Recipes

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Here’s how to transform your Organic Nectars Half-Pound Raw Chocolate into a whole pound (about 25 pieces) of Raw Chocolate Dipped Sublime Berries! 

For the budding chocolatiers out there, we’re gonna give you an exciting and E-Z method for tempering our coating chocolate for a professional snap and finish. For the rest of us who are into instant chocolate gratification please be happy because our  amazing Raw Chocolate may be used for dipping in two ways.  The first is a simple Fondue-style, that is, no special technique needed. The coating will be firm but not snappy.  

If you can’t be bothered with the E-Z alchemy of Raw Chocolate tempering, just melt and dip.

Either way, you need to chop and melt out your  Organic Nectars Half Pound  Raw Chocolate Bar. The easiest way to melt out and hold your Raw Protocol Chocolate is in your raw food dehydrator (such as the Excalibur 9-tray) at 105°F. 

It takes about an hour to melt out ½ pound of chopped chocolate at that temperature, but by using the dehydrator you can melt it out ahead of time, and hold it at 105°F till needed. 

Equipment needed for either fondue dip or tempered coating:

• One sheet pan lined with parchment paper
• One small stainless steel or thick ceramic bowl (one bowl per chocolate variety being used)
• Small rubber or silicone spatula (one spatula per chocolate variety being used)
• Food Dehydrator such as Excalibur nine-tray or other  low-temperature convection dehydrator
• Plastic cutting board
• Heavy serrated knife or multi-pronged ice pick or chocolate fork (for chopping chocolate)
• Strainer to drain washed berries
• Sanitary towel for carefully drying washed drained berries

Additional equipment for E-Z  Raw Chocolate Tempering (snappy shell coating):

• Candy Thermometer or Oven Probe Thermometer or Infrared Thermometer
• Microplane grater or other very fine grater
• A clean small dish for grated chocolate (the ‘seed’ chocolate, the professional secret for no-fail chocolate tempering), one bowl per chocolate variety. 

Ingredients:

• One(1) Half-Pound Block of Organic Nectars Raw Cacao Chocolate Valentine Bar Of Love (any variety)
• One Pound fresh ripe organic strawberries, do NOT remove tops, you will need them to dip. 

Procedures for Simple Fondue Dipping Chocolate (or Tempered Coating Chocolate):

• Chop chocolate bar into at least the 16 pre-scored segments with serrated knife or multi-pronged ice pick or chocolate fork. (Tempered Version Only: Grate about half of one of these segments into a small dish, measure one level tablespoon of the grated chocolate  and reserve for later use.)
• Place remaining chopped chocolate in small stainless steel or thick ceramic bowl and melt out in 105°F dehydrator. Once the chocolate is fully melted out it will hold in the dehydrator at that temperature till you are ready to dip (or to temper and dip). Stir often with spatula to facilitate even melt, if planning to temper check temperature often with accurate thermometer. If you do not cheat by cranking up the dehydrator, this will take about an hour to fully melt. Again, you can do this ahead and hold in your dehydrator ‘hot box’ at proper temperature till ready to use.
• While chocolate is melting, line sheet pan with parchment paper. Bring berries to room temperature, rinse them in cool water, drain gently, dry THOROUGHLY with towels, set aside. Make certain there is zero water left on the berries (check under the green tops) because even one drop of moisture can mess up the entire chocolate love fest and be a real buzzkill.
• When bowl of melted chocolate is ready at 105°F, remove from dehydrator  and stir with spatula, cleaning off sides of bowl and keeping chocolate mass together.  The more you work it here the smoother it will be. This is a cool down phase.  If you do not want to engage in the easy seed tempering method, just keep stirring till the chocolate cools down a little, then, holding a strawberry by the stem, dip your berries one at a time and deposit them on the parchment lined pan. If you are using a thermometer, the ideal temperature even for Fondue dipping is 87°F, if you have the patience to wait. 

Now for the tempering steps.

• At 105°F, remove from dehydrator. Stir and check temperature constantly till chocolate falls to 92°F. Stir in your tablespoon of  grated ’seed’ chocolate. Stir vigorously for about a minute to melt out seed (stir out any visible particles) but do not put back to heat. At this point monitor chocolate temperature closely. As soon as temperature falls to 87°F, working quickly, hold strawberry by stem, dip and turn to coat  leaving ¼ inch at top exposed, drip off excess into bowl, and place on parchment to set up. This shell will solidify in a few minutes in a fairly cool room. Store in cool area but not fridge. Enjoy within two days maximum. 

Tempering Organic Nectars Raw Chocolate Coating for Dipped Strawberries is sweet and easy! 

By the way, don’t forget to share your berries with friends and lovers.  

That’s the whole point!