In between ‘we can do it ourselves’ and ‘we can use plants to help us’; there lies a balance, ay, a sweet harmony indeed! In this spirit of balance, and without further ado, Human Nourishment presents five ways to sharpen your chocolate skills (and maybe have a laugh along the way).

One: As a Ganache

Ganache refers to both a firm crust of chocolate (for example, atop a cake, around a truffle or spread across the abdomen), and also to the mixture itself.

‘Tis a bowl of ganache in that fridge’ I might say, or ‘Shall we give these flapjacks a quick ganache?’ You might reply that those are both excellent titles for a scottish arthouse movie, but sadly, you and four bananas dunked the bowl clean last night by the light of the refrigerator.

Though normally used to top, fill or cover something else, one can actually make perfectly good treats using only a ganache mixture itself.

Classically, a ganache is shiny, stable at room temperature and cracks under gentle pressure from the eater’s teeth. I’ve linked to two elite recipes here; one traditional (which uses animal products) and one plant-based. Human Nourishment avoids eating anything from animals unless perceiving it essential to our health. Your way may be different.

Classic Ganache (from the awesome Chefsteps.com)
Modern Ganache (from my favourite raw, plant-based site

Two: As a cooling summer tonic 

According to both Ayurveda [see here and here] and Traditional Chinese Medicine [see here and here] Cacao is essentially cooling in nature. Why not take this information slightly out of context and contrive to use it as a refreshing, chocolatey summertime tonic? No need! I’ve done it for you:

Cooling Cacao Summer – Tonic Quick Version:

Add 4 Tbsp (60g) Cacao, 400ml Coconut Milk, the flesh of two medium Mangos and a handful of ice cubes to a blender. Whizz until smooth, adding water or more milk and a pinch of salt if you like. Serves 2.

Variations: try other milks (such as almond, hemp or goat) and replace the mango with 400g of a different summer fruit (ripe peaches are good, strawberries are exceptional).

Some of my favourites:

Hemp milk + soaked gojis + 1 Tbsp pumpkin seed butter

Cashew milk + cherimoya + 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/2t fennel seed

Oat milk + frozen berries + 1 Tbsp pine needle syrup

 

Cooling Cacao Summer Tonic – Luddite version:

Put 1 handful of cacao in a jar, add liquid, flavourings and a pinch of salt. Close lid. Shake. Drink. Denounce smartphones and the mechanical loom. Wipe mouth (optional).

 

Cooling Cacao Summer Tonic – Refined Version: 

A handful each of fresh mint, nettle, rosehips and elderflower

A pinch of saffron threads

The seeds from 4 cardamom pods

½ t fennel seed

½ t coriander seed

½ t black cumin seed

2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
2 Tbsp (30g) melted cacao butter

2 Tbsp (30ml) date Syrup

300ml cashew milk

1/8t unrefined salt

If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, use 1/3rd the amount of dried or a couple of herbal tea bags instead.

Add the saffron, herbs and/or tea bags to 300ml water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover and leave for 1-4 hours.

Just before serving, toast and grind the seeds, then strain out and discard the solids from the herb mixture.  Add the flavoured water to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients.

Blend on low to begin with, then slowly increase to high until completely emulsified, about 1 min.

For a thinner, cooler, mixture, replace some the cashew milk with ice cubes.

Three: As a drug 

While I don’t advocate the use of Cacao as a ‘drug’ (as in, using it to get high) I don’t condemn it either. Certainly, I remember one evening where Human Nourishment prepared some mischievously potent truffles; within the hour, my dinner guests were sprawled across the carpet, variously hugging, ‘sharing’ or wriggling in bliss to imaginary music. Serves 8.

Mischievously Potent Truffles:

2 cups packed dates, pitted

70g cacao butter (1 cup shredded)

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

2 Tbsp sweetener (honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar…)

3 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp sea salt

Soak the dates in hot water for 15min.

While the dates are soaking, grate the cacao butter and place in a bowl or jar. Put this in a larger bowl filled with very hot water. The butter will start to melt – when it is half done mix it all together until totally liquid.

Drain off dates and squeeze out excess water. Put in a food processor and puree until they change colour – from dark brown to yellow-brown – about 2-3min.

Add the other 5 ingredients to the FP and spin until the batter comes together in a paste. Transfer into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours – this helps when rolling the truffles.
From here, you can just roll them as is, or in some cacao nibs. However, if you want to get a little bit fancier, try this persian spice topping:

2 Tbsp honey

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix well in a bowl together then stir in 3/4 cup rough chopped nuts and seeds (pistachios are excellent here)

When your truffle mix is ready, remove from the fridge and get everything set up before you start rolling – chocolate gets messy. Rubbing your palms with a little coconut oil will help to keep them clean.

Take the desired amount of truffle mix, roll into a ball and then roll in topping

Don’t forget what Norman Zinberg said about set and setting. I invite you not to have a dozen of these before going to the dentist or driving anything. Seriously.

Four: As a trail mix ingredient 

Look at me! I’m out hiking. Crisp air, rosy cheeks, mountains, sparkling streams and pine forest – nay, what more could a man want? So many calories have been burned on this beauty-hunt, what need have I of flimsy snacks or industrial confectionary. None I say! None at all. Luckily, this theobromine hiker mix has all I need – protein, fat, carbs, a plentitude of micronutrients and adequate cacao. Indeed, tis almost enough to share!

Theobromine hiker mix:

400g mixed nuts (cashews, pecans, walnuts, almonds etc…)
100g sunflower seeds

50g dried berries or dates

50g hemp hearts

100g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

100g cacao nibs (or cacao liquor, chopped finely)

3-5g salt (1 level teaspoon)

100g smooth peanut butter (or any other nut butter)

100g cup liquid sweetener

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and give it a good stir.

Add peanut butter and honey and gently stir until fully incorporated. You could add a little plant milk if the mixture seems too dry.Place bowl into the fridge for 1 hour before forming into bites (this step helps to make the forming and shaping process of the balls much easier).

Remove bowl from the fridge and shape mixture into balls (about 1 – 1½ tablespoons of mixture per ball). Return bites to the fridge until ready to serve.

 

Five: As a stimulant 

Most people I know use stimulants: tea (from Camellia Sinensis), coffee, cacao, garlic, nicotine, chilli, sugar… I say, if we’re going to use cacao in this way, we may as well do it right. The trick is to use enough balancing agents that the stimulators have time and resources to work effectively. Serves 4, or 1 addict.

4 Tbsp cacao powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil or nut butter

1 Tbsp maca

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne

¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

½ tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

6-8 good quality dates or 1 Tbsp liquid sweetener

2 shots (80ml) espresso

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender with 200ml water, and whizz until smooth. Add 600ml of cold (or hot, depending how you want it) water and blend until totally emulsified, around 1 minute.

Other possible additions: ginseng, dandelion root, other types of chili (smoked, flakes etc), astragalus, clove, cumin, black tea, yarrow.

Further study:

A future Human Nourishment article will look at other ways to work with Cacao: as a spice, condiment, heart-opener, antidepressant, medicine and laxative (!); as well as looking at the rise of Cacao ceremonies and how to get one started in your community.

Some books I would recommend on the culinary side of things include the aforementioned Willy’s Chocolate Bible, Paul A Young’s Adventures with Chocolate (which contains a useful guide to tempering) and Raw Chocolate by Matthew Kearney.

How do you use chocolate? Please share any recipes, skills or unusual applications! Write to me at Brian@HumanCoherence.net!