In my determination to reduce our waste I am reducing what we buy and looking at ways to reproduce products at home. So today I made chocolate. Well, I might as well practice on something I eat a lot of!
I have a school friend Sarah Wheeler who set up Pure Melt Chocolate in Mulumbimby. I bumped into her whilst I was in Australia (as one does) and she inspired me to have a go at making our own chocolate. I purchased the cacao butter, agave syrup, pure cacao powder and dried vanilla and off we went.
First melt the cacao butter.
Then add the cacao powder
Then add the vanilla.
Finally the agave syrup. According to the instructions it would take approximately 100 stirs to incorporate. That was about right. It became the most beautiful shiny mixture.
Then into the moulds and the fridge.
Less than an hour later we had this.
Oh my goodness, it is the most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted. Even the Singers and the Dancer are converted. I am never going to buy chocolate off the shelf again. I have a head full of ideas to try. Ginger is close to the top of the list, I may crystallise some orange peel, or add some cacao nibs for cruch, chilli is an option. Too many to list.
one pair of shoes at a time 
Peanut butter, coconut, definitely chili…oh, you’re right! The list is endless! I actually made brownies from scratch last night – it was so good and the pan was gone in minutes, I kid you not! – and swore never to buy prepackaged mix again. This seems the next logical step from that. Now if only I knew where to get all these ingredients…
Throw out the packaged mixes. They cost far more, contain all sorts of stuff you don’t need or want, and as you have discovered taste nothing like the real thing 🙂
Oooooh, this sounds a definite Gillie. I’ll have to try this sometime very soon. Is it expensive to start up?
Not really. It’s more expensive than a bar of dairy milk, but lasts a lot longer. You only need a little and it tastes MILES better.
How much did one bar of chocolate cost to make?
I bought the smallest kit which is the most expensive way to make it. I have since bought the ingredients in larger quantities and idividually. But the kit made 300g of chocolate and cost £12.99. Bear in mind I am a chocolate fiend and since I made it yesterday we (ie. all five of us) have eaten only two small bars between us (I have six more left). You only need a very small amount. It is not remotely bitter, which is one of the things I dislike about commercial chocolate. Raw chocolate has a completely different taste and texture.
Oh wow! You have probably created a monster! Ginger – yes! and…. yeah I can only imagine where this could go. Gillie Wonka…
I’m wondering about making praline….