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Photo by Łukasz Nieścioruk on Unsplash
Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. When Irish immigrants moved to the U.S., they began carving jack-o’-lanterns from pumpkins, as these were native to the region. … The folklore about Stingy Jack was quickly incorporated into Halloween, and we’ve been carving pumpkins—or turnips—ever since. (https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween)
An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585, but they may pre-date this. There are many references to the custom during the 18th and 19th centuries in the Celtic countries of Scotland, Ireland, Mann and Wales.
In America, the first Halloween celebrations were a way to mark the end-of-year harvest season, and the food that was served mainly consisted of homemade seasonal treats like caramel apples and mixed nuts. There were no cakes or candies, to be found.Back in the 1950s and 1960s, kids could expect to get nuts, coins, or toys from certain houses, and if they did get a sweet treat, it was typically a home-baked good. But as trick-or-treating grew in popularity, the economic and ease factors of candy began to make it the more popular giveaway. (https://www.thekitchn.com/why-do-we-give-out-candy-on-halloween-236744)
Busy moms liked candy as a giveaway because it was premade and prepackaged; also, it was easy to buy in bulk. And by the 1970s, candy was pretty much the sole thing given out on Halloween.
I always tried to bake or find a “healthier treat” for my children and neighbors.
Here is a simple, yet delicious recipe to try:
Author: Rebecca Coomes, The Healthy GutMeal Type: Desserts, Snacks, Treats
Diet Type: Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Grain free, Phase 2 Reduce and Repair, Vegetarian
Cooking Time: Under 1 hourPrep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Yields: 25
I love chocolate, and I love coconut and so it was only natural that I would combine the two to create these sensational chocolate coconut bites. They are just sweet enough to keep your cravings at bay, and because they are in little bite-sized portions, it is easy to monitor how many you are eating.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup shredded coconut, plus extra for dusting
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 cup raw cacao butter, chopped
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ – 1 tsp stevia
Method
- Place the shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil and honey in a food processor. Blitz until well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, take a small amount of coconut mixture and roll it into a ball. Place on the tray and repeat until all of the mixture has been used. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Once the coconut bites have frozen, make the chocolate. Place the cacao butter in a plastic or heat resistant bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until the cacao butter has melted, stirring between each zap, and it has reached 105F – 113F.
- Sift in the cacao powder and stevia, mixing thoroughly to combine.
- Cover a cool surface with parchment paper, then pour the chocolate mixture on to it.
- Using a spatula, move the chocolate around constantly until it thickens to a toothpaste consistency. Return it to the bowl and microwave it in 5-second intervals until the temperature is between 82F – 93F, mixing between each zap to remove any lumps.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the bites from the freezer. Cover the coconut bites completely with melted chocolate then sprinkle with shredded coconut.
- The chocolate will set quickly due to the cool temperature of the bites.
- Refrigerate for 5 minutes if required. The bites will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for several days.
- Reageer