Healthy Chocolate No Longer Just a Dream

Who doesn’t drool over rich chocolate bonbons and pralines in different flavors?

Sabra Sarit Vaisler drew from her young adult health issues to delve into experimentation to arrive at desserts that don’t contain sugar or dairy. Vaisler suffered from eating disorders throughout her adult life. In her early twenties, she got tired of the vicious cycle and started to educate herself about nutrition and food.

She stated, “I was able to overcome my disorders and adopted a healthy lifestyle. When I became pregnant, I found out I have gestational diabetes, and I was determined to keep my baby safe, but didn’t want to give up my love for sweets.”

She decided to produce a healthy gluten-free, sugar-free Dubai chocolate. It took quite a bit of experimentation, but she didn’t give up. Finally, she found the magic formula/secret sauce to create delicious desserts, all vegan and sugar-free along with the goal of diabetic sufferers being able to enjoy a quality healthy chocolate without concern for blood sugar levels. Concurrently, Sarit’s mother had her pancreas removed and was also dealing with diabetes.

Sarit’s bonbon flavors are: gluten-free Dubai chocolate, hazelnut, peanut butter, then a separate hazelnut cream spread line. Of special note, Dubai chocolate is known for its artisanal preparation with high-quality ingredients, often with pistachio nuts and edible gold.

Sarit utilizes polycarbonate molds for different shapes for different flavors. She employs scrapers and syringes as part of the bonbon production. Her first step is to make the chocolate. She then includes all the ingredients in the melanger, a stone-based grinder that breaks down the cocoa nibs and runs for 12-24 hours. After the chocolate is ready, she tempers it manually, claiming that this is the hardest part of the process. Once the chocolate is tempered, she starts on the bonbons by pouring chocolate into the molds which she physically shakes to eliminate air that could permeate the chocolate. She then pours and scrapes to clean the surface to let cool. After that, she fills the molds with syringes.

Then comes the third part — sealing the bonbons with chocolate where she pours the chocolate on top of the filling and shakes again so the bonbons come off easily. She summarized, “I let it cool again, once the top layer is cool and set, I flip the molds; and the bonbons come ready. Voila!”

Since the candy is tempered, it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. The ideal temperature is no more than 75 degrees. The bonbons can last in room temperature up to four weeks. Storing them in the refrigerator can preserve the bonbons for four months, noting they taste best at room temperature. Sarit prepares everything at her home and has no employees.

She said, “Making chocolate is a long process, and bonbon making is time consuming, but I love every minute of it! I enjoy doing everything myself.’

One might ask, without sugar or dairy, “from where does the sweetness stem?” For sweetener, she uses organic erythritol and organic monk fruit, both natural sweeteners with zero calories and don’t affect blood sugar levels. All the ingredients are kosher, but she does not have AKC certification.

The price point is $12 per box of four (variety pack). Sarit explained, “Cacao is known for its health benefits, such as heart health and brain function, it’s also known for its antioxidants. My focus right now is ‘milk’ chocolate style. I use raw cacao butter and raw cacao paste which has more nutrients and benefits. By the way, the chocolate in Israel is different than the American chocolate —  it’s much more sweet, similar to the European chocolate.”

Sarit, who hails from Ramat Gan in the center of Israel, grew up in a religious household and served two years of volunteer service in Or Akiva. She also taught early childhood education for many years.

Sarit’s confections are sold at Strive Foods in Sandy Springs, 225 Hildebrand Drive.

For more information, please visit: https://saritssweets.com