ianh
Neophyte
Posts: 12
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Post by ianh on Jan 25, 2016 23:08:47 GMT -5
Hi, I am looking for some advice on how to infuse cocoa butter with lavender. I currently have tried a Bain-Marie, with cocoa butter and lavender flowers. It reached and stayed at 180degrees for 20 mins. I strained the lavender out and let it cool and it still has a very cocoa butter taste and A very very slight lavender taste. Is there a better way to do this? Also will the taste be blown away if I place it into the melanger at the beginning with the nibs and sugar? Should I wait til the last hour or so of grinding to add the cocoa butter to preserve the lavender taste? Thanks for the advice.
-Ian
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Post by Thomas on Jan 25, 2016 23:55:16 GMT -5
Hi Ian,
I use orange oil to flavor chocolate. I add it after tempering until it has the orange taste that I like. I would think you could use lavender essential oil the same way. I don't add it to my melanger as I do not want the flavor to infuse the stones and affect later batches.
-Thomas
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ianh
Neophyte
Posts: 12
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Post by ianh on Jan 26, 2016 0:16:57 GMT -5
You find the oil mixes into the chocolate very easily? Do you have to add a lot of oil in order to achieve the flavor? Thank you for the suggestion!
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Post by Thomas on Jan 26, 2016 0:45:59 GMT -5
I purchased Now Organic Orange oil. The 1 ounce bottle flavored about 15 to 20 pounds of chocolate. That's a guess as I have not kept good records on amount of oil I use. My original notes said 20 drops per pound, but I've been doing it by taste instead of a formula. Essential oils are usually strong. You do not want to put a drop on your tongue. I have my tempered chocolate in a 6 Kg melter, add drops of oil, stir and taste, repeat until I'm satisfied. Since it is oil, it mixes in fine. I've also used peppermint oil. I've planned to try lavender oil but I just haven't used it yet. I keep good records on my chocolate formulas, but not too good on inclusions or oils. That is, ratio of nuts, oils, etc. to chocolate.
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gap
Apprentice
Posts: 390
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Post by gap on Jan 26, 2016 1:25:46 GMT -5
I agree essential oils work well - I've used lemon a bit.
Dried herbs and spices can be incorporated into chocolate when grinding if they are DRIED. The disadvantage here is some of the flavour may stay with your grinder for the next batch of chocolate.
Alternatively, for strong flavours, you can incorporate into the chocolate after it has been made. For instance, I put 2-3kg of white chocolate into a melting/holding tank at 45C and dump in a whole lot of coffee beans. Leave it for several hours and then strain the coffee beans.
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ianh
Neophyte
Posts: 12
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Post by ianh on Jan 26, 2016 9:55:38 GMT -5
Thanks Guys, I will look into the essential oils. Just out of curiosity though is cocoa butter a good oil for infusing? Since I already have the lavender, does anyone know of times and temperatures for infusing these things? All I can find on the internet for cocoa butter infusion leads me to websites talking about cannabis infusions, which is not something I am looking into for the moment. Thanks again, going to search for essential oils right now.
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ianh
Neophyte
Posts: 12
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Post by ianh on Jan 26, 2016 9:57:21 GMT -5
Gap, what is the make and model of your melter, I may go this route too? Can you recommend larger ones?
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gap
Apprentice
Posts: 390
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Post by gap on Jan 26, 2016 16:00:46 GMT -5
I just use a 6kg mol d'art tank. I don't do a lot of infusions - it's the tank I use for holding chocolate in temper when moulding or dipping.
Also, I think cocoa butter is a good fat for picking up fragrances - that is a good part of the flavour.
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Post by Thomas on Jan 26, 2016 22:29:44 GMT -5
I have the same melter as gap. 6Kg mol d'art.
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Post by mwatt on Aug 14, 2017 15:27:58 GMT -5
I just use a 6kg mol d'art tank. I don't do a lot of infusions - it's the tank I use for holding chocolate in temper when moulding or dipping. Also, I think cocoa butter is a good fat for picking up fragrances - that is a good part of the flavour. Gap, would do you use to strain your chocolate once the coffee has infused? Thanks
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gap
Apprentice
Posts: 390
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Post by gap on Aug 16, 2017 23:03:32 GMT -5
Because I don't want the coffee beans in the finished chocolate. Just the coffee flavour.
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