Chocolate Making At Home For Fun and Satisfaction

Everyone loves chocolates. Who can say no to them? They're different from other candies because they're brown, black or white! They're sweet, they're bitter or they're both! They're smooth or textured, and they can even can say your name, or show someone a special message! You can even personalize them, so why not try chocolate making at home!

 Homemade chocolates are excellent for parties and they can help make your ordinary days quite special. It's easy and really fun to do! With just a few ingredients and five simple and exciting steps, you can make homemade chocolates to be proud of. We need bulk chocolate that you can buy in any grocery store. You don't need a particular brand. Just choose any chocolate bars you or your kids love.

We also need small cake cases, some candy and nuts, fruits, chocolate wafers or anything you want to mix or add to your chocolates, inside or out. So now, let's get on our aprons and begin this enjoyable experience. Prepare the ingredients. You can buy them or you can use your kids' chocolate bars left in the fridge. Grab some sprinkles from your kitchen and have everything set on a clean table.

 Melt the chocolate. Hmm. Smells good. Sounds tempting. But please, do not be tempted! Resist putting your fingers in the mixture and licking them off! Remember, we are making homemade chocolates. Once melted, you can add some candy and nuts, chopped strawberries or blueberries or anything else to add more texture, flavor and individuality. Pour the chocolate into a candy mold or small cases like an ice case or a small Tupperware. You can shape the chocolate by using chocolate molds, just remember to be quick to pour the chocolate mixture into the mold before it starts to set.

You can now add sprinkles on top of the chocolate, like marshmallows, small stars or anything your imagination can come up with. Place the chocolate in the fridge. Cool it there for about an hour. Take the chocolates out of the cases or molds, and wrap them in chocolate wrappers or you can put them altogether in a bowl. Wow! Now it's chocolate-eating time!

 Chocolates made at home make amazing treats for your friends and kids. It's a special feeling to eat anything that has been especially made for you, and chocolates are perhaps one of the most delicious of all tastes! There are various reasons why people make chocolate at home and making your loved ones happy is just one of them. Another reason is maybe you want to start a chocolate-making business at home.

 Making chocolates is fun but it can also be very profitable. But, why do some mothers, who are not into the business aspect, prefer making chocolates rather than buying them? Homemade chocolates taste far better than the commercial ones. This may be because with the commercial brands, something is lost in the mechanization of the process, or maybe it's the ingredients which are added to aid production, or just the lack of love, which you are able to put into your own homemade chocolates.

 People whose kids or parents have special conditions or dietary challenges can also be catered for. Eating commercially made chocolates are not recommended for them. It might cause some health problems, so to still enjoy eating chocolates without having to worry about possible health issues, making homemade chocolates is the sensible option. If you have any diabetics in your family who can't resist chocolates, you can maintain their health by making chocolates for them that are not going to harm them.

 Chocolates can cause chaos with their blood sugar levels. There are already chocolates available for diabetics but they're quite expensive and generally don't taste as good. So if you are a mother or teenager who wants to surprise your diabetic loved ones, make homemade chocolates that can help control their sugar levels and taste as good as normal chocolates.

 Chocolate making at home is fun and exciting! It's a pastime or business you can do on your own or with help from friends and family. You can have a good time with your kids while showering your chocolates with different toppings. You can give these chocolates as gifts for every occasion that you can think of, and a gift of homemade chocolates given with love is one that will be hard to beat.

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Chocolate Making

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. It is the skill of the chocolate maker that creates the fine chocolate from the cocoa beans that arrive from countries which grow cocoa. Production techniques have undergone a lot of changes, as the technology has advanced. But the process of making chocolates remains the same. It involves roasting, grinding, refining, conching and tempering. The secret of good chocolate lies in the expertise of the maker, who should follow the process with care.

 Roasting: The ultimate quality of chocolate depends on the process of roasting and cocoa seed fermentation. There are several roasting processes.

 Pre - roasting: The beans are heated in infra red radiant heaters to separate the nibs from the shells. They are roasted at temperature from 100 degree C to 140 degree C (212 degree F to 300 degree F) for twenty to forty minutes.

 Direct roasting: As an alternative the beans are roasted and then shells are removed. This traditional method allows retaining the flavour. The temperature for this process is maintained at between 150 degree C and 160 degree C (300 degree F and 320 degree F) for 40 to 50 minutes.

 Even though both the methods are followed today, the pre -roasting is more productive, but the problem is that some varieties of beans get damaged when removed from shells due to severe temperature fluctuations. The roasting is very important in the process of chocolate making. The cocoa gets dried and become brown and develop the flavour, thus completing the first stage of manufacturing.

 The fermentation which is to be carried out earlier enhances the flavour. It reduces the sugar, glucose, fructose and amino acids. In fact it is the fermentation that brings the flavour and the roasting process only augment the results of good fermentation. Proper care should be taken to carry out fermentation. The possibilities of beans getting spoiled are very high if the process is not carried out carefully.

 The quality of the chocolate will be superior if the shells are removed thoroughly after or during the roasting. The process of shelling includes milling, sifting, and winnowing. Each of the process is important. When shelling completes the grains should be uniform in size and there should not be any residual shells.

 The roasted and crushed beans are milled to fine flour. During the milling process, care should be taken to maintain the required temperature to avoid smoky or burnt off flavours. The refining converts the milled cocoa into a thick liquid form as cocoa butter.

 Conching with powerful machines to stir the chocolate to make it a homogeneous mixture must follow. This is done in two stages. One is dry conching that is, stirring the chocolate at a temperature of around 80 degree C (175 degree F) to get rid of any residual moisture and to add viscosity.

 Liquid conching is followed immediately after the dry conching. It is done the same conch as a continuous process, to maintain the texture and viscosity. Add cocoa butter if necessary. Tempering is a very delicate process of making chocolate from the liquid or semi liquid to a solid form. The chocolate is then heated until the cocoa butter crystals have melted completely. The product is then cooled to an appropriate temperature. The tempered chocolate when perfected is a smooth, glossy and brittle product with good flavour and tempting aroma.

 The tasting chocolate involves skill. Those who enjoy different flavours of chocolates can identify the origin of the beans that are used in its making. Like coffee or wine, different people enjoy chocolate according to their tastes. Chocolates should be kept at a temperature of 66 degree F to 76 degree F to retain its taste and flavour.

 There are different types of chocolates, depending on it filling. Some may be bitter or salty. Chocolates are made with the following flavours. In plain chocolates there are flavours of cocoa, pineapple, banana, passion fruit, vanilla, cinnamon or a blend of these.

 In filled chocolates, all, the above aromas coupled with the flavours of almond, pistachio, hazel nut, wall nut, honey and fresh fruit are used. A tint of salt highlights the above flavours.

 As for the texture, the chocolate should not leave any grain on the tongue, when you taste it. The ingredients should be grounded and blended to 12 to 20 microns. Plain and dark chocolate tasting technique involves keeping it in you mouth for a few seconds, to taste the base and primary flavours. Wait for a few seconds and chew it for 5 to 10 times to enjoy the secondary flavours.

 Keep the filled chocolate in your mouth until it melts to release the base and primary flavours. Then chew for 4 to 5 times to blend the filling and coating and enjoy it. Finally, note how long the flavour lingers on the tongue.

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Tips For Making Chocolate

Making chocolate is challenging. To help you along the way, here are some tips you should know. First, water is the enemy of chocolate so make sure that the two do not come into contact with one another otherwise, your chocolate will become grainy. If you are using white colored chocolate and want to add coloring to it, never use regular food color or food color paste since this too contains water.

You should only use powdered or gel varieties. When you are adding color to chocolate, add this in small quantities and stir before adding more. This is because putting in might change the color of your chocolate making it too bright. If this happens, this can be remedied by diluting the shade using some more white chocolate.

 Apart from powdered or gel varieties of color, you can also use artist brushes to paint designs into your mold. Another option is to use lollipop sticks or even toothpicks so you will have better control in making the finished product. When you are done using the chocolate mold, never wash this with soap as this removes its stickiness.

Just use water and after rinsing, dry this properly to prevent spots from appearing that will also make it difficult to release the chocolate from the mold. But if it is already difficult to remove, the next time you use the mold, apply a light coating of vegetable oil as this always does the trick. Should there be some chocolate on the edges of the mold, remove it using a butter knife.

Remember this can be reused by simply melting it again and then pouring this to the next batch of whatever you are making. If your melted chocolate is too thick to paint, add some parafinflakes until you get the right mixture. If you don't have this, you can also use vegetable shortening or cocoa butter.

 Chocolate when melted and poured into the mold was immediately be placed inside the freezer for several minutes. To remove it, you simply have to turn this over onto a tray. If it does not come out on its own, you can tap it gently or pour some hot water in the back. Some people paint the chocolate after it has been taken out of the freezer.

 To do this, you must hold the mold over you head so you can see it from the right side. If there are any air bubbles, tap the area where they are using your fingers until it pops. If you happen to make a mistake while painting, don't worry. You should just put the mold back into the freezer so it will be easy to remove when it hardens and you can easily correct it.

The rule of thumb when it comes to painting is to finish one color first before moving on to the others. If you are not good painting all the details, do what many people do and that is to simply use just one solid color. By following these chocolate making tips, you will be able to make chocolate for any occasion all year round. You can give this away as gifts or serve this as part of your dessert which will make you feel proud knowing that you made this yourself instead of buying this from the store.

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How To Make Chocolate Truffles

By Tiffany Gill

It is a given for people to be interested in the creation of chocolate truffles NYC. If the person wants to make this kind of sweets, then the best equipment to have first is the double boiler. Other people know this as the bain marie. Also, get a medium cooking pan with a liter of water and bring it to a simmer in the right heat.

The next thing that the individual will have to take care of is the choco bar. The individual should place the bar on the chopping board. Proceed on cutting or breaking it into square pieces. The best way to go about this is to follow the lines on the bar. There may be times when that is not possible because the bar is divided into very large pieces, though.

Then, get a small pan. Add two tablespoons of water in it. This water will assist with the melting of the chopped up choco bar. Most people will usually prefer to add water into the said pan to make the melting process proceed faster but there are those people who will want to have the choco melt in its natural melting point.

The choco will have to be melted thoroughly. That is why it is recommended to put the pan where the choco is placed in on top of the pan with the simmering water. The bottom of the pan with choco should never touch with the water in the bottom pan. Do not forget to stir the choco as well. To successfully melt the choco, do this for eight minutes.

It is then important to add the cream. One should do this gently so that it will combine well to make a ganache. Do not remove the pans from the heat. Just keep it at its melting point and continue to stir until the entire mixture is blended well. Once it has been mixed completely, remove it from its heat source and leave it to rest until it completely cools down.

Adding the butter will come next. If the pastry chef plans to add the butter, then the water in the medium pan should be brought to a simmer once again. Place the pan with ganache on top of the medium pan again. Just add in the butter and continue to stir it well. Once done, take it out.

The ganache should then be transferred to a large bowl. Use a spatula to remove the remaining mixture off the pan. The surface of the mixture should be lined up with a plastic wrap as well so that one can prevent films from developing. The bowl should then be deposited into the fridge.

Make the truffle. Just take out the bowl from the fridge and put it in the work surface. The cocoa powder should be prepared into a medium bowl too.

Try to obtain a melon baller, teaspoon, or small ice cream scooper too. Using any of these things, get a small amount of ganache and roll it to a ball using one's palms. Roll it as quickly as possible to get the shape right for the chocolate truffles NYC.

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Valrhona Chocolate - The Way To Get Valrhona Chocolate?

By Daniel Turbin

With regards to high quality and taste practically nothing surpasses Valrhona chocolate. The chocolatier is well-known for its quality process which includes ISO 22000 standardization. The Valrhona firm incorporates quality assurance at all stages of the firm, from the cocoa plantations to the finished chocolate packaging and shipping procedure. This quest ensures that chocolate enthusiasts get only the highest quality chocolate.

The most convenient way to purchase Valrhona is direct from the dealer. For true chocolate lovers, large Valrhona chocolate wholesale purchases could be specially placed direct. Individual purchases can also be accommodated.

History of Chocolate

Chocolate has been around for 100s of years. The Mayas were the foremost to formally ration cocoa. The coca tree was used as either a tonic and kind of currency. Afterwards the Toltec's and Aztecs followed suit; Christopher Columbus named chocolate the "elixir of the Gods." Chocolate has since then obtained infamy, and continues to be an elixir today. In Early Europe consuming chocolate was considered in vogue, and it still is these days.

Chocolate has been and constantly will be an important asset. Whether consumed in the way of delicacies, chocolate bard, bon bons, coffee, beans, Valrhona powdered cocoa for hot chocolate, Valrhona chocolate bars for presents and treats, or as Valrhona chocolate feves, nobody doubts the value of high quality chocolate as a commodity.

Chocolate Recipes

Some company recipes are secret; while some company recipes are too best to keep a secret. One of the top recipes on-line are Valrhona chocolate recipes. The Valrhona chocolate cupcake recipe is simply that very great to keep a top secret.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

16 oz sifted sugar

7 oz flour and

Dash salt

4 oz Valrhona cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda and baking powder

4 oz buttermilk

1 1/2 whole eggs

2 oz melted butter

4 oz coffee cool

Preparation

Combine all dry ingredients. In dish mix eggs, buttermilk, butter, and coffee. Put buttermilk. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Put into cupcake tins and then bake on sheet pan at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 mins.

Chocolate Cream Topping

Mix 5 oz cream together with 1 oz corn syrup. Melt 3 1/2 oz Valrhona Le Noir 61% baking bar in sauce pan and combine with cream and corn syrup. Let mixture to crystallize. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

The result? Paradise!

A different sort of chocolate that is comparable in level of quality to Valrhona is callebaut chocolate. If you want to purchase chocolate, you might also buy a chocolatier that would satisfy.

Another great recipe is the Valrhona chocolate cake recipe. This calls for bittersweet chocolate mixed with butter, egg yolks, sugar, flower as well as vanilla ice-cream! How decadent!

This recipe is easy and simple to create. You only combine all the ingredients with each other, bake at 325 for roughly thirty minutes and voila! Cake.

Anybody that loves to bake should go to the Valrhona site, where there is a wealth of details about good quality chocolate.

Health Rewards of Chocolate

Chocolate is a bean, produced from the cocoa plant; as such it offers a lot of real health benefits. These include:

Flavonoids - decrease free radical damage including damage caused by exposure to carcinogens.

Anti-oxidants - neutralize free-radicals, which trigger damage to the body's cells and lead to chronic illnesses.

Helps generate nitric oxide, which allows blood vessels in the body to expand and dilate, bettering the flow of oxygen in the body. Consequently brings about comfort and decreases stress. This may as well lower blood pressure.

Helps reduce blood pressure.

May help lower cholesterol.

Obviously, all of these health advantages are connected with dark chocolate, because dark chocolate has less sugar then milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is jam packed with these powerful antioxidants and nutrients. Actually, dark chocolate has extra antioxidants than strawberries according to some researches.

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Belgian chocolate - a cut above the rest

By Louis Lefevre

During the 2012 Olympics it seems a couple of Belgian athletes came back to the Olympic Village somewhat the worse for wear from their voyage of discovery into British drinking establishments. So in honour of those two and to celebrate their celebrations, we're going to take a look at another famous Belgian gourmet treat.

You can't get a hangover with it, and you certainly won't get sent home after a spot of over-indulgence - even if fermentation does make up a major part of the preparation process. We're talking here about Belgian chocolate. Perhaps up to now, you might have been more familiar with Swiss chocolate. But what you might not have known is that the Swiss "borrowed" the original Belgian recipe all those years ago. They tend to add more sugar to their version, though.

Belgian chocolate making tradition relies very much on the process of "conching", where ingredients are mixed with the basic chocolate paste while being stirred at a constant heat for a specified amount of time, all depending on what form the finished product is going to take.

Belgian chocolate makers are very selective about the kind of cocoa beans they use - the closer they grow to the equator, the better - and many of the other ingredients of Belgian chocolates, whether plain bars or pralines stuffed full of all kinds of delicious fillings are regulated by law. Since the country with a population of roughly 10 million people has over 2000 chocolate shops to its credit, obviously Belgian chocolate makers are doing something right - whether they 'e the small independent chocolate shops found in villages throughout the country, or major chocolate manufacturers.

No wonder Belgians are mad for their chocolate: it's almost a surprise that they let any of it out through their borders and out into the big wide world. 80% of their exports don't make it much further than the EC, but that doesn't mean they're not enjoyed elsewhere around the globe, especially in North America and even Japan. So now those excellent Belgian Olympic competitors are safely back home - with or without hangovers they'll remember for the rest of their lives - it's reassuring to know that there is still some Belgian excellence for us to enjoy here in the UK: Belgian chocolate!

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Belgian food does not always have to be complicated. Belgique's Continental Cafes exemplify that belief, serving Belgian celebration cakes in a warm and welcoming environment. Belgique online delivers this experience, plus Fine Belgian Chocolate and much more for you to enjoy in your own home.

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4 Reasons To purchase Bulk Chocolates

By Joshua Adekane

For those of us that have a sweet tooth there can be nothing better than a chocolate fix. Whether a small couple of chocolate chips or a whole dark chocolate bar, this goodie could be a fantastic pick-me-up. Even though you're the biggest enthusiast you might be asking the question, why should I purchase bulk chocolates? Well, here are just a few reasons you should consider having your fix in a larger package.

Gather Savings

Among the best methods to spend less on groceries would be to consider having them in bulk. This applies to every little thing including bulk chocolates. The reason you'll get discounts when buying this way is there would be much less packaging as well as much less promoting which will go into getting these treats to you. Additionally, you may typically have these larger orders online and that will also mean a savings. It can be a very convenient way to purchase your chocolates as you won't even have to go out and you may have them delivered to your front doorstep.

To Use In Your Baking

If you're somebody who loves to do a lot of baking you'll know how quickly your elements can add up and push that grocery bill toward the sky. In general it is because you'll have to buy several different packages to get the amount you need to feed your baking craze. If you want to easily have chocolate on hand for all your recipes the best way to make this happen is to purchase bulk chocolates. These will add to your pantry without having hurting your bank book.

To Help Celebrate A Special Affair

It may still be hard to comprehend why you will need bulk chocolates. If you haven't gone to a wedding event or shower lately you might have forgotten that individuals enjoy having treats on the table that they can nibble at while awaiting formal food to be presented. Among the simplest ways to guarantee that you have something to fill all of these little dishes is to get your sweets in larger orders. A lot of times when you have a bulk purchase such as this you can also request specifics. This may mean having chocolates in a selected color, particular kind of wrapping or at a particular place.

To make Trail Mixes

If you haven't made your own trail mix before you might be missing out. We all select our favorites from any trail mix we get however let's say you had been able to eat from a trail mix that was made from nothing but your favorites. This is among the best reasons to thinking about buying bulk chocolates. This can make it much easier to get a mix of just the right ratios. So whether you're considering the spending budget, getting busy in the your kitchen, having a party or creating your personal trail mix chocolate can easily be added. Your best method to find it in bulk would be to do some online searches for various companies.

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To buy quality wholesale gourmet foods on the internet at the lowest prices, make sure you check out New Urban Farms website at the following link bulk chocolate suppliers.

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