Dairy Free Chocolate Treat
When I was young I never really understood all the fuss about Christmas food. Mince pies were OK but the pudding and cake were awful. I didn't like the dried fruit, the funny spices, the thick, sickly icing or the cream. To me Christmas dinner was one big roast dinner with the unwanted addition of smelly, mini-cabbage and dodgy looking beige gloop on the side. Don't even get me started on trifle!
Then one day my Mum bought Delia Smith's Christmas cook book and my outlook on Christmas changed forever. Interesting starters appeared and on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day there was chocolate puddings. First up was the Squidgy Chocolate Log and then there was the Chocolate Truffle Torte. Oh my goodness, I was in utter heaven. Best of all there were leftovers for days.
Fast forward a few year and it slowly dawns on me that the reason I grew up not likely anything with milk in was because milk disagrees with me. However my Mum was not having me grow up with rickets and growing old with brittle bones. Close on two decades of compulsory dairy products has left me with a learnt love of cream teas and a deep, psychological need to always have cheese in the fridge.
Sure, truffle torte made my stomach sound like a bubbling kettle but it was worth it for the shear heavenly taste. Then I had kids and it is very obvious that they seem to be having issues with milk too. I can't play fast and loose with their digestion and so I needed a dairy free alternative to my favourite Christmas treat and I needed it fast. This is the result, a mix of chocolate, coconut and rum. It doesn't have the depth as the Delia recipe but give me time and a few more tries and I will manage it. In the meantime, please try this recipe and let me know how it goes, I think it is very nice indeed, if a little rich.
Recipe
200g dark chocolate (I use the really cheap, supermarket versions, feel free to be more generous)
100g creamed coconut block,
80 g boiling water
1 dessert spoon of run (or other favourite alcohol. Or use a teaspoon of flavouring)
1 grated orange rind.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water
Finely chopped the creamed coconut
Mix the creamed coconut with the boiling water and stir well until you get a creamy paste
Stir in the orange rind and the flavouring (if using)
Stir the cocnut mix into the chocolate, mix well
Pour or spoon into a a suitable container. You can use just about any heat proof container for this.
Leave to too and then pop in the fridge to finish off
This cools to quite a solid dessert. I am experimenting with using a little more water each time, an extra 10g, until I get a more creamy finish to the dessert. At the moment it is like a chocolate bar left in a warm room.
