Homemade Chocolates

I was thrilled to find this Homemade Chocolate recipe.  Before this, I had not tried cocoa butter; but it seems to be going ok for Little Man- although it does make the chocolate candy much more rich than the maple syrup chocolate candy I have made in the past. 

My adapted recipe from Real Food Forager:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Cocoa butter 

1/4cup Cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. Pure Maple syrup

Directions: 

Prepare a double boiler, using a small sauce pan to melt the cocoa butter.  The cocoa butter should be warmed over a double boiler just to melt it, do not boil (it will get bitter!).  Once the cocoa butter is melted, remove from heat and add the maple syrup, then whisk in the cocoa powder.  Pour into molds.  Makes ~12 medium sized candies (with enough left in the pan to "lick the beaters"!.  Put the molds in the refrigerator until solid.   Remove from mold, let sit on counter to 'dry' - this helps them not melt as fast when handled by little fingers to eat.  May be stored in fridge - if there is leftovers!  It is a rich, dark chocolate candy.  

Hot Hot Cocoa

Once cocoa was passed, we experimented with ways to make homemade treats (chocolate maple candies, homemade chocolates, and hot cocoa).

I discovered the recipe on a home made chocolate 'flop' - everything happens for a reason and we keep tweaking the measurements to have a chocolate "syrup" on hand.  I can then mix the syrup with water (or a safe milk, little man prefers water for his hot hot cocoa), and make hot cocoa.

Little Man coined it "hot hot cocoa" and loves that he gets to have a cup of cocoa when he comes in from the wintery cold, like his brothers!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Pure Cocoa Powder
3-4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup

Pour maple syrup in small saucepan over medium heat, mix in cocoa powder with a whisk.  Heat until all cocoa is dissolved and just before maple syrup boils (boiling maple syrup will begin to change it's makeup- and you're on your way to making candy, but that is another recipe!).   Remove from heat, and pour into container to store in refridgerator.   Mix 1-2tsp (or to taste) of chocolate syrup with 2-4oz. of warmed (safe) water.  Serve warm in favorite mug!  Enjoy!