Paleo Salted Chocolate Orange Super Fudge

 

Alright I will own up to this now – I am a super Himalayan pink salt fan. In fact I don’t think people eat enough salt, well at least the good stuff! Himalayan pink salt contains over 80 minerals and trace elements that all aid in getting your electrolyte balance regulated, lowers your blood pressure, improves your skin and even aids against muscle cramps.  I drink a glass of water with 1/2 teaspoon dissolved into it first thing in the morning (according to Dave Asprey this is great for adrenal fatigue). This concoction is also known as ‘sole’.

I love salted sweet things; salmiakki, salted caramel, you name it and I will probably eat it! So I guess this is what got me onto making this beautiful tasting fudge. I also love chocolate orange fudge too I thought why not give a go at salting it?! If this sounds a little too weird for your tastebuds then by all means feel free not to salt it but I think you will be missing out on a bit of a treat, and of course some of the great health benefits Himalayan pink salt totes – yes this is what I said to myself in my head whilst munching through half of the block, naturally.

The best thing about this is that it is super fast to make and the setting time is fairly minimal too. You don’t have to muck about making any condensed milk and all of your sugar comes from the medjool dates that you will use. If you are vegan I have placed in some substitutions for the raw grass-fed butter, but of course you will lose that traditional buttery fudge taste and end up with a slightly more coconutty one but I don’t think this is a bad thing and all, and you will probably find that it feels like an even cleaner treat doing so.

I used raw cacao solids instead of powder as I always prefer the texture – don’t forget that raw chocolate has a whole host of health benefits; from improving digestion to enhancing the libido (wit woo – insert your best winky emoji here people). It also aids cardiovascular function, neutralises free radicals due it its high antioxidant content, and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals.  So that is why I have called it a ‘Super Fudge’, not just because it is too darn tasty (although it really is).

So by eating this yes you may be indulging in a sugary treat but it contains a healthy dosage of good fats, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals! What could be better?!

Yields: 16 large blocks

Preparation Time: 10 minutes (plus 1 hour setting)

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

180g cacao solids
100g raw grass-fed butter (or sub for 25g coconut oil & 75g coconut manna)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp lucuma (optional)
1 tbsp orange extract
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
13 medjool dates (pitted)

Method:

1. Start by breaking down your cacao solids, you ca do this using a grating attachment with your food processor or just simply place in a ziplock back, push all of the air out, cover with a tea towel and go to town on it with a rolling pin – I mean really give it a solid beating, don’t be shy!
2. Once your cacao is prepped, place into a medium sized heat proof bowl, with the butter, & coconut milk. Place over a bain marie on a low heat until full melted. Be sure to give this a stir every now and then too. You could melt this all in a saucepan but I feel that you are more likely to damage the beneficial properties of your raw cacao, so the choice is yours!
3. Once melted remove from the heat and leave to cool until it is easy to handle. Pour into your food processor with the rest of your ingredients and pulse a few times before leaving to process for a good 5 minutes. Be sure to remove the lid and scrape down the sides every now and then.
4. Grease and line a suitable sized dish with greaseproof paper (I used a 19cm x 14cm 0.8L capacity Pyrex dish) be sure to leave enough excess so that you can lift the fudge out. Pour in your fudge mix and smooth out using a spatula or palette knife. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Place into your refrigerator for 45 minutes until fully set. Remove the fudge by carefully lifting the sides of the greaseproof paper, you may want to even gently pry and the sides of the dish using a palette knife.
6. Once removed cut into large blocks, I cut them 6 cubes by 3 but just cut them to your preferred size!
7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 1 week of making!