Chocolate Bar And More
Dark chocolate is one of my favorite things. It makes me very happy. Chocolate chips have eluded us in our sugar free world – if chips are available at the store they either have sugar or artificial sweeteners we don’t eat. Some recent failures resulted in chocolate that started melting right after removing it from the freezer, or the balance of chocolate and sweet was not quite right. The coconut butter seems to make a big difference in consistency and flavor. It is made from the meat of the coconut, but with a mild taste. It also stays nice and solid at room temperature, which helps these bars hold up to room temperature adversity. You still get a little meltiness on your fingers when handling it, but what good chocolate bar doesn’t? This chocolate bar recipe does not result in perfect little chips with curly peaks, but the resulting small bits that serve the same purpose are lovely. We joyfully toss them into our homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream and cookies. Sweet levels can be adjusted to taste, and the bar also melts smoothly for home mocha lattes or dessert topping. I am continuing my quest for a curly topped chip, but what is life without a quest?
Chocolate Bar
3 ounces coconut butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup Stevita
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
In a small saucepan add coconut butter and chocolate. Melt over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in Stevita, cocoa powder and vanilla. Continue stirring until smooth. Pour into molds or spread in a pan lined with aluminum foil. An 8×8 size pan makes for the thickness of a typical chocolate bar. Refrigerate until chocolate sets firm, about one hour. For chocolate chips use a sharp knife to chop into small pieces.