Embrace Your Destiny: Indulge with NO GUILT!

Ingredients for Cacao Treats

One of the sessions I participated in was a cooking class. It wasn't a hard sell for me. This class was going to be about making and eating cacao treats. I was surprised when I got there because half the class were the men! They were really into the treats and the whole business of cacao.  

Julia of New Avatar Healing, informed us about the amazing cacao bean. I had heard it was a superfood, but I had no idea it was so packed with all this good stuff we need. Therefore, I concluded we can indulge with no guilt and even a bit of lust. 

The cacao tree is very delicate. It grows 15 to 25 feet tall. Because the tree is so sensitive, the cacao pods have to be picked by hand using mitten-shaped steel knives that can reach the top of the tree. Then each pod has to be opened. A good breaker can open 500 pods an hour. To put this into perspective, dried beans from an average pod weigh less than two ounces.  It takes approximately 400 beans to make a pound of chocolate!

The health benefits are the story. This ingredient helps with digestion, fatigue, and circulation. It's the flavonoids and essential minerals and vitamins found in cacoa that supports a healthy heart by lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow. For digestion, this bean is loaded with fiber! Cacao  also stimulates production of digestive enzymes. There are also benefits for mental and physical health. It's packed with magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc and iron, plus Vitamins C, E, B's and protein. I didn't even mention the endorphins, tryptophan, dopamine, and serotonin!  Wow, it really is amazing.

But, far and away the best part of class was learning to make these treats!  I'm all about quick and easy treats! These nuggets are just that. 

The ingredients are not exotic or hard to get. The making process takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The one thing to remember in buying the cacao butter and cacao power is to get raw and organic. Amazon has them as well as Whole Foods.

Double boiler cooking pot

I used a double boiler because I have one. You could also put the cacao butter in a ceramic bowl over a pot of heated water. The goal is to get the butter to melt. That's not hard because it has a very low melting point. In fact, the nuggets  need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer at all times. 

The ingredients as seen in the picture at the top of this blog are:
1  cup cacao butter
4 tablespoons cacao power
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Agave sweetener to your taste
pinch pink salt
Seeds ( watermelon, pumpkin, sunflower) optional

Treat Mold

The butter melts and heats enough to make tiny bubbles around the edge of the pot. Then the spices are added along with the cacao power. My first batch I just used a teaspoon of agave sweetener. Donnie thought it was a little bitter. For this batch, I used a tablespoon agave. The sweetness factor is better. 

The cooking is done! Next, I used a gravy ladel to scoop up the liquid into the small cube silicon tray. Notice I placed the tray on a small cutting board. This helps with keeping the tray steady and drips contained. I don't even want to think about cleaning up a spill! Fill each slot half full. Then sprinkle in the seeds. I haven't found watermelon seeds yet but the pumpkin and sunflower seeds are both very good substitutes. In fact, Julia says you can get very creative with this part. Then simply cover each slot with the rest of the mixture.

Julia said a serving is three or four. I found one piece to be most satisfying. Once the tray is cold, I pop out the treats and put them in a small pint zip-lock bag. Donnie likes these better. Now I'll have to share!