Posts tagged "Chocolates"

Organic Chocolates

Organic chocolate was deemed unsuitable before, but it doesn’t hold true any longer. More and more people involved in the chocolate-making industry are getting their growers in tropical climes to grow organic cacao. They are derived from the tropical cacao tree, no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers are used in growing them.

Fair trade practices aids in making sure that the workers are paid a living wage, work in safer conditions, and can access health care, education and other important opportunities even though they aren’t necessarily eco-friendly.

The taste of organic dark chocolate is described by chocolovers as a near-transcendent experience. Anyone who has a take on it?

You can go for organic chocolate when you want to give something to a chocoholic friend, while at it, you get to help Mother Earth, as well.

Chocolate has been a star in the human palate and heart ever since it was discovered. It started from being one of the most cherished foods on the planet, now it takes the limelight of being the most studied. Scientists claim that there are several health benefits of chocolates. The chocolates also contain many chemicals that act in a pleasant way on the moods of those who get to eat it.

But of course, there are several negative impacts that come with chocolates. Surprise, surprise. Chocolate is packed with sugar, especially when you don’t opt for the dark type. To make it yummy and low in carbs, it takes some ingenuity but it can be surely done.

Studies of today also display how good chocolate is for the heart. Studies indicate that chocolate can improve blood vessel responsiveness blood pressure, and cholesterol. For improving glucose tolerance other studies have shown it has potential, which is significant to people who are using low-carb diets to lessen blood glucose spikes.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - August 8, 2013 at 2:04 pm

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Making Home-made Chocolates

The process is actually similar to roasting coffee beans, however with gentler requirements. You need to roast them for 5-35 minutes at temperatures between 120-160 degrees C. What you should do first is expose the beans to a high temperature, and then lower the temperature eventually. Then, stop roasting when you have observed that the beans are starting to crack

After roasting them, crack using a hammer and get rid of the husks by hand if you work with a small batch. And for larger batch you may utilize a very coarse, Corona type mill when cracking the beans into nibs. Stir the nibs in a gentle manner using your hands or a spoon to winnow the nibs while you blow on them using a hair dryer up to the point where the husks are blown away.

You will be needing something strong enough in order to liquefy the nibs and separate the remaining husks. General food processors and majority of the juicers won’t do. A lot of individuals making chocolate at home are successful with the Champion Juicer. Feed the nibs in a lenient manner into the juicer one handful at a time. Otherwise, the motor might overheat. Cocoa liqueur will be coming out of the screen, with the mixture of husks and liqueur through the spout. Feed mixture through the juicer only until husk is coming out of the spout.

Conch and refine could be done at the same time with the use of a powerful wet grinder. Conch and refining rely upon the equipment that is utilized.

Tempering is practically the hardest part of making a chocolate. It guarantees you that your chocolate comes out to be shiny with a snap to it instead of being matte and soft that would melt in your hand. You have to take care that no moisture enters your chocolate. If moisture enters your chocolate it will ruin it. For that you can buy a tempering machine online.

Lastly, you mold the chocolate while it is still liquid. Gently pour it into the molds, making sure it won’t get spilled. You can pour them using a big syringe in the mould. You have the freedom to freeze, refrigerate, or let them harden at room temperature. Remove them after they have hardened into the mold. They must have a glossy appearance and must snap cleanly.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - May 13, 2013 at 12:08 pm

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Advertising Your Business with Promotional Chocolates

Women who eat chocolate often will be seen in a different light once you take into consideration what research has been saying. According to studies, a large number of males consume relatively more chocolate than women. You can’t deny the fact that chocolate is a sensation mood enhancer and it’s a very wonderful gift, as well. More to these, you can conveniently get it from a branded chocolate producer or a customized chocolate bar.

Nowadays, a lot of companies give their clients chocolates as gifts to further their harmonious relationships. Come to think of it, it doesn’t just satisfy your sweet tooth cravings, it can also help with advertising your brand and company. How, you may ask. With female customers at your disposal, your strategy for brand building would be so much easier as they are known for gossiping. Yup. That said, why don’t you distribute promotional chocolates to them and get rid of the hassles of broadcasting print and electronic advertisements for building your brand?

With regard to the impact of promotional chocolates in businesses, such products seem to be cost effective, delish, and their packets have enough space to provide information details, such as name, address, or even the logo. This way, you can see get to build your brand at cost that is far lower than any other form of advertisement, and of course, the mouth-watering taste these treats would give to people who get to receive them.

One significant factor that must be taken into consideration is that the chocolates should be of high quality so as to seduce recipients and gain positive feedbacks.

It is important also that promotional chocolates are best for occasions where large scale participation is expected, say, Christmas Day, New Year, exhibitions, and tradeshows, among many other occasions. They can be centers for businesses to promote their products, services and solutions by means of distribution of promotional products. Therefore, it would be best if you utilize these promotional chocolates for brand building and gain the trust of your clients.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - December 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm

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The Basics of Homemade Chocolates

Isn’t it amazing how one person can name one kind of food that they can eat over and over again for the rest of their life despite the existence of all other delicious food? Take for example chocolates. I bet my life savings on it that there is no one person that can be able to resist chocolate. I mean they could but it would take one very serious reason. On the brighter side, more number of people are given the chance to experience these mouthwatering chocolates. It is a favorite among all ages and all walks of life. So, if chocolate is on top of your list, wouldn’t it be nice to learn how to make them?

First, roast the cocoa beans for about 5-35 minutes under the heat of about 120-160 degrees Celsius. Expose it at first in high temperature then gradually decrease it. stop the roasting once you see the beans begin to crack. Second, crack the beans using a hammer if you are on a small batch. For a larger batch of beans, you can utilize a Corona type mill. Stir the nibs carefully using your hands or a spoon and at the same time blowing on them in order to get rid of the husks. Third, grind the nibs into liqueur. You can put it in a juicer and it will produce cocoa liqueur. Do this repeatedly until no more husks are included. Fourth, conch and refine them with the aid of a high powered wet grinder. Fifth, proceed to tempering. This is one of the crucial step since you need to make sure that no moisture penetrates the chocolate or else it will be super soft. What you would want is to make it snappy and shiny. Lastly, mold the chocolate into its final look. You can work on it while it still in its liquid form. Gently pour it on your molder of choice and place it on the fridge or leave it to harden at room temperature.

Honestly speaking, producing chocolate is not a piece of cake. Manufacturers all over the world spend millions of money and years of development in order to come up with the best tasting chocolates that would beat all other competitors. However, you can make a little chocolate factory within the four corners of your home.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - October 7, 2012 at 1:54 pm

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Is there any other way to make chocolates other than blending,roasting and grounding cocoa beans?

Question by timoty: Is there any other way to make chocolates other than blending,roasting and grounding cocoa beans?
I want simple and easiest method to make “PURE CHOCOLATE” AT HOME

can i use cocoa powder, or something like that.. whats the method ???? i can’t make chocolate from cocoa beans,, its quite hard i guess

THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION..

10 POINTS FOR BEST ANSWER 🙂

Best answer:

Answer by Paul Ding

If you want to make “PURE CHOCOLATE” at home, you’ll have to define what you mean by that term.

If you want to make chocolate from beans, the link below gives directions.

If you want to make chocolate candy at home, you can do that with cocoa. Cocoa is basically chocolate beans that have been processed, with the fat removed. In the US, the standard of identity says that the fat in chocolate has to be cocoa butter, the fat that was removed from the beans. In Europe, they make phony chocolate by substituting other fats for the cocoa butter.

To make chocolate candy at home, mix cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla.

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Posted by Chocoholic - September 27, 2012 at 1:07 pm

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Assorted Chocolates Gift Platter

Assorted Chocolates Gift Platter

Assorted Chocolates Gift Platter

  • Delectable chocolate gift

A decadent combination of assorted chocolates. Enjoy the sensational taste of our assorted handmade chocolates for the perfect chocolate gift platter. Dark and milk assorted chocolates, chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate covered graham crackers. Note: Platter color may vary.

List Price: $ 59.99

Price:

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Posted by Chocoholic - July 30, 2012 at 8:00 am

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Chocolate For Everybody

Try asking people around about what their favorite food is to match their sweet tooth and certainly most if not all of them will answer chocolate. Do not just ask the little kids or the young adults because even middle aged people and the senior citizens still fancy this ultimate chocolate delight. If you base it solely to that, you can easily conclude that chocolate is one the most loved food there is in the whole wide world. Because of that, it has been made available for everyone to enjoy.

Based on practices, chocolates have been a part of the rewards and punishments as a disciplinary method among children. If they scored high in tests or if  they made a good deed, they will be rewarded with a box of these sweets. But if they did the opposite, they will be grounded and deprived from these delicious chocolates for a period of time.

Onto the next age level which is the teens or the youth. Chocolate is every girl’s best friend. If they are sad and troubled, they would drown themselves in chocolate and feel better after downing a handful of it. Chocolates have also evolved into becoming a symbol of love and affection. It is a favorite gift given to a person dear to you. The sweetness of every bite size reflects the feelings of the sender towards the receiver of the gift.

Moreover, when people reach middle age they still have that special attachment towards chocolates. Unfortunately, in this age group entails a lot of problems and complications when it comes to health. Although the cocoa is nothing but alluring, the sugar content is what’s holding them back most specifically to the ones diagnosed with Diabetes. But the good news is, since chocolate is for everybody, manufacturers found ways to lessen the sugar content or even make it sugar free but still keeping intact the sweetness that it brings.

For the older ones, the availability of hot chocolate has been their favorite. Alongside that is the introduction of dark chocolate syrup. The strength of the taste and aroma brings them back to their younger years when they used to eat as much as they want with no holds barred.

With the increasing demand of chocolates in the market, more and more manufactures have innovated their production and made a wider range of flavors. Because of that, chocolate has been made very cheap and affordable making it a staple favorite for all the people in the world, young or old.

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Posted by Nikita Gould - July 5, 2012 at 8:11 am

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