Wishing you a very Happy Easter!! I love to have some chocolate at Easter and certainly don’t feel guilty for enjoying a little treat! In fact in can be good for you!

Cacao has such wonderful health benefits and a bitter taste – I’m a bit partial to bitter flavours. The higher the cacao in dark chocolate the more nutritious and the less sugar it will have! Hence the bitterness! (you can certainly sweeten homemade chocolate with either rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup) If I buy chocolate, no guessing then that I like 90% dark chocolate. Cacao is a good source of antioxidants to help improve your mood and make you feel happier and there is no secret that cacao triggers the release of endorphins so that we feel pleasure!

I always feel happier and pleased after a piece of dark chocolate, don’t you?

Homemade Easter Chocolate!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cacao butter
1/2 cup cacao powder (sifted)
2 T rice malt syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
(For flavour and texture variations you can add peppermint oil or flavour of choice, dessicated coconut and for a bit of crunch add some activated buckinis)

Method:

Melt all the ingredients in a heat proof bowl, over a saucepan half filled with water. Bring the water to a simmer and stir until cacao butter melts, when the cacao butter is completely melted mix well. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Carefully pour chocolate into the moulds.

Transfer to the fridge for two to three hours until set. Remove from the moulds. If you want to seal two sides together; heat a metal spatula and run over the edges of the chocolate and then place the edges together and press gently but firmly to seal. You can do this over coloured foil paper for quick wrapping or pop straight into some plastic gift bags and then store in the fridge.

I love hearing from you so let me know what you are doing over the Easter break?

Be Well

xx