Chocolate Advent Calendar

Home-made chocolates with a festive theme!
Made without refined sugar: these chocolates are sweetened with coconut blossom nectar, which has a lower GI and therefore less of an unhealthy “sugar rush”.
The carob chocolates are caffeine-free and made from untoasted carob which has a smoother flavour than the roasted version people are more familiar with.
White chocolates flavoured with lucuma & coconut.
Dark chocolates made using raw cacao powder.

150g of raw cacao butter - the perfect melty base for home-made chocolate.

3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder. Untreated and full of natural nutrients.

50g of coconut flour, a fine type of coconut powder.

3 tablespoons of untoasted carob - a natural caffeine-free alternative to cocoa.

2 tablespoons of lucuma powder. Lucuma is a naturally sweet flavouring commonly used in South America, and used in the white chocolate here.

1 capful of vanilla extract.

1 teaspoonful of almond extract.

1 pinch of salt.

A tray bake made with pastry using einkorn flour and coconut butter.

A spelt flour Christmas cake, surrounded with a low-sugar marzipan.

Other Ingredients

Method

Find two pyrex bowls such that they will “nest” whilst leaving a gap in the lower bowl. Typically, the upper bowl will be slightly larger than the lower bowl. This will be used as a bain-marie.
Grate the cacao butter into the larger bowl. This will allow you to melt it on a low heat, thus keeping the “good oils” in the cacao intact.
Boil a kettle of water and pour into the lower (smaller) bowl. Put the larger bowl on top and stir the cacao butter with a wooden spoon until the cacao butter is melted. It will take around 3 or 4 minutes for the cacao butter to melt fully.
For each chocolate type, add the flavourings as described in the “Flavourings” section below.
Mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the chocolate mould, taking care to avoid bubbles. Tap the side of mould gently to release any trapped bubbles.
Place the mould in the freezer for at least an 1 hour.