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Written by Grady
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Wednesday, 25 February 2009 16:49 |
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Chocolate
University
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Who else wants to learn the hidden secrets of Chocolate transforming you into a Chocolate Guru -- like clockwork?
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* How to taste and describe the flavors
in chocolate
*
The 3 key elements you need to know about chocolate and
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* The secret to pairing chocolate and wine for a great
taste combination
* How to get real
chocolate to harden properly without additives or refrigeration (no one does this
simple trick)
* ...and much,
much more!
Click
Here! to join the
student body of Choclate
University!
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 16:56 |
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Using Molds for Homemade Chocolate |
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Written by Grady Rogers
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Saturday, 22 November 2008 23:19 |
 
| Using molds is a great way to make your homemade chocolate fun and interesting. You can use basic molds that are just in traditional shapes like squares or bars or you can use fun molds that are in all different shapes and styles. |
| If you want to make lollipops or suckers there are special molds that you can use to make those. There are lots of companies that make special candy molds that are specifically made to be used with chocolate. These are often found in holiday shapes like Easter bunnies, chicks, and eggs or in Christmas shapes like Santa Claus, stars, and Christmas trees. There are candy molds out there for every season so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a mold that will be perfect for you holiday celebration. But you’re not limited to just using candy molds for your homemade chocolate. You can use soap molds, cake molds, or other types of molds too. As long as a mold is made from a heavy plastic it should work just fine. To make your candy slide out of the mold more easily spray the inside of the mold with a no stick cooking spray. That way you won’t have a situation where half of your chocolate candy ends up stuck inside the mold. If chocolate does get stuck inside a mold turn then mold over so that the open side is facing down and run the mold under the hot water tap until the chocolate loosens and slides out. To take care of your molds make sure that you wash each one thoroughly after you’re done with it. Molds can be washed with normal soap and water like dishes but most are not dishwasher safe so don’t put them in the dishwasher unless the mold says that it’s dishwasher safe. When you pour the chocolate into the molds it might take several hours or even days for the chocolate to harden properly. You might be tempted to put the chocolate and the mold into the freezer so that it hardens more quickly, but you shouldn’t do that. It will make the chocolate harden too fast and it can damage the mold. You can put the chocolate filled mold in the refrigerator though, and that should help the chocolate solidify more quickly. You can find candy and craft molds at any craft store, and sometimes at the grocery store too. Spend a few dollars more and get molds made from high density plastic that are very thick. They’re really worth the extra cost. Using molds is a cheap and easy way to make your homemade chocolate more fun. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 16:33 |
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Chocolate Really Is Good For You!? |
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Written by Grady Rogers
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Friday, 26 September 2008 20:16 |
From chocolate milk to chocolate truffles and deep, rich dark chocolate bars, it's hard to go through a home, office or grocery store without bumping into something that boasts this flavor. Some people steer clear of all varieties; falsely believing that chocolate is bad for them. The facts don't necessarily support this notion, however. The truth of the matter is that chocolate can actually be good for your health.
While it may be hard to accept that something that tastes quite good is considered healthful in some arenas, it's perfectly true. A look at the vitamins and minerals found within an ounce of plain baking chocolate or cocoan bears this out. For example, an ounce of chocolate has about 10 percent of the U.S. daily recommended requirement of iron. A single ounce also has a variety of vitamins as well. Those who read labels will find vitamins A1, B1, B2, C, D and E all within chocolate. Talk about alphabet soup! And, if that isn't enough to convince, chocolate also contains calcium and potassium.
While it's quite true thats not all chocolate is equal, the reality that chocolate is not as bad for one's health as many believe. Some of the finer, gourmet chocolates that include all-natural ingredients, low sugar content and no preservatives are good illustrations of chocolates that are reasonably good for one's health. Dark chocolate is considered a very good source of antioxidants. Although many people prefer not to eat dark chocolate because of its bolder, often more bitter taste, this variety can help fight off some forms of cancer, heart disease and a host of other ailments thanks to its antioxidant properties. Plus when low-fat, low-sugar dark chocolate is consumed, the perceived negatives of chocolate virtually disappear.
Though it's true some chocolates are high in fat, finer chocolates don't even impact cholesterol levels all that much. Chocolate that relies on natural cocoa butter for its fat content seems to have a rather neutral effect on overall cholesterol levels. When the flavor of chocolate creations comes from the chocolate liquor rather than a ton of sugar and highly processed ingredients, the overall calorie content isn't generally that high either.
Some believe that chocolate in any form is bad for one's health. The reality is that this sweet treat can be part of a rather well-balanced, healthful diet. Although it's never a good idea to go crazy over one type of food, chocolate can actually be a healthy part of a balanced diet. When common sense and the right varieties are selected, chocolate can boost health while delighting the taste buds. |
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Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2009 19:49 |
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Written by Grady Rogers
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Thursday, 20 November 2008 20:36 |
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Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2009 19:51 |
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Brief History of Chocolate |
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Written by Grady Rogers
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Friday, 19 September 2008 01:49 |
A Brief Look at the Past of Making Chocolate
Everything has its origin. Did you know that even the process of making chocolate has a history? This may be your favorite thing to do now on your pastime. Or you may be even addicted to the taste of such treat. But this piece will not add up to that craving as it tries to give you a better view as to how it all started.
The Theobroma Cacao or the food from the Gods is what you all know as the cocoa tree. Its origin can be traced on America's rainforests, specifically in Central America. But historians are still debating about certain facts about this tree.
Xocolat, Anyone? There are arguments that the Mayans first grew such tree in 300 AD. And the Aztecs had their turn in cultivating such in 1100 AD. The chocolate that you all know now used to be called Xocolat. This was a special beverage that was made out of chilies, anise seed, vanilla, cornmeal and some more spices. Only royalties get to be treated with such delight at the time. It was served using golden cups that were to be used only once.
Save the Chocolates The cocoa tree is sensitive to its surroundings. It will most likely grow in the shades of the canopy of the rainforest. For this reason, chocolate lovers must unite in the goal of saving the environment, especially in saving the rainforests where the cacaos will most likely survive.
This tree is unique in the sense that its fruits grow on its branches and trunk. The reason for this is because of midges. These are the tiny insects that cause the pollination process during nighttime.
Did you know that the cacao tree can have approximately 10,000 blossoms but only about 10 to 50 of those will mature into fruits or the pod? This is because like an intelligent human being, the tree of cacao can regulate its blossoms to the amount that it can handle and grow.
The cacao tree self regulates in this process to be able to sustain its good health. It knows what it can contain and handle. It knows just how many is enough and too much. The tree does this to preserve its internal systems and to prevent its branches from breaking or falling apart.
The cocoa beans come from the fruit or the pod from the intelligent tree. Harvesters wait for the pod to ripen. They will handpick the trees and crack up the pods until they see white pulpy elements that surround the seeds. The pulps are then trashed while the seeds are kept because those are your cocoa beans, the source of your chocolate treats.
These seeds are actually bitter during such time. For this reason, these will go through the fermentation process for about three to seven days. This method will cause the seeds to go through some chemical as well as physical changes. The result of this will then be used for the royalties' treat, the Xocolat.
The beans need to go through several procedures after which before it can be used for the traditional making chocolate purposes. Now that you know where it came from, you'll never look at your favorite chocolate the same way ever again. Or probably not. Whatever it has been through, chocolates will remain a favorite among children and child at heart. |
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Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2009 19:50 |
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Traditional Chocolate Making |
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Written by Grady Rogers
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Thursday, 18 September 2008 23:59 |
Traditional Chocolate Making
Making chocolate the traditional way can be done at home, although it’s a lengthy and involved process. If you want to pursue making homemade chocolate as a hobby and it’s important to you to make all of your chocolate from scratch you can do that but you’ll need some specialized equipment and a lot of time on your hands. Some people really do enjoy making chocolate from scratch, so you should give traditional chocolate making a try to see if it’s a hobby that you are interested in pursuing. Using a traditional process to make chocolate home has several steps:
1. Choosing the beans. Chocolate is made from cacao beans so when you first start off making chocolate the traditional way you need to start with some high quality cacao beans. There are suppliers on the Internet that sell different varieties of cacao beans in many different price ranges so if you are looking for whole cacao beans it isn’t too hard to find them.
2. Roasting the beans. Cacao beans need to be roasted just like coffee beans. You can roast them at home on a cookie sheet in the oven if you watch them carefully or you can buy a specialized cacao bean roaster for at home use if you’re going to pursue traditional candy making as a hobby. The beans are usually roasted for as little as five minutes or as many as 35 minutes depending on the type of bean and the flavor that you want to achieve.
3. Getting the chocolate out. After the beans are roasted you need to crack open the outer shell of the bean to get the chocolate that is inside out. There are several ways to do this at home. You can lay the beans in a single sheet on a counter or on a baking sheet and use a hammer to crack the shells open, then use a blow dryer on a low setting to blow the hulls of the beans away from the chocolate or you can use a juicer to accomplish the same goal. This step can be very messy, so make sure that you have a mop and bucket and lots of clean up supplies standing by.
4. Grinding and Refining the chocolate. Now you need to grind the chocolate down as fine as possible. If you’re going to do this at home many expert chocolate makers recommend using a high quality juicer to grind the chocolate. After the chocolate has all been ground as finely as possible you need to add milk, sugar, preservatives, or anything else that you’re planning on adding to the chocolate to enhance the flavor. Once everything is mixed with the other ingredients the chocolate will need to be agitated slowly but constantly. This process could take up to 12 hours to get the chocolate to exactly the right consistency. Experts recommend using a stand mixer on a low setting to refine the chocolate.
5. Tempering the chocolate. Once the chocolate has been fully refined it needs to be tempered before you can use it. Tempering chocolate at home can be a very complicated process but if you want to cheat a little and speed up the procedure you can use a microwave to temper your homemade chocolate. Once the chocolate is tempered and is smooth, hard and shiny it’s ready to be used or eaten. |
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Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2009 19:51 |
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