We hardly need convincing when it comes to eating chocolate this Easter. But in a new cookbook, The Goodness of Raw Chocolate, Kathy Kordalis extols the virtues of cacao by sharing 40 of her favourite sweet and savoury recipes packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and fibre, such as these family friendly lollipops.

Dried fruit & cacao lollipops

*vegetarian *gluten-free *dairy-free

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Makes 16 x 5cm diameter lollipops

Kids just love these – especially if they have been involved in making them. I always keep a stash in the fridge and offer them as an afternoon treat to friends when they pop round.

You will need silicone lollipop moulds and lollipop sticks for the moulded lollipops, or alternatively, wooden sticks, a piping bag with a small plain tip and greaseproof paper for the “chocolate lace” lollipops.

200g raw chocolate buttons or raw chocolate (80% cacao), broken into pieces

100g mixed dried fruit and nuts (for example, raisins, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries, sliced dried figs and bee pollen)

1. Melt the chocolate in a bainmarie (a heatproof bowl placed over simmering water), stirring occasionally.

For moulded lollipops

2. Put some dried fruit and nuts into each of the lollipop moulds, put the lollipop sticks into the moulds, then top with melted chocolate until the moulds are almost full. Smooth out with a knife if you need to. Top the chocolate-filled moulds with more dried fruit and nuts to make double-sided lollipops, arranging in the pattern of your choice.

3. Place in the fridge to set for an hour before serving.

For “chocolate lace” lollipops

2. Using a glass as a template, draw circles on greaseproof paper, spacing them out. Fit a piping bag with a small plain tip, then fill the bag with the melted chocolate.

3. Place a lollipop stick on each circle with one end of the stick at the centre of the circle. Pipe overlapping lines of chocolate in swirls inside each circle. Scatter some dried fruit and nuts on top, then pipe a little more of the chocolate on top of the fruit and nuts so they are well attached.

4. Allow to set for 30 minutes in the fridge before carefully detaching the chocolate lollipops from the paper. CL

The Goodness of Raw Chocolate by Kathy Kordalis is published by Kyle Books.