Homemade raw chocolate made with honey, pomegranate, and orange for a juicy, fruity chocolate bar. Raw chocolate has piles of health benefits and only takes a few minutes to make - this version is holiday inspired and mades a pretty food gift.
Prepare a container or loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper.
In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let it touch the water), gently melt the cacao butter. Remove from the heat as soon as it's melted and whisk in the honey, mixing until it's fully incorporated (see tips).
Whisk in the cacao powder, ginger, vanilla, and salt until combined and glossy looking. Pour the chocolate into the prepared container and top with the pomegranate, bee pollen, and orange zest. The pomegranate seeds will sink slightly into the chocolate.
Place the chocolate into the fridge to solidify for at least two hours, then break into pieces and serve. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for up to three days.
Notes
• Whisk the honey into the cacao butter for a little extra time than you think you need to. If you don't mix them together fully, they don't emulsify, and your chocolate runs the risk of separation. See this post for a photo and extra guidelines if you're not sure what to look for. Your honey/cacao mixture should look like soft butter before you add the cacao powder. • Different types of honey will result in different flavours of chocolate - for an especially fruity taste, try wildflower honey if you have it. * Coconut oil can be substituted for all or some of the cacao butter, but the texture and flavour isn't nearly as good. Spring for cacao butter if you can, it lasts a long time, and is cheaper to buy online than in the grocery store. ** For a vegan option, use maple syrup in place of the honey. The chocolate will be a little less soft than it is made with honey, and will no longer be raw. *** Only zest the orange part of the fruit, not the white pith underneath. The pith is very bitter. Use a microplane if you have one.