Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
In Episode 16 of The 4 Blades podcast, we continue our Thermomix Pantry Basics series with a look at Cacao.
Cacao (pronounced ka-kow) beans are the seeds of an Amazonian fruiting tree and are the source of all chocolate products. Pulverising raw nibs separates them into creamy cacao butter and beautiful rich, raw cacao powder. As the temperature is never allowed to exceed 40°C, the powder is considered a ‘raw’ food with all heat-sensitive vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants remaining intact, thereby maximising digestion and absorption. In fact, cacao powder has over 360% MORE antioxidants than regular cocoa!!
For those of you following a paleo diet, and avoiding phytic acid, be aware that cacao does have quite a lot of phytic acid… so even though it has it’s good sides, you may not want to go overboard.
Recipe 1 – Quirky Jo’s Almost Raw Chocolate
Quirky Jo’s ‘Almost Raw Chocolate’
This delicious chocolate has helped Bec fulfil her chocolate cravings, WITHOUT the soy lecithin which is in most commercial chocolate.
There are a lot of options that you can utilise to flavour your chocolate: grate orange zest at the beginning, add peppermint oil… or toasted almonds, like we have enjoyed!
Toasted Almonds in the Mould
This chocolate recipe takes some time, but it’s worth it!
We put the toasted slivered almonds into the moulds, then pour the chocolate in, before putting it in the freezer. Delicious.
Pouring Chocolate in the Mould…
The Super Spatula is GREAT for this recipe, to push down the sides (especially the cacao butter!)
And on the inside…
Recipe 2 – Bianca from ‘Wholefood Simply’ gives us ‘Coconut Rough’
Conconut Rough
Fancying a sweet treat but short on time? This recipe will be able to help you out!
The quantities we used were:
100g desiccated coconut
5g cacao powder
30g coconut cream
5 medjool dates
Slowly increase to Speed 10 and leave there until the 30 second mark.
Push the ‘crumbs’ into the bottom of a loaf tin and put in the freezer.
It solidifies VERY quickly and soon enough it is ready to enjoy!
Looking for more cacao? Have you tried our Choc-Nut Ice-Cream? Or how about these delicious balls that we mentioned way back in Episode 1?
Other notes:
We substituted half the beef in the EDC’s Beef Rendang for pumpkin, and left out the sugar… YUM! A new favourite in The 4 Blades house.
We are off to Phuket! Thanks to all of you that contributed to our thread about travelling with the Thermomix. We’ve taken your advice and going to have the week off, so next week’s podcast will be a day or two late.