Homemade chocolate (gluten, dairy, corn, soy and refined sugar free)

-


I've always loved chocolate, it is one of my favorite desserts. When cutting out sugar, I tried to elimate my evening chocolate, but that didn't work. I need that little bit of chocolate at night after dinner. It is something that I truely look forward to. Now I turn to real, unprocessed, homemade chocolate. If you think it is way too hard or you don't have time, you will see how easy it is with the recipe below. I was motivated by this recipe from Liana from The Earth Diet and with only a few ingredients you can make some great homemade chocolate desserts. My kids love this chocolate and don't miss any packaged chocolate at all.  


Benefits of Unprocessed Chocolate

Cacao raises the level of serotonin in the brain which gives us a sense of well-being.

There are healthy fats found in cacao butter. Cacao contains oleic acid, a heart-healthy fat.

Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and green teas. The benefits of these antioxidants include promoting cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks, lowering LDL cholesterol and regulating blood pressure.

Cacao beans are rich in essential minerals, including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and helps regulate heartbeat and blood pressure.

It is important to eat chocolate that is in its natural state. Commercially processed chocolate loses many of the health benefits.


Ingredients for Plain Chocolate
3/4 cup (100 grams) Raw Cacao Butter
1/2 cup almond meal
4 Tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
3 Tablespoons Organic Maple Syrup

Additions:
Peanut Butter
Raisins or other dried fruits
Nuts (any kind)


Directions
Melt the cacao butter over low heat until melted. Add the maple syrup and cacao powder and whisk until smooth.



Fill the bottom of paper liners with a layer of the melted chocolate and put in refrigerator to set.


For the peanut butter cups, scoop a small amount of peanut butter onto the hardend chocolate. For the Raisin and nut clusters, put a few raisins and/or nuts on top of the chocolate.



Top the peanut butter or raisins and nuts with more melted chocolate and put back in the refrigerator to set again.




Take out when chocolate has hardened and Enjoy!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jac's Gluten Free Bakery in Hicksville NY

-
Image
If you are near the Long Island, New York area, you need to check out Jac's Bakeshop & Bistro in Hicksville. I went there for the first time 2 weeks ago when they opened and have been back many times since. We have sampled and enjoyed many items such as their bagels, sandwich bread, bistro rolls, crumb cake, pretzels, rainbow cookies and cupcakes. It is great that they are gluten free but what I love even more is that their products are natural, 100% whole grain, use organic unrefined sugars, all natural food coloring and are 80% organic. Many of their items are also dairy free, egg free and vegan. I have not had a decent bagel since going gluten free. I've tried some gluten free bagels but none of them were that good so I'd rather just not have them. Jac's bagels are amazing and taste just like a traditional NY bagel. The bistro buns were great fresh, but also great after being frozen and defrosted for later use. I now keep some in my freezer so anytime we nee
Read more

Interview on Probiotics

-
Interview with Registered Pharmacist John Azzarelli Anyone who knows me, knows that for years I had been dealing with digestive issues. It wasn't until about 2 years ago, that I really started to find out the things that were causing these issues. The first thing I removed was gluten and that made a world of difference! But, I still wasn't feeling as good as I should be. Then I met John Azzarelli owner of Dr. BWell Naturally in Plainview, NY. He is a Registered Pharmacist and Certified Nutritional Consultant. He is very knowledgeable in many areas of health, particularly Probiotics and Digestion. He had suggested that I had yeast imbalance. I never would have thought that the symptoms I had would be coming from my gut, itchy skin, sinus congestion, headaches, breakouts, and digestive issues. Once I followed his recommended regimen I felt like a new person!! No more headaches and sinus pressure, my itchy skin was relieved and my hair and skin never looked better! I also lost
Read more

Pre-Order your 10-Minute Recipes Book NOW!!

-
Image
   As you all know I am a big fan of real natural foods. I am also a fan of quick and easy meals as well but I will not sacrifice the quality of my food because I am short on time. I love when I find people that share this same philosophy. That is why I am such a big fan of Liana Werner-Gray, Her new book 10-minute recipes is a great book for those of us that are short on time. I met Liana a few years back at a raw food class and have been a fan of hers ever since. You can read about that class ---- > here . If you don't already own her book The Earth Diet I highly recommend it and you can get it on Amazon now: The Earth Diet . Also you can pre-order her new book 10-Minute Recipes ------ > Here . In the meantime she shared a recipe from her new book on her facebook page that is amazing and so nutritious. Cashew Ice Cream Bites with Chocolate Sauce Video 1 Video 2 
Read more