There are two parts to the recipes that are (for now) worth focusing on. The preparation of the cacao mixture, and the blending proportions.
Below is a list of the different preparations that I’ve tried so far:
| Item | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provenance | Ecuador | Ecuador | Ecuador | Ecuador | Ecuador |
| Seller | Pacari | Pacari | Pacari | Pacari | Pacari |
| Cacao Bean Mass | 450 g. | 200 g. | 400 g. | 300 g. | 300 g. |
| Roasting Temp. | 250 °F | 300 °F | 300 °F | 250 °F | 250 °F |
| Roasting Time. | 45 min. | 30 min. | 30 min. | 35 min. | 30 min. |
| Cacao Nib Mass | ?? | 160 g. | 380 g. | 275 g. | 265 g. |
| Grinding | N/A | 20 min. | 30 min. | 45 min. | 60 min. |
Below is a list of the recipes (proportions) that I tried so far. My general aim is to go towards a dark chocolate that is not too bitter, but as some traits of milk chocolate.
Note that the percentages are directional. They don’t necessarily add up to 100, but should be very close to 100. When you translate from percentages to ounces or grams, a small difference of 0.5% will be imperceptible.
| Batch | Blend Time (min) | Cocoa Liquor | Cocoa Butter | Sugar | Non-fat Dry Milk | Lecithin | Vanilla | Cacao Mass | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1.1 | N/A | 15% | 25% | 30% | 30% | 0.5% | 2 Tsp. | 40% | N/A |
| #2.1 | 20 | 40% | 40% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0 | 75% | Gritty, bitter, sweet |
| #3.1 | 30 | 40% | 40% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0 | 80% | Sweet, with bitter after taste |
| #3.2 | 60 | 40% | 40% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0 | 80% | Smoother than 3.1 |
| #3.3 | 90 | 40% | 45% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 0 | 85% | Smoothest, most blended of the batch |
| #4.1 | 45 | 40% | 40% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 1 Tsp. | 80% | Gritty, cold |
| #4.2 | 90 | 30% | 55% | 15% | 0% | 0% | 1 Tsp. | Too buttery | |
| #5.1 | 90 | 35% | 40% | 25% (+ Smoky Maple Syrup - 1 tsp) | 0% | 0% | 1 Tsp | 75% |
A couple of notes:
For #1: The liquor didn’t have the butter pressed out of it. We know from research that unprocessed liquor is about 53% butter. So that 30% in #1 is really 15%, and the 10% for Cocoa Butter is really 25%.