27 Sep Homemade Chocolate Rum and Chocolate Martini’s

The first time I used cacao nibs was when I made Raw Vegan Brownies. I loved the intense, dark chocolate flavour they added.  Cacao nibs are considered a superfood and often used to make healthy smoothies and snacks. Me being me, I came up with a far less virtuous use for them.

By simpling roasting the nibs to intensify the flavour, and steeping them in white rum for 2 weeks, you have a delicious chocolate flavoured rum. I added a little sugar to balance out the slight bitterness, but this is of course optional.

A bottle of Chocolate Rum makes for a delicious home-made gift. Use it to make a tasty cocktail (see below) or a creamy Dom Pedro. Add a generous splash to hot chocolate or coffee for a boozy chocolate infusion. Yum!

Ingredients:

60g Superfoods Organic Cacao Nibs (available at Faithful to Nature)
375ml white rum
45ml sugar
45ml water

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 150°C. Spread the cacao nibs out onto a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
• Allow the roasted cacao nibs to cool then add to a glass jar or bottle and top up with the rum.
• Leave to stand for 2 weeks for the chocolate flavour to infuse. Shake the jar daily.
• After 2 weeks, strain the rum into a clean bottle. You may find some cacao butter has been extracted by the alcohol, so if your rum is a little cloudy then freeze it overnight and filter through filter paper (eg. coffee filters).
• Mix together the sugar and water, and add to rum. Shake well until fully dissolved.

Chocolate Martini’s:

3 parts Chocolate rum
2 parts cream liqueur (eg Bailey’s)
1 part vanilla vodka

Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and serve in a martini glass. Decorate with grated chocolate.