Making chocolate at home is a truly beautiful and fun experience. You may be able to make the best chocolate you've ever eaten and, at the same time, have fun. Chocolate is a delicious dessert, loved by many people. A positive aspect of chocolate is that it is very versatile. You can put it on many things, and serve it as an accompaniment to almost any food. There are several types, and each has a particular flavor. In this article, we explain how to make authentic and pure chocolate that many consider bitter. This type of chocolate is famous for its unpleasant taste and the high content of antioxidants, which strengthen the immune system.
Ingrediants
Method 1
- 450g raw cocoa beans (you can find them online or at the farmers market) or cocoa powder
- 115 g sugar
- Extra flavor (mint)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
- 650 ml milk
Method 2:
[Attention: the quantities must be checked; if anyone knows them, please add them]
- Cocoa powder
- Butter
- Sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making Chocolate with Cocoa Beans
Step 1. Roast the raw cocoa beans
Create a single layer of broad beans on a baking sheet. Toast for about 30 minutes in the oven at 150 ° C. Let the beans cool and peel them. Throw away the peels or put them in a compost container.
Step 2. Break the beans
You can do this with a hammer and a cloth, or you can use a pestle and mortar. When they are cut into pieces, crush them with a clean pepper grinder, or continue using the mortar.
We suggest you use a pepper grinder for the second phase as it becomes difficult to crush smaller and smaller pieces with the mortar. However, it is also possible to do this with the mortar
Step 3. When the beans are cut into very small pieces, continue breaking them with a mortar and pestle
At this point the beans will have turned into a brown mush. It might look good, but it tastes very bitter.
Step 4. Heat the water in a saucepan until it becomes hot, but not boiling
Transfer the ground cocoa beans to a smaller saucepan that you need to place in the pot full of water. When the beans are hot, but not cooked, put them back in the mortar and continue to crush them with the pestle, until you get a mixture with a homogeneous consistency.
Step 5. Add the sugar and milk (or milk with 50% cream) and vanilla, if you decide to use some flavoring
When the sugar and flavorings have blended, pour the chocolate into the mold or into a large pan so you can cut the chocolate into bars. Let it cool and harden. You can leave it at room temperature or store it in the refrigerator covered with aluminum foil.
Method 2 of 2: Making Chocolate with Cocoa Powder
Step 1. Put a pot of water on the stove to prepare the water bath
Keep the heat constant, the water should never come to a boil.
Step 2. Mix cocoa and softened butter in a mixing bowl
Mix them until you get a homogeneous mixture. Use a fork, blender, or even a hand blender to remove the lumps.
Step 3. Put the cocoa mixture on top of the pot with the hot water and mix
Let the mixture heat up. But, as before, it should be warm and not hot. Pour the hot mixture into a container.
Step 4. Sift the granulated and icing sugar together into another mixing bowl
Remove all lumps. Mix the sugar mixture with the hot cocoa mixture.
Step 5. Add the milk
Stir until smooth.
Step 6. Pour the mixture in thin layers on the bottom of various containers
Since the chocolate will take the shape of the container, a rectangular baking dish is perfect for a rectangular bar. You can also use candy molds.
Step 7. Let it harden overnight in the refrigerator or freezer
Step 8. Finished
Advice
- Experiment with different flavors or stick to the classic sugar and cocoa.
- Start with a little sugar and add more until it reaches your preferred level of sweetness.
- Making chocolates can be fun. Get creative with creating different ones for special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas or Hanukkah.
- The chocolate you make with these recipes is raw, not like what you buy. If you want a softer tasting chocolate that requires special tools, read this article.
