Infused chocolate has always been one of Jesse’s favorite go-to edibles. She offered this explanation in her cooking classes:

“When you eat cannabis chocolate you engage your endocannabinoid system in multiple ways. Chocolate helps to boost your own body’s levels of the endocannabinoid, anandamide. Appropriately named from the Sanskrit word Ananda, which translates to joy, bliss, and happiness.

Anandamide has a great influence on mood, pain, pleasure, and motivation, low levels have been linked to depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Like THC, anandamide helps to lower the levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is important as high levels of glutamate are responsible for chronic pain.

If the infused oil you use in this recipe is CBD-rich, bonus! (As CBD also helps increase your anandamide levels.)

So in that small bite of chocolate, you have CBD and chocolate, which are increasing your anandamide levels; coupled with THC, this is a beautiful mix to relax with in my experience.”

Ingredients

• ● 1 Tablespoon cannabis coconut oil (click here for infused oil instructions)
• ● 1⁄2 cup cacao butter
• ● 1⁄4 cup honey
• ● 1⁄2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• ● 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ● 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• ● 1⁄4 teaspoon espresso powder
• ● 2 Tablespoons already tempered chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate bar, your choice)

Yield

Makes about 12oz of chocolate

Equipment

Double boiler
Candy thermometer
Chocolate molds

Directions

1. Melt roughly chopped cacao butter and cannabis coconut oil in the bowl of a double boiler. Don’t let the mixture get above 120F.

2. Remove bowl from heat and sift in Dutch process cocoa powder, espresso, and salt, whisk so there are no lumps. Add in honey and vanilla and mix well.

3. Return to heat and let chocolate come to 115F. Do not go higher than 120F. Once the chocolate reaches 115F, remove from heat.

4. Add in 2 tablespoons of already tempered chocolate (this is called seeding). Stir continuously until chocolate reaches 84F (this might take 10+ minutes).

5. Reheat your chocolate over the double boiler for just 5-10 second intervals until the chocolate reaches 88F. Remove from heat immediately and continue to stir. Do not let your chocolate go above 91F.

6. Working quickly while the chocolate is in that temper range, pour the chocolate into your molds. Make sure to stir your chocolate as you are working, tempered chocolate needs you to keep it moving and maintain the temperature. If your chocolate begins to cool before you’re finished, simply reheat it in 5-10 second intervals over the double boiler to get it back into that 88-91F range. Let the chocolates harden at room temperature.