Monday 4 March 2013

Rawsome Dairy-Free Chocolate

RAWSOME DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE 


Ingredients 
100g Agave Nectar
1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
200g Raw Cacao Butter (in small pieces)
80g Raw Cacao Powder
2 pinches Himalayan salt (or good quality salt)
Handful Slithered Almonds

Method
Make sure your bowl and blades are completely dry before starting...

1) Place cacao butter in TMX bowl and melt at 37 degrees for 15-20 minutes on speed 1 (until almost melted)


2) Add Agave Nectar and Vanilla and continue cooking for 10 minutes at 37 degrees on speed 1.

3) Add cacao powder to bowl and mix on speed 6 until well mixed (approx 30 seconds)Scrape down the sides.

4) Continue to cook at 37 degrees on speed 1 for 20 minutes.

5) Add your salt and continue to cook/stir for 40 minutes at 37 degrees on speed 1. (Mixing/cooking for this long is essential for it to become smooth and not grainy).

6) Prepare a large rectangle tin (I use a lamington tin) by lining with baking paper. Sprinkle slithered almonds across the base of the tin. Pour your chocolate across the top of the almonds. You want this to be quite thin so a large tin is essential here.

7) Place in the fridge to set (or freezer if you want it quicker!)

8) Once set, take out of tin and break into pieces of cut into smaller squares.

Enjoy!!!

***Tips***
*You can make any variation you like- mint by using peppermint oil; dried fruit; different types of nuts etc.
*As this chocolate is completely preservative free, it must be kept refrigerated. It will begin to melt very quickly once out of the fridge. 
*The longer you mix it for at 37 degrees, the smoother it is. Trust me, you don't want to rush this process- noone likes grainy chocolate!
*This is a dark, bitter chocolate. It will taste quite different to your usual creamy, sugary chocolate. But it is DELICIOUS!!
*You can make this with 100g of Rapadura, which makes it even more bitter. The Agave Nectar makes this one a nice balance of sweet and bitter.