Chocolate Fest 2011 (A.K.A. February)

 

The ingredients used to make raw fudge and truffles.

Here is the Fudge still setting. There are two flavors: (Spicy) Mexican Chocolate and Traditional

I also made truffles:

There are 3 flavors: Goji-berry, Traditional and Coconut.

Finally, my friends birthday was a couple days after Valentine's so I made her a gift box of chocolates per her request. (She actually just mentioned it casually and I kept her in mind as I was doubling and tripling some recipes for sis' party).

In this assortment: 

Vegan PB cups, Date caramels, Raw fudge: spicy and traditional, Raw Gojiberry and Coconut truffles

Quick and Easy Date Caramels:

These taste just like chocolate caramels!

• (2) 1 lb. bags or boxes of good quality chocolate chips or powdered chocolate ( I buy Guitard's dark chocolate chips and grind them down to a powder so they'll melt quicker/easier and add vanilla beans if on hand (or some vanilla extract would be ok too if you don't have beans). I also add a sweetener like agave but you can just as easily buy semi sweet chips and grind in a coffee grinder or magic bullet (don't laugh- I LOVE mine!) or powder, don't go for milk chocolate it'll be way to sweet ). Note: see vegan PB cups recipe if you'd like to make raw chocolate to go with these...
• (approx.) 1 lb pre- packaged or approx 15 Medjool dates.  This will make approx. 30 "caramels" as each date is cut in half. Trick: refridgerate before use and they'll be less sticky.
• approx. 30 Raw Almonds or your favorite nut. (I go the extra mile to soak, sprout and dehydrate mine to maximize nutrition- they are just as tasty raw.  Note: roasted almonds will also work but keep in mind they are not as nutritional as raw. ) 
• candied orange peel cut into 1 inch (slender) pieces, optional

1. Prep pan/cookie sheet (line with parchment paper) for cooling prepared dates
2. Melt the chocolate on medium low heat. 
3. While chocolate is melting pit dates.
4. Cut in half width-wise so that now you have 2 "mini" sized dates that will close over the "filling"
5. Wipe down almonds with a damp cloth or paper towel or skip this step if you soaked and dehydrated them!
6. Set aside orange peel in a bowl for quick assembly
7. Check on chocolate
8. Assemble the date caramels: 
• open the date and stuff with one almond and one sliver of candied orange peel
• pinch closed (the dates should sticky enough to self adhere so that they do not open when you are dipping them in chocolate, if not just press them around all sides firmly)
9. Dip in melted chocolate set onto prepared cookie sheet and cool in the refridgerator for about 30 minutes to one hour.
10. Enjoy! (I store mine in the refrigerator, even though the chocolate is tempered. They'll keep for several weeks.