Homemade Chocolate
Chocolate is simple, and should be simple. But it should also taste good, not too sweet, not to bitter, and not too fat. Just perfect. (pingback from http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/raw-cacao-butter-chocolate-bark-recipe/)
You only need three things to make chocolate:
– 1 cup cacao butter (about 220-250 grams of solid cacao butter, broken into chunks)
– 6-7 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
– 3-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, brown rice syrup is also fine
And you can add to that whatever you fancy: rock salt, pepper, spices, nuts, honeycomb, …
It’s all in the temperature !!!
Method:
– Bain-marie : bring a saucepan of water (about quarter full) to boil and then turn the heat down to simmering. Add the cacao butter to a heatproof bowl and place over the simmering water in the saucepan. Make sure no water gets in the cacao butter.
– Melt the butter, stirring with a whisk or a spatula, and when almost all of it is melted, stick the digital thermometer in to check the temperature. Make sure you don’t go over 48°C. If you get very close and the cacao butter is still melting, remove the bowl from the heat and let the butter melt further on the countertop. The temperature will start to drop and that’s what we’re after.
– Once the cacao butter is melted, add the cacao powder, vanilla and honey or your preferred sweetener and whisk together until all dissolved and well incorporated. The temperature will go down further once you add other ingredients. Keep it at about 32-35°C, warm it up if needed but NOT all the way up to 48°C. This will keep it smooth and silky, and decrease the chances of chocolate seize (when it turns into grainy paste).
– Finally, add your spices/salt/pepper/nuts. Line a tray with baking paper, making sure the sides are covered so no chocolate liquid is spilled over the edges. Pour the chocolate into the tray and let is spread into a thin bark layer.
– While still melted and hot, sprinkle evenly with pumpkin seeds, almonds, coconut flakes and dried blueberries or other nuts and dried fruit of your choice. You can even use fresh berries if you plan to eat the bark in the next couple of days.
– Place the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The bark will solidify within 30 minutes but it’s a good idea to let it stand for a little longer. Keep in an airtight container in or out of the fridge, depending on how crunchy you like it. It will keep for quite a while.
Job done.