Introduction

A Few Basics, Frostings and so Forth…

Four Pretty Healthy Brownies

Just Chocolate Cake

Sweet Mousses! and other Creamy Desserts

Really Fast Fixes for One

Same-Same But-Different

Things That Come in Cups and Mugs

Afternoon Tea Delights

Truffles, Barks ‘N’ Balls

These days I eat chocolate for breakfast…

I quit sugar several years ago now. Since January 2011 I’ve eaten a largely fructose-free diet, and – apart from an initial, crappy withdrawal period – I’ve found it a no-brainer.

And these are the best bits:

* I’ve restored my body to operate from a natural appetite. Like when I was a kid.

* I eat three times a day, instead of riding a blood sugar rollercoaster that used to see me lunging for food every hour or so.

* I don’t have cravings.

* I don’t feel guilty around food. Ever.

* I eat the foods we have been raised to feel guilty about – cheese, nuts, oils – and this has only seen me lose weight.

* I eat freely and my weight has been stable for two years now.

But could I have completely turned my back on the white stuff if I’d known I’d never be able to eat chocolate again? Well, my friends, possibly not.

Chocolate makes me viscerally happy. It goes beyond being a comfort food. It goes beyond a guilty indulgence. It goes beyond addiction. When I eat chocolate, by which I mean real chocolate, my body genuinely feels spirited, satiated. It soars.

So let’s jump to the question I get asked most by hovering sugar quitters:

Well, yes. But it depends. I’d like to be upfront. Eating chocolate when you quit sugar means knowing these things:

- Cocoa contains less than 1% sugar, and is a richly nutritious food.

- Store-bought chocolate is rarely real chocolate. Even the sugar-free stuff. It’s mostly full of bad oils and additives, and retains little nutritional value. Which means…

- It’s best to make your own chocolate.

Remember: When I’m talking about quitting sugar, I’m referring to fructose. The other sugars – maltose, lactose and glucose - are safe to eat in moderation. Fructose is not. Ordinary table sugar is 50% glucose, 50% fructose. Some sugars contain a higher fructose ratio, like agave. Yep! This so-called healthy sweetener often found in a number of so-called healthy chocolates can contain up to 90% fructose.

Just a few reasons why fructose is bad for us:

It passes directly to our livers and is stored as instant fat. Fructose must be processed by the liver, which increases the workload and potentially contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

It’s addictive. Some studies say it’s more so than cocaine and heroine. We’re designed to gorge on sugar because it’s such a nifty and instant source of fat; great back in caveman days, not so much today.

It makes us eat more. Unlike all other food molecules, fructose has no corresponding “we’re full now, stop eating” switch (or enzyme) in our brain. Which means we can keep eating and eating the stuff without getting satiated. It also increases another hormone, ghrelin, which fuels hunger.

It makes us sick. Countless studies link fructose consumption to a host of metabolic disorders, including: immune disorders; cancers of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, lung, gallbladder and stomach; diabetes… the list goes on and on. To read up on the studies, with citations, check out my I Quit Sugar Facebook page.

Instead, I use granulated stevia, rice malt syrup and other forms of glucose to sweeten the recipes in this book. For more information on these, and a few little warnings, click here.

If you're currently doing my I Quit Sugar program, bear in mind I advise cutting out all sweeteners (including the "safe" ones, fruit and even sweettasting things) until week 7. This is so your body gets a chance to recalibrate. I recommend you save the recipes in this book for after you've successfully quit. Cool?

Also, everyone, bear in mind anything with a sweet vibe should be treated as a treat and be eaten with dignity and moderately. Yeah?

- I make a green smoothie flavoured with raw cacao. Or my Chocolate Chip Mint Whip.

- I top some yoghurt with Chocolate Granola Clusters.

- A quick grab-and-go breakfast: Two of my Fudgy Protein Bites.

- For more breakfast chocolate, check out the Healthy Enough to Eat for Breakfast options.

My love of chocolate has seen me experiment madly with different densely nutritious and satiating recipe ideas for two years now. It’s not a bad experiment to sign up for! This cookbook, as with my previous books, evolved as an experiment as I explored sugar-free living for myself. I say this often: I’m not a scientist. I don’t pretend to be. I’m someone who gave this way of living a crack, found it did great things for my wellness, and now I love sharing what I’ve learned.

And so, I present to you, my favourite 74 chocolate creations.

Enjoy… and be spirited!

Oh, and I got some contributor love, too

In addition to my recipes, this book features a bunch developed by 13 I Quit Sugar readers. They’re clever kids. And generous too. Many, many thanks to:

Kate Johnston, Meg Thompson, Stephanie Papillo, Alexx Stuart, Jenna Nash, Sarah Jenkins at Lady Homemade, Nicole Bremner, Chelsea Filcock, Sal Milford, Catherine Noonan at I Heart Scratch, Sarah Wilton, Jessica Nazarali and Jennifer Jenner.

And thank you to the 100+ of you who submitted recipes for this project. It’s wonderful to see so much I Quit Sugar action happening around the globe.

Some of my foodie and blogland friends also kicked in their creations. Thank you, thank you, thank you to:

- Jemma Gawned, who runs raw food bar and wholesale kitchen Naked Treaties from Byron Bay, Australia. Her chocolates are infused with bush flower essences, blessings and loving intent.

- Megan Gilmore, a holistic health coach; her blog Detoxinista provides sublime, quick, all-natural recipes. You can follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

- Jules Clancy, who has a degree in food science; her blog The Stone Soup specialises in recipes that use five ingredients or less.

- Martyna Candrick, a recipe developer and food blogger whose blog, Wholesome Cook, is full of nutritious and easy-to-prepare meals. Her Guilt-Free Desserts ebook is also now available.

- Anthia Koullouros is a naturopath, and founder of OVViO Organics: a tea-house, clinic and apothecary in Sydney.

Here, some bits you need to get your head around before diving in…

Raw cacao powder: Made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter).

Cocoa powder: This is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Sadly, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean, reducing the enzyme content and lowering the overall nutritional value.

I advise using raw cacao wherever possible. Standard cocoa powder can be substituted, however, 1:1, if you’re stuck or have an unfinished packet of the stuff in your pantry.

Cacao butter: The fat in cocoa beans that separates from the powder when the bean is cold-pressed (cacao) or roasted (cocoa).

Cacao liquor: Mostly referred to as “cocoa mass,” it’s pure chocolate in liquid form. Made by pressing the whole cocoa bean and heating it at a very low temperature until it forms a paste, it is the main ingredient in most conventional chocolate.

Cacao nibs: Cocoa beans that have been separated from their husks and broken into small “choc chip-like” chunks. Cacao nibs have higher antioxidant levels than blueberries, red wine and green tea. They also contain chromium, an important mineral for stabilising blood sugar and reducing appetite.

Carob: Some like to use carob as a substitute for chocolate. I wouldn’t! It contains up to 50 per cent fructose, while the fructose content of cacao/cocoa is negligible.

Thing to know:

When using raw cacao or cocoa, you can adjust to taste. For the recipes in this book I’ve erred on the side of moderation. If you’re a dark chocolate fan, feel free to add a little extra, or to adjust the ratio of chocolate to other ingredients, in the various recipes.

Sort of. Kind of. Dark chocolate can contain reasonably low amounts of sugar/ fructose. Generally, whatever’s not cocoa is sugar. So, a 70% cocoa chocolate bar will contain about 30% sugar. If you’re eating a small 35g bar, that’s about 10.5g sugar, or 2 1/2 teaspoons. But bear in mind some “dark chocolate” contains a pithy 30% cocoa. I always turn the bar over to check the fine print!!

Note: The darker the chocolate, the higher the cacao. And the higher the cacao, the more bitter it is. The flavanols are what make the chocolate bitter – which is why the manufacturers often remove them. But it’s those same flavanols that are responsible for many of chocolate’s health benefits.

Also, most commercial chocolates contain unhealthy poly-unsaturated oils, often palm oil, or PGPR. Why? Because it’s cheaper than cocoa butter. Why should we care? Because these oils cause a lot of oxidative stress in our body and are linked to cancer and heart disease. Plus, palm oil comes with a host of ethical issues.

Of course, fat in chocolate is a good thing. It slows down the absorption of any sugar that might be contained in the recipe or bar. It’s just important to be eating chocolate with the right fat.

Thing to know:

In this cookbook some recipes invite you to use store-bought chocolate, in which case I advise using 85% cocoa varieties. But I’ve kept these to a minimum; working with raw cacao is always best!

- 85% cocoa varieties: You can find these easily now and they’re OK to use sparingly in your cooking, or to eat a few squares at a time. A 100g block will contain 15g sugar. If you eat, say, 20g (a few large squares) this works out to 3g sugar, or about 2/3 of a teaspoon. It’s not much, if you stick to a few squares, or if you use it modestly in recipes.

- 100% cocoa varieties: I’m yet to meet someone who enjoys eating this stuff. Yes, you can use it for cooking, but be aware that it’s not going to be as healthy or tasty as making your own.

- Sugar-free varieties: Be aware of a few things…

- Many taste vile. I’m sorry. They do.

- Many use maltitol. Avoid these. Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that passes straight to our large intestine, where it is broken down via fermentation by our gut bacteria, causing wind, bloating and diarrhea. It has also been linked to the formation of cancer tumors.

- Those using stevia often also contain other sweeteners as well (nasty sugar alcohols and fructans such as polydextrose and sucralose). Don’t be fooled by the “stevia sweetened” labelling. Look closer. You can catch up on artificial sweeteners here.

Thing to know:

Most of the recipes here use a combination of raw cacao butter, butter and/or coconut oil as a base, all of which have their own health benefits. All these ingredients are solid at cooler temperatures, but melt when left out (cacao butter = 35 C, butter = 30 C, coconut oil = 24 C). Which means, unless it’s winter or you live in Iceland, you need to eat it straight from the fridge.

A number of recipes call for you to melt down store-bought chocolate. To do so, you need to know a few things:

1. Chocolate’s melting point is low, which makes it very easy to burn.

2. If heated over 95 C over an open flame it will scorch. This damages the good oils and wakes up the harmful compounds.

Some tips:

- Chop it uniformly. Don’t try to melt a whole bar or block.

- Avoid all contact with water. Otherwise it will “seize”.

- Use a double boiler. Or a bain marie if you have one, or simply place a metal bowl - ceramic can work too - over a small saucepan with 2cm of water in it. Simmer gently, stirring the chocolate/cocoa butter until melted. Take it slowly and gently!

- Go slow and low. When chocolate is overheated, it becomes lumpy or grainy. Melt slowly over very low heat. Did I mention slow?

- Use a rubber spatula. Never a wooden or metal spoon.

- Stir. Chocolate retains its shape when melted, so the only way to know if it is actually melted is to stir it. Stir continuously until your chocolate is shiny, smooth and completely melted.

- Chocolate will melt faster than other liquids. If you’re melting it with milk, cream or coconut cream, melt these other liquids first. (This also helps prevent the chocolate from seizing.)

- For every tablespoon of additional liquid, melt 1/4 of a cup of chocolate. And for dark chocolate, use even more liquid because of the density of the dark chocolate.

I don’t want to get too school mistress-y on you, but I do need to highlight that most of the recipes in this cookbook are treats, to be consumed as just that. Apart from the So Healthy You Can Eat it For Breakfast recipes, they’re not “every day” foods.

So, while they contain little or no fructose, quite a number contain glucose (in the form of rice malt syrup or dextrose), which, while able to be metabolised by our bodies (unlike fructose), still causes insulin spikes. Most recipes in this book (OK, all!) are sweet in flavour, which may continue to drive the very same sweet addiction we are trying to rid ourselves of. Each time we consume something sweet, whether it contains fructose, glucose, stevia or artificial sweeteners, our brain registers this fact and primes our body (with hormones and brain chemicals) to deal with them.

In general, though, feel confident that most of the treats in this book are not addictive and contain plenty of healthy fats, which will satiate you, and trigger the “I’m full” switch in your brain, ensuring you won’t binge on them. In other words: unlike when you eat commercial, sugar-laden chocolate,

Which is a truly wonderful thing, no?

Thing to know:

Contrary to what I used to think, the caffeine content in chocolate is quite low: about 21mg per 35g of chocolate (a small bar) compared to 160mg in a standard cup of coffee.

Raw cocoa contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, and has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times the antioxidants of green tea. Remember we’re talking cocoa, or specifically, raw cacao, in its pure form here, although even store-bought chocolate (if you can find the really good stuff!) delivers some of these benefits.

Here’s what cocoa is reported to do:

- Lowers insulin resistance.

- Protects your nervous system. Cocoa is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant also found in red wine, known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system.

- Shields nerve cells from damage.

- Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.

- Reduces your risk of stroke.

- Reduces blood pressure.

- Slows the aging process. By assisting with nitric oxide metabolism. Nitric oxide protects your heart by relaxing your blood vessels and thereby lowering your blood pressure. However, nitric oxide production produces adverse reactions and toxic metabolites, which must be neutralised by your body so they don’t result in oxidative damage to your blood vessel lining. Cocoa polyphenols protect your body from these metabolites and help counter the typical age-related decline in nitric oxide production.

- Guards against toxins. As a potent antioxidant, cocoa can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers.

- Boosts your mood. Cocoa can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being. And the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine – is found in chocolate.

To read more studies that will make you feel better about eating the recipes in this book, click here!

(and tips for buying)

These are a bunch of common ingredients you’ll come across in this book. Some might be unfamiliar to you, so I’m highlighting a few things to look for when buying them.

Thing to know:

I really hate waste. The idea of you heading out to buy a jar of something that you use once and then have it sit at the back of your fridge for months before being tossed horrifies me. So how about this:

Buy an ingredient or two at a time and cook a bunch of recipes that make use of it. Then move onto the next exotic ingredient. To do this…

Simply click on the items below and the recipes that use that ingredient will be listed.

Acai powder: An ancient berry “superfood” chock-full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When added to chocolate it provides a wonderful (and nutritious) berry/cherry hit.

Look for: organic acai powder, mostly found in health food stores, or online.

Click here for all recipes using acai powder

Cacao butter: Comes in big chunks and needs to be grated and melted down before using. You can also sometimes buy as “buttons”. Tends to be a little pricey and hard to find (best to buy it online), which is why some prefer to use butter or coconut oil instead. However, it does make for a creamier, “fullness of mouth” chocolate that doesn’t melt as readily.

Look for: Brands that are cold-pressed rather than heated, as heating may destroy the vitamin E content.

I use: the chunky butter pieces from Power Super Foods. Their butter is not extracted using high heat or solvents.

Click here for all recipes using cacao butter

Chia seeds: A native South American seed, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C. These slippery little suckers are great to add to chocolate treats for a choc chip-like crunch and to transform an indulgence into a protein-packed meal. For a bunch of extra things to do with chia seeds, check this out.

Look for: 100% natural (GMO, preservative free), sustainably farmed, organic Australian or fair trade seeds. Try white versions to mix things up a little!

Click here for all recipes using chia seeds

Coconut butter: This is basically whole coconut flesh pureed into a spread that tastes oddly like white chocolate. You can buy it in many health food shops (it’s pricey) or make your own.

Look for: Unsweetened brands that only use 100% raw coconut. Steer clear of flavoured coconut butters, such as “cacao coconut butter”, as these are often sweetened with agave.

Click here for all recipes using coconut butter

Coconut oil: A wonderfully sweet oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts and easy to buy in health food shops, online and in many supermarkets now. You can catch up on all the ways I use it here and why it’s so healthy here. But for present purposes, it’s fantastic for making simple chocolates as the oil is sweet enough not to require much (if any) additional sweetener.

Look for: Wild-harvested varieties that have been transported in cold storage containers. Also brands that clearly state they’re 100% organic, raw and virgin.

I use: Niugini Coconut Oil because it has the lowest food miles of any brand in Australia and the glass jars are also reusable (yay!) and practical for storing other foods and for making pickles. If you’re into that kind of thing.

Click here for all recipes using coconut oil

Thing to know:

At temperatures over 25 C, your coconut oil will be liquid, and it’s better to work with the more solid form (soft, but solid) otherwise the additional ingredients can separate. Simply whack the jar in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before using.

Maca powder: A tuberous root that grows like a sweet potato, maca is another so-called superfood full of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, essential fatty acids and numerous amino acids. The stuff is really good for men - maca enhances testosterone levels and regulates male hormones. It is also known to boost libido (yee-hah!) and increase fertility in both men and women. Great in smoothies and added to chocolate truffles…it has a rich chocolate-like flavour that you can grow quite used to.

Look for: Certified organic Maca with a high protein count (check the label).

Click here for all recipes using maca powder

Protein powder: A dietary supplement made from one or more basic sources of protein, such as whey, eggs, soy, rice or pea. Research shows that taking protein powder regularly can boost immune system health, increase energy, repair muscles, encourage weight management, satiate the appetite and promote healthy skin. Try a few spoons in your smoothie, in pancakes, mousse or home-made muesli bars.

Look for: Look for: 100% wheat, soy sugar and gluten free versions, with a high percentage of digestibility.

Click here for all recipes using protein powder

Store-bought chocolate: See my blurb all about the limitations of commercial chocolate. However, it can be good for a quick chocolate punch, and some recipes in this book do contain the stuff…so…

Look for: 85% cocoa varieties that use cocoa butter, and varieties that don’t contain emulsifiers, PGPR, vegetable oil, sugar alcohols – such as maltitol - or fructans, agave, coconut syrup/nectar/sugar.

In Europe, look out for German brand Frusano. Fructose free, sweetened only with glucose, and no added nasties. Australians can now order Frusano chocolate online from Wild Patch.

In the US, check out Lily’s chocolates, sweetened with stevia, and certified Fair Trade. You can also order online at Vitacost or Amazon.

Click here for all recipes using store-bought chocolate

Vanilla Powder: Pure vanilla bean ground into a fine powder. It has a pure flavour and none of the nasties that come with most essences. Can be found in specialty shops or online. Or you can substitute with vanilla essence.

Look for: Natural, wild-crafted or organic pure vanilla bean powder, nothing else added. Steer clear of liquid essences made with alcohol, or split with sugar.

Click here for all recipes using vanilla powder

Rice malt syrup: This is a blend of maltose and glucose made from fermented, cooked rice. You can use this in place of sugar or honey in recipes, roughly in a 1:1 ratio. Some folk say it is less sweet than honey and sugar. I beg to differ and tend to put less of it in my recipes than many others would. You can find it in health food shops and many supermarkets (in the cooking section) and it costs about the same as honey.

Look for: Brands that list organic rice as the only ingredient.

Click here for all recipes using rice malt syrup

Glucose syrup (or dextrose): Generally referred to as glucose syrup, you can find dextrose in most supermarkets (in the cooking section). When converting your own recipe, bear these tips in mind:

* Replace sugar for dextrose 1:1 (e.g. exchange 1 cup for 1 cup).

* Increase the wet ingredients and use an extra egg.

* Don’t over-beat once flour has been added.

* Watch it doesn’t burn.

* Don’t store for too long (and store in the fridge); sugar is a preservative,

but dextrose isn’t.

Stevia: This is a natural sweetener, derived from a leaf similar to mint and is composed of stevioside (which is 300 times sweeter than sugar) and rebaudioside (450 times sweeter than sugar). Stevia comes as a liquid or mixed with erythritol to form a granule and the latter version is readily available in many supermarkets (in the cooking section.)

Look for: Granulated forms. When I refer to stevia in this book, I mean the granulated form. Most stevia granules can be used as you would sugar, although I tend to use about a third less. I personally find stevia granules sweeter (or perhaps my taste for sweetness has shifted!).

If you're using liquid stevia, click here for conversion instructions.

Click here for all recipes using stevia

We're almost there! Just a few handy instructions on how to navigate this book and then you’ll be ready to cook.

1. Use my ingredient tracker to find out what you can make with a particular ingredient.

2. On each recipe, click to convert from metric to imperial (and back again).

3. Look out for this on recipes Healthy Enough to Eat for Breakfast. Throughout the book you will see this little symbol on recipes. This means the dish is healthy enough to eat for breakfast. Or lunch. They’re the recipes full of protein and veggies, with minimal sugar, fructose or otherwise.

If you're Paleo, this will point you to recipes that are grain/gluten-free. Please note, my take on the Paleo approach includes nuts and eggs.

If you're Vegan, this will point to recipes free from eggs and dairy. Or that can be easily converted to be vegan-friendly.

4. Make some substitutions. Lots of ingredients in my recipes are listed as “optional” and I try to provide an alternative as often as possible. I do this so that you're not precluded from cooking the recipe if you don't have that (often slightly obscure) ingredient.

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder = 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Raw cacao powder = cocoa powder.

Nut flours = any plain flour, but add a little extra oil/butter.

Coconut flakes = shredded coconut = desiccated coconut.

(I use flakes, because I like chunkier textures, but you can usually interchange. A word of caution though: many desiccated brands are sweetened, so check yours!)

Baking soda = bicarbonate soda.

1 cup sugar/granulated stevia = 1 teaspoon liquid stevia.

1 tablespoon sugar/granulated stevia = 6-9 drops liquid stevia.

1 teaspoon sugar/granulated stevia = 2-4 drops liquid stevia.

5. Click to buy. If I mention a product or ingredient I like to use, I’ll often place a little link to it so you can check it out for yourself, and buy online with ease. Simply glide your mouse over the link and click.

Now. Let’s make some chocolate…

Coconut Butter

You can buy this stuff in health food shops, but it can be expensive. Or you can make your own cheaply and in minutes for a surprisingly white chocolate-like hit.

MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP

* 1 packet shredded coconut (bigger is better; you can also use coconut flakes or desiccated coconut)

Using a high-powered food processor, process for about 2 minutes (a regular blender will take up to 15 minutes and requires a lot of scraping and stirring) until a runny butter forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Store in a jar either at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on the season and climate.

- Use as a soft spreadable paste on toast, sprinkled with salt.

- If you store the coconut butter in the fridge, you’ll need to “cut out” a chunk and soften it at room temperature before using.

- Pour into a silicon mould or mini cupcake cases, refrigerate, and eat as a white chocolate-like truffle.

- Use to make Coconut Butter Cups.

- Add to raw cacao powder to make a Coconut Rough Fudge Truffle.

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

This stuff can be eaten on its own, or as a dip with strawberries for dessert. This frosting is best when applied with a piping bag.

MAKES 1 CUP

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 2 ripe avocadoes

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* 2 tablespoons milk (your choice)

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until creamy and thick (a stick blender can also work).  Add a tablespoon or two of milk or water to achieve a smooth texture.

Cashew Frosting

MAKES 1 CUP

* 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight, drained

* rind of 1 lemon, optional

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup or sugar-free icing mixture

* 3 tablespoons coconut cream

Blend cashews in a high-speed blender along with the syrup, lemon juice and zest. Slowly add the coconut cream until it’s nice and thick. Add more coconut cream until it’s thick enough.

Cream Cheese Frosting

MAKES 1 CUP

As above, but replace the cashews with 250g cream cheese. You can use store-bought or – better! - make your own probiotic, healthy cream cheese.

Chocolate Granola Clusters

This is a mixed-up version of my original granola from my first cookbook. It’s the most popular recipe in my mix. I’ve devised a Christmassy one with pumpkin and spices and now this chocolate one.

MAKES 5 CUPS

* 3 cups coconut flakes

* 2 cups almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pepitas (preferably activated), roughly chopped

* 2 tablespoons chia seeds

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

* 80–100g coconut oil or butter, melted

* 3 tablespoons rice malt syrup, optional

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 120 C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine all the ingredients, then spread evenly on the tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, turning halfway through the cooking time. I like to bake mine until quite dark – the darker it is, the crunchier. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Place atop yoghurt for a dense breakfast, or with some coconut yoghurt or Whipped Coconut Milk Cream as a dessert!

Whipped Coconut Milk Cream

Great with a brownie or cupcake (in lieu of ice cream or cream). Or use as a frosting.

MAKES 1 CUP

* 1 can full-fat coconut cream

* 1 tablespoon stevia granules

Place can in the fridge overnight upside down (be sure not to shake it beforehand). The next day, turn it right way up and open the can without shaking it. Spoon out the top layer of liquid (and keep for smoothies or other recipes requiring coconut milk or coconut water). Leave the rest of the harder cream in the can, add stevia granules and then blend with a stick blender until creamy. (If you don't have a stick blender, remove the cream from the can and blend with beaters or in a blender.)

Activated Nuts

Why are activated nuts so good? Read here to find out. You can buy store-bought, but it’s sooooo much cheaper to make your own.

MAKES 1 BAG

* 1 bag of non-oily nuts or seeds (almonds, pepitas, walnuts)

* pinch sea salt

Soak the nuts or seeds overnight in a covered saucepan of water with the salt. Drain, then spread out on a baking tray (no oil, no baking paper) and dry in the oven for 12-24 hours at the lowest temperature possible (less than 65 C for gas ovens, on the pilot light).

When cool, store in a sealed container in the freezer. I find they keep better this way and stay crunchier!

It’s economical (you cook in bulk, it saves cash and time), it’s environmental (a full freezer saves electricity as solids freeze at a lower temperature than air) and it’s healthy. To this latter point, many starchy veggies keep their nutritional profile better when snap frozen. Nuts and nut flours keep better, too (they don’t actually freeze, they just remain cool, preventing them from going rancid). At home I keep a bunch of things in my freezer ready to go for when a choc craving grabs me:

- Berries. When they’re in season (and cheap!), I buy fresh, cut them up and freeze them in batches.

- Nut flours.

- Activated Nuts.

- Coconut Butter.

- Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Puree.

- Cans of coconut cream.

- Ice Magic.

Frozen Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Puree

I always have a stash of this stuff in my freezer, saved in 1/2 cup portions, and in ice-cube trays. A few recipes in this book call on some of this sweet stuff.

MAKES 2-3 CUPS

* 1 large pumpkin, cut into 4 big wedges, or 2 sweet potatoes (kumura), left whole and unpeeled

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* pinch sea salt

For the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 175 C. Scoop out and discard the pumpkin seeds and pulp. Put the pumpkin wedges on a baking tray, and then rub with the olive oil and salt. Bake on the middle rack until tender – about 1 hour. (If you’re pressed for time, cut the pumpkin into smaller chunks and bake for 30 minutes.) Scoop out the flesh and puree, using a stick blender, or mash well by hand.

For the sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 220 C. Prick the skin with a fork and place on a tray in the oven. Bake until the skin starts to expand, crisp and it feels soft – about 35 minutes. Cool a little, peel the skin off and then puree, using a stick blender, or mash well by hand.

Once cool, store in batches in the freezer in 1/2 or 1 cup batches.

Flourless Zucchini Brownie

MAKES A 9 X 9 INCH BROWNIE TIN

* coconut oil, butter, ghee for greasing

* 1 cup almond (or any nut) butter

* 1 egg

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 large or 1 1/2 small zucchinis

* 100g store-bought dark chocolate, roughly choppe

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grate the zucchini into a large bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Pour into a greased baking tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Sweet Potato + Macadamia Fudge

MAKES A 9 X 14 INCH BROWNIE TIN

* coconut oil, butter, ghee for greasing

* 1 1/2 cups Sweet Potato Puree (requires 1 medium-large sweet potato)

* 1/3 cup rice malt syrup

* 90g butter, softened (or 1/4 cup coconut oil)

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/2 cup self-raising flour (gluten-free or otherwise)

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

* few grinds sea salt

* 3 eggs, whisked

* 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

* 1/2 cup dark (85% cocoa) chocolate, roughly chopped (or cacao nibs)

Preheat oven 180 C. Remove sweet potato, remove skin and blend using a stick blender (potato masher will work too). Add syrup, butter/oil, vanilla, flour, cacao, baking soda, cayenne and salt, and blend. Now, stir through eggs, nuts and chocolate. Pour into greased tin. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

- I like my brownies a bit gooey. Test using a skewer; if it comes out a little moist, then you’re good. If you like more of a cake texture, add on an extra 5-10 minutes cooking time. Test using a skewer, and when it comes out clean it’s ready.

- This brownie is best when served cooled.

Raw Chocolate Strawberry Brownie

This one is a one-pot wonder and requires no baking. The recipe works better if you’ve chopped and frozen the strawberries in advance, but no drama if you only have fresh ones on hand.

MAKES A 9 X 14 INCH BROWNIE TIN

* coconut oil, butter, ghee for greasing

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1 cup nut meal/flour (almond or hazelnut)

* 2 tablespoons chia seeds

* 1 cup desiccated coconut

* 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder, optional

* 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

* 1 cup strawberries, roughly chopped and pre-frozen

* 2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped

Blend all ingredients except the strawberries and walnuts in a food blender or with a stick blender. Stir in the strawberries and walnuts and pour into a greased brownie tin and place in the freezer for an hour. Cut into squares.

This brownie will need to be stored in the fridge.

Weetbix ‘n’ Milk Chocolate Slice

MAKES 16

* coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing

* 125g butter

* 1/2 cup rice malt syrup

* 1/4 cup milk, full cream

* 7 Weetbix or Vitabrits (low-sugar or sugar-free wheat breakfast biscuits)

* 1 cup desiccated coconut

* 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Grease a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 inch) square cake tin. In a pan over a low heat, gently melt butter, rice malt syrup and milk. Stir until combined. In a bowl, crush Weetbix, add coconut and cacao. Pour in butter mixture and stir till combined. Press mixture in pan and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan and slice. Keep in fridge.

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes

MAKES 12

* 2 large beetroot, grated raw (don’t bother peeling)

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 teaspoons vanilla powder

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* pinch sea salt

* 11/2 cups almond meal

* 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 170 C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. Blend all ingredients (in a blender or with a stick blender) until it’s a smooth batter, then divide between the 12 cases and cook for 40 minutes.

Serve alone or topped with thick Greek yoghurt or Cashew Frosting (with the rind of one lemon added to the mix) or Cream Cheese Frosting (with the rind of one lemon added to the mix) or Whipped Coconut Milk Cream.

Chocolate Cashew Cream Tart

MAKES 1 TART

Tart Crust:

* 1 cup hazelnut meal

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

* 40g salted butter, diced

* 1 tablespoon water

Cashew Cream Centre:

* 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* juice of 1 lemon

* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla powder

* 1/4 cup coconut oil

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 180 C and line a 20cm (8 inch) springform pan or a tart pan (with removable bottom) with baking paper. Sift hazelnut meal, cacao and baking powder into food processor. Add rice malt syrup, butter and water and blend. Turn out into pan, pressing down to coat the bottom and about 2cm up the sides. Place baking paper over the dough, pressing it down firmly, and place in oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool in pan.

To make the cream: Drain cashews, place in food processor and blend on high until almost smooth. Add cacao, lemon juice and vanilla, pulsing until combined. Warm the coconut oil and rice malt syrup until melted, then add to the mixture and continue blending on high until you have a smooth cream, with a mousse-like consistency. Fill cooled tart with cashew cream and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Chocolate Blackberry + Hazelnut Fudge Cake with Black Beans

MAKES 1 CAKE

* 1/2 cup hazelnuts

* 1/4 cup cacao butter

* 3/4 cup black beans, cooked

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 2 tablespoons nut butter

* 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

* 1 cup rice malt syrup

* 2 oranges, peeled

* 1 egg

* 1/2 tablespoon vanilla powder

* 1/4 cup brown rice flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/2 cup blackberries

Preheat oven to 180 C. Place hazelnuts on a baking tray, roast for 8-10 minutes and allow to cool. Then rub with a clean tea towel to remove the skins, and blitz them in a food processor, but keep them slightly chunky.

Pulse the cacao butter in the food processor into fine pieces. Add the black beans, cacao powder, nut butter, coconut oil and 1/2 cup rice malt syrup and combine. In another bowl or blender, puree the peeled oranges, the other 1/2 cup of the rice malt syrup, egg and vanilla. Add the orange mixture to the bean mix while the food processor is running and mix to combine. Add the flour and baking powder and mix.

Stir though the hazelnuts, and then transfer the mix to a 22cm lined cake tin. Pop the blackberries gently on top.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake is ready when the outer edges of the cake are cooked through, but it’s still fudgy in the centre.

Decadent Coconut Ganache Tart

MAKES 1 LARGE TART OR SEVERAL SMALL ONES

Pie Crust:

* 2 cups desiccated coconut

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

* 1/2 cup butter, melted (lightly salted is best)

Ganache Filling:

* 260ml coconut cream

* 220g dark (85% cocoa) chocolate

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

* fresh organic berries or toasted coconut to garnish

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 175 C. Melt the butter and combine with coconut, rice malt syrup and cacao powder in a bowl.

Press mixture into the base and up the sides of a standard sized quiche or pie tin (or some miniature ones if you prefer) - no need to grease it - so the mixture’s approximately 5mm thick all over. Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes (the small tins will take 20-25 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool and harden (about an hour).

To make the ganache: Heat the coconut cream, rice malt syrup and vanilla powder in a saucepan until it simmers. Then pour into a mixing bowl, holding about 3 tablespoons back in the pan for emergency use later, if needed. Add chocolate, whisking it through until silky and melted. If the fats separate and your ganache develops a chocolate cottage cheese appearance, just add that additional coconut cream you saved, whisking swiftly to bring it all back together. Once silky, pour into shells, filling to 1cm from the top. Place the tarts in the fridge until the ganache sets.

Try this "fancy" toasted coconut ganache garnish: Toast 2 handfuls of coconut flakes in a pan on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of softened butter. Once the butter has melted, add 2 teaspoons of rice malt syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Once bubbling, remove and place on parchment to cool. It will be a delicious toffee caramel topping to your ganache tart for extra decadence.

To make the recipe vegan: Use macadamia or coconut oil for the crust, but use a fraction less than half a cup.

Simple Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

SERVES 4

* 1 can full-fat coconut milk

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender, or using a stick blender, until smooth and creamy. Pour into a freezer-safe container (a lunch box will do) and leave in the freezer for 5 hours. Or use an ice cream maker, if you have one.

The ice cream may become a little too firm if left in the freezer too long. If so allow it to thaw on your bench a little before serving.

Serve with some Ice Magic sauce over the top.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

SERVES 4-6

* 2 ripe avocados

* 125 ml coconut cream, chilled (it needs to be firm)

* 1/4 - 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 1 tablespoon chia seeds

* 1-2 teaspoons stevia granules, or 2 teaspoons rice malt syrup

* a sprinkle of vanilla powder

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

* pinch sea salt

Whiz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Scoop the mousse into small serving dishes, such as antique teacups (I use little Chinese teacups) and put in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

Mint Choc-Chip Ice Cream

SERVES 4 (8 ICE CREAM SCOOPS)

* 1/2 avocado

* 3 tablespoons coconut butter

* 1 cup coconut cream

* 1/2 cup mint leaves

* 2 tablespoons stevia granules (to taste)

* 1 teaspoon peppermint essence

* 1/3 cup raw cacao nibs (to taste)

Blend all ingredients except cacao nibs until smooth. Roughly mix through the cacao nibs with a spoon and pour mixture into bowl to set in freezer for about 4 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

I get hungry, develop a hankering for a particular flavour combination and then I play around in the kitchen with a little of this and that until something grabs. I make them for one…then expand for larger numbers. Some are best kept as for-one fixes, however. Especially if you’re someone who tends to overeat your treats!

Paleo Chocolate + Coconut Muggin

Yep, a muffin in a mug! A muggin! Microwaves ain’t great things. But my approach is this: if it’s the difference between eating decent ingredients and not, well, go for it.

SERVES 1

* 1/4 cup almond flour (or self-raising gluten-free flour)

* 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

* 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

* 1/2 tablespoon rice malt syrup or 1/2 teaspoon stevia granules

* 1/4 cup coconut milk (or any other type of milk)

Add all ingredients to a mug and mix with a spoon. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Butter

You might want to make this in bulk and store it in ice-cube trays so you can pull out one or two for toast, pancakes or a smoothie, or for a little ganache-y treat with your tea in the afternoon.

SERVES 1

* 3 tablespoons coconut butter, softened or melted

* 1 1/2 teaspoons raw cacao powder

* 2 tablespoons hazelnut meal, optional

Using a teaspoon, mix all the ingredients in a small cup until blended (the cacao powder requires a bit of “smashing” to ensure all the lumps disappear). Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

Chocolate Bark

I make this most afternoons. It takes as long as it takes the jug to boil to make. You can make this in a cupcake case, silicon chocolate mould or on a small piece of baking paper placed on top of a saucer.

SERVES 1

* 1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil, softened

* 1/2 teaspoon raw cacao powder

* 1/2 teaspoon rice malt syrup, optional

Mix all the ingredients in a small cup then spoon into the mould, cases or onto baking paper. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Feel free to add some little flavour extras. For ideas, click here.

Raspberry Ripple

This would have to be one of the most popular recipes I’ve created. It’s appeared on TV several times and has made cameos all over social media.

SERVES 6

* 1/3 cup raspberries, frozen

* 1/3 cup shredded coconut (or coconut flakes for a chunkier version)

* 1/3 cup coconut oil

* 80g butter, salted

* 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 2 – 3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

Line a dinner plate or baking tray with baking paper (a dinner plate is ideal as the slight indent creates a good shape). Scatter the berries and coconut on the plate or tray. Melt the oil and butter in a saucepan or in the microwave (the oil takes a little longer to melt, so add the butter a little after), then stir in the cacao powder and the syrup. Pour over the berries and pop into the freezer for 30 minutes until firm. To serve, either break into shards or cut into wedges.

Choc Mint Slice

MAKES 25 SQUARES

Base:

* 1/3 cups almond meal, blanched

* 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup coconut flour

* 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 3 eggs

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup, optional

Mint Filling:

* 3 cups shredded coconut

* 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

* 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

* 2 tablespoons boiling water

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup, optional

Topping:

* 1/2 cup coconut oil

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup, optional

* raw cacao powder for dusting

To make the base: Preheat oven to 175 C. Mix all base ingredients in a bowl. Press evenly into a lined 20 x 20cm (9 x 9 inch) baking tin. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

To make the mint filling: Place the shredded coconut in the food processer along with the boiling water and pulse until the coconut becomes a crumb-like mixture. Add coconut oil, peppermint and rice malt syrup and blend for another 3 minutes. Firmly press on top of the cooled base and place in the fridge to set, approximately 30 minutes.

To make the topping: Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan then whisk through other ingredients until all lumps are gone. Pour over the cooled base and allow to cool and set in the fridge. Dust with the extra raw cacao and slice into squares to serve.

“I Can't Believe It’s Not Milo”

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 8 HOT CHOCOLATES

* 100ml rice malt syrup

* 25g butter, salted

* 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (must be powder as it will need to be dry)

* 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons raw cacao powder

Melt butter on a medium heat. Add the rice malt syrup and stir until combined and bubbling. Simmer and bubble, stirring, for 10-15 minutes. As soon as you detect a change to a darker golden colour, pour onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. The timing is important: Not enough means it will not crisp up, and too much means you will burn it.

Leave on a baking sheet to harden. Once set, break shards up into smaller pieces and throw into a blender. Add vanilla powder and cacao (1 1/2 teaspoons first and check if it’s chocolate-y enough for you, adding the other 1/2 teaspoon if you like) and blitz together for 20-30 seconds until a fine chocolate sand has formed.

- To make cold chocolate: Dissolve a heaped tablespoon with a tiny bit of boiled water. Top with the milk of your choice and an ice cube or two.

- To make a hot chocolate: Dissolve 1-2 heaped tablespoons and 200ml of your choice of milk and warm for a few minutes on the stove.

- This recipe will keep in a jar for a few weeks.

- It’s a fabulous ice cream sprinkle too.

Ice Magic

MAKES 16 TABLESPOONS

* 6 tablespoons coconut oil

* 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 3 tablespoons stevia granules

* big pinch sea salt

Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients, whisking well to dissolve the stevia granules. Let cool slightly, and then pour over homemade sugar free ice cream.

Store in covered container in the refrigerator and melt when you need to use it.

Homemade Oreos

MAKES 24

* 200g butter

* 150g potato starch

* 1 tablespoon stevia granules

* 100g raw cacao powder

* 200g flour

Cream filling:

* 100g butter

* 300g potato starch

* 2 tablespoons stevia granules

Preheat the oven to 170 C. Beat the butter and stevia granules until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until combined. The mixture will be quite stiff and dough-like. Cut 2 large squares of baking parchment. Tip the mix onto the middle of one, lightly flatten it, then place the second piece over the top. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 0.5mm thick. Place this on a baking tray and freeze for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from freezer and quickly cut out circles using a small cookie cutter. You will need to cut rapidly and bake in batches. Place the circles on a lined baking tray and bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool on the tray. Repeat with the next batch until you have used up all the mix. You will need to freeze the mixture between batches to make it easier to work with.

To make the filling: Combine the filling ingredients, and 1 tablespoon of water. Beat together until stiff, adding more water as needed. Using a piping bag or the corner cut out of a freezer bag, pipe about the size of a $1 coin on half of the biscuits. Top with the other biscuits and lightly squash down. Allow the icing to set a little before devouring.

Jemma’s Chocolate Crackles

MAKES ABOUT 12

* 1 cup buckinis/activated buckwheat groats (soaked and dehydrated buckwheat. You can buy these ready-made or make your own if you have a dehydrator, see below. If necessary, raw buckwheat can be used).

* 1 teaspoon sea salt

* 1 cup desiccated coconut

* 1 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 3/4 cup coconut oil

* 1/4 cup Xylitol

* 1 cup extra buckinis

In a food processor add the buckinis, salt, desiccated coconut and cacao until buckinis are very fine. Add the rice malt syrup and coconut oil and process again for a few seconds to combine. Stir in excess from the sides of the bowl. Add the xylitol and extra buckinis and process for about 10 seconds. Take care not to break up the extra buckinis too much. Spoon into cupcake cases and put in the fridge to set.

- Best enjoyed chilled as coconut oil will melt at room temperature.

- To make buckinis, soak some raw buckwheat for 6 hours, drain, rinse and spread onto dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate for 24 hours or until super crispy.

Hello Chokito!

MAKES 1 CUP

* 1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked

* 90 grams cacao butter, buttons or shavings

* 30 grams coconut oil

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* good pinch sea salt

To puff the quinoa: Heat a deep saucepan to a medium-high heat (if you are cooking on gas make sure the flame doesn’t hit the bottom of the pan). Pour (uncooked) quinoa into the pan so it covers the bottom in a single layer. Move the pan in circles around the element to keep the quinoa moving to prevent it from catching/burning. You will start to hear and see it ‘pop’ – keep moving the pan around until the popping stops. Immediately tip the popped quinoa into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process.

To make the chocolate: Heat the cacao butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan on low. Once melted, add the cacao powder, salt, rice malt syrup and popped quinoa and stir well to combine. Pour into moulds (silicon are good as they just pop out once they’re set), or cover a plate (with slightly raised edges) with a sheet of baking paper then carefully pour the hot mixture on top and spread the quinoa out evenly to make a chocolate “bark”. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

- Store in either the fridge or freezer.

- Add desiccated coconut for Golden Rough version.

Hedgehog Slice

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 20 PIECES

For biscuits:

* coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing

* 3 eggs

* 1/2 cup rice malt syrup

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/2 cup butter, softened

* 1 1/4 cup coconut flour

* 1/2 cup almond meal

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For chocolate mix:

* coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing

* 250g butter

* 3/4 cup dextrose (or rice malt syrup – this will require more coconut later)

* 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 3 eggs, beaten

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

To make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 150 C. Blend biscuit ingredients in a food processor until mixture is like a dough. Divide dough into three and wrap with plastic film. Place in the fridge to set. When firm, roll out each ball between two pieces of baking paper. Bake each rolled out sheet until golden. When cooled, break up into small pieces, and put into a bowl with around 2 cups desiccated coconut.

For the chocolate mix: Melt butter and dextrose in a saucepan, add raw cacao powder to saucepan, then add beaten eggs, return to heat and whisk until hot. Add vanilla. Pour chocolate mix over biscuits and coconut, and press into a lined tray (approximately 20 x 30cm, or 8 x 12 inches). Sprinkle with coconut, place in fridge to firm.

Sugar-Free Nut-Ella

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP

* 1 cup hazelnuts

* 125 ml coconut milk

* 80 ml rice malt syrup

* 1 tablespoon macadamia oil (or coconut oil)

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* 1 tablespoon vanilla powder

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Bake the hazelnuts on a tray for 8–10 minutes until browned. Rub off most of the skins as they can be bitter (you don’t have to be too precise). Grind the nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well mixed. Add extra coconut milk if you want more of a ‘sauce’ consistency.

Store in the fridge for several weeks.

Anthia’s Sugar-Free Lamingtons

This recipe does contain a fair dose of fruit, although only about 1/3 of a whole (not dried or juiced) pear per serve....which is fine, so long as you keep to one serve!

MAKES 19

* 5 medium sized pears

* 6 eggs, separated

* 1/2 cup rice malt syrup

* 2/3 cup raw cacao powder

* pinch sea salt

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 5 1/2 cups shredded coconut, dried

* 1/2 cup coconut flakes, fine and dried

Preheat oven to 140 C. Peel the pears. Cut in quarters, remove the core and place in a pot, cover with water, bring to the boil and then turn temperature down and simmer for about 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Strain the water and let the pears cool to room temperature.

Place in a food processor and mix until puréed. Add egg yolks, one at a time and mix well. Add the syrup, cacao, salt and vanilla and mix well.

Meanwhile, place egg whites in a separate bowl and beat until stiffened. Fold these egg whites and shredded coconut into the mixed ingredients from the processor.

Place mixed contents in a round shaped cookie cutter (7cm diameter, 1cm height). Ingredients should make 19 biscuits. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. Place on baking paper and cook in oven for 30 minutes.

Try berries or cherries instead of pears to make a delicious biscuit alternative.

These 8 clever Easter ideas each use one of the following recipes as a base:

Raspberry Ripple

Chocolate Butter Bark

Avocado + Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

Check out more Easter tips and recipes here.

Chocolate Butter Bark

This is a “salted caramel-like” creation that can be used as a bark or made into truffles and various sophisticated Easter ideas.

MAKES 12 – 15 SHARDS

* 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

* 1/4 cup almond spread, slightly warmed or melted

* 2 tablespoons coconut flakes

* 2 teaspoons rice malt syrup

* 2-3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* pinch sea salt

* handful cacao nibs or dark (85% cocoa) chocolate

* chocolate shavings

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the oil, almond spread, coconut flake, syrup and raw cacao in a bowl. Spread on the tray and sprinkle with salt and cacao nibs or chocolate shavings. Freeze for 20 minutes, then snap into shards. Store in an airtight container in the fridge (the shards will melt if left at room temperature).

If you don’t have almond spread, make some by combining 80g softened butter and 1/3 cup almond meal or LSA.

Instant Hot Chocolate

MAKES 1

Simply drop a small Basic Raw Chocolate Truffle (any version) into a mug of steamed milk (dairy, almond, coconut or rice) and stir until combined. Creamy and easy!

Chocolate Chip + Mint Whip

MAKES 2

* 375 ml almond milk

* 1 small ripe avocado

* large handful mint leaves

* 3 tablespoons protein powder

* 2 tablespoons green powder, optional

* 1–2 generous pinches stevia granules, powdered, to taste

* small handful ice cubes

* 2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Throw all the ingredients, except the cacao nibs, into a blender and blend until smooth. Toss in the nibs and blend for an extra few pulses.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

SERVES 2-3

* 400ml can coconut milk

* 1/2 cup (125ml) almond milk

* 160 ml rice malt syrup, or to taste

* 2 tablespoons natural, sugar-free peanut butter

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder, sifted

* pinch sea salt, to taste

* cacao nibs to garnish, optional

Throw all ingredients except the cacao nibs into a saucepan and whisk like crazy. Bring to a low boil, then simmer for several minutes while whisking to remove any remaining clumps. Pour into 2 mugs and top with cacao nibs to serve, if you like.

Abundance Shake

This shake can be done as a thick smoothie, or bulked up to become a total meal substitute. I Quit Sugar's Kate Callaghan helped me develop this one and enthusiastically tested a range of options!

SERVES 2

* 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 1/2 cup coconut water, or milk (almond, dairy, rice) or yoghurt

* 1/2 avocado

* 1.5 cups frozen berries (blueberry and raspberry)

* 2 cups baby spinach

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

You can shake up the shake and turn it into a full-blown breakfast with these versions (which you'll need to eat with a spoon!):

1. Acai-Chia Mud: Add 2 tablespoons Acai powder + 1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds (allow to sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before eating.)

2. Protein Punch: Add 4 tablespoons vanilla protein powder + 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil.

3. Maca-Packed Mush: Add 3 teaspoons maca powder + 3-4 tablespoons of buckwheat groats or rolled oats.

4. Snickery Pumpkin Mud: Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter + 1 cup Pumpkin Puree. (For this one, ditch the berries and use 1 cup of milk - almond tastes best, but any will do - instead of the coconut water.)

Always put the coconut oil in just before you blend so it doesn’t turn solid in the cold milk. During the winter months you may have to melt it on a gentle heat before you put it in.)

Mocha Chip Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 30

* 2 1/2 cups almond meal

* 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

* 120g butter, softened

* 1/3 cup stevia granules, powdered

* 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/2 cup cacao nibs

* 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 1 1/2 tablespoons coffee, ground

Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Pulse the almond meal, bicarbonate of soda and salt briefly in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend a little more. Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray and press down with your hand to flatten. Bake for about 8 minutes until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate + Almond Friands

MAKES 8

* coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing

* 6 egg whites, lightly beaten

* 185g butter, melted

* 150g almond hazelnut meal

* 3 teaspoons stevia granules, powdered

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup coconut flour

* 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, natural

* 1/4 cup almonds, flaked

Preheat oven to 180 C. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Divide the mixture into 8 greased friand moulds or muffin tins. Sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Chocolate Tipped Macaroons

MAKES ABOUT 12

* 3 large or 4 medium egg whites

* 80 ml rice malt syrup

* 1/2 cups shredded coconut

* 1 cup cooked quinoa (here’s how to cook the stuff)

* 50g dark (85% cocoa) chocolate

* 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 160 C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Whisk the egg whites and syrup. Stir in the coconut, quinoa and salt and place in the fridge for 1 hour. Scoop the quinoa mixture into “blobs” and arrange on the tray. Use your fingers to mould the blobs into small domes. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool down.

Place the macaroons in the fridge for a few hours. Melt the chocolate and oil, stirring together. Drizzle the chocolate over the macaroons, or dip the tips in and return to the fridge.

Choc-chip Oaties

MAKES 12

* 125g butter

* 1 teaspoon stevia granules

* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

* 1 egg

* 1 cup plain flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* pinch sea salt

* 50g desiccated coconut

* 1 cup oats

* 50g dark (85% cocoa) chocolate, cut into small chunks, or chocolate nibs

Preheat oven to 180 C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Cream butter, stevia granules and vanilla essence. Add the egg and beat until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the coconut, oats and chocolate bits.

Spoon walnut-sized pieces onto the baking trays, keeping a good distance between each biscuit. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the tray for 20 minutes before moving onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

MAKES 16

For the donuts:

* coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing.

* 2 cups plain flour, gluten-free

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon five spice powder

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

* 1 teaspoon ginger, ground

* 1 teaspoon sea salt, ground

* 1 cup Pumpkin Puree

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened

* 1 cup rice milk

For the chocolate glaze:

* 1/2 cup rice malt syrup

* 2 1/2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 1 tablespoon coconut oil (in solid form)

To prepare the donuts: In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix wet ingredients until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold through, but just until the ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix or donuts will become rubbery. Pipe or spoon batter into donut pan and spread around evenly to leave the middle (hole) exposed. Bake for about 7–8 minutes, then flip the donuts and bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Repeat the process with any remaining batter.

To prepare the glaze: In a bowl, mix rice malt syrup and cacao until smooth and has no lumps. Add unmelted coconut oil and mix again until the icing is smooth. Dip each cooled donut into the icing and place on a wire rack to drip dry.

The dough takes a little finesse – it can’t be over-mixed otherwise the donuts get “gummy”.

Megan’s Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

MAKES 1 CAKE

For the crust:

* 2 cups pecans, raw

* 2 tablespoons coconut oil

* 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

* 1/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

For the filling:

* 2 cups cashews, raw

* 1 cup zucchini, peeled & diced

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 3/4 cup rice malt syrup

* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

* 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Prepare the crust by placing the pecans in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and grind them into a fine meal. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients and process until well combined. Line the bottom of an 8 inch spring form pan with plastic wrap or baking paper, then press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer to set, while you prepare the filling.

In a high-powered blender or food processor, process the raw cashews until they are a fine powder. Add in the zucchini, cacao powder, rice malt syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt and blend until a smooth and creamy batter is formed. Add in the melted coconut oil and blend.

Pour the filling into the frozen pie crust, and allow to set for 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Serve directly from the freezer for best texture.

Bitter Cacao Macarons with Sweet Hazelnut Centres

MAKES 18-20 MACARONS

Macaron ingredients:

* 4 eggs

* 3 cups desiccated coconut

* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

* 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Filling Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup hazelnuts, roasted

* 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

* 1/2 tablespoon almond butter

* 3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

To make the macarons: Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140 C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla and cacao powder. Add the coconut to the mixture and stir. Using a dessert spoon, scoop level quantities of the mixture into your hands to form round discs, about the size of 50c piece and no higher than 1cm. Place evenly on a baking tray, noting that as there is no rising agent, they may be placed closely together, with 18-20 biscuits on each tray. Bake each tray of biscuits, one at a time, on the middle rack of the oven, for 10 minutes per tray. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow the macarons to cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling: In a food processor, process the hazelnuts and raw cacao until the consistency resembles a fine nut-meal. Add all other ingredients and process until smooth.

Using a wet teaspoon (to prevent sticking), place level quantities of the filling between two macaron halves and sandwich them together. Repeat until you have approximately 18-20 macaron sandwiches.

These macarons are best eaten fresh, but you can store them in the fridge to ensure that the filling remains firm.

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Cheesecake

MAKES ONE CAKE

For the crust:

* 2 cups pecans, raw (preferably activated)

* 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

* 2 teaspoons coconut oil

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

For the filling:

* 1 cup avocado flesh (from about 2 medium avocados)

* 3 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth, natural, sugar-free

* 2 teaspoons raw cacao powder

* 2 teaspoons almond milk

* 2 teaspoons rice malt syrup

* 1 teaspoon sea salt

* 125g dark (85% cocoa) chocolate, melted

To make the crust: Process pecans in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add the remaining crust ingredients and process to combine into a moist crumbly consistency. Spoon crust mixture over the base of a 20cm (8 inch) springform tin lined with baking paper and spread out evenly, pressing the crust down firmly and into the edges of the tin. Place tin in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.

To make the filling: Place all ingredients (except for melted chocolate) into a food processor (or you can use a stick blender). Process until smooth and creamy. Add melted chocolate and process until smooth.

Pour filling into the pecan crumb base. Cover the cake with cling film and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.

The truffles and barks in this section are the closest things you’ll find to the chocolate block experience. I’m sharing a bunch of different ways to make such an experience come to life. Play around with different methods and additions (I did!) and choose the recipe that suits what you’ve got in the cupboard.

Thing to know:

- Truffles can be made using silicon moulds (these are better than rigid moulds – easier for popping the chocolate out) or cupcake cases (mini or standard.)

- Truffles can be turned in to bark by pouring the chocolate mixture onto baking paper placed over a metal tray or plate (and snapped into shards once cold.) And vice versa.

- You can use a blender to truly combine the truffle/bark chocolate ingredients, or simply stir with a spoon. The blender will produce a softer, thicker mixture while simply mixing by hand results in a firmer chocolate that pours easily. I personally stir mine with a spoon in a bowl (to avoid using more equipment), but it does mean the sweetener can be a little unblended. I don’t mind this, but am careful to distribute the mixture evenly, pouring a little of the last bit of mixture in the bowl (where the sweetener can collect) over all the truffles. If that makes sense?

- You can harden your truffles/bark in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for an hour.

- Where possible, work with soft coconut oil, not melted. The former blends better.

Basic Raw Chocolate: Three ways

I’ve supplied three different ways to make a basic chocolate. I suggest experimenting to see what version you like (playing with the different sweeteners, too). Over on p76, I’ve provided some extra flavours to play around with, once you found your favourite Basic Raw Chocolate combo. Over to you; choose your own adventure!

- Working with cacao butter takes a little more work (shaving and melting) and the stuff is expensive. But it does produce a creamier result and doesn’t melt as easiily as the coconut oil versions.

- Working with coconut oil is simple and I find you don’t need as much sweetener (delete a little from the recipes below if you like), but it doesn’t seem to “grab” the cacao as well as the cacao butter does. Plus it must be eaten quickly from the fridge/freezer (it melts if the temperature is anything over about 20 C).

- You can keep a batch in the fridge or freezer for several weeks and remelt as required.

Basic Raw Chocolate #1 (with cacao butter)

MAKES 1 1/3 CUPS (APPROXIMATELY 20 TRUFFLES)

* 1 cup raw cacao butter, buttons or shavings

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 2 teaspoons stevia granules or 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup

* 2 pinches sea salt

Melt the cacao butter gently, stirring until dissolved. Blend/mix with the rest of the ingredients until smooth/combined. Add additional flavours if you like (see below) and stir. Pour into moulds or onto a baking paper-lined plate and freeze/refrigerate.

Basic Raw Chocolate # 2

(with a blend of cacao butter + coconut oil)

MAKES: 1 1/3 CUPS (APPROXIMATELY 20 TRUFFLES)

* 1/2 cup raw cacao butter, buttons or shavings

* 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1-2 teaspoons stevia granules or 1-2 tablespoons rice malt syrup

* 2 pinches sea salt

Melt the cacao butter gently, stirring until dissolved. Blend/mix with the rest of the ingredients until smooth/combined. Add additional flavours if you like (see below) and stir. Pour into moulds or onto a baking paper-lined plate and freeze/refrigerate.

Basic Raw Chocolate #3 (with coconut oil)

MAKES: 1 1/3 CUPS (APPROXIMATELY 20 TRUFFLES)

* 1 cup coconut oil, softened

* 1/3 cup raw cacao powder

* 1-2 teaspoons stevia granules or 1-2 tablespoons rice malt syrup

* 2 pinches sea salt

Blend/mix all ingredients until smooth/combined. Add additional flavours if you like (see below) and stir. Pour into moulds or onto a baking paper-lined plate and freeze/refrigerate.

Add some extra ingredients to any of the three chocolate recipes on the previous pages… play a little!

1. Choc Chilli Bark: cinnamon + cayenne powder + a sprinkle of sea salt on top.

2. Berry Ripe: cacao nibs + frozen berries.

3. Coconut Rough Fudge: coconut butter (this one makes for a fudgy consistency – hell-yum!)

4. Almond Lemon Butter: almond butter + grated lemon rind.

5. Buckini Bar: sprouted buckwheat “buckinis”.

6. Superberry: acai powder.

7. Superchoc: maca powder + cacao nibs.

8. ‘Stachio Mint: chopped pistachio nuts + peppermint essence.

9. Peanut Shortcake: frozen strawberry chunks + peanut butter.

10. Fudgy Protein Bites: See recipe.

White Chocolate Truffles

MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS, OR APPROXIMATELY 25 TRUFFLES

* 3/4 cup cacao butter, buttons or shavings

* 1 tablespoon stevia granules

* 3/4 cup coconut milk, powdered

* pinch sea salt

Melt the cacao butter gently, stirring until dissolved. Blend with the rest of the ingredients until smooth/combined. Pour into moulds and refrigerate/freeze.

For a super simple white chocolate treat, try my cheat’s Coconut Butter version.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

MAKES 15-20 TRUFFLES

* 1/3 cup peanut butter, natural, sugar-free

* 1/3 cup oat bran, plus extra if necessary

* 1 heaped tablespoon raw cacao powder

* pinch sea salt

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup, optional

* 1 1/2 tablespoons extra raw cacao powder, to roll truffles

Stir together all ingredients, except extra cacao, until well combined. If necessary add more oat bran, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is firm. Scoop with a teaspoon or pinch off small pieces and roll between your hands to create truffles. Drop onto extra cacao powder and shake gently to coat.

- Eat immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes and roll in a second coating of cacao.

- Substitute the peanut butter with any other nut or seed butter, simply adjust the quantity of oat bran as needed for the consistency of the butter.

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream Hearts

MAKES 24

* 3 heaped tablespoons raw cacao powder

* 1 cup coconut oil

* 1/4 cup sesame seeds

* 1/2 teaspoon stevia granules

* 1/8 cup chai tea, strong brewed

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Fill your heart-shaped mould to the brim and allow to set in freezer for 2 hours. Dust with raw cacao powder or eat straight out of the freezer.

To make brewed chai tea: Bring 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoon chai tea to the boil, then simmer for five minutes, adding a dash of milk (dairy or almond) at the end. Strain.

Fudgy Protein Bites

These are possibly my favourite morsels in this book. I keep a batch in the freezer and eat two or three for breakfast quite often. The protein powder gives things a wonderfully chewy texture and the way the ingredients naturally settle means the chia and rice malt syrup form a caramel-like base on the bottom, followed by a fudgy centre covered in chocolate. Seriously good stuff.

MAKES 25-30

* 1/2 cups Basic Raw Chocolate, melted (choose the variation you like, but I find #2 or #3 made with rice malt syrup works best)

* 3/4 cup vanilla protein powder

* 1/2 cup chia seeds

* 1/3 cup maca powder, optional (if not using maca, add a little extra protein powder)

Combine all ingredients and pour immediately into silicon moulds or cupcake cases (mini or standard) and place in the fridge or freezer to harden.

A cinnamon or plain protein powder will also work nicely. Add some vanilla powder or cinnamon powder if you use a plain flavour.

Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

You know those junky peanut butter cups you can buy? Well, these are same-same-but-way-better. I’ve provided a number of variations for the filling, too.

MAKES 20-25

* 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

* 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

* 2 tablespoons coconut cream

* 1/4 cup peanut, macadamia or almond spread

* large pinch sea salt

Arrange small chocolate papers on a tray. Combine the coconut oil and cacao powder until smooth, then stir in the syrup and coconut cream. Pour a thin layer into the bottom of the chocolate papers. Freeze for 5 minutes, then remove from the freezer and spoon 1/3 teaspoon nut butter into each one. Pour the remaining cacao mixture on top and scatter sea salt over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set (or, if you’re short of time, freeze them). Eat straight from the fridge – these will melt at room temperature.

The coconut cream in this recipe makes the “chocolate” smoother. Interestingly, I find the more coconut cream you use, the harder the chocolate texture.

1. Coconut Butter Cups: Make a coconut version by using a small ball of coconut butter instead of the nut spread.

2. Peppermint Patties: Make peppermint patties by adding a few drops of peppermint oil (to taste) to small balls of coconut butter instead of the nut spread.

3. Pumpkin Protein Cups: Mix together the 1/4 cup each of Pumpkin Puree, almond butter and vanilla protein powder, with 2 teaspoons coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and all spice. Put mixture in the freezer for a couple hours. Once mixture is hard enough to handle, roll into 1/3 teaspoon balls, and use instead of the nut spread.

Jules Clancy’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

MAKES 16-20 SQUARES

* 200g coconut milk

* 200g dark (85% cocoa) chocolate, chopped

* 100g peanut butter, natural, sugar-free

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 4 tablespoons oat bran, optional

Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, line a loaf pan with foil or baking paper. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stand for a few minutes so the chocolate melts. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and oat bran. Transfer fudge mixture to the prepared tin and refrigerate for a few hours, or until set. Chop into small squares.

Spiced Chocolate Almonds

MAKES 1/2 CUP

* 1/2 cup almonds, raw

* 1/4 cup cacao butter, buttons or shavings

* 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

* 1 heaped tablespoon rice malt syrup

* 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground

* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* pinch sea salt

* pinch chilli powder

Melt the cacao butter in a double boiler and add the rice malt syrup. Whisk until combined and melted. Remove from the heat and add the raw cacao and spices. Add the almonds to the bowl and stir to coat. Transfer the almonds to a sheet of baking paper and pop into the fridge to set.

You can substitute any nut for this, or if you don't like them spiced, leave the spices out and have them straight up.

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

These balls are foolproof and are some of my favourite treats among readers on my blog. I’ve provided the optional fillers…add whichever you have on hand. Simply add a little more coconut oil or butter to ensure the mixture holds.

MAKES 24 BALLS

* 2 1/2 cups of nuts (almonds or brazil nuts are best, preferably activated)

* 125 ml almond spread

* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder (or to taste)

* 2 large handfuls coconut, shredded

* 1 tablespoon protein powder

* 100-120 g salted butter, softened

* 4-5 heaped tablespoons coconut oil, softened

* vanilla powder or liquorice root tea or stevia granules or ground cinnamon, to taste

Optional fillers:

* Almond meal

* LSA

* chia seeds

* Maca powder

* Acai powder

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roughly chop the nuts in a food processor. Blend all the ingredients in a bowl, using a metal spoon to splodge the coconut oil and butter through the dry stuff. Don’t be precise – throw in what feels right. Add any fillers you have to hand or have a soft spot for. The mixture will become quite wet because the coconut oil will turn liquid. Add one or more of the dry filler ingredients to adjust the consistency (chia seeds do this super well) if you need or want to, and if you happen to have them in the fridge. Grab small handfuls, roll into balls and place on the tray. Stick in the fridge for 1 hour to set before eating.

- The more you mix the nuts and oil/butter, the better the balls will “hold”.

- The balls will keep for several weeks.

Like my other books, this Chocolate Cookbook was put together with my Right Hand Chick Jo Foster, shot by my Dream Team Marija Ivkovic (photography) and Lee Blaylock (styling) at Rokeby Studios (in Melbourne), and designed by Lisa Valuyskaya (over in Italy!)

Also, I got to work with a bunch of special products on this cookbook. The best in the game!

Niugini coconut oil

Power Super Foods

Pureharvest

Vital Greens

Natvia

Thanks also to Robert Gordon Australia for the beautiful plates in several of the shots.

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Acai-Chia Mud

Superberry

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Chocolate Blackberry + Hazelnut Fudge Cake with Black Beans

Hello Chokito!

Instant Hot Chocolate

White Chocolate Truffles

Basic Raw Chocolate #1 (with cacao butter)

Basic Raw Chocolate # 2(with a blend of cacao butter + coconut oil)

Choc Chilli Bark

Berry Ripe

Coconut Rough Fudge

Almond Lemon Butter

Buckini Bar

Superberry

Superchoc

‘Stachio Mint

Peanut Shortcake

Fudgy Protein Bites

Spiced Chocolate Almonds

Raw Chocolate Strawberry Brownie

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Acai-Chia Mud

Fudgy Protein Bites

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Chocolate Granola Clusters

Mint Choc-Chip Ice Cream

Chocolate Coconut Butter

Coconut Rough Fudge

Coconut Butter Cups

Peppermint Patties

Chocolate Granola Clusters

Coconut Butter

Sweet Potato + Macadamia Fudge

Raw Chocolate Strawberry Brownie

Flourless Zucchini Brownie

Weetbix ‘n’ Milk Chocolate Slice

Chocolate Butter Bark

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes

Chocolate Blackberry + Hazelnut Fudge Cake with Black Beans

Chocolate Cashew Cream Tart

Chocolate Bark

Raspberry Ripple

Ice Magic

Choc Mint Slice

Hedgehog Slice

Jemma’s Chocolate Crackles

Sugar-free Nut-Ella

Protein Punch

Instant Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Tipped Macaroons

Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate + Almond Friands

Megan’s Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

Basic Raw Chocolate # 2(with a blend of cacao butter + coconut oil)

Basic Raw Chocolate #3 (with coconut oil)

Choc Chilli Bark

Berry Ripe

Coconut Rough Fudge

Almond Lemon Butter

Buckini Bar

Superberry

Superchoc

‘Stachio Mint

Peanut Shortcake

Fudgy Protein Bites

Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

Coconut Butter Cups

Peppermint Patties

Pumpkin Protein Cups

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream Hearts

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Chocolate Granola Clusters

Sweet Potato + Macadamia Fudge

Flourless Zucchini Brownie

Chocolate Butter Bark

Decadent Coconut Ganache Tart

Chocolate Tipped Macaroons

Choc-chip Oaties

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Cheesecake

Jules Clancy’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

Superchoc

Fudgy Protein Bites

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Chocolate Chip + Mint Whip

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Protein Punch

Fudgy Protein Bites

Sweet Potato + Macadamia Fudge

Flourless Zucchini Brownie

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes

Decadent Coconut Ganache Tart

Simple Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Hedgehog Slice

I Can't Believe It’s Not Milo

Anthia’s Sugar-Free Lamingtons

Sugar-free Nut-Ella

Mocha Chip Cookies

Bitter Cacao Macarons with Sweet Hazelnut Centres

Spiced Chocolate Almonds

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Sweet Potato + Macadamia Fudge

Flourless Zucchini Brownie

Weetbix ‘n’ Milk Chocolate Slice

Chocolate Butter Bark

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes

Chocolate Blackberry + Hazelnut Fudge Cake with Black Beans

Chocolate Cashew Cream Tart

Decadent Coconut Ganache Tart

Simple Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Paleo Chocolate + Coconut Muggin

Chocolate Bark

Raspberry Ripple

Ice Magic

Choc Mint Slice

Hedgehog Slice

I Can't Believe It’s Not Milo

Jemma’s Chocolate Crackles

Hello Chokito!

Anthia’s Sugar-free Lamingtons

Sugar-free Nut-Ella

Instant Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

Chocolate Tipped Macaroons

Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Bitter Cacao Macarons with Sweet Hazelnut Centres

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Cheesecake

Megan’s Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

Basic Raw Chocolate #1 (with cacao butter)

Basic Raw Chocolate # 2(with a blend of cacao butter + coconut oil)

Basic Raw Chocolate #3 (with coconut oil)

Choc Chilli Bark

Berry Ripe

Coconut Rough Fudge

Almond Lemon Butter

Buckini Bar

Superberry

Superchoc

‘Stachio Mint

Peanut Shortcake

Fudgy Protein Bites

Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

Coconut Butter Cups

Peppermint Patties

Pumpkin Protein Cups

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Spiced Chocolate Almonds

Chocolate Granola Clusters

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

Cashew Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Mint Choc-Chip Ice Cream

Paleo Chocolate + Coconut Muggin

Ice Magic

Homemade oreos

Instant Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Chip + Mint Whip

Mocha Chip Cookies

Choc-chip Oaties

Chocolate + Almond Friands

White Chocolate Truffles

Basic Raw Chocolate #1 (with cacao butter)

Basic Raw Chocolate # 2(with a blend of cacao butter + coconut oil)

Basic Raw Chocolate #3 (with coconut oil)

Choc Chilli Bark

Berry Ripe

Coconut Rough Fudge

Almond Lemon Butter

Buckini Bar

Superberry

Superchoc

‘Stachio Mint

Peanut Shortcake

Fudgy Protein Bites

Chocolate Chai Ice Cream Hearts

Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls

Whipped Coconut Milk Cream