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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Saturday, December 26, 2015

{Making Healthy Chocolates}

If you have to follow a strict diet, most store bought chocolates are either too sweet or contain cream or other things you try avoid eating.
Well, that makes you have to make your own Healthy Chocolates!
So here we go, with two pound tablets of 72% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, placed in a double boiler, Au Bain Marie. The lowest part is filled with some water and remember; only melting the chocolate NOT boiling it!
It is a messy job so I always make large batches at once.
This time I'd boiled some fresh cranberries first and set them aside.
Later I will blend in this flaked unsweetened coconut, again from Trader Joe's. 
To sweeten it up a bit I use Agave Nectar and also add some healthy Chia seeds and Lecithin Granules.
In the batch above, I added Pomegranate Seeds that I bought at Costco.
You just have to feel for yourself, depending on what you are using, if you also want to add some Almond Meal to give it some body. It should however be rather smooth!
Next I will scoop the chocolate into these Flexipan molds.
For the USA this link to Demarle at Home will show you some items.
I've bought mine mostly in France...
Also they have a FB Page: Demarle at Home
 This is slightly smaller in diameter and I filled another tray in heart shapes.
Each such Flexipan mold is being placed on an aluminum tray.
Using my Rösle spatula for filling the molds.
Covering up with a sheet of Press'n Seal that doesn't stick.
That way you kind of smooth them out.
This is the one I use...
After they have hardened up inside the refrigerator, this is how they look like...
For gift giving you can use some special cellophane bags with a gold fastener.
This is the end product and it tastes good with a coffee or tea!
All healthy ingredients but rather messy for creating...

Do you make your own chocolates as well?


20 comments:

  1. Mariette Hello!
    Very important to be careful. I find a great choice and especially a good option.
    I wish you peace this Christmas weighted .That all wishes in your heart, be answered! hugs, Rose M.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Liebe Mariette,

    das ist WUNDERBAR!
    Alles Liebe
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  3. They look delicious! If you give those as gifts you're going to make some people very happy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. ottimi!!!!!!! Buon Natale d'amore carissima Mariette insieme alle persone care, ti abbraccio Lory

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do not bake anymore since it is just me. I would dearly love and enjoy one of your goodies tho. I appreciate you being so faithful to visit me now and then.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hummmm!! Delicious!
    Merry Christmas to you!
    Hugs, Manuela

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wenn die Schokolade ohne Fabrikzucker ist, ist sie sicherlich gesund, liebe Mariette. Süßen mit anderen Stoffen wie Agavensirup oder Ahornsirup, auch Honig, ist gut. Hier ist es wie bei allem, nur das Übermaß macht krank.
    Pralinen mache ich nie. Aber ich habe z.B. schon Mandelsplitter gemacht mit guter Schokolade oder Bitterschokolade mit hohem Kakaoanteil einfach in Silikon-Förmchen gegossen und auch im Kühlschrank hart werden lassen. Beeren hineinzugeben ist auch eine gute Idee, werde ich bei Gelegenheit mal ausprobieren. Für mich allein ist so etwas allerdings zu viel und bei uns mag niemand sonst Bitterschokolade. ;-) Oder Beeren in Schokolade ... Wirklich schade!
    Die verlinkten Produkte gibt es sicherlich nur in den USA. Ich kannte diese Dinge nicht.

    Liebe Grüße auch hier
    Sara

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Sara,
      Oh ja es gibt diese Demarle Produkte schon seid 1989 in Deutschland. Es kommt aus Frankreich.http://www.demarle.com/de/catalogue/index.html
      Liebe Grüße,
      Mariette

      Delete
    2. Tatsächlich. Deinem Link bin ich eben gefolgt, liebe Mariette. Ich habe die Produkte dieser Firma noch nie bei uns gesehen. Vielleicht in den Großroßstädten oder weil ich nicht speziell danach suchte? Wir benutzen immer noch die althergebrachten Backformen. Ich mag auch Silikon nicht.

      Liebe Grüße
      Sara

      Delete
  8. Your chocolate sounds so healthy and yummy! Great idea to add chia seed. I love white chocolate, but after reading your posts, I began to get dark chocolate more often :-) Gotta keep healthy eating!
    I noticed my sidebar doesn't update when you publish your new post. Very strange...I hope you get to fix it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Healthy chocolates, unsweetened coconut from trader Joe's, Some Almond meal be smooth and your filling of rosie spatula'is the special a gold faslenes.
    I hope not changed my setting?
    Lots of Love both of you!
    Michiko

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had lost you some time, saw no new posts on the sidebar and you got down on the line. But now I see you did some postings. Hope you had a nice Christmas time and wish you a very happy 2016.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an amazing way to have chocolate, not pay a heavy health price! Thank you so much. I love your Holiday Header ... wishing you a wonderful New Year, Mariette!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lieve Mariette ,
    ik hoop dat je een fijne kerst hebt gehad ..
    die chocolaadjes zien er heerlijk uit ...
    heel veel liefs

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dearest Mariette,
    lovely Chocolats you made!
    Wishing you a wonderful last week of the year and a good and wonderufl start into the new Year!
    Sending Love, hugs and blessings,
    Claudia
    P.S. I LOVE this Press'nSeal Foil! Such a great stuff! Got it from a friend before ...and now I am searching, where to get in Germany :O(

    ReplyDelete
  14. Mariette, I am so glad I didn't miss this post. What a great idea to make your own chocolates. I am going to put this on my list of things to do. And thanks for the heads up about the Glad Press and Seal that doesn't stick. I could use some of that. How much lecithin do you use? Thanks. xo Deborah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Deborah,
      Thank you and for those two pound blocks of chocolate I used 4 of the scoops that are inside the Whole Foods Lecithin Granules.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  15. OH how delicious that HAS to be!! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

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