Chocolate Making

We ran out of chocolate two nights ago. Jean likes the shard style that I make and I like the roasted peanut and coconut shreds/chips style. We enjoy a small piece after dinner.

I'm one of those people who thinks if you are going to the trouble of dirtying the implements you may as well make it worth the effort. To that end I decided to make a few other styles such as Hazel Nut, Almond and Ported Prune in ice cube trays.

Hazel Nuts and Almonds in the top tray and peanuts in the lower

Trays of Peanuts and Coconut shreds

Ported Prunes

Hazel Nuts and Almonds

The tray used for shards

Shards a simply just a thin layer of chocolate about 3-5 mm thick that provide a pleasant sensation in the mouth.

Two of the ingredients - Coconut Oil and Cocao Powder

We normally use Van Houten Cocoa which is available in the super market. But we recently found another brand which we tried and also liked. It is a darker Cocoa powder from Callebaut a Belgian supplier. We found at our wholesaler.

The third and final ingredient - Creamed Honey from HHF

Mixing

One of the secrets to a nice texture is stirring. Keep stirring until you get a smooth and silky texture. Don't over heat. The water bath supporting the mixing bowl should be warm not hot.

The blend is 3 parts Coconut Oil, 1 part Honey, 7 parts Cocoa Powder (or to your own taste.

The final result

Refrigerate just long enough for it to cool and set then repackage into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator.