Lavender and Blueberry Raw Chocolate Bars

Oh yeah. This is a good one. It is based on a recipe in Ani Phyo's Raw Food Desserts book which was the first raw food book I ever bought and is still a standby...however, many times I use her recipes as a springboard to my own version, as in the case of the following bars...

You can vary the proportion of coconut oil to cacao butter, change up the nuts and swap out the berries to make whatever flavor of chocolate you like!

These are amazingly good and also way better for you than cooked and refined chocolate! You can get raw cacao powder and raw cacao butter at specialty foods and health foods stores, or online at upayanaturals or another raw foods distributor.  You could also just use regular cocoa if you can't find the raw stuff - it won't be as healthy but you will still be better off than with a Mr. Big, let's say...

The lavender acts as a subtle undertone here - it isn't overpowering...give it a try!

Lavender and Blueberry Raw Chocolate Bars
1/4 cup melted cacao butter*
3/4 cup melted coconut oil*
4 tbsp raw honey or 3 tbsp agave
1 tbsp dried lavender flowers (dry your own from your garden, like I do, or you can buy them at fine tea shops like Britannia Teas in St. John's)
3/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries (I picked mine on Signal Hill and dehydrated them this summer...didn't you?)
1/2 cup currants
pinch of himalayan salt

*to melt the cacao, grate some with a grater into a small bowl. Stand this small bowl in another bowl of boiling water until the cacao melts. Do the same to melt the coconut oil in another set of bowls. You can vary the proportion of cacao to coconut oil here - the more cacao, the more solid the bars will stay at room temperature.

Combine melted cacao butter, coconut oil, honey and lavender flowers in blender and blend well. Add the cacao powder, almond butter and salt and blend till smooth. Pour into a bowl and add the dried fruit and walnuts and stir to combine. Pour into a parchment paper-lined casserole dish and put in the freezer to harden, about 15-20 minutes. Turn out on a cutting board and cut into small rectangles. Store in the freezer for months or the fridge for weeks, or just eat them immediately...