I don't think I'll try "Easter Chocolate" again

[tvillemom]

Everytime I make it, my coconut oil separates from my agave.....even when it's all "melted" together, you can see the separation....then when it freezes, it definitely is in separate layers. I'm tired of wasting my precious coconut oil. I thought I would give the recipe a try with my cacao powder, so :mad: it didn't work, AGAIN....

any suggestions???

[IamLoved]

I have not made this yet, but I am sorry that you are having trouble with it. I know it is so very discouraging to waste those expensive ingredients!

[rawgreenyogini]

I've had that problem too whenever I've tried to make chocolate candies.

i'm sorry...I have no advice.
:(

[solongng00dnite]

The same thing happend to me when I made chocolate but with cacao butter. The bottom layer is still gooey and its all the agave. Its like if you didnt eat that part the chocolate wouldnt be sweet, all the sweet sinks. I dont know what to do!

[trinity082482]

Make it without agave. Could you try something different like a honey or stevia?
I like my chocolate rich dark and very bitter. YUM

[baltochef]

tvillemom

Try heating the fat up to just under 118 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer to check the temperature..

Then slowly add the melted fat together with the sweetener & emulsify them together in the bowl of a food processor..Do this just as if you were making a salad dressing..Slowly add in some of the dry ingredients so that the fat/sweetener combination adheres to & surrounds each particle of the dry ingredients..Scrape down as necessary..Add dry ingredients until you have a nice solid mass that still moves around the bowl of the food processor easily..Remove the mixture into a mixing bowl large enough to accommdate the mixture from the food processor & the balance of the dry ingredients..Mix everything together with gloved hands until all of the dry ingredients are coated evenly with the liquid ingredients..

Hope this helps..

Bruce

[tvillemom]

If I use agave nectar, should I heat it too ?

[spiralgirl]

tvillemom,

I make it all the time it's so divine and have never had that problem (well once i mixed things in the wrong order and it was disaster but still good). I've probably made it at least 10 times now it's so addictive.

Here are my tips:

Melt your 1 cup of coconut oil first and put it in the bowl you are making the chocolate in. I usually use a measuring cup that it about 2 cups or bigger. Also I melt my oil in the dehyrator (it takes a bit of time) or in a bowl of warm water or you could use the stove method where you heat for a second and lift off the pan etc.

So you now have your 1 cup of coconut oil completely melted (it has to be all melted), then measure your 3/4 cup of cocoa or carob (I use a mix but it doesn't matter here) and add the cocoa in while you stir it. It should all blend in beautifully by this point.

Then add in your tablespoons of agave (I use about 5-6 TBSP as I like it really sweet) and keep stirring. Again it should be mixing great. Then add your 2 tsp of vanilla and keep stirring.

Now if you want to really make it interesting like I do I throw in coconut shredded or done in the coffee grinder, pecans, walnuts, raisins or whatever you fancy.

Then I pour the whole thing on a baking pan with a teflex type of sheet that fits the pan and pop it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. You could dip apricots in there before freezing or the donut holes from Ani Phyo's book and then pop all of it in the freezer.

I just whipped a batch a few minutes ago. Let me know if this still keeps happening. If you add the ingredients and follow my steps it should work perfectly next time.

:)

[lavendarJ]

I've got to try it again also Wendi....
My first try didn't quite work out. Let me know how it works for you and show us some pics:)

[lavendarJ]

great tips spiralgirl...

just wondering has you or anyone else used cocoa butter in a chocolate recipe

[spiralgirl]

lavenderJ,

Yes, I've used cocoa butter but with a different chocolate recipe found on Russell James website. Hang on let me see if I can find it for you.

http://therawchefblog.com/raw-chocolate-easter-eggs/#more-65

My first time it tasted horrible and I suggest you put it in the dehyrator like he mentions in the last step because mine tasted bad. What I did though my first time was I remelted the whole thing again and got it completely liquid (maybe that is what went wrong the first time) and then hardened it again and it was divine this time. Harder than the Easter raw chocolate.

If you go to Russell James home page the pictures and recipes are drool worthy.

I haven't tried cocoa butter with this recipe but it might work.

[lavendarJ]

thanks spiralgirl-

i hope that i am to be more creative and really explore more raw recipes in 2008

[SparklePlenty]

I make the chocolate ganache from Raw Food Real World and keep it in the fridge and it keeps beautifully without any separation. I make it in the VitaMix so it's very well blended til it's silky smooth. HTH

[spiralgirl]

lavendarJ,

I'm sure you will create beautiful recipes. I started off like everyone else and was so inspired by the photos on this site that I just kept at it.

Can't wait to see your creations.

Here is a picture of the Easter Chocolate I made an hour ago. It has ground up coconut flakes in it along with pecans.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/foofooberry/DSCN0679.jpg

S.

[tvillemom]

OK, sorry to sound so dense, but I think the recip I've used called for (it seems) equal amounts of coconut oil and sweetner. I think maybe I'm adding way too much sweetner??? I also have been adding the carob or cacao powder AFTER adding the sweetner, trying to stir the sweetner and oil together to get them mixed together (which NEVER worked....DUH!)

Thanks for the tips!

Spiralgirl: when you made ani's donut holes (I really want to make these) did you make your own dried pineapple?? These sound divine....and covered with chocolate....OMGoodness....has to be OUT OF THIS WORLD!!

Thanks for everyone's help.....when I buy some more coconut oil, I'm giving this another try. I know I can freeze the chocolate and keep it handy for emergencies.....CHOCOLATE SAVES THE DAY!!!

[tvillemom]

OOOHH...how about dried pineapple chunks dipped in chocolate?? Sounds great!!:D

Yes, lavendarJ: I want to get more creative with my recipes also! Make more stuff to have on hand (even frozen if need be) to have ready when hunger strikes!!

Thanks again

[spiralgirl]

tvillemom,

The first time I made the donut holes I used dried apricots since I didn't have dried pineapple and it's really good that way too. Usually I buy it from the health food store or I dry my own since we've been buying fresh pineapple lately.

Yes, I think because you were adding the sweetner to the oil it didn't mix right. Think I posted the exact recipe I used:

1 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup of cocoa (or a mix of both or just raw carob)
5-6 TBSP of agave (you can use a bit more if you want according to taste)
2 tsp of vanilla

Voila that's it. The donut hole was so good but lately I can't eat much like I used. After 7 months raw something happened and it feels like I've had gastric bypass (I haven't) as I can only eat small amounts now. It's really strange and maybe it will pass but my eyes are bigger than my stomach.

Chocolate covered pineapple chunks sound great. I also want to try chocolate dipped cherries.

P.S. This recipe is also great made with all raw carob powder too.

Happy New Year :)

[tvillemom]

Thanks so much spiralgirl. I will try to get by the HFS to buy some coconut oil today, I will let you know how my batch turns out!!

[tvillemom]

I forgot all about this. I bought coconut oil, but now I'm out of agave. Anybody use honey (I'm afraid it won't harden) Just wondering. Also, I have some powdered stevia, anybody try that before?? Just thinking I could have low cal chocolate!!:D

[lanettasmouse]

i've used a mixture of raw honey, agave and stevia and it turned out great. my fiance didn't even know the difference. i think the stevia helped to sweeten it up with a little less fo a price tag :D . so yea it should work, it did for me. good luck

[DharmaGirl]

anyone ever use coconut butter for chocolates recipe? Please do tell!!