Spicy dark chocolate bars?

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Permalink Reply by John DePaula on January 4, 2009 at 5:15pm

Finely ground chili peppers, or perhaps a chili-based oil. Some folks use black pepper. Just try a pepper you like and see what works.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on January 4, 2009 at 9:50pm

Thanks for the information. I was thinking powder as liquid tends to make the chocolate behave poorly right?

I believe, from what I've read, that I should I put the oil, peppers, pepper into the chocolate when I first start melting it, as opposed to at the end before molding it. Is that correct?

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Permalink Reply by John DePaula on January 4, 2009 at 11:06pm

Oil-based additions to chocolate are fine. You get into trouble when you try to add water-based liquids (this includes alcohol); the chocolate will seize. Powders are fine, but depending upon how finely they're ground, you will notice this in your mouth - not always pleasant.

I would add these at the initial melt, but you could probably add them at seed time, too.

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Permalink Reply by Elaine Hsieh on January 9, 2009 at 9:59pm

I'd like to source reliable food safe oil products - do you have any suggestions? I'm interested in infusing tea into chocolate, but haven't found any oils, and would like to achieve a very smooth mouthfeel but perhaps grinding the tea leaves?

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Permalink Reply by Rich on January 5, 2009 at 12:41am

Thanks John, I never thought about the powders in the mouth if not really fine. Also nice to know about water and alcohol based products reaction with chocolate.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Aloha.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on January 10, 2009 at 12:57am

Listening to me is really dangerous, but when I was in Williams Sonoma looking for Chili oil I saw what I think were tea oils? It was in the oil section and it had to do with tea. Sorry I can't be more specific. It didn't really capture my full attention as it's a different direction, just a thought.

Aloha

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Permalink Reply by holycacao on January 10, 2009 at 12:47pm

Buy some cocoa butter, buy some chilis- piquin, ancho, chipotle, whatever flavors you are working with. I have been dreaming of pairing my Dominican Organic Dark -which has a lot of raisin notes in it- with the ancho-also has raisiny flavors. Grind or chop the chilis-melt the cocoa butter- heat gently to extract the chili flavor directly into the butter-and then add to the chocolate and temper. Another way of doing it would be to throw the chilis directly into the melanguer-if you are making your own chocolate- with the nibs. Chili flavor will be dispersed very evenly throughout the chocolate. The downside (if this really is a downside) is that the spicyness will be hard to get off the melanguer and may affect future batches.

I read recently on AMerican HEritage chocolate's website that the mills that used to be used to mill cocoa, were also used to mill mustard, ginger and black pepper which added a nice kick to chocolate.

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