How To Make Dark Chocolate (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Making dark chocolate at home may not be cheap, but the experience itself will be very rewarding. Furthermore, the preparation is surprisingly simple; however, you will need to be careful and precise in order to get a mouth-watering result!

Ingrediants

To obtain about 225 g of chocolate

• 8 Spoons of cocoa powder
• 6 Spoons of cocoa butter OR 4 Spoons of coconut oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar OR honey OR Maple syrup
• 1/2 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts OR dried fruit (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Mix the Ingredients

Step 1. Prepare a mold or pan

Use a 6 x 6 inch baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.

Instead of the baking sheet you can also use candy molds. Many molds do not need any preparation; just make sure they are clean and dry before use

Step 2. Heat the water in a double boiler

Fill the bottom portion of the kettle with about 2.5cm of water. Put the saucepan on the stove and heat over medium heat until the water starts to boil.

If you don't have a special kettle for cooking in a double boiler, place a heat-resistant bowl, or saucepan on another pan. The sides of the bowl should rest against the edges of the pan, and the bottom should not touch the base of the other pot

Step 3. Melt the cocoa butter

Put the cocoa butter in the upper bowl of the kettle and heat it over low heat, stirring occasionally until the ingredient is completely dissolved.

• The persimmon butter should reach a temperature of 50 ° C. Check the temperature with a cake thermometer.
• You can also chop or chop the cocoa butter before putting it on the stove to make it melt faster and evenly.
• Note that cocoa butter melts quickly and you shouldn't overheat it. Indeed, it is advisable to set the fire at low or medium temperature. Chocolate that overheats too much forms a white patina on the surface.
• Real dark chocolate contains cocoa butter. If you prefer a slightly healthier alternative, you can use coconut oil instead. This too must be melted and treated with the same method as cocoa butter throughout the preparation.

Step 4. Mix the cocoa powder, sweetener and vanilla separately

Mix the three ingredients carefully in a medium-sized bowl.

• You can use any type of cocoa powder. The refined one tastes great, is easier to find and is less expensive; however, the refining process eliminates some antioxidant agents that are naturally present in cocoa. Natural or unprocessed cocoa contains far more antioxidants and is healthier.
• Use sugar, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten. Note that dark chocolate made with sugar can be stored at room temperature, while dark chocolate made with honey or maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator.

• The amount of softener to use will depend on the cocoa percentage of the dark chocolate.

  • 1 Spoon produces 85% dark chocolate.
  • 1-1 / 2 Spoons make 73% dark chocolate.
  • 2 Spoons produce 60% dark chocolate.

  

  Step 5. Mix the two blends

  Gradually pour the cocoa powder mixture into the pan with the cocoa butter, stirring carefully until a homogeneous product is obtained. Remove the mixture from the heat when ready.

  Allow the entire mixture to return to 50 ° C before removing it from the heat

  Part 2 of 3: Tempering the Chocolate

  

  Step 1. Pour a portion of the chocolate onto a marble slab

  Carefully pour about three-quarters of the chocolate mixture onto a glass or marble cutting board leaving a low margin on the sides. Set the rest of the mixture aside.

  • While this process may seem like extra work, it is highly recommended to do it anyway because cocoa butter hardens according to a specific crystallization pattern, and as a result the chocolate will have a more inviting texture and appearance.
  • Note that if the chocolate is not tempered it may struggle to solidify, have a mottled appearance and an uneven internal texture, or it may form a white bloom on the surface.

  

  Step 2. Spread the chocolate

  Use a plastic scraper or spatula to spread the chocolate forming a layer as thin and even as possible.

  

  Step 3. Lift the chocolate

  Use the spatula to lift the edges of the chocolate towards the center, working as fast as possible.

  

  Step 4. Repeat for 10 minutes

  Quickly smear the chocolate into a thin layer, then immediately smear it back into its center. Repeat the process all the time while continuing to move the chocolate.

  Let the first serving of tempered chocolate reach a temperature of 28 ° C before moving on to the next step

  

  Step 5. Stir in the rest of the chocolate

  Add the remaining chocolate in the chocolate pot on the cutting board. Mix quickly by spreading and lifting.

  After adding the hot chocolate mixture to the tempered one, the temperature should have reached 32 ° C

  

  Step 6. Check the consistency

  To check that the chocolate has been tempered correctly, drop a small piece of the chocolate on a clean spot on the glass or marble cutting board; it should harden very quickly.

  If the dough does not solidify during the test, continue to temper it for a few minutes before trying again

  Part 3 of 3: Solidify and Serve the Finished Product

  

  Step 1. Add the other optional ingredients

  If you are using hazelnuts, nuts or chia seeds, sprinkle them on the surface of the chocolate during this step and mix them quickly.

  

  Step 2. Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan

  Lift the chocolate dough with a large spoon and move it to the coated pan; then, quickly smooth the surface with a scraper or spatula.

  • If you use molds instead of the square size, put the dough in a bottle or disposable bag for cake decorations, and squeeze it into the molds. When all the molds are filled, lightly tap the kitchen top to remove any air bubbles.
  • If you want to make small pieces of chocolate, put the dough in a bag for sweets with a narrow tip and take the pieces of chocolate out on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

  

  Step 3. Let it harden

  Let the chocolate harden on its own. You can leave it at room temperature, put it in the refrigerator, or in the freezer.

  • If you chill the chocolate in the freezer, it will be ready in about 30 minutes; in the refrigerator, it takes about an hour, while at room temperature it will take several hours.
  • Note that dark chocolate that contains honey or maple syrup solidifies more easily in the refrigerator or freezer.

  

  Step 4. Remove the finished chocolate from the pan

  When the chocolate has completely hardened, remove it from the pan and parchment paper.

  To remove the dark chocolate from the molds, turn them upside down on a piece of parchment paper. Tap the bottom with your fingers, or a knife, or carefully fold the molds to soften the chocolate and pop it out

  

  Step 5. Eat now or keep it

  Now your dark chocolate is ready to be eaten whole, or in pieces. Or, you can store it by wrapping it in a clean piece of parchment paper or placing it in a plastic bag.