Simple Chocolate Candies

simple chocolate candies with chia seeds added in

Most everybody likes some chocolate once in a while. But, sometimes you don't have any on hand or you want to go with something healthy or you don't want to go to the trouble of making them because it can be complicated and take a long time.

But, these candies are simple. Fast to make and as healthy as a candy that you are probably going to find.
The longest part is waiting for them to firm up enough to eat.

This will make enough for 12 candies.

You will need a mini muffin pan with 12 muffin cups.
You will need an immersion blender. A whisk will work or a regular blender.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons honey, preferably raw
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Possible add ins are chopped nuts, dried fruit, coconut, or chia seeds

Take out your mini muffin pan. If you want anything in your chocolate candies, sprinkle some of what you are using in the bottom of each cup.
Set aside.
Melt the coconut oil.
Put in a container that you can easily pour from and that will allow you to use the immersion blender or whisk. Or pour into the jar of blender.
Add the honey and blend in well so it does not separate.
Blend in the cocoa powder and optional vanilla extract.
Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups.
If you used a whisk, you will need to make sure to whisk between pours so the honey doesn't separate.
Put into the freezer and keep in there for 30-60 minutes until the candies have firmed.

You can now take them out of the muffin pan pretty easily.
I have never tried just plopping them out. I take a knife and carefully lift them out.

If you have raw cacao powder, you will also get additional health benefits.

I do recommend keeping these in the fridge so they don't melt or get too soft.

Life and Coconut

Wow! It's been so long since I put anything up here.
Things have been busy for me lately.

I took an impromptu trip to Cincinnati for a family problem.
Things are starting to settle back down and hopefully I will get more done on this little blog.

Lately I have done a little experimenting with coconut.
I have always been a fan of coconut oil.
The virgin organic unrefined is some pretty awesome stuff.

I decided to try some coconut flour and coconut sugar, as well.

I made some coconut flour chocolate chip cookies and those turned out pretty good.
I am going to try it for coating fried chicken next.
It is absorbent so a little goes a long way.

The coconut sugar is fine.
I don't think that I am completely sold on it.

It is pricey so you don't want to go crazy using it.
It is supposed to have a lower glycemic index than cane or beet sugar.
Plus, some added minerals and vitamins.

It is not as sweet as regular sugar or brown sugar so if you want the same sweetness, you will have to use quite a bit more.
It has more of a caramel taste. A deeper, more complex taste than brown sugar.

I don't mind it.
It is a nice change.
But, I don't plan to buy it again.

Molasses or maple syrup sweeten things nicely with some added minerals.
If I want to cut the sweet, I will use less cane sugar.

Now, there is a big difference in organic cane sugar and regular sugar and I buy the organic when I can.

The coconut flour is something I would buy again.
A bag will last me a long time so I feel it is worth what I paid for it.