Make Chocolate by Hand

Making homemade chocolate is a truly wonderful and fun experience. It can be the most delicious chocolate you ever had, and it is fun to make. Chocolate is a delicious dessert that many people enjoy. A great thing about chocolate is that it is versatile. You can put in on many things, and serve it with almost anything. There are many different kinds, and each offers a unique flavor. In this article, we will be making real, pure chocolate, which many consider to be bitter. This kind of chocolate is rich with antioxidants, which keep your immune system up and ready.

Ingredients

Method 1:

  • 1 lb. of raw cocoa beans (you can find these online or at a farmers' market) or cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • Additional flavouring (mint)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 650ml of milk

Method 2:
[Ed: amounts need verification; if you know, please fix]

  • 2 cups (220g) Cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup (170g) Softened Butter
  • 1/2 cup (100g) Sugar
  • 1/4 cup (30g) Powdered/icing sugar
  • 2/3 cups (150ml) Milk
  • 1 cup (235ml) Water

Steps

Making chocolate from cacao beans

  1. Roast the raw cocoa beans. Put a single layer of beans on a cookie sheet.Roast them for about 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Let the beans cool, and pull the husks off. Discard of the husks or add them to a compost pile.
  2. Break up the beans. This can be done with a hammer and washcloth, or you can use a mortar and pestle. When they are in pieces, grind them in a clean pepper grinder, or continue using the mortar.
    • It is suggested you use a pepper grinder for the second phase of grinding as it gets harder to use a mortar as the pieces get small. It is possible, however, to make the pieces smaller with a mortar.
  3. When the pieces of bean are small, continue mashing with the mortar and pestle. By this point the beans will have turned into a brown mush. It may look good, but it tastes very bitter.
  4. Heat a large pan of water until it is hot, but not boiling. Transfer the cocoa bean paste to a smaller pan. Place the smaller pan in the pan of hot water. When the paste is heated, but not cooking, transfer the paste back into the bowl and continue to work with the mortar. Continue to use the mortar on the paste until it is of a smooth consistency.
  5. Add the sugar and the milk or half and half and vanilla, if you decide to use any flavouring. When the sugar and flavourings are mixed in, pour the chocolate into moulds, or a large pan that you can cut into small bars. Let the chocolate cool and harden. This can be done a room temperature, or in the fridge covered by foil.

Making homemade chocolate from cocoa powder

  1. Place water in a double boiler and heat it. Keep it below boiling.
  2. Combine cocoa powder and softened butter in a bowl. Cream together until you have a smooth paste. Use a fork, food processor, or even an immersion blender to eliminate lumps.
  3. Add the cocoa powder mix to the hot water and stir. Allow the temperature to rise back up. Again, it should be hot but not boiling. Pour the hot mixture into a bowl.
  4. Sift sugar and powdered sugar together in a separate bowl. Eliminate as many clumps as you can. Stir the sugar mixture into the hot cocoa mix.
  5. Add milk. Blend until smooth.
  6. Pour the mixture in thin layers across the bottoms of various containers. Since the chocolate will take the shape of the container, a rectangular casserole dish will work well for a rectangular bar. You can also use candy molds.
  7. Harden overnight in the refrigerator or freezer.
  8. Finished.

Tips

  • Experiment with different flavorings, or stick to just sugar and cocoa.
  • Start with less sugar, and keep adding until it reaches the desired sweetness.
  • Molding your chocolate can be fun. Try molding them for special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, or Hanukkah.
  • The chocolate you make in this article is crude, not like the chocolate that you buy in stores. If you want to make a smoother chocolate that requires more equipment, read this article.

Warnings

  • Be careful that you do not burn yourself on the stove. Always supervise children while they are cooking.

Things You'll Need

  • Two pans
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Pepper grinder
  • Bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Molds
  • Cookie sheet
  • Cocoa beans/cocoa powder

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