The cocoa bean (or other alternative) products from which chocolate is made are known under different names in different parts of the world. In the American chocolate industry:
- chocolate liquor is the ground or melted state of the nib of the cacao bean, containing roughly equal parts cocoa butter and solids
- cocoa butter is the fatty component of the bean
- cocoa solids is the remaining nonfat part of the cocoa bean, which is ground into a powder
How to make chocolate
Chocolate is a range of foods derived from cocoa (cacao), mixed with fat (i.e., cocoa butter) and finely powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified according to the proportion of cocoa used in a particular formulation.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
1
- 3 x 200g bars milk chocolate
- 2 x 90g packs mini chocolate eggs
- 1 heaped tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces
- crystallised petals
2
Break the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring a pan of water to a simmer, then sit the bowl on top. The water must not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate slowly melt, stirring now and again with a spatula. For best results, temper your chocolate (see tip).
Meanwhile, lightly grease then line a 23 x 33cm roasting tin or baking tray with parchment. Put three-quarters of the mini eggs into a food bag and bash them with a rolling pin until broken up a little.
When the chocolate is smooth, pour it into the tin. Tip the tin from side to side to let the chocolate find the corners and level out. Scatter with the smashed and whole mini eggs, followed by the freeze-dried raspberry pieces. Leave to set, then remove from the parchment and snap into shards, ready to pack in boxes or bags.
