Of all the Christmas gifts that people have given me over the years, the ones that I remember the most were homemade. It goes without saying that love is the best gift of all, but I do cherish a gift that someone spent time to make because it shows thoughtfulness.

Last year, my boyfriend's brother and his girlfriend made everyone homemade truffles. They were the best chocolate truffles I have ever experienced and provided the inspiration for this chocolate fudge recipe.

I can pretty much guarantee that if you make this fudge for a holiday party, it will be a hit. And I'm quite certain that you will then be forced to make a second batch because you will love it so much you'll want to keep it all for yourself (over a few days of course).

As you may have read in other posts, raw cacao is a superfood because of its high level of antioxidants. In fact, it's higher than green tea, red wine and blueberries. (Please note that I am not talking about processed candy bars, these high levels of antioxidants are only in the raw and most pure form of cacao.)

One of my favourite brands of raw cacao is by Organic Traditions. A rich source of minerals including magnesium, chromium, iron, calcium, potassium, sulphur, copper and zinc, it is a wonderful nutrient-dense food that requires little preparation to enjoy. In addition, eating chocolate simply makes you feel good. And when you feel good, the health benefits are truly endless.

If you like easy recipes that take more time to eat then prep, then you will LOVE this recipe.

I suggest you buy your raw cacao powder from the health food store because it probably won't be in your regular grocery store. If you don't have a health food store in your area, then you can always order it online.

Raw Pecan Fudge

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cacao powder

4 tbsp unpasteurized raw honey

4 tbsp coconut butter

4 tbsp almond butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Method:

Combine the raw cacao powder, honey, coco butter and almond butter in a food processor or blender. Blend until fully combined. Spread onto a loaf pan and sprinkle with pecans. Place in fridge for a few hours and cut into squares.

NOTE: It melts really easily (at room temperature) so you might want to consider freezing it or serve it immediately once you've removed it from the fridge.