Dark Citrus and Roast Almond Chocolate

Oh I do love creating new textures, aromas and flavours in my raw chocolate!

This one rivals one of my favourite combo’s from a Lindt bar – orange and almond.

I really love peppermint and orange with dark chocolate. There’s just something delicious about the blending of these two sweet and fruity flavours with the intense richness and bitterness of the cacao bean.

Adding a bit of crunch with roasted almonds simply completes the deliciousness!

Mine beats Lindt hands down!! 🙂 #‎rawchocolatelove

Enjoy!

V xo

Dark Citrus and Roast Almond Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 250g Raw Cacao Butter

• 140g Raw Cacao powder

• 110g Coconut Sugar

At tempering add:

zest of 1 orange
6-10 drops of lemon essential oil (therapeutic food grade only! Join Young Living for wholesale prices here)
1/2 cup chopped roast almonds

TIP: Use your high powered blender or coffee grinder to powder the coconut sugar before adding for a smoother quality chocolate.

Method:

Place cacao butter, cacao sugar and coconut powder (in that order) in a glass bowl and slowly melt in a double boiler system or bain-marie on low heat. Combine through with a wooden spoon or spatula only when the mixture is at least 50% melted, with a few chunks of cacao butter still solid.
Removed the chocolate from the heat at this time, wiping the underneath of the hot bowl with a tea towel to remove the moisture.
Pour carefully into a high speed blender. Blend on low for 5 seconds, medium for 5 seconds, then high for 30 seconds. Monitor your blender jug with the back of your hand to ensure your chocolate does not overheat. (You may like to use a candy thermometer to keep your chocolate below 43 degrees. I don’t any more as I’ve become accustomed to the texture as it tempers, but it’s useful as you learn).
Once blended, pour into a cool, clean bowl and aerate your chocolate with a wooden spoon or spatula until it comes down in temperature to approximately 31 degrees. During this tempering time, add in the orange rind and chopped roasted almonds, stirring them through thoroughly. Your chocolate will naturally start to thicken as the delicate crystal structure becomes stable so that your chocolate will be tempered. Tempering encourages your chocolate to contract as it cools and solidifies so that you end up with a glossy chocolate and a loud, clean snap when breaking – heaven to a chocolate lovers ears!
Finally, add in the Lemon Essential Oil and stir through to combine well.
Pour onto chocolate moulds, a large baking tray, or two square slice tins. Up to you how thin or thick you like your chocolate block.
Place into the fridge for one hour to set, then break into pieces and enjoy!

Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, remove from heat when the mixture is just completely melted and stir through with a spatula until completely smooth and creamy, continuing on then with the remaining steps.

Love this whole food, nutrient dense, dairy, gluten and refined sugar free recipe?

Try out my Raw and Healthy Chocolate Delights eBook HERE!

About Viki

Viki Thondley is a Mind-Body Wellness Specialist and qualified Holistic Counsellor, Food, Stress & Lifestyle Coach, Meditation Therapist, and Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who inspires women to shift from limited thinking, low self-esteem and restriction to whole-self nourishment, body confidence and whole food healing. Recovered from bulimia nervosa and the many years of hormonal imbalances, food prison and self-sabotaging behaviours’, Viki is an inspiring coach, speaker and event host who also provides personalised holistic programs, workshops and retreats to instil self-love, happiness, body confidence and real food freedom. She is author of “Achieving Your Wellness: Create a Life You Love” and “Healthy Chocolate Delights: Real Food Sweet Treats”.