This is a totally delicious mishmash of cocoa powder, tahini, honey, creamer, unsweetened coconut flakes, raisins, fresh peppermint leaves, vanilla, and two packages of gelatin. Though I can tell you how I made this, I can’t tell you what the exact quantities were–and that is was wonderfully good to dark chocolate lovers and that I am going to make it again sometime!
Knowing that plain “chocolate blocks” made from melted chocolate chips and gelatin can sometimes be a bit plain and are always too sweet, I decided I was going to make a decadent version of GAPS-friendly chocolate blocks for us as something special for an otherwise very unusually untraditional Christmas. The strawberries that a cousin had given us were a happy providence sent to accompany this dark brown and quite tasty concoction on Christmas day….
On the evening of our exceedingly unusual Christmas Eve, I pulled the jar of cocoa powder down off the shelf and the can of tahini and the jar of raw orange blossom honey (that honestly tastes the way early April smells in the groves….) out of the pantry….
Cocoa powder went in the bowl first–probably a cup or so at first (I added more later….). Knowing that coconut oil tends to separate in the cooling process, I decided that tahini was going to be my oil and thickener of choice this time, instead. So I dumped in some tahini to about half the quantity of the cocoa powder, then promptly poured in what looked like almost too much honey (I have to do this when I make desserts–because I do not eat very many sweets, myself–if it is too much for me, it is about right for everyone else). After carefully stirring this up, all the while trying not to lose too much cocoa powder into the air, I poured in a little creamer to smooth things up just a bit. (My experience in making ganache for petite fours was suddenly stirred to the surface…..)
There! That tastes good…..but….
How about some coconut flakes? Yes, I think that is probably about enough (after a cup or so was in the bowl)…. Now, what about this tiny bit of raisins that are left in the box? I know! I will make this full of surprises! I am sorry that I don’t have any walnuts in the house right now, because those would be very good little surprises, too…oh well….. But I do have this handful of fresh peppermint that I just cut before supper…I will pick the leaves off and put them in here–I love peppermint with chocolate!!! Oh, yes, and I almost forgot! One cannot do anything with chocolate without vanilla!!! A big splash! And this is just almost too thin–a tiny bit more cocoa–I want it to be thick enough before I put the gelatin in it…..
Then, after heating a little water (less than the directions called for), I decided to use two packages of gelatin because I wanted it to be very firm. I mixed that up, poured it in on top of the lovely chocolate mess, and stirred it all up until it was smooth and glossy. I love the way that warm chocolate is glossy when it is so fresh!
I could hardly stop tasting it as I put it in the dish. I tried to hurry and get it into the refrigerator to set before I made myself sick! Not only that, I selfishly licked out the bowl myself (with a spatula!!!) and did not let my wonderful dish-washing sister do it–but I did let her have the last piece of it this morning…….
Yes, now it is just a delicious memory…….but I hope you can make and enjoy your own!!!
