Homemade "Raw" Dark Chocolate

Since childhood I am a big big fan of high-quality chocolate. Its many amazing qualities such as, uplifting the mood, decreasing depression, opening the heart and giving instant energy and happiness make it the best treat. That’s why I love making my healthy version of chocolate from time to time. Of course, it will never be comparable to the high standard and art of a true chocolatier, but for now, these chocolates pass for being healthy and delicious. 

Chocolate’s well-known euphoric benefits come from its rich ingredients: Theobromine and caffeine (which are both stimulating), flavonoids, procyanidins, vitamin b2, b3, tryptophan, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, tyramine and anandamide.

“Anandamide” stems from the Sanskrit word “Ananda” which means bliss. It may regulate mood, memory, appetite and even pain perception, as well as cognition and emotions. It creates a hormonal balance, helps to boost the immune system and relieves stress. According to psychological research, anandamide is said to be as important as the well-known neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. It contains tryptophan which is a natural anti-depressant and will give your brain the chemical signals of reward, the feeling of happiness.

Furthermore, chocolate is rich in antioxidants and may work as an aphrodisiac. It warms up the reproductive organs and helps women during pregnancy and child labor to relax their pelvic muscles.

Chocolate can also reduce chest congestion and ease asthma and cough.

However, chocolate naturally is in Ayurvedic terms “rajasic” – meaning stimulating and aggravates Vata and Pitta dosha.  What actually is stimulating our bodies most, are antioxidants, theobromine and caffeine of the chocolate. Overeating may dull you and make you “tamasic”. In small amounts, let’s say 3 pieces of dark chocolate each week, is perfectly fine to indulge in. In such small doses it stimulates Kapha and helps to get things going. This is especially useful, when the rain season (autumn or early spring = Kapha season) starts.

Nevertheless, it is not recommended to eat a lot of store bought (not so healthy) chocolate, the high amount of added sugar and fats may also aggravate Kapha. Only if you really need it, buy direct-traded chocolate with a high percentage of cacao and no additional milk (powders).

Favor enjoying a little bit of chocolate at a time and use all your senses while doing so (feeling it on your fingers, listening to the crack of the chocolate when you break it, feeling the melting on your tongue, smelling it, tasting it) to avoid feasting a full chocolate batter at once.  

This recipe takes a bit over 2 hours (including cooling time). To make yours, you will need following...

INGREDIENTS

-       100 g cacao butter

-       60 g raw cacao powder, sieved

-       2-4 tsp maple syrup

-       pinch of salt

-       pinch of cinnamon

-       optional: dried organic rose petals, nuts, coconut shreds or freeze-dried berries

INSTRUCTIONS

First, put the dried organic rose petals, nuts or freeze-dried berries into your chocolate mold.

Melt the cacao butter slowly in a pot over a water bath. The temperature should not be too hot, rather a very low temperature. Add the sieved raw cacao powder into cacao butter, as well as all other ingredients and stir evenly. Chocolate is quite hard to digest, therefore we add a pinch of cinnamon to the batter. Please do not use Cassia cinnamon, it is very harsh on your digestive tract, only use organic Ceylon cinnamon.

To change the taste, you may add orange zest or 2 tsp or rose water – basically anything that excites your taste buds. In case you would like to add other ingredients (organic rose petals, nuts etc,) put them in the mold first or do so now. Find out, why I love using roses and rose water, here.

Pour your chocolate mixture into the mold, let it set for a while.

Then put the mold into the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Alternatively, if you want to speed up the process, put it into the freezer. But freezing your food kills its prana, it’s life force and light energy.

Putting the chocolates into little boxes or containers, make the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

Can’t wait to see your chocolates! Make sure you tag me (@soulfoodbakery) so I can see your chocolates and repost them. Have fun with this recipe!

Love,

Lisa

Little side note:

You can say it is “raw” chocolate, because you did not use too much heat (only if you take care of your stove’s heat, under 48deg Celsius food can be considered raw). To be fully honest with you, no such thing as raw chocolate exists - do not be fooled by marketing of some brands! In order to turn cacao beans into chocolate (or powder or butter), there is a heating process involved. For example, during the roasting and conching, chocolate is heated.

Please also remember, this is by no means a perfect chocolatier chocolate, nor do we temper or use any professional tools. This is simply a fun and easy way for beginners to create a healthy treat.