Cooking Tips: How to Make Homemade Chocolate

Jan 18, 2014 on Frugal living tips

If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade chocolate, you’re surely not alone. The sweet decadent flavor of chocolate is loved by all, so why not make it from the comfort of your home? Before you step foot into the kitchen, check out these cooking tips on how to make the best homemade chocolate and avoid potential problems.

How to make homemade chocolate

 

Cocoa Powder or Beans?

Before you get started on your homemade chocolate, first decide whether you want to use cocoa powder or beans. The cocoa powder method is much simpler and should definitely be considered if you’re a beginner at cooking or if it’s your first time making homemade chocolate. Using cocoa beans is much more difficult and should be reserved for advanced cooks, unless you’re really feeling daring.

 

Don’t Forget Materials!

For the method using cocoa powder you will need: cocoa powder, unsalted butter, sugar, milk, salt, powdered sugar, and water. For the method using cocoa beans you will need: Cocoa beans, cocoa butter, nonfat milk powder, sugar, lecithin, and a vanilla pod. If you’re planning on making this chocolate into special shapes or designs for candy, then you’ll need to pick up the mold of choice.

 

Choose the Right Ingredients

It’s important to buy sugar that has absolutely no trace of flour, salt, or other common ingredients found in the kitchen. This may cause the chocolate to turn out incorrectly. As for the butter, make sure you only purchase unsalted butter as it may spoil the chocolate.

Mixing the Ingredients

(Cocoa powder method) You can use the old fashioned way of mixing by simply mashing your ingredients together, but it will be a hundred times easier if you use a good processor or immersion blender. This will ensure there is absolutely no clumps and reduce imperfections in your chocolate. You can find affordable food processors and blenders on Amazon, and if you use an amazon 10% off entire order coupon code you can snag a great deal.

(Cocoa bean method) You will definitely need a high-powered machine to liquify the nibs of the cocoa beans. Using a food processor or blender simply will not work. You will want to purchase a separate machine such as a juicer with plenty of power and strength. You can find these juicers at Target and use a Target promo code to save money on your purchase.

 

Keep Track of the Temperature

If you use the cocoa bean method you will need a temperature bulb to check on your chocolate throughout the cooking process. These are fairly cheap especially if you buy online at a store like Amazon. Again, remember you can always use a coupon to save money.

 

Get Creative!

You can do a lot of different things with your homemade chocolate. Buy molds with a variety of shapes and give them to your friends and family members on holidays. Homemade chocolate is definitely one of the best Valentine’s Day gifts you could give. It not only showcases your creativity, but also shows the other person you care enough to make delicious chocolates on your own instead of buying pre-made chocolate bars.

 

Get Messy!

When you’re thinking about how to make homemade chocolate, there’s definitely one thing that comes to mind: this could get messy. And you know what? It will get messy. But that is part of the fun! Expect to get dirty in the process, but also expect to have tons of fun and enjoy some delicious chocolate when you’re done.

 

Quit thinking about how to make homemade chocolate and take the plunge! Grab your ingredients, dive into the kitchen, and get ready for some of the best chocolate you’ve ever had- created from your own hands.