11 minute read
RAW CHOCOLATE
Raw Talent
Emma Dance talks raw chocolate with Emily Collett, founder of As Raw As in Somerset, and Judy Hedden, founder of Cornwall’s Chocolate Cove
In general, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. When it comes to chocolate, though, well, that’s another story. I love chocolate. Like, properly, properly love it. Given the chance, I’d eat it every single day — multiple times. In the interests of my health, however, and in an attempt to make sure that I can still do up my jeans, I try to limit my intake to something that might be considered reasonable. But, it turns out that there may be a way to satisfy my chocolate cravings that isn’t quite so detrimental to my teeth, my health and my waistline. And that way, is raw chocolate.
A healthier option
Surely, chocolate, is chocolate, is chocolate? Well, yes. And no. The fundamental process for making chocolate is fairly simple (in principle): take cacao beans, heat them, grind them until they form a liquid then add fat and sweeteners.
The beans used in most of the “mainstream” chocolate (ie Cadbury’s, Galaxy etc) are roasted at around 130˚C. In the making of raw chocolate though, it’s a different story. “The main difference between ‘normal’ chocolate and raw chocolate is that the cacao beans that I use have not been roasted,” says Emily Collett, founder of As Raw As, based near Somerton, in Somerset. “The proper term for ‘raw’ chocolate is ‘unroasted’ chocolate because of this fact. To be classed as ‘raw’ means a food must not have been heated above 46˚C.
“In producing raw chocolate, I like to think that I am providing both a delicious and nutritious treat — full of minerals, especially magnesium and sulphur and also rich in anti-oxidants — naturally lifting your spirits! By keeping the entire process at low temperatures these wonderful health benefits are not heated out as is the case in ‘normal’ chocolate.”
It was actually these potential health benefits that led to Judy Hedden starting Cornwall’s Chocolate Cove.
“My chocolate adventures began because my own health took a dramatic downturn — going from someone who rarely had a cold, I then went through cancer three times,” Judy tells me. “The first time was such a shock; I became completely obsessed with what I ate and studied Nutritional Therapy for three years. The second time I thought well if it’s not food, it must be down to my thoughts so got very into mindfulness and positive thinking, studying to be an EFT Practitioner. By the third time, I was so exhausted from the treatment and the stress of it all (as I’d also had two children and been working throughout) that I thought, ‘just relax about everything and enjoy living.’ So, bouncing back and appreciating the beauty in good nutrition and the benefits of making positive changes to my life, I started to experiment to make healthier versions of hiding-inthe-cupboard naughty treats that I’d so missed, that would also be kinder to the environment and to animals, but still give you the feeling of having a secret pleasure — and so Cornwall's Chocolate Cove was born.
“I make it all from scratch (I don’t buy the buttons and melt them down) so this gives me the opportunity to change up the ingredients. I use organic, raw cacao (which has reportedly more antioxidants than blueberries), organic coconut sugar which has the same GI as chickpeas (so it
doesn’t spike your blood sugar) and organic cacao butter (which studies have shown is cholesterol neutral) and with the ever popular Truffley Fudge, I again use organic raw cacao butter, coconut sugar and then a base of ground nuts for all of the extra protein and minerals. For certain flavours, like the Raspberry & Baobab, I also use baobab which is the fruit from the huge African baobab tree and when this is dried and ground up, it has a zesty taste and is full of vitamin C!”
Emily agrees that choosing high quality ingredients is key. “The quality of the ingredients and where they come from are of paramount importance to me,” she says. “The chocolate that I make is both free from dairy and refined sugars. The Peruvian cacao that I use is of the Criolla variety and is considered to be ‘the king of cacao’ because it is the most ancient and produces high quality beans of fine flavour and aromas. It is produced by small organic farmers with minimal possible processing, applying low fermentation and low temperature without roasting.”
Environmental factors
It seems that raw chocolate isn’t just better for our health, but also better for the world around us too.
“Buying quality chocolate helps support local communities and the farmers who grow the cocoa beans. It also helps to preserve the rain forests,” says Emily. “Good quality chocolate costs more for a very good reason... it supports the whole supply chain, taking care to create ethical chocolate for the farmers, their community, economy and environment. Being as environmentally conscious as possible is very important to my business ethos and I also support onetreeplanted.org so every time you buy any chocolate from me, you are helping to reforest our wonderful planet.” Caring for the environment is also a key element of the ethos at Cornwall’s Chocolate Cove. “I’m also very mindful of the environment and animals so the raw cacao is sourced from ethical organic farms who treat workers fairly with hours, conditions and pay,” says Judy. “The card packaging is recyclable, printed locally and part of the Woodland Carbon Scheme; the inner sleeve is made from plants not plastic; everything is vegan — so no dairy — as well as being palm oil free, soya free and cane sugar free; and three of the chocolates carry donations supporting three charities (the Cinnamon Trust, Viva! And The Born Free Foundation).”
A matter of taste
There’s no doubt, then, that raw chocolate certainly has some great credentials when it comes to health and the environment. But when it comes to taste, can raw chocolate hold its own against the big hitters? Judy certainly thinks so, and says that her customers agree. “Having the little shop in The Drill Hall in St Ives has been brilliant as I consistently get instant feedback when people try the tasters (carried out in a very Covid-safe way),” she says. “The comments I’ve often had have been ‘…better than Booja Booja’ (very embarrassingly, this brought tears of joy to my eyes as I used to love Booja Booja), ‘I don’t like vegan chocolate but this is amazing’, ‘it’s not bitter like normal dark chocolate’, ‘I don’t like fudge but this is incredible’ and the best one was by Joanna Lumley who said, ‘the best slabs of utterly fabulous chocolate that I have EVER eaten.’ I’ve probably set expectations really high now, but the best solution is to come into the shop and try for yourself, or order online.” Raw chocolate also lends itself brilliantly to all kinds of other flavours which can be used to add texture and sweetness, as well as some fun!
“I only use natural and organic ingredients for flavouring my chocolates,” says Emily. “Some of them being fresh orange, raspberry, ginger, mint, banana and also beetroot! (My Raspberry Beetroot flavour has travelled up Everest!) All of the nuts and seeds that I use have also been activated, which means that they are easier to digest and therefore you can absorb the nutrients more efficiently. So, all in all a better way to enjoy your chocolate treats!” Judy loves experimenting with different flavour combinations too. “I love making very distinctive flavour combinations as I want people to have a journey and a real experience of pleasure as they bite their way through the chocolate,” she says. “I think about what flavours I’d love in my life and make those, so in terms of combinations, I’ve made them so I love them. But I used to do a couple of wild cards which some people also absolutely loved but were a little unusual for others: Clove, Cinnamon & Ginger or Seeds of Kerala and the Moroccan Spice, Toasted Hazelnut & Rosemary… The most popular chocolates are difficult to say, as just as I’m thinking the Raspberry & Baobab, Peanut & Caramel and Freshly Ground Coffee are the bestsellers, I’ll suddenly get lots of demands for the Salty Cracked Pepper or the Orange & Cinnamon. The Peanut & Caramel Truffley Fudge and the Sour Cherry Truffley Fudge are always flying out the door and I think the new Vegan Raw Cookie Dough might be the same.”
Labour of love
Producing such wonderful creations is no quick feat however. “The chocolate that I make is stone-ground for a minimum of 24 hours — normally nearer 36 hours and this creates a beautifully smooth chocolate,” says Emily. “I then age this from anything between a week to a few months to bring out the natural flavour of the cacao bean. It is then hand tempered — to stabilise the chocolate and give it that lovely ‘snap’ ( I have been known to use a hairdryer to help with this stage!). The chocolate is hand-poured into the various moulds that I use and then packed by hand in fully home compostable packets or recyclable truffle boxes covered in paper made from cacao shells.”
“Making chocolate from scratch takes time — you can’t rush it,” continues Judy. “So I understand why some chocolate businesses buy the buttons, melt them down and reshape them — but that’s not my thing as I always want to maintain using healthier ingredients and give each batch the care, attention and focus that it needs.
“I love making chocolate — the fact that it does take time and attention is very meditative. I find the ritual of the process incredibly calming and while blending the flavours, time loses all meaning as I get completely immersed in a world of chocolate. I also get great pleasure from watching people tasting — seeing their faces light up, their joy, their loyalty and the pleasure it gives them knowing they’re having a healthier version of something they love.”
Find out more
AS RAW AS asrawas.com
This recipe is taken from Knoops - Chocolate Recipes through the Day, £20, knoops.co.uk
TRIPLE LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE
The ultimate showstopper for any celebration or special day. This beautiful cake brings back fond memories of Sunday afternoons with my mother and grandmother, a freshly-baked cake in pride of place on the table for the whole family to share.
SERVES 12
FOR THE CAKES 400g 70% dark chocolate flakes 400g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tins 300g golden syrup 8 eggs 100g unrefined caster sugar 400g plain flour, sifted 150g ground almonds 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda Pinch of salt 6 tbsp milk
FOR THE GANACHE 700g 54% milk chocolate flakes 600ml double cream NOTE: This makes enough to fill, top and ice the sides of the cake. If you just want to fill and top the cake, make two-thirds of this quantity
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease three 20cm round cake tins. 2 Melt chocolate, butter and syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring to combine. Whisk eggs with sugar in a large bowl until pale and mousse-like. Then add the melted chocolate mixture, whisking until everything is fully incorporated. Fold in the flour, almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Finally fold in the milk to form a smooth batter. 3 Divide the cake batter between the three tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack in their tins. 4 Now prepare the ganache. Place the milk chocolate flakes in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until just steaming, but do not allow to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and with small brisk movements, starting in the centre of the bowl, stir to combine. When the ganache is smooth leave to cool for about 30 minutes, until firm enough to spread. 5 Once the cakes are cool and the ganache firm, place the first cake on your serving plate. Spread one large spoonful of ganache across the top, then stack another cake carefully on top. Repeat until you have all three cakes stacked up and covered in ganache. Then take the remaining ganache and spread it carefully over the sides and top of the stacked cakes. 6 Slice, and enjoy.
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