How to Make Chocolate

Oh yeah! Who doesn’t love chocolate? Montezuma, the Aztec emperor said chocolate was a “divine drink which builds resistance and fights fatigue.” Some studies have shown it to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, help control blood sugar (not sure about that part), and reduce stress. Did you know that some cultures drink a much thicker version of hot chocolate?

And while South African made choccies are awesome, sometimes you just can’t get to the shops and you want a bit of homemade, warm, wonderful, sensational, amazing, delicious chocolate! Are we right? Are you with us?

Let’s make it ourselves!

Ingredients

125 mL of either pure cocoa butter or virgin coconut oil

63.4g – 88.7g cocoa powder raw, ethically sourced. (because we definitely aren’t fans of child labour!)

30 mL- 45 mL honey or maple syrup

1.25 mL vanilla bean seeds (open the vanilla bean pod and remove the seeds, then you add the seeds to the mixture when indicated).

Instructions

Step 1: Line a small sheet or loaf pan with a piece of parchment large enough that it wraps up two sides for easier removal after it cools.

Step 2: In a small saucepan, melt the cocoa butter or virgin coconut oil (whichever you prefer) over low heat. Once melted, add cocoa powder and honey and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Please note: You can decide how dark or mild the chocolate flavour is by using the following measurements:

• 88.7g cocoa and 45 mL honey will give you very dark chocolate.
• 63.4g cocoa and 30 mL- 45 mL tbsp honey is milder and sweeter.
• Or substitute syrup for honey if you want harder chocolate.

Step 3: After you have stirred the mixture for 2-3 minutes remove from heat and stir in the vanilla bean.

Step 4: Pour into pan, spread it out evenly, and then refrigerate until hard for at least 2 hours.

Step 5: Remove from fridge, cut into whatever your heart desires.

Step 6: Now that we’ve established that chocolate is good for you, ENJOY! Just not too much or you’ll spoil your appetite for things like veggies that have a ton of things that are good for you.

More on that subject to come. Visit our learning platform to learn more about Things That Are Good For You!

Resource:  https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/health/chocolate-health-benefits/index.html