Making you’re own chocolate is actually super easy and with cocoa butter you get a super smooth texture and loads of chocolate flavour.

The other positive of making your own chocolate is that you can make it as sweet as you like. Which in my case isn’t very sweet! I suggest adding 2/3 of the maple syrup, tasting it and then adding more if need be.

You’re adding naturally sweet things to the chocolate too. Lightly toasted coconut adds nutty sweet flavour and that delightfully coconut rough texture. And the dried cranberries (can sub with any dried fruit) add bursts of sweet and slightly sour flavour.

You could replace the coconut with chopped roasted nuts if that’s your jam – I’m sure I’ll have plenty of other flavour combos in the future.

You can use a lined small baking tray or chocolate moulds.

Makes approx 16 small pieces

Ingredients

1 cup cocoa butter

3 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cacao

Pinch of salt

1 cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted

1/3 cup roughly chopped dried cranberries

Directions

Melt the cocoa butter in a bowl over simmering water (a double boiler).

Once melted add the vanilla and maple syrup. Mix to combine and then add the cacao and salt, stir until smooth and then fold through remaining ingredients.

Pour into a lined baking tray (max of 14cm wide, can just use one half of the tray, you want to keep it about 1cm thick.) and refrigerate until set.

Chop into bite sized pieces. You can store at room temperature.

HH. x