Can you make carob chips?

[faith4u]

I'm sure there is a way. I thought maybe someone here has made them. You know something you could use as a "chocolate chip" in cookies or ice cream?

Thanks

[Tirza]

I was thinking about this too. I saw a candy mold in the shape of chocolate chips and was thinking of getting it. Maybe a candy mixture of cacoa butter, carob and some stevia would work. You wouldn't need much sweetening because carob is already sweet. (I would go with the Stevia I think, since it is dry. I don't know about the after-taste some speak of-perhaps the carob would camoflage it. Maybe they are using too much too and that is why they get the after-taste. But I wouldn't want to use honey or agave since that would make it more difficult to get a firm product in the end.) You would mix it together in the food processor, press it into the molds, and refrigerate or freeze. Or you could just press it into a pan to chill then cut little chunks or cubes or shavings after it was firm. If they are to be used in ice cream, it wouldn't melt right away. Voila!

[faith4u]

Yeah, I agree with you Tirza.

I also would like to use stevia. I like it and use if often. I don't notice a bad aftertaste at all.

[Tirza]

I am hoping someone tries this and reports back. I would, but I only have coconut butter and that tends to get pretty soft in summer weather. I thought the cacao butter would start and stay more solid.

I was also thinking that one could start by carefully melting the cacao butter over warm water so the carob would mix in better. THEN Mix it in the food processor. I was thinking that just mixing it in the food processor might warm up the molecules a little, but it might be better to melt it first or at least get it very soft.

I can't resist saying that this kind of thing should be used only in very special and limited circumstances, unless a person is trying to gain weight. That's a HIGH concentration of fat in my suggestion. I really agree with some of the sentiments expressed in various posts about the object of raw being to eat more and more naturally. I remember the days when we first became vegetarian, about 35 years ago. We had a feeling that we should use real food, but those meat analogs were so tempting, and I had been a very dedicated meat and dairy eater before. So I bought a lot of cans and frozen manufactured things and also spent my time trying to invent recipes that were acceptable substitutes for meat and dairy dishes. Most of them turned out pretty well. At least we got used to the taste and others seemed to enjoy it. I feel that now we should be even more dedicated to trying to eat foods raw and in their natural and "un-concocted" state (is that a word, Scrabble champions?)

I'm not totally throwing the idea of "goodies" out the window, but we should constantly remind ourselves to be careful, even as we know we should be.

[faith4u]

I did a search and the second post on this thread has some good links to information on making chocolate chips.

I totally agree about eating them in moderation. In some aspects I am better of NEVER eating them because then I don't crave them. If I do eat them, they start calling me. :)

BUT if it helps you to stay raw at some point I guess it is a good thing.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13095&highlight=carob+chips

[Tirza]

Wow, faith4u;
I followed all the links and the links in the links. What a treasure trove! I should have known that all you fine chefs would have come up with chocolate chips already! And those cookies!
One of those pictures showed some cookies that looked pretty soft and moist and the choc chips looked like they were melted. I guess that is the way it would go if you are putting something with the chocolate chips in the dehydrator. Any solutions to that?

[mrsalf97]

I've been thinking about this too. rawfoodtable has a recipe for chocolate chewies, and I was thinking of trying that and putting it in a cake decorating piping (whatever it's called) bag and squeezing out bits on a pan covered with wax paper and then freezing.