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From when I first started Changing Habits I have been telling everyone that Chocolate can be good for you.  However, I found that most of the chocolate being made is tainted with hydrogenated vegetable oils, additives, preservatives, colours, flavour, powdered milk solids, soy, protein isolates, lecithin, and much more.  In fact some chocolates had no chocolate what so ever, it was all fake.

 
I would eat these types of chocolate and feel sick.  So I stopped eating chocolate until I discovered good quality chocolate made with just a few ingredients.  I have to tell you that these were not easy to find and when I did find them they were very expensive.  Then one day it dawned on me that I could make my own, but it wasn't always easy to find good ingredients. If I could find the ingredients then they were expensive, especially cacao butter (this is expensive because it is actually made for the cosmetic industry as a primary product).  

Then one day I had this thought, could I make chocolate from the cacao bean or nibs?, I went into the kitchen and tried but it didn't work.  To cut a long story short, I knew that the cacao butter was extracted from the cacao powder and I wanted to know whether I could have the chocolate before the process of extraction of these two products.  My hunter husband went looking for me I have not stopped making chocolate since the day he bought it home from South America.  I make chilli lime chocolate, peppermint, lemon myrtle, coconut ruff, gogi and coconut. To make these flavoured chocolates I get my pure essential oils from Twenty8. Click here to purchase these oils.  I've also been making, drinks, ganash, fruit covered in chocolate, cakes, chocolate chip cookies, icings, the list is endless.  You name it, the versatility of cacao bean not separated into the butter and the powder has far exceeded my expectations.All are delicious!!!

Changing Habits is very excited to offer as our new product Cacao Wafers. This is the cacao bean before the separation into cacao butter and cacao powder, there is nothing added   It is 100% cacao conveniently made into small wafers so that you can use them easily for many of your chocolate recipes. This has not been an easy product to source, so we only have a limited amount for now (we're looking for more), so if you want my recipes and the cacao wafers now hit the order button and we'll have them at your place as quick as we can.

To flavour your chocolate peppermint, lime and orange, click here to visit the Twenty8 site.

Changing Habits Cacao Wafers can be used for all of your cooking recipes that call for Cacao to be used. Take a look at the recipe tab to the right to watch Cyndi's video on how to make your own chocolate at home. We have also listed all the variations that we have tried below the video.

Some of the other recipes we use the Cacao Wafers for include drinks, ganash, fruit covered in chocolate, cakes, chocolate chip cookies and icings. The list is endless!

You can also flavour your chocolate with essential oils such as peppermint, orange and lime! We source our essential oils from Twenty8 as they are pure essential oils. Click here to go to the website. Also check out the recipes tab to the right on making flavoured chocolate!

Cacao beans are originally from Ecuador and means  "Food of the Gods." They are from a species of tree called Theobroma cacao. The English evolved the pronunciation to "cocoa," which is used today. In raw form, they have a high concentration of antioxidants that help cells repair themselves and stay healthy. Cacao contains many nutrients such as magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and vitamin C. Chocolate is made from cacao beans.

 

Effects of Fat and Sugar

The cacao bean contains about 50 percent fat. It is composed of palmitic and stearic acids which are part of the saturated fatty acids and another unsaturated fat called oleic acid. According to cacaoweb.net, cacao beans do not raise blood cholesterol because their content of saturated fats is very low. The sugar content is very low in the bean. It is in the form of a simple sugar much like table sugar. Because the content is low, sugar is added when making chocolate for a more desired sweet taste.

All chocolate is made from the raw cacao bean! Cacao is the seed of a fruit of an Amazonian tree that was brought to Central America during or before the time of the Olmecs. Cacao beans were so revered by the Mayans and Aztecs that they used them as money!

In 1753 Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist, thought that cacao was so important that he named the genus and species of this tree himself. He named this tree: Theobroma cacao, which literally means "cacao, the food of the gods."

Cacao beans contain no sugar and between 12% and 50% fat depending on variety and growth conditions. Nature's First Law cacao beans are around 40% fat content (low compared to other nuts). There is no evidence to implicate cacao bean consumption with obesity. Worried about allergies? Allergies to chocolate are quite rare. It is typically the case that the person is in fact allergic to milk, dairy products and chemicals mixed into the production of heat-treated processed chocolate bars.

 

Benefits

Scientific studies of the effects of dark chocolate indicate that it stimulates the release of endorphins in the human body. As a result, dark chocolate may have an anti-depressant effect. The Mayo Clinic says other studies suggest the antioxidants in dark chocolate help to reduce high blood pressure and improve circulation. Advocates of raw cacao beans claim the beans provide these health benefits to a greater degree because the raw beans have a higher level of antioxidants than processed chocolate.

 

Considerations

Before you rush to buy a supply of raw cacao beans, keep in mind that the health benefits researchers have discovered are based on studies of dark chocolate, not the beans themselves. In addition, the Mayo Clinic points out that much of the research, while promising, is not conclusive. Read more...

• 8 Amino Acids for the Cacao
• Amino Acid Analysis Report
• Organic Certificate USDA - Cacao
• Organic Certificate EU - Cacao
• Data Analysis Sheet
• Criollo Cacao Chocolate
• Kocher Certificate - 2012
• Kocher Certificate - chocolate products 2012
• Gluten Free Analysis Testing Sheet

Homemade Chocolate

Ingredients

250gms Changing Habits Cacao Wafers
100gms Changing habits Rapadura Sugar
1/4tsp Changing habits seaweed salt
50gms coconut oil

Stove Top Method

Use a double boiler for this recipe. If you don’t have a double-boiler then you can place a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (make sure the water does not come right up to the bowl).

1. Boil water in the saucepan. Place double boiler or bowl over the top.
2. Add all ingredients together and stir for 20 minutes.
3. For different variations as above, simply add your favourite food or oil at the end and stir through before placing in mould or dish to set.

Please note – The ideal temperature is 37 degrees, if you have a cooking thermometer then place this in the double boiler to maintain an ideal temperature.

If you have a Thermomix please click here to view the Thermomix recipe. 

Variations

We source our essential oils for the variations below to make flavoured chocolate from Twenty8 as they are pure essential oils. Click here to go to the website.

• Kaffir Lime Chocolate - add 4 dried kaffir leaves into the mix, then remove and add 2 drops of lime essential oil before pouring into mould.
• Peppermint chocolate - stir in 3 drops of peppermint at step 3 of method
• Cherry Ripe - add 1/4 cup goji berries and 1/4 cup desiccated coconut at step 3 of method
• Nut Crunch Chocolate - Place 1 cup of chopped mixed nuts and add at step 3 of method.
• Ginger Chocolate - place 1/2 cup of chopped crystalised ginger at step 3 of method or if you would like to use fresh ginger place 1 inch of peeled, fresh ginger in the bowl at step 3 of the method
• Chili Chocolate - 1 tsp of chili flakes added at step 3 of the method, if you want it hotter add more.
• Berry Chocolate - If you have moulds place one blueberry in each mould and cover with the chocolate at step 3 of the method. You can use any berry it all depends on the size of the berry and the size of the mould.
• Orange Chocolate - 3 drops of orange essential oil added at step 3 of the method, you can also 1/2 cup of homemade orange marmalade at step 3 for extra taste.
• Fruit Chocolate - Any fruit, peeled and cut and cold then dip them in the chocolate, covering the whole fruit, place on a baking tray covered in baking paper, place in fridge and watch them become a favourite at any dinner party, if you can get them on the table before the kids find them in the fridge.
• Fruit and Nut - Add 1/4 cup oil free sultanas and 1/4 cup of chopped nuts at step 3
• Coffee Chocolate - Add 1/2 cup of slightly chopped roasted organic coffee beans at step 3 of method.
• Walnut chocolate - If you have moulds place 1/2 a walnut into the mould and cover with the chocolate at step 3 of the method. If you have larger moulds put the whole walnut in. My favourite.
• Rum and Raisin Chocolate - soak 1/2 cup of sultanas in 2 TBS rum, add at step 4 of the method but make sure you put your blade on reverse speed, otherwise you will lose all the rum out of the sultanas Coconut Rough Chocolate - my brothers favourite. Add 1 cup of organic desiccated coconut at step 3 of the method.