Chocolate Lovers Passion

Macarons Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Souffl Cake

Classic Chocolate Truffles

Cocoa Macadamia Cookies

Double Chocolate Fudge Opera Cake (top view)

Chocolate clair

Brownie with Walnut and Pistachio

Opera Cake (side view)

Religieuse

Chocolate Mousse Classic

Dark Chocolate Tart

Chocolate Ice Cream

Triple Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Mocha Cupcake

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White Chocolate Custard

Origin & History of Chocolate: From fermented drink to smooth-textured bars

Our love of chocolate goes back at least 3,000 years to South and Central America, where a fermented beer-like drink was made from the sweet, milky pulp surrounding the cacao beans. Later, the trees were grown by the Maya and then the Aztecs, who used the fire-roasted beans in a beverage that was considered an aphrodisiac. Cocoa beans were in such demand that they became a form of currency, and in the 1500s, one bean could buy a ripe avocado, 30 beans a small rabbit, and 100 beans a slave. When the Spanish Conquistador Corts was served a cup of xocolatl (bitter water) in 1519 by the Aztec ruler Montezuma, it was nothing like todays chocolate beverages. The dried, roasted cacao nibs were ground into a paste and mixed with hot peppers, spices and dried flowers. It was bitter, lumpy, typically served cold, and solely for men of high status. Although Columbus first introduced cocoa beans to Europe decades earlier, when Corts brought the beans home to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and added sugar and vanilla to the xocolatl recipe, a more user-friendly beverage was launched. This new health craze spread throughout Europe, first among the social elite... and a new era in chocolate began. In 1828, Dutch chocolate entrepreneur Casparus Van Houten, Sr. developed a machine to press almost half of the fat out of cocoa beans, making it possible to create cocoa powder. Cocoa could now be blended with sugar and remixed with cocoa butter to form bars. Casparus son Coenraad developed a way to make the powder less bitter and more water soluble; the result Dutch process cocoa. The mid-1800s saw many innovations in chocolate making. The first chocolate bar is believed to have been created in 1847 by J.S. Fry and Sons of England. Swiss candlemaker Daniel Peter created the first milk chocolate bar in 1875 with the help of Henri Nestl, who devised a way to make powdered milk. Rudolphe Lindt invented conching, where chocolate solids are heated and ground for a smooth texture. Many well-known chocolate brands got their start at this time. The latest major achievement was in 1912, when Belgian manufacturer Jean Neuhaus developed a technique for making bonbons, the popular filled and chocolate-dipped confections.

The Styles of Chocolate

Dark Chocolate: Semisweet and Bittersweet Contains at least 35% cacao (aka chocolate liquor or ground cacao nibs) and no milk. If labeled 60% cacao, it contains 40% other ingredients, mainly sugar. The terms are not standardized, so semisweet and bittersweet can be the same thing. Milk Chocolate Contains at least 12% milk solids and 10% cacao solids (chocolate liquor) in the US; mostly sugar, which explains the lack of much chocolate flavor.Dark milk chocolate has 30% or more cacao. Couverture Dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (at least 32% by the French definition), which improves texture and sheen, making it best for dipping, coating and molding. Unsweetened/Bitter/Baking Chocolate Created by grinding cacao beans (cocoa solids and cocoa butter) to a paste, which then hardens (aka solid chocolate liquor). No sugar or extra fat added. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Created by sending cocoa liquor through a hydraulic press and separating the dark solids from the cocoa butter. The solids are ground into a fine powder with fat content below 24% (from about 50%). The expelled cocoa butter has many uses. Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa Powder Cocoa nibs or powder treated with an alkali solution to neutralize acidity; results in a darker powder with a milder, less astringent taste. Cacao Nibs (aka Cocoa Nibs) Beans that have been roasted, hulled and cracked. They are the source of all chocolate ingredients (chocolate liquor, etc.), but also can be used with no further processing as a crunchy, flavorful ingredient or topping. Semisweet and Bittersweet Chocolate Chips/Morsels Lower in cocoa butter, which makes them great for cookies/confections where high heat can make chocolate melt or scorch. Not interchangeable with baking chocolate (e.g., in brownies) or couverture (for coating/ dipping) as they will not melt properly. White Chocolate Not technically/legally chocolate (contains no cocoa solids, from which chocolates color and most of the flavor come). Contains cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and usually vanilla.

Chocolate Ingredients
Only two raw materials go into making plain (dark) chocolate: cocoa beans (including additional cocoa butter from the beans) and sugar. In general, as cacao content goes up, sugar goes down, and usually the quality of the chocolate goes up as well, since that is what you should be tasting. The optimum range of cacao content is 55-75%. Anything lower will be too sweet to taste the chocolate; anything higher will be too bitter, regardless of the quality of the cacao. The key to good chocolate is not only good beans, but using the right amount of sugar for a particular bean. And since sugar is much cheaper than cacao, the proportions also will affect price. The two main varieties of beans are the fairly rare and less hardy criollo, with its more sought-after flavor profile, and the more vigorous, full-bodied forastero. The forastero is often roasted longer and hotter, resulting in a burnt flavor, which helps mask its flavor flaws. When blended together, as is common, the two beans complement each other. Most top quality chocolates use only a small amount of forastero to minimize the burnt flavor and maximize body and depth of flavor. Criollo gives acidity and complexity, like a good Pinot Noir. Vanilla is commonly used in chocolate, although the majority of producers use artificial vanilla (ethyl vanillin, extracted from a variety of conifer tree), which lacks the complexity of flavor in real vanilla. Most eating chocolate (vs. unsweetened baking chocolate) also contains an emulsifier or stabilizer, usually soy lecithin. It is added during the conching stage to prevent separation of the cocoa butter and cocoa solids, and to give smoother texture and appearance (versus a thick, grainy texture).

How Chocolate is Made (from cacao to confection)

Chocolate Starts With the Cacao Tree The cacao tree grows only in tropical rainforests 20 degrees north and south of the equator. The fruits are pods shaped like a shriveled football and sprout directly off the trunk of the trees, which grow 20-50 feet tall. Inside the pod is a sweet pulp varying in color from white to purple holding 20-40 almond-sized beans. Of about twenty varieties of cacao, three are commercially important: Criollo: This low-yielding bean is native to Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean. Although difficult and expensive to grow, and producing less than 5% of all cacao, the beans are prized for their complex, delicate flavors and low astringency. High-end and single-bean chocolate often uses criollo. Forastero: This hardy, prolific tree is thought to be native to the Amazon basin, but is now grown primarily in West Africa. Due to its stronger flavors, the most common variety of this bean is used for bulk chocolate or blended with criollo and trinitario for balance and complexity. Additional fermentation helps tame its higher tannins. Trinitario: Created on the island of Trinidad, this hybrid combines the aromatic, fruity qualities of criollo with the high yields of forastero. It can give notes of spice, citrus and wood. Fermenting and Sun-Drying Harvested pods are split open, then the seeds (beans) and pulp are scooped out, covered with banana or plantain leaves and left to ferment for 2-7 days. Fermentation develops characteristic chocolate notes and reduces bitterness. The beans are then sun-dried for 5-6 days. The originally white or pink-purple seeds (semillas) are now hard brown almonds (almendras) ready to be sorted, bagged and shipped. Roasting and Processing (From Bean to Chocolate Bar) At the chocolate factory, each bean variety is roasted separately forastero longer and hotter than the more delicate criollo then winnowed to remove the outer skins/shells. Next, they are crushed into nibs, which are sold by themselves or made into chocolate. The nibs are fairly high in cocoa fat, and when finely crushed and friction-melted by a series of rollers they make a thick paste called

How Chocolate is Made (continued) chocolate liquor (no connection to alcohol). The liquor can be refined to a smoother texture and made directly into bitter/unsweetened chocolate for baking. To make cocoa powder and cocoa butter, the liquor will enter a hydraulic press to separate most of the fat (cocoa butter) from the solids (cocoa powder). For bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, the chocolate liquor is mixed with sugar, additional cocoa butter, vanilla and soy lecithin. Milk chocolate will have dried milk and more sugar added. Both types are put into a conche, which further refines, aerates and kneads the mass until smooth and the flavors are rounded. Tempering After conching, the liquid chocolate is typically tempered for several hours. This involves repeated heating and cooling, which realigns and stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals. It makes the chocolate glossy, easier to mold and gives it a sharp snap when broken. Molding and Packaging The final steps are molding the chocolate, letting it cool and harden, and then packing and shipping it. Each step requires proper control of timing, temperature and humidity.

Tasting, Evaluating and Storing Chocolate (continued) Tasting Chocolate melts around 93-100 F (depending on the amount of cocoa butter and other ingredients), which is in the range of human body temperature. This is why it is best to let it melt in your mouth when tasting... to get the full mouth feel. Take a piece (size of a quarter) that will cover enough of your tongue for evaluation. The texture shouldnt be greasy, waxy or gritty. Check for flavor defects, such as overly smoked or burnt flavors or too much sugar. There should be a balance of bitter, sweet and acid, and the vanilla should be subtle and natural tasting. As with good wine, there should be a long, pleasant finish. In between samples, rinse with warm tea or room-temperature water. Snap There should be a snap when chocolate bars are broken, and the break should be clean with no shattering. Both properties are due to cocoa butters crystalline structure. If a chocolate does not begin to melt in your hand after a few seconds, it probably has added vegetable fats. Bloom Bloom is a defect usually caused by storage in extremes of temperature. The cocoa butter crystals fall out of alignment and rise to the surface of the bar, which gives a grey-white speckled appearance but doesnt always affect taste. Sugar bloom is caused by moisture (e.g., in a refrigerator) and can be more serious. The chocolate can become grey and gritty when sugar crystals move to the moist surface of the chocolate and recrystallize. Storing The best conditions for storing chocolate are dark, dry and cool: 54-64 F (12-18 C), humidity under 50% (so the refrigerator is out), and well wrapped. Dark chocolate keeps longer (one and a half years or more in ideal conditions) than white or milk chocolate. Good quality truffles, bonbons and other filled chocolates will keep only a week or two at room temperature, but for best flavor and freshness they should be enjoyed within a few days. More highly processed filled chocolates can keep longer, even a couple months, because dairy ingredients are often treated for longer shelf life.

Tasting, Evaluating & Storing Chocolate

Chocolate is similar to wine both have flavors that vary by source, growing conditions, proportions, blending, and processing of the raw ingredients but as a solid, it requires different tasting strategies. First, make sure it is at room temperature. Notice the aroma it should smell like chocolate and be free of artificial, chemical, coconut, dusty or overly sugary smells. Next, check for defects such as excessive cracking or white/grey spots or coloring (see Bloom). Dark chocolate can vary in color, but most chocolate is a blend of multiple bean varieties, so color generally wont be a clue to the variety, although it often reflects the percentage of cacao. Sheen/finish is a factor of whether a chocolate has been molded (as with a bonbon), which results in a glossy finish; or dipped, which imparts a deep luster.

The Chocolate-Love Connection

From long before Montezumas 50-cup-a-day habit in the 16th century to todays obsession with varietal dark chocolate at any price, its obvious theres something compelling and perhaps addictive about chocolate. Chocolate contains hundreds of chemical components, some of which are known stimulants and mood enhancers. While chocolate does contain a small amount of caffeine, its main stimulant is theobromine, which is related to caffeine but affects heart rate more than the nervous system. Both are 2-3 times higher in bittersweet chocolate than milk chocolate, and both are addictive, although theobromine to a much lesser extent. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, which is related to amphetamines and has anti-depressive properties. Its prevalent in our brains when we fall in love, but the amount that gets to the brain after eating chocolate is insignificant due to its deactivation after consumption. The same goes for compounds that either bind to cannabinoid receptors or increase serotonin levels in the brain (the feel good chemical). Its likely that some physiological effect and a lot of cultural/culinary/ psychological appeal is what makes us consume 11+ pounds of chocolate a year on average.

Chocolate Facts & Miscellany

The theobromine in chocolate is good for us, but not for our pets. It is toxic to dogs, cats, parrots and other domestic animals. Chocolates melting point just below body temperature is what makes it so irresistible when it slowly melts in the mouth (like a kiss!) and releases its flavors. This melting point is also why cocoa butter is used in body lotions, lipstick and other cosmetics. One cacao pod contains between 30-50 seeds. One ounce of milk chocolate requires 4 seeds; one ounce of dark chocolate requires 12 seeds. The quality of chocolate does not depend on the percentage of cacao but the quality of the beans used. Chocolate proverb: Nine out of ten people like chocolate, and the tenth is probably lying!

Taste of a timeless treat

The Story of St. Valentine

One legend of St. Valentine says he was a Roman priest killed on February 14, 270 for disobeying Emperor Claudius IIs prohibition of performing Christian marriages. Since then, the story goes, he became a saint for lovers. However, it is generally believed that the day commemorating him in the name of romantic love was invented in 14th century England, or at least the tradition of sending printed romantic greetings on that day. England is also thought to be where giving boxed chocolates on Valentines Day began with Cadburys creation of elaborate boxes for its bonbons in the Victorian era.

Chocolate and Health

But theres more to love about chocolate! Cacao beans are higher in antioxidants (by weight) than even green tea, red wine or prunes. Keep in mind that tea, fruit and wine all contain water, so a concentrated solid has an advantage. And its in the cocoa solids where antioxidants are found; hence, the higher the cacao content, the higher the antioxidant content. The antioxidants in dark chocolate (as well as tea, wine, etc.) are plant flavonoids called flavanols. They protect cells from damage and are thought to be beneficial to heart health and blood pressure. Dark chocolate also contains a fair amount of fiber and iron (almost 10% of the Daily Value of each per ounce), and cocoa butters main saturated fat is considered neutral to heart health (not damaging). Of course, when made into confections chocolate comes packed with calories (150 to 170 per ounce), so moderation is the key a good reason to pick the best quality!

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