We’re going to make our own chocolate and from that we’re going to make a delicious chocolate mouse, a crumble, a koa interior and a chocolate glaze.
Making your own chocolate
Ingredients
- 1000 g raw cacao beans
- 100 g cacao butter
- 250 g sugar
Instructions
- We’re going to start by toasting the raw cacao beans at 170 °C for 50 minutes.
- Once they’re toasted you can remove the membranes. There is an easier way of doing this but for that you need a fan and mine was unfortunately broken.
- Once all the membranes are removed you can transfer the nibs into a wet grinder. I’m making a dark chocolate that’s 75%, so you’ll need 65% of cacao, nibs in this case 650 grams. Then add 10% of cacao butter or 100 grams and let it grind for 1 hour.
- Now finally add 25% of sugar or 250 grams. Those are the only three ingredients that you’ll need to make your own chocolate. Now let this grind for at least 24 hours. It may seem long, but the difference in the smoothness of the chocolate is massive!
- Once that’s done turn off the machine and transfer the chocolate in a bowl. Make sure you scrape all the chocolate from the grinder, you don’t want to waste anything!
- Then we’re going to temper the chocolate. Pour four fifth of your hot chocolate on a smooth worktop and while moving it cool it down this it’s 29 °C. We do this to active certain crystals in the chocolate that will ensure that it will have a nice shine, a better crisp, it will set faster and not melt as quickly as otherwise.
- Once that’s done transfer it back into the bowl and give it a good mix.
- Now use a brush to cover a cacao mold with a thin layer of the chocolate. I use the mold from Mold Brothers Pastry. Now clean the sides and let it set out of the fridge.
- The remaining chocolate you can pipe in small rounds on some parchment paper or a silicon sheet to make it easier to store and use later on.
The crumble
Ingredients
- 80 g flour
- 100 g sugar
- 2 g flaky salt
- 100 g butter
- 40 g melted dark chocolate 62%
Instructions
- Mix the flour with the sugar, the flaky salt, the butter and the melted dark chocolate. Now mix this and then knead it into a firm dough.
- After that spread it on a silicon sheet and bake it at 160 °C for 25 minutes.
- Give it a good mix every 5 minutes and then let it cool down completely.
The interior
Ingredients
- 1.6 g gelatin 1 leaf
- 100 g Koa juice
- 80 g milk
- 20 g sugar
- 50 g egg yolk
- 10 g corn starch
Instructions
- First soak the gelatin in cold water.
- Now pour the Koa juice into a saucepan. Koa a sweet juice made from the white pulp surrounding the cacao beans. Also add the milk, the sugar, the egg yolk and the corn starch.
- Now mix this well and then while stirring bring it to a boil.
- Then turn off the heat and add your gelatin. Mix this and then transfer it into a piping bag.
- Now take the interior mold and fill it halfway. Then add a bit of the chocolate crumble and cover the mold with the top half.
- Now fill it completely and then let it set in your freezer. Once that’s done remove it and keep it in your freezer for later.Â
The brownie
Ingredients
- 100 g eggs 2 eggs
- 140 g sugar
- 140 g butter
- 140 g dark chocolate 62%
- 90 g flour
- 2 g salt
- 1 g baking soda
Instructions
- Mix the eggs together with the sugar. Now beat this till fluffy.
- Meanwhile melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat.
- Once melted add the chocolate and mix this till smooth.
- Then add it to the fluffy eggs and then stop beating it. After that add the flour, the salt, and the baking soda. Fold this together.
- Then take a baking tin and grease it with some butter or spray. Pour your batter into the tin and then bake it at 160 °C for 30 minutes.
- After that let it cool down on an oven rack. Then cut it into small cubes and keep it dry and covered for later.
The chocolate mousse
Ingredients
- 1.6 g gelatin 1 leaf
- 100 g milk
- 25 g cream 35% fat
- 25 g egg yolk
- 15 g sugar
- 125 g dark chocolate 62%
- 200 g cream 35% fat
Instructions
- First soak the gelatin in cold water.
- Then pour the milk into a saucepan. Also add the cream, the egg yolk and the sugar. Mix this well and then while stirring cook it till it has thickened.
- Then turn off the heat, add your gelatin and the chocolate. Mix it once more.
- Then pour the cream into a bowl and beat it till it start to thicken. Now add your chocolate mixture and fold it together.
- Then transfer it into a piping bag and fill the sides of the bottom mold. Add a couple of your brownie cubes and then press the interior in the middle. Add some more brownie and cover the mold with the top.
- Now fill it completely with the mousse and then let it set in your freezer.
- Once that’s done remove it from the mold and keep it in your freezer for later.
The glaze
Ingredients
- 200 g cacao butter
- 200 g white chocolate 28%
- red fat soluble color powder
- purple fat soluble color powder
- yellow fat soluble color powder
- cacao powder
Instructions
- Melt the cacao butter on a low heat in a saucepan.
- After that add the white chocolate and some red fat soluble color powder, a touch of purple and a touch of yellow. Now blend this till smooth.
- Then pour it in a measuring jar and glaze your cacao pod.
- Let the glaze set for a minute and then dust some cacao powder on the outside. Remove the excess powder with your finger.Â
How to finish the dessert
Instructions
- First begin by piping some of the chocolate mousse on a plate and cover it with the chocolate crumble.
- Now put the cacao pod on top and then it ready to be served!
