Healthy White Chocolate Paleo Fudge
Ingredients
3/4 cup (252 g) pure maple syrup
6 ounces raw cacao butter (food grade), chopped*
3 ounces virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup (125 g) coconut butter (make your own by blending whole dried coconut in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
*Raw cacao butter is not cheap. If you don’t want to buy it, you can substitute it with 3 ounces (84 g) nonhydrogenated vegetable oil and 3 ounces (84 g) virgin coconut oil. The fudge won’t taste like chocolate, but it will still be delicious.
Instructions
Line a standard loaf pan (for thick fudge) or an 8-inch square pan (for thinner fudge) with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, bring the maple syrup to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is reduced by about half (about 5 minutes).
While the maple syrup is reducing, in a medium-size heat-safe bowl, place the cacao butter, coconut oil and coconut butter. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water, making sure the heat-safe bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot. Melt the cacao butter, coconut oil and coconut butter in the double boiler, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth (about 5 minutes). Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the reduced maple syrup, vanilla and salt to the mixture, mixing to combine. The mixture will be thin and readily pourable, and will be dark in color (see photo).
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smack the pan flat on the counter a few times to break any air bubbles that may have formed in the center. Place the pan in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, or until set. It will turn light in color as it sets. Turn the fudge out of the pan, and slice into squares before serving. Store any leftover fudge in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.