Homemade "Clif" Bars

Mr. Right and I bought some Clif Bars the other day.  We were away from home and needed an emergency snack.  Well, those things aren't cheap!  So, I decided to come up with a homemade version.  Here it is:
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup peanuts
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup flax seeds

Process in food processor then press firmly into baking dish.  Refrigerate then cut into squares.

Yummy!

These are super good!  As you can tell, we started eating them before I could even get them cut into squares!

Is All Cocoa Powder Created Equal?

I like to make hot chocolate and many other chocolate things.  That got me to wondering...how natural is the cocoa I buy?

 Cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor is pressed to remove three quarters of its cocoa butter.  The remaining cocoa solids are processed to make fine unsweetened cocoa powder.   There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural and Dutch-processed.

Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. It has a reddish-brown color, mild flavor, and is easy to dissolve in liquids.   Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands.

Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods.  Its intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes.  Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger. from here

Now...

How is cocoa powder made?
Cocoa beans are roasted, then ground to a paste. Afterward, the thick paste is pressed between hydraulic plates, which squeezes out about half of the excess cocoa butter. (Cocoa beans are about 50% fat.) What’s left is a hard disk of cocoa powder, which is then grated into a fine powder. Most cocoa powders are between 20-22% fat, which is why most low-fat chocolate desserts call for cocoa powder. found here

So, in a sense, all cocoa powders are created equal.  It doesn't seem like one is made more naturally than the other which is good....because....I like my hot chocolate!  :)

My Secret Hot Chocolate

My secret hot chocolate recipe comes from the back of the Hershey's cocoa container.  Not very secret, huh?  Actually, I modified it because I think Hershey's is trying to give you a sugar high.

Here's how it goes:
2 tsp sucanat (or whatever sugar you use)
2 tsp cocoa
1 cup milk (We use almond milk.  Oh, how I wish I had a milk cow....or a goat...)

Warm all ingredients in a pot on the stove. (Give up the microwave.  You know you should.)  Make sure your sucanat dissovles.

Then....viola...hot chocolate.  Skip the marshmallows.  You know those aren't natural.

You can't get goodness like this out of a package.