Delicious and healthy chocolates- the perfect snack to take on those Autumn mushroom forays!   Raw cacao contains bitter tasting flavonols – a class of flavanoids antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.  Lucuma is gluten-free with essential trace elements, fibre, vitamins and minerals… And coconut butter contains potassium, magnesium, and iron plus has anti-microbial properties. Suffice to say the berries and nuts are very good for you too!

The non-foraged ingredients in this recipe can be found in most health food shops.

Note:  You might try adapting this recipe, adding Meadowsweet pollen or substituting Sloes for Sea Buckthorn berries.

You will need:

• A medium sized saucepan for your bain-marie.
• A second, slightly smaller pan.

 Method:

Pour hot water into the saucepan- enough so that it does not spill over the sides when you add the second pan to the saucepan or bain-marie.

Add the creamed coconut butter, lucuma, cacao paste and cacao butter to the second pan, then place this in the bain-marie. Let the ingredients melt, without putting a lid on the pan. This is to avoid condensation (you do not want water in your mixture as fat and water do not mix).

Keep the mixture over the hot water as you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop the Mulberries and gin soaked Sloes and whiz the Hazelnuts.

Add these ingredients to the mixture once it is melted and stir.

Finally spoon the mixture into your moulds and very carefully put in the fridge. Leave to set overnight.