Raw Chocolate Bark! With a kick of peppermint, a sprinkle of goji berries and dusting of pistachios…all from scratch.
Yup, this time it’s more than just melting a store bought chocolate bar. We’re using the raw form of chocolate to keep it extra nutritious and magical.
Cacao butter is the magic I’m talking about.
You can get cacao butter at your local health food store, or Spud.ca carries it (the code ‘crvan-murjub’ at the check out will get you some $ off).
By melting half of this down, adding some raw cacao powder then swirling in the other half to create a galaxy of Christmas swirls, be prepared to be the star of the New Year’s Party this year!
Quality, nutrient-dense ingredients, it’s fancy looking, tastes delicious, and festive.
And YES it is actually good for you. Chocolate in it’s pure form is extremely beneficial in so many ways. It’s what’s added to the cacao in the commercial chocolate making process that makes most chocolate from the store something to skip (I’m talking added dairy, refined sugars, and the process of high heat roasting the cacao goes through to become a commercial chocolate to be sold). Raw cacao, on the other hand, is so beneficial that it once was used as currency in Mexico!
Benefits:
- Raw Cacao comes in the form of nibs, powder, and butter… all extracted from the fermentation of the cacao bean. It’s PACKED with antioxidants (40x the amount of blueberries!), which wards of disease, slows down aging and fights off free radicals and inflammation. Raw cacao also has phenylethylamine, which is responsible for increasing the receptors of the feelings of pleasure (like the way we feel when we’re in love). It increases your mental alertness as well as your mood!
- Goji berries contain about 2-4 times the amount of antioxidants than blueberries, and 500 times more vitamin C than oranges to boost the immune system!
- Pistachios are also packed with antioxidants to ward off free radicals. Out of all the nuts, they contain the most lutein and zeaxanthin for healthy eyes. They’re also packed with fibre, protein and b6!
To simplify this recipe even further, just ditch the swirls and just give the dark chocolate all spotlight. Sprinkle it with shredded coconut, and you have Christmas in the form of chocolate!
Happy Holidays!! I hope you can share this deliciousness with the ones you love deeeeaaarly.
Don’t be afraid to serve it up as an appetizer with bubbles!
- 2 cups cacao butter
- ⅓ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ cup goji berries
- ½ cup raw or roasted pistachios, chopped (shells removed)
- Cover a pan or plate (about 7 inches wide) with parchment paper.
- Set up two double boilers (one will be for the white chocolate, one for the dark): add two inches of water to 2 saucepans and bring them to a simmer. Place a heat proof bowl (glass, stainless steel, or another pot (if it fits without falling into the water)) on top of the simmering water in the sauce pan (there should be about 1-2 inches of space between the water and bottom of the bowl).
- Separate the cacao butter in half, then add one half to each of the double boilers. Stir until melted.
- In the first bowl, add all of the cacao powder, half of the maple syrup, half of the vanilla, and half of the peppermint.
- In the second bowl, add the other half of the maple syrup, vanilla and peppermint.
- Whisk each until mixed thoroughly (cleaning the whisk between bowl switches).
- Remove the dark chocolate bowl, and dry the bottom of the bowl on a kitchen towel; this will prevent steamy water drops from mixing in with your dark chocolate.
- Pour the dark chocolate over the parchment covered pan.
- Remove the white chocolate in the same way, and dry the bowl. With a spoon, pour dollops of white chocolate in the dark. Try to create 1 inch polka dots of white all over the dark.
- With a chopstick or the end of a spoon, swirl the chocolates together (SO satisfying).
- Place the plate in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Take it out and sprinkle the goji berries and pistachios all over. Feel free to add anything else you want here!
- Place the plate in the fridge for 1 hour, or freezer for 30 minutes.
- Once solid, break apart into bark.
- Store in a Tupperware in the fridge. Bring to all the Christmas parties.
- **Simplify this recipe by taking out the swirls to make it solid dark chocolate. Just use one double broiler and add the ingredients to the bowl as you would normally for the dark chocolate part. **
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