chocolate covered strawberries

[green jeanie]

hi guys, this is a request i have had for a b-day party on sunday

i have tried this in the past with Alyssa's chocolate sauce but it never hardened in the freezer

any ideas or experience

love! gj

[RawKnitster]

I made them successfully twice. Don't have it written down though, but I do remember why the hand made batch turned nicely. CACAO BUTTER! It hardens much better than coconut butter or coconut oil.

Melt everything in the dehydrator in individual bowls. When you mix it all together, DO NOT OVERMIX. It will separate in a heartbeat.

The other time I made them, I cheated. I bought a Sacred Heart Chocolate Bar, cut it in very small chunks and melted it in the dehydrator. After coating the berries put them in the fridge to harden.

You can find cacao butter and chocolate bars locally at RawVeganSource.

Good Luck!

[green jeanie]

wait wait rawknittster!!!!!!

separate bowls of what.......cacao butter in one bowl and the other empty bowl........

[RawKnitster]

I'd guess I used about 4 parts cacao butter, 2 parts coconut butter, and 1 part coconut oil. I'm sure you know the rest. Cacao powder, agave, vanilla, and salt.

Sorry I can't be more accurate, but I never measure.

The cacao butter may be good enough by itself. (I mean by itself with the cacao powder, agave, vanilla, and salt.)

[green jeanie]

thanks i actually never would have been able to put that together

hopefully i will be able find some cacao butter in bellingham tomorrow....i know your local rk ;)

[RawKnitster]

I knew you were local, but didn't realize you were that far North. Hope you find some cacao butter, or Sacred Hearts. If not maybe you could make a chocolate syrup and call it fondue. :)

[spicyfull]

I Hope All works out for you....

[green jeanie]

success to report!!!!

ok it rocked. i was just rolling with it so i didn't measure but the basic breakdown:

i melted coconut butter, coconut oil about 2:1 ratio
added raw cacao powder
vanilla
wasn't feeling the agave so looked around and found...............

the HOMEMADE LAVENDER HONEY that i had done last week :D

so some of that and then a splash of agave anyway....

dipped and hardened

we were lucky it was a short drive to the party or we may have had to pick wildflowers instead ;)

thanks for the ideas everyone....cacao butter would probably be great but i just decided to use what i already had

[Mary Kay]

Green Jeanie,

Glad you were successful, but if you don't mind answering, what is the diff betw coconut butter and coconut oil?

And you're a beekeeper? I have heard that you could put a tiny bit of beeswax in with "chocolate/cacao whatever" and that will harden it. Of course it's ingested, but I don't think eating beeswax s that big of a deal.

People used to do it with Paraffin! Ye gads. Although, that's probably inert too, but.....

Mary Kay

[green jeanie]

hi mk

i am pretty sure the butter is the meat and the oil together and the oil is just the oil......someone else may have more detail for you

i am not a beekeeper.....the homemade part was adding the lavender we had harvested to some raw honey....purchased..... and letting it infuse

so tasty