Australian Natural Health Magazine - Nourish

Ingredients (Depending on the size of your moulds, this recipe makes about 4 whole buds/8 halves.)

Chocolate

• 1 cup grated cacao butter
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp raw coconut sugar
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maca powder
• 1 tsp lucuma powder (optional)
• 1 tsp mesquite powder (optional)

Ganache

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 2 tsp ground hazelnuts
• 2 drops organic hazelnut extract (optional)

METHOD

Using some coconut oil to ‘grease’ your chocolate moulds – set aside.

Gently melt the cacao butter by using two bowls on top of one another; in the bottom bowl, warm water and in the top bowl, the cacao butter (or a Thermomix at 37ºC).

In a food processor or blender, mix the melted cacao butter with cacao powder, raw coconut sugar, coconut oil, maca powder and lucuma/mesquite (if using).

Blend until smooth, then gently pour the mixture half way into each mould; place gently in the freezer to harden up for 15 minutes (there should still be about half of the mixture left).

Making the ganache

Blend the coconut oil, cacao powder, hazelnuts and extract (if using) together.

Remove the moulds from the freezer and spoon the ganache on top of the hardened chocolate, then pour the remaining chocolate on top of the ganache (don’t let any ganache be seen!)

Place back into the freezer for 30 minutes, then pop out of the moulds when they are ready to serve.

To make ‘whole buds’, simply use the wet chocolate mix to stick them together.