This is a simple, really yummy recipe. If you like semi-sweet or dark chocolate, you need to try this I made a large batch, but you can cut it in half or fourths if you'd like.

16 oz coconut oil (expeller pressed)
8 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure stevia extract powder (start with 1 3/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
8 tablespoons slivered almonds

Melt coconut oil on very low heat - you want to it to melt, not cook. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste for sweetness, and add tiny amounts of stevia until it's right. Pour into a container and chill in fridge. When hardened, cut into 16 pieces - 1 net carb each.

A Rubbermaid Serving Saver container or something similar is perfect, as the chocolate won't stick to it and will pop out easily, and you can store it in the same container. I used a small 6" x 6" square container and got very thick chocolate - use a larger container or lipped baking sheet for a thinner "candy bar" size.

If using a small pan, hold out 2 tablespoons of the almonds. When it starts to set, sprinkle the remaining almonds on top (the other almonds will all sink to the bottom and this evens it out a bit).


I have only made this once, but I think these variations would also work well:
- use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or 1 teaspoon cinnamon instead of the almond extract
- use other nuts such as pecan, walnut, brazil, or macadamia
- use virgin coconut oil instead of expeller pressed (it's coconut-ier), omit extract, and use dried coconut instead of some or all of the nuts

Sue

My gosh, this sounds awesome! I am assuming the carb count on the coconut oil is zero?

Dark choc is THE choc!

thanks!

~Debbie~LoveSong~

Yes, coconut oil is 0 carb - the carbs come from the cocoa and the nuts.

There is a recipe I made that is somewhat like this. Instead of the nuts though I just used unsweetened coconut flakes. I got the sugegstion form the place I buy my coconut products

www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com

Wowzer! this sounds yummy! i will definitely have to cut the recipe into fourths to keep myself from overindulging!

I made it yesterday using virgin coconut oil and 8 tablespoons coconut (no nuts or extract). It has a really yummy coconut flavor

However, the cocoa settled to the bottom so I ended up with 2 layers - a chocolate layer and a white coconut layer. This did NOT happen when I used the expeller pressed oil.

Also, it was more brittle and broke when I cut it up. Not sure if this is related to the virgin oil, or if it's due to the fact that I used a wider container this time (6x9 rather than 6x6) so the chocolate was thinner, or if it was due to being colder (in the fridge overnight before cutting as opposed to just an hour).

Anyway, it tastes great, but does not look as nice.

Sue

what stevia, please, never heard of it, i'm in the uk

Hi Massive!

Stevia is a plant that originally grew in the mountains of South America. The leaves are very, very sweet, and the stevia I used is a purified extract from the leaves. This extract is about 300 times sweeter than sugar, and has no impact on blood sugar, no calories, and is supposed to prevent cavities. It is used very sparingly: 1/3 - 1 teaspoon is as sweet as 1 cup of sugar (the amount varies due to the concentration of the extract).

It is used commercially in Japan and a few other countries but in the US, it can only be sold as a "dietary supplement" and not an ingredient (it would take $$ away from aspertame and can't be patented, so there's no profits in it and the big chemical companies' lobbyists have no desire to let it be sold). Here's some more info: http://www.stevia.net/history.htm

Anyway, you might be able to find it in your health food stores, and it can be ordered online. It comes in several forms: purified extract powder (white), powdered stevia (green - basically ground up leaves), liquid, and extract mixed with fiber to make it easier to measure volume-wise. I have only used the pure extract, so I can't say anything about the other forms, but I have heard that the green powder has a bad "licorice" taste.

If you can't find it, you could use Splenda instead and just adjust the amount. I personally prefer stevia because it is natural, and I am not convinced that Splenda is any safer than aspertame.

Sue