Chocolate (or Carob) Syrup

Otter is mildly allergic to chocolate, so we use carob powder in place of cocoa. It tastes very close to the same, although it's not quite as sweet. It's pretty much interchangeable with cocoa. It can be hard to find, although it is most likely to be found at natural foods stores such as Whole Foods which are nationwide. It can probably also be found on the internet.

1/2 cup cocoa or carob powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Add water and mix until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for one minute, be carefull this does not over boil - it can boil over very easily so you need to be stirring constantly. Remove from heat. When it cools, add the vanilla. It makes about 2 cups. It needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Before using, give it a good shake! Especially if you are using carob, as it tends to seperate slightly.