Discover Monthly: The Chocolate Alchemy Series
I am really stoked to share this collection with you!
Once a month I receive a chocolate making kit from the same supplier I purchase most of my ingredients from: Chocolate Alchemy. Founder John Yancy, the godfather, as I like to call him, of small batch, craft chocolate making, develops a kit each month that focuses on a specific topic related to crafting chocolate. From roasting, to recipe development, to the excitement of new cocoa beans, each kit provides me with information that helps me further my education and understanding of chocolate making. It has been a fun journey of learning over the past 2 years, and I want to share it with those of you who are just as intrigued as I am about the world of chocolate. I will say, these kits are unique and will challenge your mindset around what chocolate is and should taste like. I have come across some very interesting tasting notes in a variety of cocoa beans; I have made milk chocolates that barely seem milky in nature; and I have made different tasting chocolate with the same ingredients by simply changing the way I apply the inclusions. If this kind of food science tantalizes your tastebuds, then I suggest you keep scrolling!!
The Best Spiced Oatmilk Chocolate Ever!
I love me a well made spiced chocolate bar, and man does this one hit the SPOT!! It's sweet, creamy and full of warm, holiday inspired spices: aromatic cardamom, warm cinnamon, sweet fennel and piney coriander with a bit of vanilla to bring it all together. It rides that line between sugar and spice, sweet and savory, which I find equates to a well balanced flavor profile. It's like that added bit of flaked sea salt on top of a caramel or chocolate chip cookie that takes it to the next level. It adds complexity and another layer of deliciousness for your tastebuds to enjoy.
Ingredients: organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic oat powder, organic cocoa nibs, fennel, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon and vanilla powder
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45% Middle Eastern Spiced Milk
Every year we receive a kit that really challenges not only our tastebuds, but the way we think chocolate should taste. If chocolate or cocoa is used in savory applications, rarely is sugar involved. But to combine a sweet milk chocolate with warm, savory spices will make you pause and question, what am I tasting exactly? I will be honest, this isn't the craziest combo I've encountered (try poultry seasoning in chocolate....yeah that one was...well, wild), but it is up there on the list of savory flavors I didn't think to combine with chocolate. Surprisingly, it works really well. The smokiness of the cumin, the minty freshness of the basil, sweetness of the paprika.... Together, your tastebuds are invited to this mirthful dance of flavors from all across the spectrum.
Ingredients: organic cane sugar, cocoa nibs, organic cocoa butter, whole milk powder, sesame seeds, za'atar spices (sumac, cumin, nigella, paprika, oregano, basil, cumin)
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60% Ivory Coast Coffee
My heart sang when I saw this kit! Coffee + chocolate is a perfect match made in heaven, and you can't convince me otherwise. Using my coffee chocolate recipe for comparison, if my recipe results in a strong, espresso macchiato flavor, then this tastes like a perfect pour-over. The coffee is lighter, more diluted amongst the mild flavors of the chocolate. This allows the fruity notes from the coffee to shine through resulting in a chocolate that is creamy and smooth with notes of bright fruitiness and a slightly bitter finish of caramelized sugar.
Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic oatmilk powder and Sweet Maria's Peru Jaen Alianza Mikan coffee
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70% Three Tribes Bolivia
Ever wonder why so many dark chocolate bars on the shelves are fixed at 70%? Well, that's because many cocoas tend to sing in this range. Adding cocoa butter cuts through the bitterness that may be present, while the addition of sugar balances out the astringency (think water+sugar+lemons = delicious lemonade). The results are typically a well-rounded, balanced chocolate bar that allows the characteristics of the cocoa to shine through, while also being palatable and pleasant to enjoy. This chocolate showcases just how delectable a 70% bar can be. It's full of chocolate flavor, yet low in bitterness and astringency; dense and full bodied laced with notes of cherry and a clean sweetness.
Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
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71.5% Uganda Semuliki Forest
Uganda Semuliki Forest has been, and still is one of my favorite beans. Even though the flavor profile slightly changes with every harvest, it still blows my mind every time I use it to make a batch of 75% dark chocolate. And this one is no exception.
It's rich, earthy and slightly savory with notes of fudge, toffee and supple leather.
Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter
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72% Mexican Camino
This kit arrived at the perfect time. It's heavier body and heavier flavors mixed with vanilla remind me so much of the bolder flavors of Fall; think smoke, cinnamon, etc. Like we did with the Bolivia kit, we added quite a bit of cocoa butter to dilute or mellow out the heavy flavors and added some vanilla to round it out, leaving us with a smooth, round and easy to eat chocolate - one that would be perfect to make s'mores with.
While the vanilla adds a layer of Hershey-like sweetness to it, the dark chocolate components are still strong and present, making it perfect for the dark chocolate lover like me. It's thick and chewy with a deep, rich chocolate backbone laced with notes of smoke and leather, dark brown fruits, dried dates and figs, clean earthiness, green leaf tobacco and a hint of soft, tangy acidity to round it out.
Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla powder
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73% Fiji Rakiraki
Bold, but versatile; I love a chocolate that is so full of flavor, but light enough on the bitterness and astringency that it can be used at both lower and higher percentages. This chocolate from Fiji is just that: bold chocolate, huge sweetness and a low toned earthiness that is slightly mellowed out with the addition of cocoa butter.
Rich, bold chocolate flavor with notes of sweet fudge and a hint of savory earthiness.
Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter