Gluten Free Christmas Crackle Tree

These Chocolate Crackle Christmas trees are a simple, low sugar, whole-food Christmas inspired treat. The best part about them is that you actually don’t need to buy special moulds to make them and they really simple to put together.

Makes one tree (about 20-30cm heigh)

Ingredients

• 100ml  (½ cup) of extra virgin coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons of rice or maple syrup (more or less to tastes)
• ¼ cup of desiccated coconut (optional)
• 2-3 tablespoons of cacao powder (more cacao will make it more chocolatey)
• 2 cups of puffed grain, I used puffed brown rice but it would work with millet, quinoa or buckwheat (or a mix).  See below for grain-free variation.

Method

1. Over a gentle heat, warm the coconut oil and syrup until combined. Mix in the cacao powder. Now combine this with the puffed grain and coconut (or nut variation below).
2. To make your mould, roll a piece of thin card into a cone shape and stick together. Line this with baking paper and wrap a piece of foil around the tip of the cone (to stop any oil leaking out).
3. Now spoon the mixture into the cone.  Every couple of tablespoons, pack the mixture down into the mould using the end of a wet rolling pin.
4. Once done, lay on its side in the freezer until set (15 minutes or so).
5. Remove the card and baking paper, decorate with berries and cherries and serve immediately (or store in the fridge until ready to eat).
6. You could also make small individual portions if you like.

Variations

Grain Free
Replace the puffed grain with the same amount of toasted almond flakes or another
chopped nut or seed.

Fructose Friendly
Use rice syrup to sweeten.

Make It Minty
Add peppermint essence or essential oil for a peppermint chocolate treat.

---