THE​ ​MIGHTY​ ​​ ​GOOD​ ​AND​ ​NOURISHING​ ​OAT​ ​BISCUIT​ & BAR ​FOR​ ​ADULTS​ ​AND​ ​CHILDREN​

Photography ©Harriet HarcourtPhotgraphy ©Harriet Harcourt

When​ ​I​ ​was​ ​recently​ ​asked​ ​by​ ​Organic​ ​Times​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​a​ ​recipe,​ ​I​ ​jumped​ ​at​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to use​ ​their​ ​chocolate​ ​as​ ​my​ ​primary​ ​ingredient​ ​(you​ ​can​ ​read​ ​more​ ​about​ ​why​ ​below).​ ​But​ ​what​ ​to make​ ​?!!!​ ​So​ ​I​ ​went​ ​to​ ​you, my ​ ​readers​ ​on​ ​Instagram​ ​and​ ​Facebook​ ​and​ ​overwhelmingly​ ​the​ ​request was​ ​for​ ​a​ ​SIMPLE,​ ​EASY​ ​AND​ ​QUICK​ ​TO​ ​MAKE,​ ​NOURISHING,​ ​MIGHTY​ ​GOOD,​ ​CHOC DROP​ ​SOMETHING​ ​for​ ​school​ ​lunches,​ ​afternoon​ ​tea​ ​and​ ​something​ ​an​ ​adult​ ​might​ ​love​ ​as well, please Jude !!!!​ ​I’m​ ​thrilled​ ​with​ ​the​ ​end​ ​result.​ ​Whilst​ ​the​ ​adult​ ​and​ ​child​ ​version​ ​are​ ​slightly​ ​different, they​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​common​ ​DNA​ ​allowing​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​made​ ​together,​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​super​ ​easy​ ​and quick​ ​to​ ​do.​ ​Both​ ​last​ ​brilliantly​ ​in​ ​an​ ​airtight​ ​container​ ​for​ ​up​ ​to​ ​-​ ​well,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​still​ ​eating samples​ ​after​ ​2​ ​weeks​ ​(but​ ​obviously​ ​they​ ​are​ ​at​ ​their​ ​best​ ​within​ ​7​ ​days).

 

What’s so good about Organic Times cacao/cocoa / chocolate?

Chocolate,​ ​as​ ​we​ ​know​ ​it,​ ​is​ ​the​ ​result​ ​of​ ​a​ ​long​ ​process.​ ​Seeds​ ​from​ ​the​ ​cacao​ ​tree​ ​are​ ​firstly scooped​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​large​ ​pods​ ​and​ ​left​ ​to​ ​ferment​ ​and​ ​then​ ​spread​ ​out​ ​to​ ​dry.​ ​At​ ​this​ ​stage,​ ​the beans​ ​are​ ​considered​ ​to​ ​be​ ​raw​ ​—​ ​the​ ​full​ ​flavour​ ​that​ ​is​ ​chocolate,​ ​is​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​be​ ​realised.​ ​The seeds​ ​are​ ​then​ ​roasted​ ​and​ ​shelled​ ​to​ ​become​ ​what​ ​we​ ​call​ ​nibs,​ ​which​ ​can​ ​be​ ​left​ ​whole​ ​or broken​ ​into​ ​pieces.​ ​During​ ​roasting​ ​the​ ​flavour​ ​of​ ​cocoa​ ​is​ ​developed.​ ​Within​ ​the​ ​Raw​ ​Food movement,​ ​a​ ​view​ ​is​ ​held​ ​that​ ​raw​ ​cocoa/​ ​cacao​ ​ (​both​ ​names​ ​are​ ​correct,​ ​and​ ​either​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​) nibs​ ​and​ ​(and​ ​thus​ ​all​ ​chocolate​ ​products​ ​that​ ​come​ ​from​ ​them)​ ​are​ ​more​ ​nutritious​ ​and preferable but​ ​this​ ​is​ ​highly​ ​contentious​ ​and​ ​not at all ​necessarily​ ​true,​ ​as​ ​that​ ​desirable​ ​mineral​ ​and nutrient​ ​bounty​ ​is​ ​only​ ​made​ ​bio​ ​available​ ​during​ ​the​ ​fermentation​ ​process. ​Whilst​ ​the​ ​raw product​ ​does​ ​have​ ​higher​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​phytonutrients​ ​they​ ​also​ ​have​ ​higher​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​antinutrients such​ ​as​ ​phytic​ ​acid​ ​(and​ ​indeed​ ​are​ ​along​ ​with​ ​coffee,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​high​ ​phytic​ ​acid​ ​seeds)​ ​which makes​ ​very​ ​little​ ​bio​ ​available.​ ​​ ​Fermentation​ ​plays​ ​a​ ​primary​ ​role​ ​in​ ​breaking​ ​these​ ​anti nutrients​ ​down,​ ​where​ ​high​ ​temperatures​ ​are​ ​reached​ ​during​ ​this​ ​process and this is the traditional wisdom of cacao.

The​ ​nibs​ ​are​ ​then​ ​ground​ ​to​ ​form​ ​a​ ​thick​ ​paste​ ​—​ ​this​ ​is​ ​known​ ​as​ ​​cocoa​ ​liquor​,​ ​​ ​made​ ​up​ ​of​ ​fat (which​ ​we​ ​call​ ​cocoa​ ​butter)​ ​and​ ​cocoa​ ​solids​ ​(which​ ​we​ ​call​ ​cocoa​ ​|​ ​cacao​ ​powder)​ ​—​ ​do you remember the movie Chocolat (yes with the gorgeous Johnny Depp) – where she would grind the nibs into the liquor on the old stone ? – and​ ​in some​ ​cases​ ​vanilla​ ​and​ ​sugar​ ​is​ ​also​ ​added​ ​at​ ​this​ ​stage.​ ​The​ ​cocoa​ ​liquor​ ​can ​then​ ​pressed​ ​to remove​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fat​ ​(cocoa​ ​butter),​ ​and​ ​the​ ​remaining​ ​solids​ ​are​ ​ground​ ​to​ ​what​ ​we​ ​know​ ​as cocoa​ ​|cacao​ ​powder.​ ​Cocoa​ ​is​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​like​ ​coffee,​ ​quite​ ​acidic​ ​—​ ​this​ ​varies​ ​with​ ​the​ ​variety​ ​of bean,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​also​ ​increased​ ​when​ ​the​ ​fat​ ​is​ ​removed.​ ​Organic​ ​Times​ ​chocolate​ ​products​ ​are grown​ ​and​ ​processed​ ​to​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​traditional​ ​standards,​ ​and​ ​because​ ​they​ ​are​ ​not​ ​raw​ ​you​ ​are assured​ ​of​ ​a​ ​delicious,​ ​health​ ​supportive​ ​​ ​and​ ​​ ​nourishing​ ​end​ ​result.

 

Natural​ ​cocoa​ ​powder​ ​and​ ​dutched​ ​cocoa​ ​powder

Most​ ​natural​ ​cocoa​ ​powders​ ​are​ ​tart​ ​and​ ​acidic, especially if they are not of high quality. ​One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​methods​ ​devised​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​this problem​ ​was​ ​that​ ​of​ ​alkalising​ ​the​ ​cocoa​ ​powder​ ​by​ ​soaking​ ​the​ ​nibs​ ​in​ ​an​ ​alkaline solution,​ ​commonly​ ​potassium​ ​carbonate,​ ​which​ ​neutralises​ ​the​ ​acid​ ​and​ ​softens​ ​the​ ​flavour (by a Dutchman, hence the term Dutching or Dutched cacao/cocoa). This​ ​process​ ​also​ ​changes​ ​the​ ​colour​ ​of​ ​the​ ​cocoa​ ​to​ ​a​ ​deep​ ​chocolatey​ ​red.​ ​I​ ​do​ ​love​ ​using Dutched​ ​cocoa​ ​powder,​ ​with​ ​Organic​ ​Times​ ​as​ ​my​ ​first​ ​choice.​ ​In​ ​baking,​ ​you​ ​must​ ​know​ ​which type​ ​of​ ​cocoa​ ​powder​ ​you​ ​are​ ​dealing​ ​with,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​acidity​ ​of​ ​a​ ​natural​ ​or​ ​undutched​ ​cocoa​ ​will interact​ ​with​ ​whatever​ ​leavening​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using.

 

Organic​ ​Times​ ​Dark​ ​Choc​ ​Drops

Dark​ ​chocolate​ ​set​ ​in​ ​bars​ ​or​ ​as​ ​drops,​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mixture​ ​of​ ​varying​ ​%​ ​of​ ​cocoa​ ​liquor,​ ​sweetening, flavouring​ ​(such​ ​as​ ​vanilla),​ ​and​ ​an​ ​emulsifier,​ ​commonly​ ​soya​ ​lecithin.​ ​The​ ​proportions determine​ ​the​ ​mouthfeel,​ ​flavour​ ​and​ ​use​ ​of​ ​the​ ​end​ ​result​ ​.​ ​Most​ ​organic​ ​brands​ ​use​ ​raw​ ​sugar, but​ ​​Organic​ ​Time​s​ ​uses​ ​rapadura​ ​sugar,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​for​ ​a​ ​beautifully​ ​wholesome,​ ​​ ​sweetened chocolate.

 

If you would like to read further about the lowdown of the Organic Times Cacao | Cocoa | Chocolate go HERE, it’s well worth the read.

I’d love to hear how you go, and how you like them… I do hope you enjoy both recipes…. x Jude 

 

Recipes ©Jude Blereau and Organic Times 2017

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The post THE​ ​MIGHTY​ ​​ ​GOOD​ ​AND​ ​NOURISHING​ ​OAT​ ​BISCUIT​ & BAR ​FOR​ ​ADULTS​ ​AND​ ​CHILDREN​ appeared on Wholefood Cooking.