How to Make Chocolates At Home?
Aphrodisiac, food of the Gods, the most sought after food and an indispensable part of anyone’s life – chocolate is more than just an ingredient. What was widely used by the Aztecs and Mesoamericans as an offering to the Gods and was considered sacred is now freely available. Mankind has processed, changed, cooked, transformed, tweaked this food and how! Chocolates are now available in a variety of forms, flavors, shapes and types across the globe. If you thought that chocolate can only be made by the Godiva and Cadburys of the world, worry not because making chocolate is actually quite easy. All you need is some precision and the desire to lose yourself in something so divine.
Before you start making chocolates professionally at home make sure you get the hang of it and try it several times before you get the nuances right. The right temperature to temper the chocolate, the correct mixing of flavors and the right ingredients to add are things that you will learn after some practice. Also make sure you have a well stocked kitchen in terms of utensils, molds, essences etc. to avoid last minute mishaps. So here are a few things that you must have in your kitchen, before starting to make chocolates.
I. Chocolate – The quality of chocolate you pick up is most important in order to get the correct sheen and smoothness while melting. Do not choose something with very low cocoa content and at the same time not something too high. It is very important to understand what flavor goes with what type of chocolate. Choose a chocolate depending on what kind of an assortment you are trying to make. Standard chocolate bars available are dark, milk and white but now you can also buy sugar free or low fat chocolates depending on your preference.
II. Molds – Silicon molds work best as you can reuse them time and again and they are easy to clean too. However you also have a more cost effective option in plastic molds but they are not considered too hygienic for regular use.
III. Add ons – There are scores of options on what you can add to your chocolate. If we were to put each one of them in writing, the list would be endless. But it’s safe to say that there is something for everyone. Make sure you get the flavors right as it is important to have a good understanding of the correct combination, you don’t want to end up with a bad taste in your mouth.
The process of making chocolate couldn’t be simpler but at the same time requires meticulousness. Chocolates are made over a double boiler to avoid burning. Follow these steps to make delicious chocolates at home!
