Preparation time: 20 minutes ❀ Difficulty of preparation: Simple ❀ Number of servings: 1
| Ingredients: |
|---|
| Dark chocolate |
| 45 g cocoa butter |
| 35 g cocoa powder |
| 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup) |
| 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (optional) |
| Milk chocolate |
| 35 g cocoa butter |
| 15 g cocoa powder |
| 20 g milk powder |
| 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup) |
| 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (optional) |
Preparation
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat. Put the cocoa butter in a small bowl and place the bowl over the boiling water so that the butter melts slowly in the steam.
- Add the cocoa powder to the melted butter and mix gently until combined. If you are making milk chocolate, along with the cocoa powder, also add the milk powder.
- Sweeten with honey or maple syrup and stir gently until the selected sweetener dissolves well and blends with the other ingredients. Optionally, you can mix in some sweet spices, like vanilla and cinnamon.
- Place the silicone mold on a flat, portable surface (e.g., a tray) and pour the prepared chocolate mixture into the mold. Slowly place the tray with the mold in the refrigerator and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour.
Cocoa butter, the main ingredient in chocolate, melts at temperatures above 35° C (95° F), so the consistency of chocolate remains stable at room temperature. Nevertheless, it is safest to store homemade chocolate in the refrigerator or in a cooler room in a dark place. For longer storage, it is recommended to keep the chocolate in a closed container. However, you will definitely want to enjoy the fine homemade chocolate as soon as possible.
There are many healthy and creative ingredients you can use to enrich homemade chocolate. After pouring the chocolate mixture into the mold, there's a dark canvas in front of you where you can express your creativity. Paint the chocolate with nuts, dried berries, or your favorite seeds. For extra creativity, you can also decorate the chocolate with dried edible flowers. Rose petals, violets, lavender, or dandelions add a special magic to homemade chocolate. For the dark chocolate in the picture, I chose dried cranberries and chia seeds, while I enriched the milk chocolate with hazelnuts. Both chocolates are decorated with dried rose petals, which I lightly crumbled with my fingers while adding them. You can read more about rose petals and the drying process in the recipe for Rose Tea.
Chocolate is a little treat that can brighten our entire day, and with homemade chocolate, this sweet treat becomes healthier. We know that chocolate gives us energy, improves mood and concentration, and lowers stress levels. Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa, so its benefits are therefore greater. However, if you want a slightly sweeter version, homemade milk chocolate is a good alternative. It is true that buying individual ingredients makes homemade chocolate more expensive than the commercially available ones. However, the quality of a good homemade chocolate surpasses any store-bought one. The chocolates available in stores usually contain white sugar and various additional additives, so homemade chocolate using healthy sweeteners is a much healthier and better choice. Furthermore, if we let our imagination run wild, the personalized and unique chocolate that we made ourselves becomes invaluable.
Homemade chocolate is a wonderful gift for any occasion and delights both children and adults. Chocolate connects us when it is shared and creates beautiful memories. With chocolate, we give our attention, express love and gratitude, and give support and comfort. When we give chocolate that we have made ourselves, the message it carries is even stronger. A small token of appreciation becomes special and personal, and the person who receives it will surely put a smile on their face.
Revive your creativity and be kind to yourself and others. :)
Bon appetit!
