Fair and Sweet
Fill a homemade box with handcrafted Fairtrade chocolates.
Make your own handmade Fairtrade chocolates
You can make these three delicious chocolates using simple kitchen tools. Vegan and gluten-free, they are perfect for entertaining or to give as a special gift for a friend or loved one.
Start with a quality plain Fairtrade dark chocolate that has a high level of cocoa solids (50% or more). I used a mix of various Whittaker’s dark chocolates.
Create a simple double boiler by placing a stainless-steel bowl over a medium-sized pot. Pour several cups of water into the pot, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
For an extra fancy touch, decorate some using edible gold paint.
Handmade box
Stiff white card Ruler, pencil and eraser Sharp scissors or stanley knife Double-sided tape Cut the card to shape, as pictured, using sharp scissors or ruler and stanley knife. Score along all edges using a ruler and the scissor ends. Fold scored edges. Attach double-sided tape to the outer flaps of the box. Pinch corners into place. Fold flaps in and press firmly into place.
Salty and Sweet Dark Chocolate Almonds
100g Fairtrade dark chocolate (I used a mix of Whittaker’s dark chocolates)
2 cups whole almonds, raw
and unsalted 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (I used
Mrs Rogers Coarse Sea Salt)
2 tbsp Fairtrade muscovado sugar (I used Trade Aid sugar) Preheat the oven to 150°C. Break the chocolate into pieces into the metal bowl and slowly melt using the double boiler (instructions previous page). Meanwhile, spread the nuts out on a baking tray and lightly roast for approximately 10 minutes. Check the nuts often to make sure they are not overcooking. Put the salt and sugar in a mortar and pestle. Combine the mixture together, half breaking up the salt granules, but not grinding them smooth. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle with half of the salt and sugar mix. Set aside. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk it smooth using a metal whisk. Stir the almonds into the chocolate, making sure to coat each one. Using a spatula, tip the entire chocolate mix on to the prepared baking tray, spreading the nuts evenly across the salt and sugar mix. Sprinkle the remaining salt and sugar mix on top. Place the tray in the fridge or freezer to set. Once the chocolate is set gently break the nut mix into small chunks. Serve as is or put into clean and dry upcycled glass jars as gifts. Store your chocolate almonds in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Cointreau Beetroot Truffles
125g Fairtrade dark chocolate
5 tbsp of coconut cream (use the thick white solids not the milk)
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
8 tsp Cointreau (or other
orange-flavoured liqueur) beetroot powder for dusting (I used Chantal Organic Beetroot Powder)
Break the chocolate into pieces into the metal bowl with the coconut cream and slowly melt using the double boiler. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and continue to simmer gently, without stirring, until all the chocolate has melted.
Once the chocolate has completely melted, take the bowl off the heat and use the metal whisk to combine. Continue to whisk as you one by one mix in the coconut oil, maple syrup and Cointreau. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) until it has become firm.
With clean, damp hands and a rounded teaspoon, scoop out the thickened mixture and gently shape into small balls. Sprinkle some beetroot powder in a bowl and roll the balls to cover. Store covered in the fridge or freezer.
Salted Caramel Walnut Balls
11/2 cups dried dates, pitted
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp soft brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp flax seed, ground (linseed and flax seed are different names for the
same seed. I used Ceres Organics ground linseed)
200g walnuts
200g Fairtrade dark chocolate
1 tbsp coconut oil
Chop the dates in half and combine in a bowl with the water and sugar. Leave for several hours (ideally overnight) for the dates to soften. Tip: To skip this step use medjool dates, which are soft and sweet and can be simply pitted and used as is.
Put the dates mixture and salt in a food processor and blend until they form a smooth mixture. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the ground flax seed and combine.
Once the date mix is smooth, add the walnuts and pulse to chop the walnuts into small pieces while retaining some nutty chunkiness. By now the mix should be a thick, rough paste.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Using a tablespoon and with clean, damp hands, scoop out small balls and roll them into walnut-sized balls. Place on the prepared baking tray and freeze for 30 minutes, or overnight, to set.
Break the chocolate into pieces into the metal bowl with the coconut oil and slowly melt using the double boiler.
Remove the bowl from the double boiler and one by one, drop the frozen balls into the warm chocolate mix. Use a fork to gently turn each ball so it is fully covered with chocolate. Use the fork to lift each ball from the bowl of melted chocolate. Hold the fork above the bowl and with a knife, scrape any excess chocolate dribbling through the bottom of the fork before carefully transferring the ball to the baking tray. Once all balls are covered with the chocolate mix, return the tray to the freezer to set.
Once set, you can stack the balls in a sealable container with layers separated by baking paper, and store for several weeks in the fridge. Serve straight from the freezer or fridge. For softer truffles, allow them to first come to room temperature.