Robyn’s guide to local chocolate

For details of local chocolate makers, see the relevant part of the Local Food Directory.

You may be looking for locally grown, locally made, fair trade and/or carob! Here are some suggestions.

We are lucky that there are many local chocolate makers. The three most notable are:

• Chocolatier Australia, based in Heidelberg West: affordable premium luxury chocolate, loose, seasonal and boxed. Includes some Fairtrade offerings. Available from their own shop (244 Waterdale Road, North Ivanhoe, 3079) or from Bolton Street Deli & Liquor, Eltham.
• Organic Times, based in Eltham: quality, fair-trade chocolate products that not only taste delicious but are made from certified organic ingredients. Available from Dynamic Vegies, Eltham; and Nature’s Harvest Hurstbridge.
• Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, based in Yarra Glen: over 250 different chocolate delights and related products. Mainly sold at their own chocolaterie (35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen, 3775), which is set on 16 hectares and is an experience the whole family can enjoy. Also available online.

Other local makers of handmade chocolate include:

• Charmain’s Handmade Chocolate, based in Research: available from their website and The Roundabout Cafe, Warrandyte.

• The Magic Pantry, based in Warranwood: available from Jefferies, Croydon Hills; Made Locally, Ringwood North; Makers Emporium and Cafe, Ringwood North; and Yarralicious, Warrandyte South.
• Van Nunen Chocolates, based in Eltham: available from Eltham Deli; and Montflora Florist, Montmorency.

Here are four other, interesting Australian chocolate makers:

• Chocolab: you design your own chocolate bar with as many ‘toppings’ as you want.
• Daintree Chocolate: chocolate produced from cocoa grown in Australia to replace unviable sugar plantations.
• Haigh chocolate, who are recommended by Shop Ethical because they use ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients and support a rabbit-free Australia.
• Loving Earth, a company in Campbellfield who make and sell a variety of healthy and nutritional chocolate products, sourcing ingredients from indigenous communities who follow sustainable practices in relation to the workers and the environment.

Finally, if you would like to make your own chocolate, you can try Lisa Walton’s recipe or, alternatively, here is a recipe for carob ‘chocolate’:

Ingredients
1 cup carob powder
2 cups caster sugar
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method
Mix sugar and carob in a saucepan with a little of the milk until smooth.

Add the rest of the milk then the butter. Heat slowly, stirring all the time, till it’s thick enough to coat the spoon, then a bit more.

Take off the heat, add vanilla, beat for about five minutes (you need to do this for a smooth texture). Pour onto a greased oven dish or into patty cases or drip drops for ‘buttons’ onto a greased tray etc. Cut if needed when cold.