Our think dive this month is inspired by not only orangutans but also dreams about Easter bunnies and chocolate. After we have learnt that the production of palm oil is a major threat to orangutans we decided to make a chocolate bark using chocolate that is palm oil free.
We searched for brands that do not use palm oil. There is also a barcode scanner app that you can download.
During Easter, we not only eat a lot of chocolate that is produced using palm oil, which makes the chocolate smooth and shiny. It also makes it cheaper to produce. We also use a lot of packaging to wrap up the Easter eggs. So it makes sense not only from a chocolate point of view but also from an orangutan's point of view to buy delicious quality chocolate eggs that is produced without palm oil.
To reduce the packing we decided to be inspired by nature and make chocolate bark.
We thought about way trees have bark and make a list of purposes with bark.
- helps protect the tree from injury and disease
- keeps the tree cool
We made the Easter chocolate bark by using three different types of chocolate dark, milk and white. We also used lime green food colouring and sprinkles and sugar flowers to decorate the bark.
We lined a baking tray with baking paper and melted the dark chocolate.
First, we melted the dark chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Once the chocolate had melted we spread the mixture onto the prepared pan in an even layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, until just about set.
We melted the milk chocolate and repeated the procedure. Finally, we melted the white chocolate and added a few drops of food colouring. We sprinkled the chocolate with sprinkles and added some sugar flowers. Refrigerate for until set.
Transfer the bark to a cutting board and either break into pieces or if thick use a knife to cut into pieces.
A great alternative to traditional Easter Eggs with minimal packaging.
Facts about Orangutans.
Orangutans are the world's largest tree-climbing mammals. But their forest habitat is rapidly disappearing. The gardeners' of the forest and Asia's only great ape with the shaggy reddish fur and grasping hands and feet is in trouble.
Orangutans help with seed dispersal and also with maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem. The forests have been cleared where they live and the land used for palm oil production. Palm oil is found is packaged products in the supermarkets around the world. Palm oil is vegetable oil that comes from the palm fruit. The palms grow in conditions where heat and rainfall are abundant. Often the palm trees are grown in conditions that are not using sustainable measures.
WWF estimates that an area equivalent to the size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared. This area is cleared each hour!
