Raw.Vegan.Chocolate.Easter.

My Easter’s traditionally consists of me making grand statements early march about not eating ANY chocolate.  But then sometime on the Thursday before Good Friday, just before we break for a long weekend, I get all excited and mesmerized by the colorful foil that seductively wraps those egg shaped nuggets of chocolate.  I’ll come back from lunch or a meeting at work and a team member has placed an egg on everyone’s desk, keeping in the spirit of celebrating this holiday.   At this point in time my will power has dissolved and I’m launched into a slippery slop of sugar highs and lows pretty much until I’m back at work after Easter Sunday – at best.  Worst and more accurately, the roller coaster continues for a few weeks after Easter.  

I love the sweet stuff.  But we broke up last year.   I’ve noticed that I am actually becoming extremely sensitive to sugar.  We basically don’t get along.  I cant stop once I’ve started and the side effects include, but are not limited to; bloating, digestion discomfort, acne (my personal fav), mood swings, anxiety and fluid retention (did you know that one gram of sugar we can then store 4gms of liquid with it!) Hello puffiness.

 

Which means this is the first year I will go without biting into bunny ears or scooping the center out of a Cadbury Crème Egg with my fingers. (I know you do it too).  And since I don’t believe in denial or restriction I’ve made my own chocolates to celebrate with this Easter. 

 

 

Raw Vegan Chocolate for Easter.

 

You’ll need:

2 heaped tbls Raw Cacao powder

3 tbls Coconut Oil/butter

1 tbls Creamed coconut paste (this is optional, I gives it more body and stability so it doesn’t melt as quickly when served)

Stevia – to taste

Sea salt flakes – only a tiny pinch

Molds – any shape, I used a small ice cube tray, as it was all I had

 

The How To:

Melt coconut oil – add in creamed coconut paste and work the mix in until its smooth.

Mix in cacao until dissolved

Add Stevia to taste – I used Nativa granules approx. 1tsp.

Add pinch of sea salt

Varieties:

Coconut Rough

In a mold pour a small amount of chocolate mix to the base so it’s like a thin disc

Sprinkle Coconut shavings or flakes on top

Set in fridge/freezer for 5mins

They should pop out easily

 

Chocolate Filled Raspberries

Get large fresh raspberries

Fill the cavity with the chocolate mix

Set in fridge

These make great Petit Fours after dinner

 

Raspberry Submarines

Place a fresh or frozen raspberry in the center of a mold

Pour enough choc mix to compeltlty submerge it

Place in freezer or fridge to set

When you bit into the chocolate you get a fresh explosion of raspberry tarty-ness as its individual berry cells ‘pop’ inside your mouth.

 

Peanut Butter Gooey Surprise (my absolute fav)

Pour or spoon the chocolate mix into the bottom of a mold, to fill about ¼.

Put tray in freezer to set base (2-3mins)

When completely set spoon ½ a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of the chocolate base – this doesn’t need to be spread perfectly, its best to only have a small blob in the center.

Spoon enough chocolate mix over the peanut butter so that it’s completely covered.

Set in fridge until solid

This creates a ‘Reece’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cup’ effect – so when you bit into the chocolate you get a gooey explosion of salty-sweet peanut butter fudgy center – Uh-Maze-Balls.

 

Other alternatives are to pour the chocolate in to a thin slab and sprinkle nuts, seeds, berries etc and when set you can break into shards and serve after dinner with coffee or tea.

 

The only limitations with this recipe is that it uses coconut oil, which is liquid at room temp so it doesn’t last long outside the fridge or freezer.  Making it less than ideal for easy transport.  I often make a batch and leave it in its mold in the freezer and pop a few cubes out when I have friends over for dinner or afternoon tea.  To help this chocolate have a more stability at room temp you could easily substitute coconut oil for Cacao Butter, which is avail in health food stores and other specialty shops.  It’s the same ingredient used in commercial chocolate that gives it its smooth buttery mouth feel – its also solid at room temp.  You will need to add more sweetness if you do use cacao butter as it not as naturally sweet as coconut oil.

 Here’s to my first sugar free Easter.    

Do you have any similar sweet treats to share?