Chocolate has always been considered an aphrodisiac, so it would be a shame not to try a homemade preparation. Create an original gift from the heart that can be tweaked to suit the recipient’s taste and elevate homemade chocolate to a work of art with a handful of nuts and fruit. Bitter, milk or white? You can do them all! Take a deep breath and take in the sweet aroma of this chocolate recipe.
How to make homemade chocolate?
It’s not rocket science. Here is a step-by-step guide that will help even a complete beginner.
We will need:
cocoa butter
cocoa powder or cocoa mass
salt
chocolate mould
silicone spatula
optionally then:
flavouring in the form of coconut or cane sugar
nuts or fruit for decoration
Are you a chocolate lover and would you like to enjoy it as much as possible, or would you like to give an original and lovingly made gift? Then make it at home!
The first ingredient you need to make chocolate is cocoa powder. Another ingredient that homemade chocolate cannot do without is cocoa butter. It is actually pure natural fat that is separated from the cocoa beans during processing.
Although chocolate is a sweet treat, it cannot be made without salt. It’s not for nothing that they say salt is better than gold! Salt enhances the flavour of the cocoa and promotes its depth.
Do you want to sweeten your life and homemade chocolate? Try coconut or cane sugar or real vanilla extract. Freeze-dried fruit or nuts are good for beautifying homemade chocolate bars. Moreover, these variants are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Procedure
Step 1: Melt the cocoa butter
Start by preparing a water bath. This is one of the best methods to melt cocoa butter or mass. How to make a water bath? Pour a few centimeters of water into a medium-sized pot. Use a heatproof bowl (glass or stainless steel) that is slightly larger than the circumference of the pot. However, make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Bring the water to the boil over a low heat and then remove from the heat. Add the cocoa butter to the bowl. Stir gently but frequently to prevent burning. It takes a little time and patience.
If you are using large chunks of cocoa butter, cut them into smaller, equally sized pieces. The pieces will melt faster without burning.
Step 2: Add the cocoa powder
Once the butter has completely melted, add the cocoa powder with a pinch of salt. Stir the mixture to combine the ingredients thoroughly and let cool for a few minutes. Blend the mixture for a consistent consistency and attractive appearance of the final chocolate.
Step 3: Chocolate is born
Pour the cooled mixture into the mould. You can buy a ready-made chocolate bar mould, but you can also cleverly use a silicone candy mould in smaller sizes and shapes to make smaller, praline-like pieces of homemade chocolate.
Finally, place the chocolate in the fridge or freezer and leave to set.
A final tip: Store the chocolate in an airtight container. This way, you can store it in the fridge or freezer. This unfoamed homemade chocolate should last 2-3 months.
Milk and white, classic or unconventional?
If you are a sweet tooth, then you are looking for chocolate that melts sweetly on your tongue. Milk chocolate is like that. As the name suggests, in addition to the ingredients we mentioned for dark chocolate, milk is added to the recipe to soften the bitterness. But don’t pour milk straight from the box into the pot! Milk (or cream) powder is added to homemade milk chocolate.
Soy or coconut milk is also a great choice. Vegans and vegetarians will also appreciate this “milk” chocolate option. If you are part of the vegan community, you will appreciate the original milk alternative of rice powder with cane sugar.
You’ve probably read somewhere that white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate. Chocolate must contain cocoa solids, which white chocolate does not. But don’t despair, even though white chocolate is chocolate, it is a product that could not do without cocoa beans. This type of sweet is largely made up of cocoa butter and sugar, with soya lecithin, milk powder and sometimes vanilla added.
We eat chocolate all year round and in any situation. Take advantage of its variability and give it as a gift. Chocolate will delight across the ages and quality chocolate will not offend even the toughest of die-hards. Moreover, handmade chocolate made with love has a great added value. Chocolates can come in many shapes and forms. Try a nice change and create a work of art instead of the classic bar of chocolate.
