Having just seen the movie Chocolat with the SO, she is now bound and determined to make her own chocolate. I’m quite certain I can rustle up some Cocao beans somewhere, but as far as actual making of chocolate, well… I screw up Jello. This is where I need help.
Does anyone know how to make chocolate from beans? Any interesting recipies, things to do once the chocolate is made?
Even though I do believe that it’s possible to make chocolate from the beans at home, you’re going to have a hell of a time doing it. You’re going to have to roast the beans, crush them, seperate the cocoa butter from the chocolate, emulsify the cocoa butter with milk, sugar, vanilla and lecithin, then add the chocolate back to the emulsification. Sounds messy, doesn’t it? And, this doesn’t even guarantee a smooth, consistent product.
My advice, if your SO isn’t too familiar with candy making, is to start out buying block chocolate, and trying her hand at tempering chocolate, and making her own truffles. Making truffles isn’t too difficult, but you will need some supplies to get a good product that she’ll be pleased with.
I’ve been asked by several to write out my directions on tempering chocolate and truffle recipes, so now I feel inspired to do it. I’ll post them tonight on Zenster’s Recipe Thread, once I get all my notes together.
Listen to JavaMaven1. The advice was right on. I’m a baker(duh!) and I’ve done research on cocoa processing. It would be too much work and hassle. I make some candy too, although not too often, and believe me, it’s easier to learn the tempering and dipping. Most of the time though, when I want high quality chocolates, I BUY them. (As an aside here, in case Stoidela looks at this thread, I finished all the dark chocolate Bordeaux from See’s she gave me a gift certificate for. The secret Santa project may have made me an addict.)
I explained to my SO everything you’ve all posted here (Thank you for all the info, incidentally), and she has rather vehemently insisted. She realises it will be difficult and messy and eat up some time, and that it may not result in a perfect product, but she’d still like to try.
So I’m going to reiterate my request; If anyone out there knows the process for converting cocoa beans into chocolate, or knows where I could find information on such a thing, I’d appreciate it enormously.
I’m having a hard time finding anything on the web on exact instructions on making chocolate from the beans. Everything I have found just gives a simple overview (sweat the beans, ferment for a week, roast, grind, seperate the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor, emulsify the cocoa butter with sugar, vanilla, lecithin, and milk, then add in the chocolate–but this is described for large scale chocolate making, not for something done in a home kitchen)
I came across the title of a book: Chocolate, Cocoa, and Confectionery by Bernard W. Minifie, which is a required text for a week-long class on the making of chocolate. Perhaps this will have the information your SO needs.
I get a feeling, though, that what you’re going to run into is instructions on large-scale chocolate making. Your SO is going to probably just try it on her own, using trial and error to get a product she’s happy with.
(I’m speaking on the level as a pastry chef. I’ve studied the chocolate making process, but only on the large-scale process. I personally wouldn’t try this at home.)