Sometimes a good cup of joe requires a piece of dark chocolate to nibble on while you are drinking your favorite coffee beverage.  There are times when I want to create my own dark chocolate made with cacao powder and raw virgin coconut oil.  Other times I want to sink my teeth into some artisan chocolate like Dagoba or Sharffenberger Chocolate.  My favorite chocolate is always the one that is nearest to my computer desk.

As I was typing away on my Macbook Sunday night, some friends stopped by to sing Christmas carols because I was unable to sing with them. I offered them some home made dark chocolate hoping that I would have at least one piece for morning coffee.  Luck was on my side because there was enough chocolate for me to eat for the next two days.

Having a nice chunk of dark chocolate with coffee is very nice treat.  It’s totally ying-yang.  It’s not that I need to eat chocolate with every cup that I drink.  I am a firm believer that a cup of coffee should taste good enough to drink it on it’s own merits.

Being an avid home roaster and health food aficionado, I sort of created my own version of healthy dark chocolate.  Hear me out before you think that I am a hypocrite. Dark chocolate when eaten in small quantities is actually good for you.  It’s high in antioxidants.   I make my dark chocolate with virgin coconut oil, organic raw cacao powder, shredded coconut, a small amount of unprocessed sweetener like maple syrup, rapadura, or coconut sugar.

Killer Dark Cherry Chocolate Recipe

2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup almonds
dash of salt
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 to 1 cup of raw cacao powder (depends on how strong you like it!)
dried unsweetened cherries or whatever dried fruits that you like.

This is the tricky part.  You need either a good food processor or commercial blender to make this correctly.  I blend the entire mess in my Vitamix.  You need to be careful so you don’t burn out the motor.  I use a tap-release method.  Blend until it liquifies.  Pour the liquid into silicon ice cube trays or chocolate candy molds.  Add a dried cherry or piece of dried fruit to each cube of chocolate.

Let this sit in the refrigerator until firm and enjoy!  Use small ice cube trays to mold the chocolate, because it looks so professional.  I often give a few pieces away as gifts to my friends and they totally love it.

You can eat this chocolate guilt free.  It’s not going to kill you.  Coconut oil has health benefits too.  Do a Google search because this is a coffee blog and I cannot or will not offer medical advice.  I am no purist and consume both healthy and unhealthy food.  If you want to stay cancer free, then stop eating.

Make a cup of single origin French  press coffee.  Sit back and enjoy this treat.  Both  coffee and chocolate seem to taste better when enjoyed with friends and loved once, so make sure that you share this with your friends and family on Facebook.

The Good Stuff That You Don’t Have To Make

 I think I have managed to scarf down at least 10 pounds of Dagoba dark chocolate this year.  Have you ever tried Dagoba chocolate?  It’s amazing organic  artisan chocolate made in Oregon.  It’s slightly sweet and they make a dozen or so different varieties.  This is not your garden variety chocolate!  My sister who owns a food brokerage company turned me on to this decadent chocolate several years ago at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.  They had pallets of all their artisan chocolates for sampling.  My samples were handfuls.  I like the dark chocolate that contains some spicy hot red pepper as a sensory kick that caused me to blink a few times.

Every year for Christmas, my 2 boys buy me the Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate Bar from Trader Joe’s.  I find it a little on the sweet side, but I cannot be too choosy since it’s a traditional gift from my kids.  I am as picky about my chocolate as I am with my coffee.  It has to be great or I will not indulge in it.

If you are getting hungry for dark chocolate and coffee, click on the Dagoba chocolate bar below and order a 6 pack today from Amazon.