Give The Yogi Gift This Xmas: Make Vegan Chocolate!

living beyond the mat,

I know it might just look like a splodge on a tupperware lid, but believe me when I say this stuff is absolutely glorious! And I made it!!! 😀

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^_^My first ever homemade chocolate bark^_^

Christmas is approaching, and I’ve been busy planning my DIY presents.

To me, Christmas is beautiful through the vintage lens: home-made stockings with satsumas in the bottom, candlelit dinners, the smell of mulled wine, carolling, homemade decorations, the luxury of a gift or two…

Modern day Christmas just seems dull and trite in comparison. Overeating, overspending, over drinking, over decorating… to the point where we’re hearing Christmas songs straight after Halloween… is it just me or is it all just a bit tacky?

If you want to give a gift that’s

  • homemade

  • vintage inspired

  • delicious

  • in line with the practice of ahisma – meaning non harm (vegan)

  • beautiful looking

  • fun to make and makes your house smell divine (ooh two in one!)

then take a look at this short video recipe and enjoy!

You’ll need:

  • 1/2 cup of melted cocoa butter

  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence

  • 1 teaspoon of non-dairy milk powder

  • 1/2 cup of cashew butter

  • a pinch of salt

  • a blender, a spatula, a bowl for heating, a flat surface or a mould.

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I love the simplicity of it – it’s a great base for which I’m going to add lots of colourful goodies, so that it will hopefully look more like this:

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Taken from www.forkandbeans.com

Eating chocolate can be a beautiful experience:

  • Chocolate contains phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are both “feel good” chemicals

  • Because of this “feel good” element, we may think of it as an aphrodisiac

  • Eating good quality chocolate forces us to slow down and be present in the sensuous moment

It seems like yoga and chocolate are the perfect combination! I think a lovely idea for a winter-warming yoga practice would be a heart opening sequence with some healthy, vegan chocolate or even a cup of hot chocolate. (See my previous post for a healthy hot chocolate recipe.)

Now all I’m waiting on is my chocolate moulds and pretty wrappers to arrive – if all goes well watch this space for an update!

Published by living beyond the mat

I’m so glad you’ve had a peek at my blog! Follow me for yoga, food, fitness and mental wellbeing inspiration <3 Interested in the Vegan lifestyle? Want to explore the world of Yoga and learn all it’s lessons along the way with me? See my earliest posts for topics relating to my struggle with anxiety and depression. Since I discovered the power of Yoga a whole new world has opened up for me and it’s more than just more flexible hamstrings ;) Thanks for stopping by! xxx “You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” ― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life

1 Comment

  1. Update: I tried it WITHOUT the Soy Milk Powder & it was much better.
    I also used less sugar and a tiny bit less vanilla extract in my final batch. I also ran out of cashew butter so had to use less of that-my final batch was the tastiest!
    Toppings/fillings: peanut butter, coconut flakes, nuts, cranberries, golden sugar balls (weirdly the silver ones are non vegan but gold seem to be fine!)
    I’d love to do the next batch with hazelnut butter…
    I added cocoa powder to make 1/2 white 1/2 dark chocolates, and for the dark mixture I added an extra pinch of salt.

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