DohertyWeb

So I’ve finally perfected my chocolate candy recipe.  I’ve tried this several times over the past year and it’s never “quite right”…  so I try again…  and again.  Finally, I think I got it right!  Did I mention Todd and Lindsey are both allergic to chocolate???  So for the first time, I tried carob powder rather than cocoa powder and it turned out wonderful!  I was really surprised!

So here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Organic virgin coconut oil (I buy Nutiva brand on iHerb.com)
• 1/4 cup carob powder OR 2 T cocoa powder (I buy Bob’s Red Mill brand carob)
• 20 drops of Vanilla Stevia (I buy SweetLeaf Vanilla Stevia)
• Rapadura, Maple Syrup crystals or other “sprinkle” type natural sugar crystals (optional)

MELT coconut oil over the stove, making sure not to COOK IT.  Just warm it until it melts.  Turn off the heat and stir in carob or cocoa powder.  Once combined, add in the vanilla stevia and stir.

Spoon mixture into candy molds (I use some silicone ice cube trays I picked up at Whole Foods) and pop in the freezer.  After about 10-15 minutes, sprinkle the tops with rapadura or other crystalized sweetener of your choice.  This adds a nice texture to the top of the candies.  Put back into the freezer for another half hour to an hour.  :)

Since raw cocount oil melts at room temperature, these must be kept in the refrigerator.  :)

TIP:  Did you know raw, virgin coconut oil can protect you from the swine flu?  Swine flu is a lipid coated virus.  Coconut oil is loaded with lauric acid.  Our bodies turn lauric acid into monolaurin, which deactivates lipid coated viruses.  It’s best to consume about 3 T a day to get the protective benefits.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Maranatha – Organic, Creamy Peanut Butter (no-stir kind)
8 oz stick organic, unsalted, softened butter
1 cup Rapadura
1 large organic, free-range, hormone-free egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup organic, whole wheat, unbleached, pastry flour (NOT enriched)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine, peanut butter, butter, Rapadura and vanilla. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry mixture into wet mixture and stir together. (Note: this dough will be crumbly) Preheat oven to 375°. Scoop 2 tsp of dough and gently shape into a disk. Place on a cookie sheet, leaving a minimum of one inch between each cookie. Bake for 7-9 minutes until very pale golden brown. This will produce a light cookie that holds togther perfectly. Longer baking times will produce a darker and much more crumbly cookie because of the high peanut butter content. Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack for additional cooling. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Notes:
Rapadura is composted/fermented sugar cane and can be found in most natural food stores. It tastes a lot like dry brown sugar. The only company that makes it is Rapunzel and it’s sold in a box and not found in the bulk sections. Rapadura is different than dehydrated cane juice, although dehydrated cane juice would work in this recipe too. Rapadura tastes better and is healthier.

Author: Adapted online recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup virgin cold pressed coconut oil
1 T cocoa powder
1/4 t stevia
1 cap full vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt the coconut oil to a liquid, add in cocoa powder and sweetener. Stir to combine and blend well.

Have chilled a metal bakeware lasagna or cake pan or pans in freezer for ten minutes or so. Remove from freezer and line with waxed paper. Then pour mixture into chilled pan and spread to desired thickness.

Pop it in refrigerator or freezer on level shelf and let it sit 10 minutes or so. It will harden quickly and breaks with a snap.

Author: Fer