Archive for February, 2009

Amazingly CHOCalicious Raw Chocolate Cake

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

This is honestly THE most amazing chocolate cake ever! And it’s sugar and gluten free and full of goodness. I tried this recipe out yesterday and still can’t believe how easy and absolutely delicious it is. So CHOCalicious (my daughter Ella named it) is this cake that I had to put half of it in the freezer so I didn’t eat it all up myself.

Here is the recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

CHOCalicious Raw Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 240g walnuts or mixed nuts (I used 2 packets, 120g each, of mixed nuts that included almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts with walnuts)
  • Dash salt
  • 12 pitted medjool dates, un-soaked
  • 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
  • 3 teaspoons water
  • Optional – fresh fruit to garnish (strawberries and or raspberries)

Blend nuts and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add dates, raw cacao powder, agave and vanilla, process until mixture begins to stick together. Add the water and process briefly.

Line a dinner plate with greaseproof paper. Add the mix and form into a 5-inch round cake. Wrap the cake in the greaseproof paper and place in the freezer for around half an hour or chill for 2 hours in the fridge.

While it sets happily, you can make this delicious icing or CHOCfrosting or if you prefer it without any icing and are slightly impatient (like me), simply cut up into squares and eat as brownies!

CHOCfrosting

  • 25g raw cacao butter
  • 2 table spoons raw cacao powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons agave (to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean extract
  • 2 tablespoons cream

Melt the raw cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Once melted, remove from heat and add the cacao powder, agave syrup, vanilla and mix well. Once blended add the cream and mix again. The consistency will become thicker as the cream is added. Leave for a few moments to thicken.

Remove the cake from the freezer/fridge. Place on a serving place. Ice the cake with the CHOCfrosting mix and place back in the fridge to set for around 1 hour. You can also garnish with fresh fruits of the forest, raspberries or strawberries, serve and enjoy!

Goddesses of Raw Chocolate

Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Fabulous CHOC Chicks

Fabulous CHOC Chicks

Galia and Trude the CHOC Chicks

Galia and Trude the CHOC Chicks

Here come the girls…or CHOC Chicks really! Last Wednesday we spent a glorious evening, meeting old friends, making new friends, drinking champagne, eating raw chocolate strawberries, chatting and learning to make decadently healthy raw chocolates and amazing chocolate cocktails. The absolute perfect evening and only girls were allowed!

It was genuinely fantastic to meet so many beautiful and likeminded women and I’m always amazed and how wonderfully supportive women can be. All my networking and best business contacts has been through other women. The best thing I did when I set up CHOC CHick was join Mums in Biz networking group, run by Nicky Chisholm. I’m sometimes overwhelmed by the amazing women I’ve met through this group and the wonderful opportunities and support that have resulted.

I’ve managed to find a wonderful Virtual Assistant in the marvellous Trude Thomas, who has become a right hand person and an endless source of practical and emotional support. I met the glorious Fay MacDonald, who invited me to run a raw chocolate making session at her Diosa Delicious Goddess of Chocolate event on Wednesday and has now connected me with many more supportive women all interested in the goodness of raw chocolate.

So in today’s post, I just want to raise a glass to all women and especially to those who love chocolate! Gx

Simple Raw Chocolate Recipe

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Raw chocolate is incredibly easy to make (especially if you have a CHOC Chick Kit). Here is our simple Raw CHOC Recipe to help you on your way.

Raw chocolate making ingredients:

  • 100g Raw cacao butter
  • 4tbs Raw cacao powder
  • 2-3tbs Agave syrup (or to taste)
  • 1-2tsp Vanilla bean extract
  • Ice cube trays or moulds

Chop or grate the cacao butter, place in a glass bowl and melt gently over a pan of boiling water. Once the cacao butter has melted remove from heat and add the raw cacao powder and vanilla bean extract. Mix in the agave syrup, make sure to mix this well to ensure the mixture has blended well and taste to see if mix is sweet enough (feel free to add more ageve if you prefer a sweeter taste). You raw chocolate mix will have a runny consistency so simply spoon or pour into ice cube trays or chocolate moulds.

Place in the fridge for 1.5 to 2 hours or in the freezer for half an hour to set. Once set, remove from moulds and enjoy!