Kitchen Chemistry – A Sweet Holiday Treat

Gather your supplies.

Whisk all ingredients in the bowl, until all lumps are gone.  If the coconut oil is too lumpy, try microwaving it for about 10 seconds.

Fun Fact:

Found in a grocery store’s baking aisle, cacao and cocoa powders come from the cacao bean, which is used to make chocolate. But what’s the difference between these two powders with their o’s and a’s switched around? Cacao powder (with 2 a’s) is usually less processed, not roasted, and often considered healthier. Cocoa powder (with 2 o’s) is more common and has usually been roasted.

Pour the mixture into the molds.  Don’t have a mold?  No problem!  Line a small glass baking dish with wax paper and pour your mixture on top.  When the chocolate is frozen, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Fun Fact:

For many years, people drank chocolate, but they did not eat it. In the 1800s, molds were invented, which helped us to create chocolate candy! Today, you can find molds in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but if you don’t have a fun mold, an ice cube tray works great as well!

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes – 1 hour, until frozen all the way through.

Fun Fact:

When you buy a chocolate bar or chocolate candy, it usually has a smooth texture and does not melt very quickly. That’s because professionally made chocolate has been “tempered” or heated, then cooled, then heated again before it is poured into molds and allowed to cool one final time.

Remove the chocolate from the molds.

Tips & Tricks:

If using hard plastic molds, twist the edges until the chocolate comes free. If using soft silicone molds, inverse the mold until the chocolate falls out.

Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Fun Fact:

Tempered chocolate is made using the fat naturally found in the cacao bean (cacao butter or cocoa butter) instead of coconut oil. When it is tempered correctly, it will be glossy, firm, and melt near body temperature, but it is very challenging to temper chocolate. For a simple DIY chocolate, like this recipe, be prepared for it to melt quickly outside of the fridge.

When you’re ready to eat, plate and serve.