Advent Chocolates
Much as I love to be prepared for festivities on the 1st December, in recent years the decorations go up far closer to Christmas Day than I would like.
And then there was the year that John and I couldn’t agree on whose turn it was to take the tree down. We debated it until September, when we finally called a truce on the spruce, agreeing that since it was almost Christmas, we may as well leave it up.
So the tree was still up, if but a little dusty, on the first of December the following year.
And the first of February, June, October, November, and in fact the first of every month of the year for a further two and a half years, until eventually I suffered a weak moment and decided I would dismantle the Christmas tree and put away the decorations.
I think it was Frank Sinatra who said that everyone needs a bit of Christmas every day. I wonder if he too had a stand-off with his wife about who would put away the Christmas decorations?
So, it strikes me that making decorations that can be eaten is a much-improved way of getting a head start on any clearing up to be done. Anyway, what could be more charming than opening a package of raw chocolates everyday as part of the Christmas countdown? Think of it as an hor d'oeuvre, if you will, for the volumes of chocolate you may consume on Christmas Day.
This is a raw chocolate recipe (without the technical fuss of tempering) to which you can add your own delicious flavours to create your own advent calendar. These also make fabulous gifts that you can box - if you want to give them away.
This recipe makes around 24 chocolates, depending on the size.
I used different types of flavourings: a few drops of orange extract and goji berries, a drop of Japanese oil of peppermint (it’s very strong) and cacao nibs, chopped pistachios and raisins. Simply divide the chocolate mixture and flavour at will. There is a chart to the side to give you some ideas.
If you would like to make a large bar of ‘Fruit and Nut’, instead of making individual chocolates, stir in some raisins and chopped hazelnuts and pour the whole batch into a silicone loaf mould.
[as an aside, John has just walked in the room and demanded that I change the wording of this that HE had put the tree up, not ‘we’. Obviously, he is never going to let this go and some scores will never be settled, despite it being the season of goodwill.]
For super-easy advent chocolates, simply melt some of your favourite raw chocolate, flavour as you wish and pour into individual chocolate moulds.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 24 bite-size chocolates, depending on the size of the bite!
100g cacao butter
60g cacao powder
1 tablespoon lucuma
1 tablespoon agave
Pinch of fine grain sea salt
METHOD
Grate the cacao butter and melt it in a bain marie or heat proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Don’t let the water in the saucepan touch the base of the bowl, instead let the heat from steam do the melting.
Once melted, sift in the measured cacao powder and lucuma and stir gently to avoid any clumps forming. Gently stir in the agave and salt. Mix until it is smooth and thick, taking care not to over heat. Allow to cool a little.
Divide the mixture into different batches according how you wish to flavour your chocolates. Add a different flavour to each batch.
Once you have flavoured your chocolates, distribute them into silicone moulds. Leave to set in a cool place. When set turn out of the moulds and wrap with coloured foil.
If you want to add a bit more raw Christmas sparkle, let me tell you about a couple of seasonal ‘must-haves.’
The Perfect Raw Christmas Plan contains a step by step raw Christmas plan to make Christmas easier – find out what can be made ahead and what can be frozen plus quick tips, chef cheats, a downloadable shopping list and 26 recipes to take you from Christmas Eve through to Party Time. Recipes include Christmas pudding ice cream bombe, nut roast roulade and even a black forest gateau.
If you would really like to get into the festive spirit, why not join our cook-a-long masterclass, Festive Feast? Over two x 2 hour sessions in a recorded class, you can learn to create an exciting three-course deliciously raw festive meal to impress your family and friends. You can add them in as options to surprise your family - or perhaps serve as lighter bites on Boxing Day. Menu includes apple chips, cranberry cream ‘cheese’, Rudolph's crush, warm beetroot soup with horseradish cream, a festive nut roast and a tiramisu 'viennetta' style ice cream slice.
Photography: Dawn Langley
The raw Black Forest Gateau from The Perfect Raw Christmas Plan - Photography: Dawn Langley