There are some people that are absolutely addicted to chocolates. Actually, they’re addicted to the effect of the serotonin produced by chocolates. It’s a hormone that directs gastric activity and if there are any unused, the brain uses it to manage anger, moods and appetite. It’s the culprit behind that cheerful, happy feeling after you’ve eaten chocolate.
The important thing you have to know is that your chocolate craving couldn’t be addiction. It’s just that the flavors, nutrients and chemicals in chocolates that’s got your senses heightened.
If you really are craving for chocolates, and usually, the best thing for you to do is to learn how to make your own chocolate candy right at home so you can save on gas (from those frequent trips to the store). Here are a few chocolate terms to introduce you into the art and craft of chocolate candy making:
- Chocolate liquor - Made of 53% cocoa butter, it’s the cocoa mass or paste acquired after roasting and grinding cocoa beans. It’s what makes chocolate.
- Baking chocolate - Unsweetened chocolate liquor cooled into blocks.
- Cocoa butter - Your plain cacao bean oils. The measure of chocolate authenticity.
- Couverture - French term for the chocolate melt that’s used to cover candies and truffles. Made of 35% cocoa butter and adds luster to chocolate.
- Cocoa powder - Commonly used for chocolate drinks. The driy version of chocolate liquor, sans cocoa butter.
- Bitter chocolate - aka dark chocolate, 35% of which is chocolate liquor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate - Chocolate that’s 15% chocolate liquor, with sugar to sweeten.
- Milk chocolate - Most chocolate candy bars are made of this and is made up of cocoa liquor, sugar and milk.
- Tempering - This is the final step in chocolate making procedure, crucial in making chocolate richly-textured and lustrous.
To craft your very own chocolate candy bar, prepare and melt chocolate completely in a double boiler taking care it doesn’t burn. Once melted, pour the chocolate mush onto candy molds (for interesting shapes) or a cookie sheet (for chocolate bars), then air dry or chill briefly in the refrigerator. Don’t forget to tap out the air bubbles by hitting your trays gently on the countertop. For fruit-filled confections, dip bite-sized berries or other fruits in the chocolate melt.
If you want your chocolate candy to be as tempting as the store-bought variety, don’t forget to temper. Chocolate tempering is very essential because it lends creaminess and luster to your candy as well as protection from blooming, white spots on the top of chocolates. During this process, crystals are evenly distributed to the chocolate under precise tempering temperatures.
Nowadays tempering is usually facilitated by chocolate tempering machines. Such machines have microprocessors that temper chocolates on its own, keep temperatures even, and even let chocolate stay tempered for a longer time. The end products are usually commercial grade and suitable for profit-making trade.