds - can use what you have around the home. Reuse small soft lids or suitable shaped plastic rescued from bubble-molded items. Small torch batteries for instance, that come in packs of two or four, encased in a shaped plastic bubble on a card. Remove the plastic carefully from the card and this plastic shape does very nicely as molds for chocolate logs.

Place the organic nibs in the top half of a double boiler (no lid required). Fill the bottom section with approx. one third water. Once the water is hot , turn it down to simmer.

Great care must be taken not to let the chocolate overheat or it will spoil. It needs only to be melted. Care must also be taken not to let a single drop of water into the chocolate, or it will thicken and streak. Do not cover as this will cause condensation. It is not necessary to wait until all the chocolate is melted before you begin pouring it into the molds.

Use a very thin layer of chocolate, leaving more space for healthy centres, so don't pour the liquid chocolate , but 'paint' it on the bottom and sides of each mold using a brush. (For a brush, sterilize a 1 1/2 cm water-colour brush, and it does the job perfectly).

It is surprising, once you become used to doing it, how very little chocolate you need. At first you would think it would surely crack when unmolding if the outside was too thin.

Not so!When the molds are all covered, place in fridge for five minutes to set. No longer!

Now remove sheet and fill molds with centres you have previously prepared. Nothing hot or you can imagine what would happen.

Melt a little more chocolate in the same manner as before, and with the brush, carefully paint a flat base over the fillings. Make sure all fillings are level and don't heap up ,or  when you unmoud, as your results would have ricketty bottoms.

Tap sheet gently on table to remove any air bubbles, and place in 'fridge for a few minutes. Now for the moment of truth.

Tip the sheet of chocolates upside down, and your beautiful shaped morsels should fall out easily. Handle with care when transferring them to a container or your fingerprints will show up and spoil your results.

If one or two are stubborn and won't drop out easily, give them a tap and they will oblige. Do not store in the 'fridge because your chocolate will become moist and white. Keep in a cool place.

For gift giving, decorate containers from around the home. Small tissue boxes are very suitable, with paper / fabric and ribbon glued on.

Here are some of my favorite fillings - chopped organic nuts, sultanas (Gran loves brandy-soaked raisins), chopped organic preserved ginger, finely chopped organic dried apricots and ground almonds,or other organic dried fruit, equal quantities of organic peanut butter and honey mixed well. Goji Berries, walnuts, blueberries, coconut, neroli and rose oils.

Fillings are only limited by your imagination.

RAW DIY CHOCOLATES 

These wonderful healthful, organic chocolate delights - easy to prepare,without cooking.

2 cups of goji berries
2 cups of cacao nibs / or use organic cocoa powder
1 teaspoon lemon peel
2 cups grated raw cacao butter
Add everything blender / vita-mix/ food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into any mould and put in the fridge to set.

1/2 cup of raw cacao nibs / use organic cocoa powder
2 cups of raw cacao butter
1/4 cup of raw carob powder
1/4 cup of raw honey
1 teaspoon of organic vanilla powder
2 dessertspoons of organic coconut oil
1/2 cup of cashew nuts (soak overnight)

Grind the cacao nibs into a fine powder. Grind the cashew nuts into a fine powder. Grate the white cacao butter and add to a bowl. Pour some warm water into another bowl and sit the bowl with the butter in into this bowl. Don't get water into your cacao butter. Wait until the butter has melted, and then add the other ingredients. Stir very well and then pour it into any pretty moulds.

1 cup of goji berries
1 cup of cacao nibs
1 cup of sunflower seeds
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
Mix everything together in a bowl, then place in little containers.

This recipe has infinite variations. Add hemp seeds, sesame seeds, crushed nuts, dried currants, raisins, sultanas apricot chunks, pineapple, mango etc. For extra enzyme action, soak the nuts overnight, rinse, and dehydrate until dried out. For mega nutrients, sprout the seeds before deyhdrating. For coconut rough, put fresh hard coconut flesh through the champion juicer with the blank attachment.

2 cups of cacao butter, grated + optional organic cocoa powder
1 cup of goji berries
1/2 cup organic raw honey
Blend everything together in a Vita-Mix until smooth, then place in cube moulds. Turn out when set.

Experiment with your own combinations... soak organic raw cashews overnight, strain next day and place in vita mix with cocoa butter, organic honey, organic cocoa powder, organic vanilla powder.

Enjoy!