How to Make Milk Chocolate

Learning how to make milk chocolate from scratch is a process that takes some time, and you will likely need a few trials before perfecting. However the final results are definitely worth it. With the right equipment and a little instruction you can learn this new craft that will take your baking and candy making to a whole new level.

First you will need to gather the following utensils and equipment:

• Cookie sheet
• Juice mixer
• Chocolate conching machine
• Marble

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds cocoa beans
• 20 oz cocoa butter
• 30 oz sugar
• 1 teaspoon lecithin
• 10 oz powdered milk

Choosing the right beans is probably the most important step you can take towards making excellent chocolate. Sub-par beans will yield a less-than-desirable product.

1. Criollo--The original cocoa beans discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502. These beans are grown in South America and considered the top beans for producing truly fine chocolates. Criollo beans are extremely aromatic and have low acid levels
2. Forasteros--Accounting for about 80% of the world’s cacao production, these beans come from the Amazon. They have a weaker aroma than the Criollo and a bitter taste prior to processing. If processed correctly they can yield a lovely chocolate
3. Trinitario--This hybrid bean is grown in several areas of South America and a variety of Caribbean islands. They are less commonly used for making chocolate
4. Nacional--This bean is the most widely cultivated cocoa bean west of the Andes mountains. It has a gorgeous aroma and is the least well-known of cocoa varieties

The next step (an important technique to master), is roasting the beans. This can be done in your home oven.

Lay the beans on a flat cookie sheet and set the oven to 325 degrees F. Roast the beans and slowly reduce the temperature of the oven as they continue to roast. Stop roasting the beans when they crack and before they start to burn. This should take about 15-35 minutes.

The cracking of the beans is an important indicator of when the cocoa bean is almost done. If the bean is properly roasted the husk will slip off and the bean will have a lovely roasted flavor and not taste burned.

This technique will take some practice to perfect. It is a good idea to roast a few small batches instead of all of your cocoa beans at once so you can get an idea of how long and how hot to roast the cocoa.

Winnowing is the process of removing the husks from the cocoa bean. To achieve this you need to crack the bean and then blow the husk away. There are a few ways to do this:

1. Use a coarse grinder to crack the husks
2. Purchase a special roller to crack the beans
3. You can also crack the beans with a hammer or a nutcracker and use a blow dryer to blow away the loose husks

Again, this is a process that might take some practice. Try a few different methods before winnowing a full batch of beans.

Grinding the beans is a special process. There are special grinders for chocolate which help the beans exude the liqueur and the pulp. The grinder also removes more of the husk and refines the cocoa beans into chocolate.

If you don’t want to purchase a special grinder for the cocoa beans you can also use a juice mixer. The final product at the end of the grinding process is cocoa powder.

You must purchase a chocolate conching machine to properly conch the chocolate. This step is important to creating a smooth end product that has a silky mouth feel.

Add powdered milk, cocoa butter, lecithin and sugar to the cocoa powder. The conching machine agitates and folds the chocolate for many hours. This process can take between 12 hours or two days to complete, depending on the chocolate, the beans and what you want for your end product. The longer a chocolate is conched the finer the texture.

The final step in crafting your own homemade milk chocolate is to temper the finished product, which will add a glossy finish and will give your chocolate a longer shelf life.

To temper chocolate you need to carefully monitor the temperature, so ensure that you have a candy thermometer available.

Directions:

1. Use at least 1 1/2 pounds chocolate
2. Over a double boiler with the water barely simmering melt the chocolate to between 110 and 120 degree F. Make certain that no water splashes into the chocolate or the chocolate will seize and be ruined
3. Stir constantly while the chocolate is melting
4. Using a marble slab, work the melted chocolate back and forth with a rubber spatula for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate is around 82-85 degrees F
5. Add more of the warm chocolate to the marble and work it again. Stir it back into the chocolate, which should be held at 100 degrees
6. Now the chocolate should be between 90-92 degrees F, which means that the chocolate is tempered and ready to pour into molds

The final step is to mold your chocolate into whatever shape you want to put it into. For this you can use molds or take it a few steps further by making truffles or filled chocolates.

Again, making your own milk chocolate is a complex and intricate process, but, done properly you should have a fantastic result that you can use for many baking and candy applications. Have fun!

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