Updatish

A few posts back I mentioned that I had been to a chocolate therapy class. Well, I finally had some time to make some chocolates, yay.
So, here are my Chill Chocolates - the raw chocolate recipe with a dash of Cayenne added. I also made some Goji Berry chocolates and some Cacao Nib Chocolate..but they all looked the same on the outside so I didn't bother to take a pic.

 ^ Cayenne Chocolate

^ Chocolate Truffles - recipe at my cooking blog

Recently, I also got around to doing the edging on the Fairy Garden and planting some more flowers.

 And below we have a photo of one of the new visitors. We have 3 ducks that like to hang out around the Fairy Garden (who can blame them?!). They take turns in coming up, one set come up as a pair, and the fellow pictured here likes to come up by its lonesome. So, pretty much, there is at least one duck hanging around at any time. I ended up going and getting chook laying pellets to feed to them. It is the new ritual with the kids to go out and feed the ducks a few times a day.



Chocolate Therapy

So, today I had my "Chocolate Therapy" class.
As soon as I walked in, I said to myself...I bet they're from Fremantle. Bing. Correct.
There is a type from Fremantle, and you would either get it without me having to explain, or you won't - so I won't bother.

Anyway, the couple have a business called Roar Superfoods. All in all a good premise. They source the best quality superfoods, you buy :)
All in all - interesting, though they need to check up some medical facts. If I hear one more time that sugar makes people hyperactive I am going to scream. THERE ARE A TONNE OF STUDIES DISPROVING THAT FOLKS! oO, and they were totally cheesy in teaching style, but that is okay.

I digress. We learned about the history of the Cacao beans and history of Chocolate in general. Why adding milk and sugarcane to chocolate detracts from the beneficial qualities of choclate. We sampled some "Modern Mayan" Cacao drink, and loads of chocolate that they made - with cacao tips, goji berries, almonds, plain etc. They don't cook their chocolate at all (hence the raw in Roar), just melt it at temp to melt cocoa butter (about 31C). I plan to temper my chocolate because the readiness at which it melted completely pissed me off.

So, here are the 2 recipes that I was given today.
Basic Chocolate (makes approximately 25 chocolates)
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons of Dark Agave Syrup
80g Cacao Butter - chopped into small pieces. (I have one from wild harvested from Peru)
55g Cacao Powder - sifted. (I have 2 types,from Peru and Equador)
Method
1.Bring 2cm depth water in a small saucepan to boil.
2.Sit a glass jug/bowl on the saucepan (nb: water should not be touching the jug/bowl).
3.Place cacao butter in the bowl and then turn the heat off. Allow to completely melt.
4.Add agave syrup, mix WELL ro warm through.
5.Mix in the cacao powder1/3 at a time, blend well - by hand.
6.At this point, you would add in any ingredients that you wish to add to the chocolate ie nuts or dried fruit or spices.
7.Remove the jug/bowl and wipe all the water/condensation from the exterior of the container.
8.Carefully pour into chocolate molds and gently shake the molds to settle the chocolate.
9.Place in freezer for approximately 30 minutes or in the fridge for one hour to set.
10.When set, twist the mold to loosen the chocolate. remove from mold.
nb: Will keep refrigerated for up to one month. Will melt at room temp.

Mayan Chocolate Drink (makes approximately 4 serves)
Ingredients
1 cup raw organic Cacao Powder
Cayenne pepper - to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon raw Vanilla Powder
4 tablespoons Dark Agave Syrup
4 cups of warmed Almond Milk (recipe below)
Cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste
Method
Mix all ingredients in the blender and serve.

Almond Milk (makes 1 litre / 4 cups)
Soak 3/4 cup of raw almonds overnight.
Strain and rinse almonds.
Blend almonds with 4 cups of filtered water.
Put through a fine strainer or a nutmilk bag (cheesecloth).

Store in the fridge (3 days max).