chocolate crackles

We have another no-bake goody for you; this one to add a bit of fanfare to lunchboxes and comfort to afternoon tea.

The humble chocolate crackle can be traced back to an advertisement in the Australian Women's Weekly, in 1937. The ad and accompanying recipe were created by the company behind COPHA, which is a solidified, hydrogenated coconut oil.

That's right - COPHA is coconut oil! All these years I thought it was some kind of chemical margarine-type creation. 

But before you go running to the supermarket to stock up on COPHA, pay heed to an important word in its description: hydrogenated. Hydrogenated coconut oil helps keep the oil solid in warm temperatures but also increases the amount of trans fats, which is not good for us.

Our recipe uses untreated extra virgin coconut oil instead. The crackles still set and are transportable and don't have to be eaten with a spoon.

​Makes 24 small or 12 regular

Ingredients:
2 cups Crispy Rice Puffs
1/4 cup Rapadura Sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut
1/4 cup Alkalised Cocoa Powder*
1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil

Method:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl, then pour in the coconut oil. Stir gently to combine.

Place spoonfuls of mixture into mini baking cups and pop in the fridge. They'll take about 30 mins to set.

Chocolate crackles will keep in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3 days, or for up to 6 weeks in the freezer.

*alkalised cocoa powder and raw cacao powder are interchangeable in this recipe.