I am filling my head (and tummy!) with chocolate. Researching, learning, trying out, tasting.
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I have decided that I want to roast the raw cacao beans I buy before making chocolate. This for two reasons:
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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.
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2 – I like the flavour! Acid is decreased and that toasty yum comes out.
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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.
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I then cracked and shelled the beans by hand.
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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.
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The taste is good. The texture is finely-gritty, let’s call it ‘stone-ground’!
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Next batch won’t have any burn ;-)
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Pictures and video do this much more justice than my words. Check out my story today for a chocolate-covered walk-through!
![](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/130230632_773873359868627_3900803039769556202_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=s9F0pyLzMr4AX-4XpgI&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=10264b6ec19229998f9db20929a23ec3&oe=5FF41747)