I love chocolate. I really do. And since I discovered raw chocolate (well, stumbled across it - it had already been long discovered by a fair few folk), I have come to realize that it IS actually the cacao I love, not just the milk and sugar that forms the basis of many a mainstream 'chocolate' bar. This recipe I am about to share is something I made last night. I was inspired to layer it up by Matthew Kenney, author of a beautiful raw recipe book called Everyday Raw (check out his site, www.matthewkennycuisine.com.) I warn you, this recipe is absolutely delicious and is slightly reminiscent of a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup - but much more exquisite in taste and with far superior ingredients! No sugar, no dairy, no additives, no table salt, no nasties at all! If you really want some, I might be persuaded to make you a batch - but I may have eaten it all before it gets round to being sent to you! Ok, why not have some fun with this! The person who writes the most witty poem about love and chocolate will be sent a beautifully wrapped LittleGuru Chocolate Bar! Or, you can make your own, you lazy thing!
This is a layered chocolate bar, so I prepared two bowls for each layer. The dark chocolate layer will form the base and the topping. This is exactly how I made it, so if you don't have the ingredients like agave nectar for example, try honey instead.
The Chocolate Casing
Melt 100g cacao butter gently in a pan (you don't want to cook it, just warm it until it melts)
and 2 tbsp coconut butter
Stir in:
4 tbsp chocolate powder (I used Green and Blacks cocoa powder for this batch)
4 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp lucuma powder*
2 tbsp mesquite powder*
3 tbsp raw nut butter
pinch Himalayan pink salt
Now make the other mixture...
The Delicious Middle
Melt 100g cacao butter and 2 tbsp coconut oil
Stir in:
75g lucuma powder
1 tbsp maca powder*
4 tbsp agave
4 tbsp shelled hemp seeds
pinch of pink salt
Now you are ready to layer up the chocolate!
(I used a very thin, shallow tray and lined it with foil.)
• Pour half of the first chocolate mixture onto the foil and spread until even.
• Place in the freezer until nearly set.
• Now pour all of the second mixture on top, and again, spread evenly.
• Place back in the freezer until set.
• Now for the final layer! Spread the rest of the chocolate on top and then back in the freezer again.
• When the whole tray is set, you can choose how to break it up. I scored mine with a knife and broke off big chunks - very satisfying indeed to do this!
So there you have it! Now for a quick word about the ingredients that you may not have heard of.
Lucuma is sold in the UK in powder form and is a delicious Peruvian fruit that is used a lot in raw cuisine, especially sweeties and choccies!
Mesquite meal is a Native American food, and is the finely ground seed pods from the Mesquite tree. It is sweet and lovely!
Maca is a Peruvian root and is available in the UK in powder form.
I have the good fortune to live near a shop called Daily Bread (for anyone reading this in Northamptonshire!) which now sells lucuma, maca, hemp seeds, agave, mesquite and coconut oil. I also have the good fortune to live round the corner from a lovely lady called Debbie who sells cacao butter! But, it is SO easy to order all of these online and my favourite place to order from is www.detoxyourworld.com
Let me know how you get on with it - and yes, you can send me some! x
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