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Raw Cacao Chocolates

January 22, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

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I make these chocolates far too frequently, I make them if you come to one of my essential oil classes, I often make them as a gift and I indulge when I have that chocolate urge.  I’ve always been a chocoholic but these days I’m very fussy about the type of chocolate that I eat.  Processed chocolate that you eat in the shops tastes nothing like unprocessed, pure cacao nor does it offer any of the same health benefits (see below). You can also remove the guilt by not eating the ton of sugar in regular chocolate and instead opt for healthier alternatives like maple syrup, raw honey or a little coconut sugar (make sure you grind it first to a fine powder or your cacao will be gritty).

I always get compliments about this chocolate but the real secret is in the essential oils I use, not only do they offer an intense flavour but they also support your health too. Peppermint helps support digestive health and can enhance focus and concentration. Wild orange can help to improve your mood and boost your immune system.  Please don’t use oils that do not clearly state they are for internal use so if you don’t have any, then consider adding a little grated ginger or some orange juice with a little of the grated rind, you could even try a sprinkling of cinnamon.

If you don’t have molds, you could even turn it into a chocolate slab like this one

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Reasons to eat pure cacao:cacao-2

  • It is one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium (70% of the population is deficient and it is required for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body), in fact if you are strongly craving  dark chocolate it can be a sign you are magnesium deficient.
  • Studies have shown that it is higher in antioxidants than blueberries and Acai.
  • It has been shown to protect the skin against sun damage because the flavanols increase skin density and hydration.
  • Epicatechin the flavanol which gives cacao the bitter flavour (incidentally removed from commercial chocolate) has been linked to improving insulin sensitivity and potentially preventing cardiovascular disease.
  • It’s been linked to reduced rates of coronary heart disease.
  • It is a prebiotic so it has been shown to feed your good bacteria in your gut microbiome, which is shown to be the key to immunity.

Do we need any more reasons?  Just choose your cacao wisely!

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Raw Cacao Chocolates
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  20 mins
Serves: 26
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of cacao buttons or 100g of cacao butter
  • 3 tablespoons of cacao powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to desired sweetness
  • 2 drops of wild orange doTERRA essential oil
  • 2 drops of peppermint doTERRA essential oil
  • A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Heat the cacao butter on a very low temperature on a bain marie NB it is important to not overheat the cacao butter so take your time melting the butter and take off the heat if it is melting too quickly
  2. Add the powder and maple syrup and whisk quickly to incoraporate
  3. Split the cacao into 2 amounts and add the essential oil
  4. Pour into chocolate moulds and refridgerate for an hour
  5. Pop out and devour!
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Recipes, Uncategorized

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Vanessa Woozley

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