Homemade Chocolate with Yacon Syrup

It seems we’re doing OK with the yacon syrup.  So…I’m making chocolate.  I’m not following a recipe, I’m just winging it.  It should be interesting.  I should mention here that I have noticed a full body tingling sensation (and slight itching) this go around as I breathe in the cacao fumes.  I hope that doesn’t mean anything…

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Ingredients:

1. 4 oz cacao paste
2. 1 oz cacao butter
3. 2 pinches of salt
4. 1 1/2 spoonful of yacon syrup
5. 3/4 spoonful of coconut oil

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Double boiler to melt the cacao paste and butter together over medium low heat (25 minutes).  Babysit the melting cacao and add salt when completely melted.  Let sit (5 mins or so), lower heat.  Add yacon syrup.  Let sit (5 minutes or so).  Add coconut oil, let sit for another 2 minutes and take off heat.  Immediately pour into molds and put into freezer.

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They turned out pretty good!  The yacon syrup did a MUCH better job than the apple syrup.  I am really excited about what this could mean for our desserts…  it could mean we can finally have desserts again!  Tee hee!  Next time I think I will try to use 3/4 cup coconut milk (homemade) and add an additional 3 spoonfuls of yacon syrup.

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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – Oh SO Good!

 

I was going to wait until Sunday to post this but the excitement is keeping me from sleeping.

 

 

 

Alex at Spoonful of Sugar-Free posted this wonderful recipe and I found it by chance. And what a wonderful find it was!  It took a bit more preparation than just using store bought Baker’s chocolate and non-dairy milk but it was totally worth it. Luckily I’ve been on a cooking/baking high this week so I had most of the ingredients on hand (i.e. the homemade coconut milk and apple syrup).

 

I started by making my chocolate.  I used 6.5 oz of cacao paste and 1.5 oz of cacao butter.  I melted the mixture using a double boiler over medium heat.  I took the mixture off of the heat to cool the chocolate and returned it to the heat for a short while in an effort to temper the chocolate.  This took about an hour. After the chocolate was ready I began following the recipe.  *You can add a dollop (or two) of honey, or any other sweetener, to the chocolate to make it sweet.  You can also add a little milk to make a milk chocolate.*

 

I made a few changes, of course.  Alex at Spoonful of Sugar-Free does not use any sugar in her baking.  I use homemade apple syrup for a sweetener; no other type of sweetener likes me.  I also had a bit more chocolate than the four ounces called for in the recipe; but I came up with a creative idea for the remaining chocolate…  that’s another blog post.  I opted not to use muffin liners as I’ve only found one company with supposedly safe, corn free paper liners.  I would have needed to purchase new muffin tins for the liners, as well as the liners themselves (smallest pack was a case of 12).  Instead, I opted to get 100% silicone muffin bakeware.  It worked marvelously, the chocolates popped right out!  They are beautiful!

 

This recipe was so very SIMPLE!  The end result is absolutely delicious.  If you can have honey I recommend adding it to your homemade chocolate while you are melting your cacao paste/butter.  I like the taste of bitter, unsweetened chocolate; however, if you are accustomed to something sweeter you will want to make the adjustments for your taste buds.  I’m sure this recipe would work well with almond/soy/nut/dairy milk also.  You should look for pure peanut butter that does not have any added ingredients.  I used Once Again Organic (NSA) Peanut Butter.  Quick edit from last night:  Someone on Facebook posted that their daughter could not have peanut butter.  I think any nut butter would work you will just need to add a little extra milk to ensure it blends well and is creamy and fluffy!

 

 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

~Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, cane-sugar free! 

 

Ingredients

• 6.5 oz cacao paste, 1.5 oz cacao butter 
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup +2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup apple syrup

 

 

Melt the cacao paste and cacao butter using a double boiler over medium heat.  Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool. Return to heat and stir for 10 minutes.  Fill the bottom of each muffin pan/compartment with a smear of melted chocolate. Freeze for five minutes or until solid.

 

Whip the peanut butter with the coconut milk until fluffy.  Add the apple syrup and continue to whip.  Add the 2 tbsp (more if needed) of coconut milk to return the mixture to the fluffy state.  Put a dollop of the mixture into each muffin pan/compartment. Then, top with extra melted chocolate and freeze for another five minutes or until chocolate solidifies.  Enjoy!

“Lazy Man” Chocolates and New Chocolate Molds

Really quick post, while the Yipiyuk watches “Your Baby Can Read”

 

I made “Lazy Man” chocolates today.  I wasn’t up to getting the grinder or the blender out, using it and subsequently cleaning it.  Do you ever have those days where you’ll scream if you have to clean one more thing?  Well, that’s the type of day I was having.

 

Here are the details of the “Lazy Man” Chocolates:

 

• One Cup Peanut Butter (Once Again, Organic)
• One Cup Apple Syrup
• One Cup Cacao Powder

 

I blended the mixture using my hand held mixture.  To get the thick mixture into the molds I used a ziploc bag.  I placed a corner of the bag in a glass and spoon the mixture in, I snipped the corner of the bag and used it like a pastry bag.  I let the chocolates set overnight.

 

I used new chocolate molds this go around and I am happy with their performance.  I ordered them from Amazon (Prime free shipping is wonderful).  The molds are 100% silicone, Made in Italy, and dishwasher and freezer safe.

 

The chocolates are a bit gritty, I think it’s the peanut butter.  The grittiness is not bad when the chocolates are cold.  I’m going to add 1/3 cup of coconut milk to the peanut butter and blend it together next time around (before adding the peanut butter to the remaining ingredients) to see if it improves the texture.  Despite the slight grittiness they are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth and they look awfully pretty.  I’ll upload a picture later today.

2nd Batch of Homemade Chocolate. Y’all…

 

This was my second attempt of making homemade chocolates and might I say….this was even better than the first try! Kevin helped me this go around.

 

We added 1/4 cup of peanut butter (Once Again) to the mix and it really changed the texture of the chocolate. We blended the chocolate a lot longer than the first time (Kevin forgot the blended was going…turned out great!).  We then used a ziploc bag as a frosting bag to fill the molds. (Here’s the original recipe and here’s my first chocolate attempt)

 

It was great!  Remember to really grind the cacao nibs well and sift the carob in a strainer.  I measured the cacao butter, nibs, carob, apple syrup and peanut butter this time and it turned out so much better.  It’s not the prettiest chocolate in the world but it is QUITE tasty!

Homemade Chocolate

I’ve been craving chocolates for the past 21 months.  I stopped eating chocolate because of the terrible migraine it gave me and I did not want to take pain medications while pregnant.  So, I gave it up.  I’ve spent the last year figuring out all of my symptoms that correlate to ingesting/smelling/touching corn and learning/recognizing the different ways corn is used in 99% of products on the market in the United States.  Six weeks ago, my inner-Erica had an interesting thought in the recesses of my mind.  The thought:

 

“What if you’re not allergic to cacao?  What if you were reacting to the corn (and dairy) all along?  What if you made the chocolate from scratch?”

 

Oh, my outer Erica squealed with glee; however, the guy I live with was not as elated or supportive of my desire to try cacao.  He made me wait an additional 3 1/2 weeks before actually eating it.  My husband has seen me on my sickest days from allergic reactions and he doesn’t want me to suffer.  This is the progression I was sworn to follow:

 

1. smell the cacao butter, wait two days, repeat for a week
2. smell the cacao butter and put a dab onto the back of my hand, wait two days, repeat for a week.
3. handle the cacao butter, nibs and carob to make the homemade chocolates (smelling and touching), wait three days before consumption.
4. CONSUMPTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. No reaction to the homemade chocolates

 

I feel like I’m flying.  They are so good, albeit a little gritty from grinding the nibs in the spice grinder.  I’ve ordered more chocolate making ingredients which should yield smoother chocolates.  I’ll let you all know how that turns out next week.

 

Here is the recipe I used and the ingredients I purchased.  I had to omit the Pure Synergy, Blue Manna powder, maca, and cashew nuts.  I either did not have the ingredients or I am allergic.  I substituted apple syrup (homemade) for the  agave nectar.

Toby roamed

• 1/2 cup of raw cacao nibs
• 2 cups of raw cacao butter
• 1/4 cup of raw carob powder
• 1 dessertspoon of Pure Synergy
• 1/4 cup of raw agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon of Blue Manna powder
• 1 teaspoon of maca
• 2 dessertspoons of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of cashew nuts

 

This is so much like that triangular chocolate that we all love. Er, except this one’s got masses of brain food in it.

 

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.

 

Cocoa Butter, Mountain Rose Herbs

Cacao Nibs, Mountain Rose Herbs

Carob powder, Mountain Rose Herbs

Gold Label Coconut Oil, Tropical Traditions

Apple Syrup (Homemade)