XOCOCO

How do I pronounce that? 

The X sounds like SH or CH in central America. Say Sho-co-co. You can also know this chocolate as "Sandy Hepler's Old-Timey Recipie." 

What do I do with it? 

Eat it with a spoon. 62 degrees is optimal. Chill or warm to taste.

Dip nuts, bits of apple, or crackers in it. Eat it.

Spread on a cracker or toast. Eat it.

Place jar in some warm water to raise temperature to above 75 degrees, to make it liquid. Stir and pour liquid chocolate into a glass baking pan; for a pint, you can use a 13 x 9 pan. Place pan in fridge and you have a giant chocolate bar in about 30 minutes. Pop it out of the pan and break it into bits. Eat it. Store the rest in the fridge to keep it snappy.

Warm jar in water, stir and pour liquid chocolate over ice cream. It forms a hard shell on the ice cream. 

Make chocolate-covered cherries: dip frozen cherries one by one into liquid chocolate, and they harden right away. Place on pan and set into fridge until cherries have thawed. Eat them.

Should I cook with it?

Would you cook with a chocolate bar? Probably not. You will still use unsweetened cocoa or baking chocolate for cooking. This product is already sweetened and ready to eat.

Why is the melting point so low? 

The coconut oil has a melting point of 75 degrees. This product is made with coconut oil instead of cocoa butter, to give it a healthier fat profile. Many people use coconut oil as a supplement! The best temperature to keep this stuff is 62-68 degrees farenheit. 

What happens if the oil separates? Is it ruined?

The ingredients (cacao paste, evaporated cane juice, coconut oil and vanilla bean)(all organic) are shelf-stable, and do not need to be refrigerated. But if your house gets warmer than 75 degrees, you might want to keep it in the fridge. If you see white specks or linesin the jar, do not worry, that is the tasty coconut oil peeking out; but if you don't want to look at that, you can warm it and stir it up again, and let cool. 

How is this chocolate packaged? And what is the cost? 

It is still crazy cheap at 15 dollars a pound, 12 dollars a pound for bulk purchases (more than 12 pounds.) After the Summer Solstice, the price is going up to $18/$15 to reflect higher costs on ingredients. Search on artisan organic chocolate and you will find out what a bargain this is. Shipping will be extra of course, to cover that expense. Sandy always used glass canning jars to package this product, and you can still get that if you ask for that. I have started using plastic tubs, which have handling and shipping advantages, and hold $6/$5 worth of chocolate, at the same per pound price.

Where does the cacao come from?

This cacao was harvested, fermented, roasted and milled in a cooperative community kitchen in Nicaragua, which also fed nearly 50 children a day. This came from a cause you will like to support! It was certified organic.

Who makes this product? 

This Xococo was made in Cumberland County, Kentucky, as a cottage industry. Call 433 7400 or 859-321-6170 and ask for Kay, if you want to buy some more. Kay’s chocolate business is called: Chocolate Matters.

Can I get Xococo sweetened with something other than sugar cane?

It is made with coconut oil instead of cacao butter, to make it healthy to eat. You can try both types; one has organic evaporated cane juice (sugar cane) and there is also an agave-sweetened Xococo.  Agave is known as a low-glycemic sweetener.  Kay is also interested in trying other ways to make Xococo safe for people who are aiming to control their blood sugar levels.  Ask Kay.  Email otherworld@duo-county.com.