Making your own chocolate

The herbs in this recipe

For this recipe I used maca powder and cinnamon powder.

Maca is a root that comes from South America. It’s essentially a turnip or a nutrient-dense root. It’s heavily marketed in the natural health industry for its aphrodisiac qualities and its ability to promote fertility. Honestly, to get the most benefit from maca you would take it in much higher dosages. However, its sweet taste works well in this recipe.

 

Chocolate and cinnamon just beg to be combined. I could go on and on about the health benefits of cinnamon, but forget that and just savor the complex combination of the sweet spicy taste of cinnamon against the rich slightly bitter taste of cacao. Yum!

But really the herbal possibilities are endless and I’ve only just begun to explore them. Rose petal powder, orange powder, hawthorne powder, mint, little bits of lavender... I’ve also minced up nuts and goji berries for this mix as well. Yummy!

Please share your ideas in the comments below!

What’s in a name? Cacao or Cocoa?

From what I can tell cacao and cocoa are interchangeable words for products that come from the Theobroma cacao tree. In my mind cacao seems like a more specific word to discuss pure cacao products, as opposed to cocoa which reminds me of those awful powdered hot cocoa blends marketed to kids and contain lots of sugar and other unhealthy additives.

You know, I should share my incredible hot chocolate recipe with you all this holiday season. Stay tuned!

Ethical use of chocolate

Before we get to the recipe itself I really want to encourage you to buy organic chocolate that has been harvested and made in ethical and sustainable ways. You may have seen this on the news, but large chocolate manufacturers have been found guilty of using child slavery in the harvest and production of their chocolate.

Here’s the recipe...

Ingredients

• 130 grams of cacao butter
• 70 grams of raw cacao powder
• 15 grams maca root powder
• 5 grams cinnamon powder
• Honey to taste (I use a dollop from a tablespoon)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons of cacao nibs
• Silicon molds (ice cube trays may also work)
• You can find many of the above herbal ingredients at
  Mountain Rose Herbs

Begin by placing a small amount of cacao nibs (roasted) in the molds

Cut the cacao butter into small chunks.

Melt the cacao butter over a double boiler.

Once the cacao butter has melted entirely add the cacao powder and herbal powders. Stir well.

Add the honey. Stir well.

Pour into molds that have been sprinkled with cacao nibs and let harden. This takes a few hours at room temperature.

This recipe makes a great holiday gift. Be sure to experiment with lots of different recipes in your own kitchen before handing them out to friends.

I thought by sharing this with you now, you'd have plenty of time to experiment before the December Holidays.

You know, to be sure you get it just right.

Happy Thanksgiving!