Chocolate: How It’s Made and Recipes to Try
This time of year is the perfect opportunity to indulge your sweet tooth. Whether it be candy at Halloween, or sipping hot chocolate by the fire in the dead of Winter. In today’s blog, we’re talking all about the latter and the various other forms this rich dairy product comes in. What’s more, we’ll share some tasty recipes for you to try at home.
All About Chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao pods. It is available as a liquid, soil or paste. Thus making it rather versatile, it finds itself in cakes, pudding, mousse, brownies, and cookies. Additionally, it also comes in solid formation such as bars, eggs, hearts, and coins. The latter two are traditional to holidays including Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Hanukkah.
We have consumed cacao in some form since at least the Olmec civilisation (19th-11th century BCE). In fact, Mayan and Aztec people made chocolate beverage.
How It’s Made
Wondering how chocolate finds its way to its well-known form? Well…
- The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter flavour. Thus, they must be fermented to develop the flavour.
- After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. Then, the sheet is removed to produce cocoa nibs.
- With these nibs, manufactures ground them to cocoa mass — this is chocolate in rough form.
- Then, the mass is liquefied to create “liquor”. Makers can cool and process this liquid into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Much of the product consumed today is sweet. To create this, makers must combine cocoa solids, cocoa butter, or added vegetable oils, and sugar.
Types
- Milk. Contains milk powder or condensed milk. Light brown in colour.
- White. Does not contain cocoa solids. Therefore, is white yellow in colour.
- Dark. Produce by adding fat and sugar to the cocoa mixture. Dark brown in colour with a bittersweet flavour.
- Unsweetened. Pure chocolate liquor. Used in baking as it has a strong, deep flavour.
Did you know this dairy product used to be a luxury? It wasn’t until 1828 that it transitioned into the solid bar we know today. Before that, generations consumed it in liquid form with a pungent, bitter taste. It is through experimentation that the now-classic flavour came out on top!
Recipes to Try
Craving some chocolate? Try baking these tasty treats!
- Loaf Cake. Whisk together butter, sugar, and eggs. Then, fold in flour, baking powder, cocoa, dark product chunks, and chilli flakes. Bake in the oven until cooked. Cover with a ganache made with cocoa, double cream, and a pinch of salt flakes. Enjoy!
- Mousse. Stir custard and chopped chocolate over a gentle heat until fully melted. Fold in beaten egg whites then chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with a dusting of cocoa.
- Slab. Melt white and dark product in separate bowls. Pour one over a lined baking tray, then drizzle the other and swirl with a teaspoon handle. Add extra garnishes like raspberries and leave in the fridge to set.
- Hot Cocoa. Heat your milk of choice. Add cocoa powder and sugar until dissolved. Additionally, introduce chips and vanilla extra. Serve in a mug and garnish with marshmallows, whipped cream, and/or crush candy canes.
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