I am filling my head (and tummy!) with chocolate. Researching, learning, trying out, tasting. . I have decided that I want to roast the raw cacao beans I buy before making chocolate. This for two reasons: . 1 – Cacao beans are fermented and I did not do that fermentation. I don’t feel comfortable with exposing my family to potential moulds/bacteria that might still be present on the beans. Roasting kills any baddies. . 2 – I like the flavour! Acid is decreased and that toasty yum comes out. . I am learning that, like all stages of the chocolate-making process, roasting is challenging. I don’t have posh kit; I used my cast iron pan. Unfortunately, I burnt them a bit. . I then cracked and shelled the beans by hand. . I do not do well with sugar, so am on a quest for the best 100% cacao chocolate I can make. Once ground, I added a 50/50 mix of cacao butter/coconut oil and mixed. . The taste is good. The texture is finely-gritty, let’s call it ‘stone-ground’! . Next batch won’t have any burn ;-) . Pictures and video do this much more justice than my words. Check out my story today for a chocolate-covered walk-through!