Making chocolate the easy way {VIDEO}

There’s no better feeling than giving something that’s truly caring . . . and getting the credit for being a magically creative chocolate maker.

Double Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

Needless to say, these candies are an all-around “yes.” The exterior chocolate coating will remain solid at room temperature, and the inside pocket is a soft, sweet blend of cacao and hazelnuts.

Out with the cane, in with the palm sugar (with video)

When I need a sweet boost in recipes I’ll always turn to fruit or stevia first (whole natural foods = yay!), but when those foods simply can’t pull the weight, it’s palm sugar comes to the rescue. I teamed up with superfoods company Navitas Naturals a couple weeks ago — who offers organic palm sugar — and shot this fun Navitas-style video for their “Chef’s Notes” video series.

No Bake Brownies

Undercover health benefits like antioxidants, good omega fats, potassium, magnesium (and more) nutritionally rank this dessert as more of an energy bar than an “extra 20 minutes on the treadmill indulgence.” Best of all, five ingredients plus five minutes is all it takes to go from zero to brownie.

Extreme vitamin C in cacao? The honest truth.

Despite popularized news, superfood company and cacao manufacturer Navitas Naturals have just released what they consider “the honest truth” — exposing that even when processed at low temperatures (i.e. “raw”), there is actually no vitamin C (ascorbic acid) present in cacao.

Instructions On How To Live A Better Life

If, perchance, the shiny happy people holding hands haven’t shown up at your door lately, let’s look at how we might be able to improve the mood. Hint: it starts with chocolate.

Love Berries

No recipe says LOVE quite like an offering of juicy strawberries dunked in lusciously rich homemade raw chocolate.

Freshly Minted

Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches: Another persuasive example of junk food without all of the junk. Luxurious and decadent, yet full of living whole foods, this innovative recipe is loaded with essential minerals and healthy fats.

Cheating With Chocolate

Instantaneous soft, moist, chocolatey enjoyment . . . with an extra crunch from cacao nibs.