Raw Chocolate Treats (Your New Favorite On-The-Go Snack!)

This recipe was a happy accident. It started out as a simple chocolate travel treat (without coconut oil so it would travel well on a plane without melting in my carry-on) and turned out to be a bittersweet sensational success.

Originally I intended on making little bitter 3-ingredient chocolate squares, but as I worked with the mixture it turned out to be too dry and unpleasantly bitter. Despite my kitchen being super warm, the raw cacao butter was setting too quickly, and the mixture was proving tricky to work with.

So I decided to experiment with adding a little sweetness and using warm hands and arm pressure to roll out the mixture, by shaping it into logs and then slicing into rounds. The result was a super-nutritious, decadent, bittersweet creation, that delights the tastebuds without melting in my handbag. So easy to make and no need to refrigerate — your arms will even get a great workout in the process. My new favorite travel snack!

These taste great with a cup of your favorite organic coffee, or whenever you want a nutritional chocolatey pick-me-up. The cacao and dates are chock-full of vitamins and minerals and are sugar, dairy and nut-free.

Raw Chocolate Treats

Directions

Melt the cacao butter on the stove over very low heat. To avoid burning the butter, you can create a makeshift double boiler. Put a little hot water into a metal pot or bowl and then use another smaller metal bowl or metal cup for the solid chunks of cacao butter. Place the smaller metal cup into the larger bowl, and try to be sure that not one drop of water enters the cup with the butter in it. Gently stir the cacao butter while it heats up.

Remove the melted cacao butter from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the cacao powder and agave nectar and mix thoroughly and quickly. Next add in approximately half of each of the dry ingredients and stir. You will need to be quick with this step to ensure it is mixed well.

On a sheet of baking paper spread out the mixture into an even thickness into the shape of a rectangle. Put a second sheet of baking paper on top and press down firmly on the mixture. You can use a rolling pin if you have one or just give yourself an arm workout by pressing down on the mixture with your hands.

Take off the top layer of baking paper and add the rest of the dry ingredients on top of the mixture.

Fold the edge of the bottom sheet of baking paper towards the centre of the mixture, to roll the mixture over itself (a bit like rolling sushi). Be sure to press down firmly to keep the mixture warm with the body temperature from your hands and to keep the mixture sticking together. Roll until you have a nice fat tube created, and be sure to pull the tube away from the baking paper as you roll.

Alternatively you can roll the outside of the tube across a plate of shredded coconut.

Pop the chocolate tube into the fridge for an hour to make sure it's nice and hard. This will make it easier to cut into the thickness of rounds that you prefer using a sharp straight edged knife.