Raw Chocolate Valentines Day!

Feb 12, 2012 by Elissa Goodman

Valentine’s Day should be a day of relaxation. And the traditional gift of chocolate is known for its capacity to foster a peaceful mood. But regular, processed chocolate is not the way to go. It is high in saturated fats, and frighteningly high in sugar. While the calorie content in this kind of chocolate is high, the real problem is the processed ingredients. So what I love to give and receive for Valentine’s Day is raw chocolate! It has pure ingredients, and is high in an amino acid called phenethylamine (PEA). The PEA in raw chocolate supports mood and sensation, making it a classic love food. When you eat chocolate, you bring out natural feelings of well-being and with raw chocolate you can indulge your need for pleasure! Plus, the calorie content is lower than processed chocolate and your body won’t store it as fat because of the pure ingredients!

My favorite high-quality organic raw chocoloate is Gnosis. My favorite organic raw cacao powders are Navitas and Ojio.

Gift of Love Chocolate

1 cup raw organic chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/3 cup top quality, organic cold-pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup raw organic cacao butter
1-1/2 cups raw organic cacao powder
2/3 cup raw organic honey (heaping)
A good dash of Himalayan pink salt
A dash of vanilla bean

Measure the nuts, chili and cacao powder into a bowl and mix. Gently melt the coconut oil in a microwave safe container for 10-20 seconds or until liquid. Remove and then gently melt the cacao butter the same way. Slowly add and stir the coconut oil into a the bowl with the nuts. When fully mixed, slowly add and stir in the the raw honey. Add a few shakes of the salt and some vanilla bean if you have it. Mix and mix well!

Line an 8×8 glass or ceramic dish with plastic wrap. Pour the chocolate out into the lined dish and pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to set. Remove from freezer and lift the chocolate from the dish with the plastic. Remove the plastic and then cut into small pieces. I store the chocolate in a large glass jar between layers of waxed or parchment paper and keep it in the fridge

To set up your own personal cleanse/nutrition session with Elissa, call: (323) 596-0003 or email:info@elissagoodman.com.