How to make Chocolates?

Chocolates... Those dark little chocolate pieces, melting in our mouth, giving us instant energy, making us feel good... I simply love chocolates in any form and any flavour from fruit & nut, orange peel, crackles, melted chocolates to even chocolate filled pastries. 

Home-made Chocolate with lots of almonds & pistachios

It was during one of my birthdays (way back in 1990s), I was gifted a dappa (box) of home-made chocolate. They didn't have any particular shape, but tasted divine. I got the recipe from the aunty so that I could make them one day. It wasn't until 2008 before I started making them. The recipe is very simple.

Home-made Chocolate with butterscotch balls

Ingredients

Cocoa powder    - 1 measure (100g) 

Unsalted Butter - around 1 measure (80-90g)

Powdered sugar - 6 to 8 teaspoons (optional if you need 100% dark chocolate)

Basic Ingredients

Crush the following items (optional)

Cinnamon              - a pinch

Almonds                - 30 (coarsely grounded) 

Pista                     - 10 (coarsely grounded)

Butterscotch balls - 1 measure (100g) [you can add the balls without crushing too]  

Other optional ingredients

Milk Powder      - 1/4 measure (25 - 30g) (or) 

Condensed Milk - 1 measure (100 ml) 

How is it done? 

1. Mix cocoa powder and unsalted butter to form dark crumbles. You can use a mixer or egg beater or even your hands. Make sure the butter is in room temperature and not hard.



Mix them well

2. Now add required amount of powdered sugar to the mix. If you need a 70% dark chocolate, then add 30g of sugar and 70g of cocoa powder. There is no necessity to powder the sugar, but there will be sugar crystals in your mouth when you eat the chocolate when all is done. 
3. Optionally, add powdered cinnamon, crushed almonds, pista, butterscotch balls (save a few for decorating later on)
4. If you are using milk powder (or) condensed milk, reduce the amount of sugar since both these already have sweetness. Adding too much of milk powder will bring out a milk chocolate flavour. 
5. Now, double boil the chocolate mix until it begins to melt. Keep mixing it so that it doesn't stick to the vessel. Once it begins to get shiny, remove from heat. 



Remove from heat once they are shiny

6. Now grease a mould, or a plate and pour the mixture while it is hot. Decorate with almonds, butterscotch and refrigerate. Serve once it becomes a little hard. 

Pour it in moulds or a plate

There are so many ways to make chocolates. Please let me know if you do it in a different way.