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Post by rosentrevithick on Feb 26, 2016 5:52:53 GMT -5
I've noticed that many small chocolate producers focus exclusively on white and plain chocolate. I'm very interested to know why I rarely see white artisan chocolate. Is it just because it's harder to make or is it because many don't consider it to be real chocolate?
Many thanks Rosen
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Post by Ben on Feb 26, 2016 9:32:47 GMT -5
For me, while I like some white chocolate well enough I guess, I'm not particularly interested in making it. It doesn't seem that it would be particularly difficult to make. If I was ever going to make it, I'd want to start with cacao and press the cocoa butter myself, which would (obviously) require a cocoa butter press. I'd imagine there's a fair number of smaller makers who feel like I do about doing it all themselves. This probably contributes to the lack of white chocolate from smaller chocolate makers, who may otherwise be more interested in making it than I am.
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Post by rosentrevithick on Feb 26, 2016 14:13:17 GMT -5
Thanks.
So the press extracts the cocoa butter from the cocoa? Does in deodourise it?
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Post by Ben on Feb 27, 2016 14:39:13 GMT -5
It extracts the cocoa butter from the cocoa liquor, but does not deodorize it.
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Post by rosentrevithick on Feb 28, 2016 5:49:28 GMT -5
Thanks. I don't use machinery, I buy cocoa butter ready refined, so this is all very interesting to me.
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Post by voltaire on Mar 1, 2016 12:17:52 GMT -5
An interesting question I've also thought about.
My theory is: "trends". I see a lot more people buying plain, dark chocolate rather then white. Since "dark chocolate is good for you", the white has simply not been as trendy.
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Post by rosentrevithick on Mar 1, 2016 16:43:11 GMT -5
I wondered if the trend was to do with the difficulty of deodourising cocoa butter.
When I make white, I have to use deodourised cocoa butter. My white chocolate doesn't taste nice with the regular stuff you can buy.
Do people who press their own cocoa butter have a way of deodourising it? Perhaps it is the case that you don't need to deodourise cocoa butter if you choose the right beans?
It does seem very odd, having a whole substance widely regarded as 'chocolate' that involves removing all the flavour from the cocoa. But then again, white chocolate is very tasty.
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Post by Ben on Mar 2, 2016 10:55:29 GMT -5
My guess is that most people who are making white chocolate are not pressing their own butter. I think most use deodorized butter, but I've read discussion (possibly here on CA) where some makers prefer to use non-deodorized butter.
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Post by lyndon on Mar 2, 2016 11:29:52 GMT -5
I make a lot more milk and white chocolates in the UK, simply because I can't shift the dark chocolates as well. Most the time I can't even get british people to TRY the dark chocolate, let alone buy it of course all my stuff is dairy free, so white chocolate is very bland (rice and vanilla), so I only make flavoured varieties by adding freeze dried fruits etc. I've thought about getting a cocoa press, I could sell the solids as cocoa powder I presume and I'd love to see how the butter tastes.
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Post by rosentrevithick on Mar 3, 2016 6:22:07 GMT -5
How odd that people here in the UK avoid dark chocolate; the shops in Cornwall are lined with the stuff.
Have you tried using cashew butter and coconut oil in your vegan white?
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Post by lyndon on Mar 3, 2016 9:42:24 GMT -5
All my chocolate is nut free, but I have been doing a pina colada one which has been popular, that contains some coconut oil, pineapple and rum
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Post by danikiser on Apr 29, 2016 14:14:12 GMT -5
I had absolutely no intention of making a while chocolate bar, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I've never really liked white chocolate much, at least commercial brands, too sweet, no flavor. It also didn't seem much like making chocolate to me. But, I have access to relatively inexpensive cocoa butter that is fresh and natural, un-deodorized, so I made a batch to try it. Everyone loved it. So now it is part of my line up, I add something to it, and it sells great. I use the non-deodorized butter, vanilla paste, raw cane sugar and whole milk powder.
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