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!!

60% Sugar-Free Single-Origin Ecuador El Limon Dark Chocolate

I’ll admit. I turned my nose up to this one the moment I saw that we were using a sugar alternative. I’ve never been a huge fan of sweeteners as I feel they significantly alter the flavor of the chocolate, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste or adding a cooling effect. BUT… I knew I had to make it before I judged it, so I did. 

While diving into the information given, I learned that allulose mirrors fructose in terms of sweetness, but unlike fructose, we cannot digest it, making it a sugar-free, diabetic friendly alternative. To add, since allulose is a real sugar, it also will not cause GI issues - which I can attest to and would consider a serious win!

While I’m still not a fan, I’ll admit allulose isn’t a bad alternative. While it does still have a minty cooling effect while eating it, it doesn’t leave a bad aftertaste and it does seem to sweeten the chocolate “just right”. While very sweet when eaten raw, allulose tends to lose a lot of that sweetness when added to chocolate. There’s no explanation for this, but it makes it rather difficult to create a truly sweet chocolate. For example, this chocolate is a 60% dark by calculation, but it tastes more like a 72% dark. The sweetness is mild and adds just enough sweetness to balance out any bitterness in the chocolate, but it definitely doesn’t taste like a semi-sweet. 

Instead, it’s a deliciously simple dark with a lingering, bold, chocolate backbone, notes of rich brownie and mocha, pithy astringency and a cooling sweetness - the perfect sweet treat for my dark chocolate lovers who have to avoid sugar.

Ingredients: cocoa nibs, allulose, organic cocoa butter

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72% Ghana Clone (June 2024)

This year has been a tough year for anyone involved in the chocolate industry. Everyone from the farmer to the consumer are suffering from the supply crisis that has caused market prices to more than double. Crop disease and El Nino (which has caused droughts and flooding) are two of the main reasons for the major drop in cocoa supply, especially in Ghana which happens to be one of the largest suppliers. As a result, we’ve had to survive without one of the most versatile cocoa beans….until now. 

It may not be an exact replica, but this blend that John created comes really close. It starts off with a base, also from Africa - the Ivory Coast to be exact - to provide us with that deep, rich chocolate backbone we all know and love, along with a hint of floral notes. Next, an equal percentage of Uganda Semuliki Forest and Tanzania Koko Kamili is added for both earthiness and dark fruitiness. Finally, just a bit of Peru Piura is added to round it out and add a touch of vibrancy. The results: a naturally sweet, rich, deep chocolate that is earthy and slightly fruity with a hint of bitterness that is carried throughout the entire chocolate from bite to finish. It has a snappy bite that quickly melts/dissipates in your mouth, making it quite an easy chocolate to devour. 

Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

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47% Cinnamon Harvest Oatmilk Chocolate (October 2024)

Maillard reactions - take 2. What I love about toasting an ingredient, whether it be spices or in this case, an oat milk powder, is that you can control the intensity of the flavor. This means each batch can taste slightly different, making each one unique.

Last month's final product had a sweet, chocolate covered caramel flavor very much like a milk dud. This month, we add cinnamon, changing the flavor from milk dud to cinnamon toast crunch. Knowing that I was adding cinnamon to this batch, I toasted the oat milk powder a bit lighter so that the caramelized sugars add depth without being overpowering. In addition, compared to last month, we're using a different bean that is a bit more vibrant, adding an additional layer of flavor to the overall chocolate. 

 Tasting very much like a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch cereal, it's toasty and sweet with notes of graham cracker, dark, caramelized sugar and bitter cinnamon. There's a layer of bright acidity laced in between the cinnamon caramel and chocolate backbone that balances out the sweetness, and brings it all together like a perfectly wrapped package. It's quite delicious and is the perfect representation of fall. 

Ingredients: cocoa nibs, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic oat powder, cinnamon powder