from the gluten-free kitchen… Savory Chocolate Sauce

by Tiffany Hinton

Chocolate is a food of the heart, from its associations with love to the healing properties of its antioxidants. WebMd reports chocolate has a good mix of minerals, including magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus and copper. Chocolate also has the potential health benefits of improving brain health and lowering cholesterol. (WebMD.com/diet/health-benefits-chocolate). In addition, most people love the flavor of chocolate.

Indulge this February in a bit of chocolate sauce and savor the flavor. This sauce can be used to dip fruit, on ice cream or to make a mug of hot cocoa to share with a loved one.

YIELD: 12, ¼-CUP SERVINGS

2¼ cups granulated organic sugar or coconut sugar (note that flavor will change if coconut sugar is used)

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch

¼ tsp salt

1½ cups canned coconut milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Place first four dry ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, along with ½ cup of the coconut milk and whisk to combine into a thick paste.

Add the remaining coconut milk, bring the mixture to a boil and whisk to combine well. When the sauce boils, reduce heat to low and simmer very gently for 5 minutes, whisking often.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, covered.

May be used hot or cold; on ice cream, cake, fruit or combined with milk to make a quick cup of hot chocolate (blend milk and amount of sauce to taste).

Recipe courtesy of Tiffany Hinton, founder of Cultivating Guts. Connect online at @iamtiffanyhinton and listen to her podcast, Cultivating Guts, on Spotify or iTunes.