Chocolate not cooperating!

[ViolinCyndee]

I have made this recipe for raw choc many times, and it has always come out like melted choc, which I can pour into candy molds, etc:

1/2 cup raw cacao
1/2 cup raw carob
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted in D)
1/4 cup agave

BUT.. it has decided to rebel on me the last 3-4 times I have made it!! Instead of coming out like melted choc, it's more like a thick fudge icing! Grrrrrr! I made sure there was not even a drop of water on anything, since I know that choc and water do not mix.

Wonder why it's not cooperating, all of a sudden? Suggestions...? My guess is that I am using a diff carob powder, though, what's the diff? It's the raw carob powder from Raw Food World. hmmmm!

[drolemil]

The order you stir your ingredients together matters, did you change without realizing it?

[ViolinCyndee]

The order you stir your ingredients together matters, did you change without realizing it?

I don't think so, but maybe.... I usually put the powders in the bowl first then the wet (coconut oil and agave poured kinda together, then stir).

[sport]

What about the temperature of the room. It will be thicker if colder.

[RawHealthyBeauty]

I haven't worked with chocolate before, but I have with coconut oil a millian times. I'm thinking that sport is right about the room temperature, since it is getting colder around here for the the season is changing. I've noticed that any mixture I'm making with coconut oil have been thickening up on me so I put the mixture in the D after stirring well and it goes back to normal within 5-10 minutes in the D. So if this is the case, it will turn back into melted chocalate in the D.... Good Luck!! :)

[ViolinCyndee]

I haven't worked with chocolate before, but I have with coconut oil a millian times. I'm thinking that sport is right about the room temperature, since it is getting colder around here for the the season is changing. I've noticed that any mixture I'm making with coconut oil have been thickening up on me so I put the mixture in the D after stirring well and it goes back to normal within 5-10 minutes in the D. So if this is the case, it will turn back into melted chocalate in the D.... Good Luck!! :)

Yeah I thought the same thing, and did put it in the D for even longer than that. Texture didn't become 'melted choc' even after over an hour!!

So.. I was thinking.. the times I made it and it came out great, I was using the raw carob powder that Alissa had in her store. More recently, I got raw carob powder from somewhere else because Alissa's store was closed, temporarily.. Wonder if that diff brand of carob powder would make a diff? Dunno!

I did melt the coconut oil in the D until it was clear and totally liquid before adding it to the cacao and carob powders. grrrrrr! Will keep trying though!

[k8sl8]

If the agave is cold, it will cool the whole thing enough to make it thicker. I did it just last night and it was not liquid very long. I use maple syrup and it was in the frig so cold. May be enough to do it. I make a ganache so want it to harden, so have never though to try and keep it liquid.

You're probably right, the new carob probably has more fiber in it than the old would be my guess.

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Hmmm, I'm interested in getting Alissa's carob again, I still have some leftover before she closed her store. I love this carob so much that I use it very sparingly. That would be interesting if each brand of carob differs....

Do you think using less of the carob will help?

In the meantime, you could make fudges out of them till problem is solved.

I know the feeling when making something didn't turn out exactly the way it's supposed to. :(

[ViolinCyndee]

Maybe I will put both the coconut oil AND the agave in the D for a while before mixing with the powders next time. We'll see what happens!!

[raweater]

It's mostly been mentioned already but coconut oil changes from solid to liquid at about room temperature, it doesn't take much at all for it to switch from liquid to solid.

With winter comming your house and all ingredients at room temp will be cooler, more than enough to completely change the texture even if you melted the coconut oil. Try putting all ingredients you are using in the D, including agave, cacao/carob powder, etc.

[klomasius]

Chocolate never cooperates. It seduces you, then migrates to your hips... lol

[raweater]

Natural raw chocolate causes weight loss, it's artificial/milk chocolate that makes you fat. It's important to realize the difference between artificial food and natural raw food.

[klomasius]

Natural raw chocolate causes weight loss, it's artificial/milk chocolate that makes you fat. It's important to realize the difference between artificial food and natural raw food.

Can. you. say. funny?

[raweater]

Are you saying you don't believe raw chocolate causes weight loss? It's well proven, as well as being the #1 highest food in antioxidants (something like 12 times more than blueberries) and is also proven to prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Or are you saying you were joking when you said chocolate makes you fat?

[klomasius]

*facepalm*

:)

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Hey ViolinCyndee ~ I just was looking through Alissa's book and this caught my eye that the cacao powder is sifted in one of her recipes. Got a flour sifter? Maybe that might make a difference for the cocoa and carob powder?