Raspberry & Rose Hot Chocolate

Who doesn’t love a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. It’s warming, rich in flavor, full of antioxidants and may give you a nice little energy boost as well.

This hot chocolate recipe emerged from a need to stay warm while also incorporating a bit of herbal wellness not to mention my impatient need to make a cup of hot chocolate in less time. Infusing Raspberries and rose petals into this, more-or-less, traditional hot chocolate does just that.

If you also have an autoimmune condition like I do, perhaps you’ll understand this need for simplicity through hacks as one that helps me manage fatigue and brain fog throughout the day with a bit less stress and more ease. .

Raspberries and their leaves have been used as an herbal remedy for thousands of years and are an excellent source of antioxidants.

While rose petals on the other hand help to infuse a sense of soft strength in the body and mind. Roses have been used in herbal medicine for centuries. Dried roses in particular have even been found in Egyptian tombs. The petals of the rose are aromatic and fragrant and can be cooked down, eaten raw, mixed into cakes and desserts or into more savory dishes as well.

Rose petals are an excellent grief and heart tonic. They increase your love of life and deepen your relationship to yourself and others. According to Robin Rose Bennet, rose petals are a great plant to have on hand when you’re grieving the loss of a relationship or have gotten into an argument with a loved one.

Roses are undoubtedly beautiful but they’re also not the easiest to reach - they’re thorny as hell and will prick you if you’re not careful. Yet, this is also part of their beauty and magic because this is how they teach us to show up for ourselves and others by holding strong boundaries.

So, when you’re making these little chocolate bombs to put into your hot chocolate, know you’re also working on flexing those boundaries and elevating your heart.

To Make This Recipe:

You will need the following items for this recipe:

Dried rose petals: You can use either fresh or dried. If you have fresh, you’ll need to dry them first so they lose their moisture. Once they’re dried, they’ll be ready to use. If you have a Mom’s Organic Market near you, or another natural food store that has dried herbs you can stock up on them there. But if you’re not sure, live in a rural area or just like ordering online like I do, you can purchase some from Bulk Herb Store, or Mountain Rose Herbs or HerbCo

Raspberry Jam: I make a simple raspberry jam using fresh or frozen raspberries. Frozen works better in my opinion but fresh would also work. I do this by placing frozen raspberries onto the stove. As they heat up, the juices will break down and they’ll begin to soften. When they do, I add in some tapioca or arrowroot starch to thicken the mixture as well as some rose hips for a touch of added vitamin C.

Dark Chocolate: I’m using dark chocolate from Pascha in this recipe. Any type of 100% dark chocolate will do. You can really use any kind of chocolate you desire. I just prefer dark. I also love using Baker’s Dark Chocolate.

Alternatively, you can make your own carob chocolate if you are intolerant to cacao. You’ll do this by mixing together equal parts carob powder with palm shortening, mixing them together until smooth. Pour this into chocolate molds of your choice and freeze overnight. Keep stored in the freezer until you are ready to use.

Full Fat Coconut Milk: I prefer to use full fat coconut milk when making hot chocolate as it makes it creamy and gives a touch of natural sweetness from the coconut. If you’re allergic to coconut products you could also use any nut milk or choice such as cashew or almond milk and if you’re on the autoimmune protocol you can try making your own tigernut milk. Here’s a quick and easy recipe from my friend Stephanie. Homemade Tigernut Milk

Silicone Molds: These are a few molds I have at home. Any you think are cute and fun will work for this recipe. Here is one I got for halloween and I think it’s so cute that I use it all year round.

INGREDIENTS:

2-4 tbsp homemade raspberry jam
2-4 tbsp dried rose petals
4.5 oz melted dark chocolate chips or bar
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1-2 cups boiling water
1 scoop collagen powder (optional)
Date syrup, to taste (optional)

Raspberry Jam:

6 oz frozen raspberries
½ tbsp tapioca starch (sub arrowroot flour)
2 tbsp rose hips (optional but encouraged)

Carob Bombs Variation:

1 cup carob powder
1 cup palm shortening, melted

PREPARATIONS:

Make your raspberry jam first:

Place the frozen raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow them to begin to break down naturally as the pan heats up, making sure to keep stirring and smushing them with your spatula to break the juices up even more.
Once the raspberries begin to look wet and have thinned out, add in the rose hips and continue to cook on low heat while stirring. Once the rose hips have cooked down a little bit - roughly 3 to 5 minutes, add in the tapioca starch. Stir once more.
Then, turn off the heat. You should have a nice thick raspberry jam ready to go. Store any leftovers in the fridge and use them throughout the week as needed.

Chocolate Bombs:

Place your chocolate chips in a small saucepan or double broiler and melt them on a stove or in your microwave.
Pour enough melted chocolate into the bottom or each mold, filling it about ⅓ of the way. Freeze for 10-15 minutes until it’s rock solid.
Once it’s solid remove from the freezer and place a dollop of raspberry jam in the center of each chocolate and add some rose petals on top. Fill the rest with the remaining chocolate and freeze again for about two hours or until the chocolates are rock hard.
Remove from molds, place in plastic bags or a container of your choice and store in the freezer.

Carob Bombs:

In a small bowl mix together the melted palm shortening with the carob powder until it’s smooth and no lumps remain.
Pour enough melted carob mixture into the bottom or each mold, filling it about ⅓ of the way. Freeze for 10-15 minutes until it’s rock solid. This may take a little longer since carob is less stable than chocolate.
Once it’s solid remove from the freezer and place a dollop of raspberry jam in the center of each carob and add some rose petals on top. Fill the rest with the remaining carob mixture and freeze again for about two hours or until the chocolates are rock hard.
Remove from molds, place in plastic bags or a container of your choice and store in the freezer.