Fine Chocolate

[Darienne]

Answers please.

A friend (and no, it is not me in disguise) tried to make a ganache out of the Scharffen Berger 82% chocolate and it tastes too cocoa-ish for her purposes.

She told me she has added sugar, butter, corn syrup and even icing sugar and it still tastes way too cocoa-ish.

Short of tossing it out, has anyone any idea of what she might do to alter this problem? I thought she might add sweetened coconut...but I don't know if it would make any difference really.

Another learning lesson...

(aha, I see the purpose of the little post icons...)

Edited January 25, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[Art]

Answers please. 

A friend (and no, it is not me in disguise) tried to make a ganache out of the Scharffen Berger 82% chocolate and it tastes too cocoa-ish for her purposes.

Not having tasted it .... It probably has to do with the beans that Scharffen Berger used as well as how they roasted them. I doubt that there is anything that anyone can do.

-Art

[Darienne]

Not having tasted it .... It probably has to do with the beans that Scharffen Berger used as well as how they roasted them.  I doubt that there is anything that anyone can do.

-Art

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We did a taste test in a manner of speaking. I liked the chocolate alone, although it would never be a favorite and I don't think I would want to eat all that much. DH liked it paired with something sweet. Other friends thought it tasted like cocoa. Period.

I agree that probably nothing can be done. It's 82% chocolate. Some will like it. Most won't, no matter what you do to it or with it. I just thought I'd ask.

I told my friend that no one uses even 70% chocolate in ganaches usually, let alone 82%. ???? As she says to me...what can I tell you? ????

Thanks for trying.

[Art]

I told my friend that no one uses even 70% chocolate in ganaches usually, let alone 82%.  ????  As she says to me...what can I tell you? ????

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All the percentage does is tell you how much sugar is in the chocolate. Thus an 82% cocoa is approximately 18% sugar. A 70% cocoa is 30% sugar, and a 50% cocoa is 50% sugar. So if you are making a ganache, you can always simply add more sugar.

The flavor you taste is due to the beans and how they were roasted and conched -- not so much the percentage.

I had ganache filled truffles this last week at one of the nations leading restaurants last week made from our 70% Jembrana. It was absolutely incredible. So it isn't the percentage so much as how the ganache is prepared and more importantly what cocoa beans were used to make the chocolate, how they were roasted, how they were conched -- all decisions on the chocolate maker's part. It isn't the sugar -- you can always add that when you make the ganache. For a ganache, there is no difference between the chocolate maker adding the sugar or you adding the sugar (provided it all dissolves).

-Art

[Kerry Beal]

As I mentioned upstream - I found the Scharffen Berger too acidic for my taste. I wonder if making a ganache with coconut cream in place of the cream might work. Just wondering about the pH of various ingredients that might help mellow out the acidity and make the ganache more palatable. I've always found that a wine like Banyuls or something like Kirschwasser or Cherry Brandy mellows a ganache quite nicely.

I'll bet it would be really nice to enrobe chunks of sponge toffee - they are fairly basic pH wise once you've added the bicarb.

[Darienne]

I told my friend that no one uses even 70% chocolate in ganaches usually, let alone 82%.  ????  As she says to me...what can I tell you? ????

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All the percentage does is tell you how much sugar is in the chocolate. Thus an 82% cocoa is approximately 18% sugar. A 70% cocoa is 30% sugar, and a 50% cocoa is 50% sugar. So if you are making a ganache, you can always simply add more sugar.

The flavor you taste is due to the beans and how they were roasted and conched -- not so much the percentage.

I had ganache filled truffles this last week at one of the nations leading restaurants last week made from our 70% Jembrana. It was absolutely incredible. So it isn't the percentage so much as how the ganache is prepared and more importantly what cocoa beans were used to make the chocolate, how they were roasted, how they were conched -- all decisions on the chocolate maker's part. It isn't the sugar -- you can always add that when you make the ganache. For a ganache, there is no difference between the chocolate maker adding the sugar or you adding the sugar (provided it all dissolves).

-Art

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Thank you for that explanation. It makes this situation really clear for me for the first time.

[Darienne]

As I mentioned upstream - I found the Scharffen Berger too acidic for my taste.  I wonder if making a ganache with coconut cream in place of the cream might work.  Just wondering about the pH of various ingredients that might help mellow out the acidity and make the ganache more palatable.  I've always found that a wine like Banyuls or something like Kirschwasser or Cherry Brandy mellows a ganache quite nicely. 

I'll bet it would be really nice to enrobe chunks of sponge toffee - they are fairly basic pH wise once you've added the bicarb.

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I just might try that sponge toffee enrobing. I have a photo of my first try at making sponge toffee. It climbed over the pan and tried to engulf the kitchen. I laughed so hard watching its supertoffee attempt. Amazing.

[CaliPoutine]

Went back to Dollarama today and bought a bunch of 82% bars for friends...and, of course, myself.  Very intense.

The other bar was a 41% milk chocolate.  Did not buy any.

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The Dollarama I went to also had the 62% and 70%

[Darienne]

Went back to Dollarama today and bought a bunch of 82% bars for friends...and, of course, myself.  Very intense.

The other bar was a 41% milk chocolate.  Did not buy any.

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The Dollarama I went to also had the 62% and 70%

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I'd like to try them both. If we hit Sarnia on the way across the border, I'll look for the local $rama.

Thanks.

[CaliPoutine]

Went back to Dollarama today and bought a bunch of 82% bars for friends...and, of course, myself.  Very intense.

The other bar was a 41% milk chocolate.  Did not buy any.

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The Dollarama I went to also had the 62% and 70%

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I'd like to try them both. If we hit Sarnia on the way across the border, I'll look for the local $rama.

Thanks.

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There are a few in Sarnia, I went to the one in Lambton Mall.

[Darienne]

I have never tried Amano chocolate although I have now read good things about them. They are based in Orem UT...we are now in Moab, UT...and speak of the great low humidity as a factor in their success. The humidity is terrific for confection making!

A friend just sent me an article about Amano, that they have recently won awards for every bar they make at the Academy of Chocolate Awards in London!

Good going, Amano and congratulations!

(I have tried for the last few days, over and over , to post this news on 'Members News', but it will NOT recognize me.)

[Art]

A friend just sent me an article about Amano, that they have recently won awards for every bar they make at the Academy of Chocolate Awards in London!

  Good going, Amano and congratulations!  

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Thank you so much Darienne! It is really appreciated! We are completely humbled and blown away around here. I don't think it still has sunk completely in yet. Last year, our Madagascar won a Bronze and quite frankly, we were completely and totally ecstatic about that. This year, our Madagacar won a gold and then we won two silvers (Ocumare and Montanya) and two bronzes (Jembrana and Ocumare Milk).

For me, the most amazing thing is that each of our chocolates placed. I love our gold immensely but the fact that each of our chocolates placed shows me that we are being consistent and that it wasn't just a fluke. To me, that is just huge.

The awards announcement is here:

http://www.academyofchocolate.org.uk/acade...wards/2009.html

and our press release is here:

http://www.amanochocolate.com/press/releas...009_awards.html

Of course, I also love the fact that we are an American chocolate company. Europe has for so long been known as the only place to buy really high quality chocolate. I think it is wonderful to show that we can make truly exceptional chocolate on this side of "the pond" as well.

I'm heading out Tuesday to the chocolate festival in Linkoping, Sweden where I'm apparently one of the headline names at the festival. After the festival is over, I'll be visiting Cologne, Amsterdam, Brugges, and finally Paris for a few days. If any eGullet members happen to be at the festival or along my route, please stop in and say hello or let let me know and perhaps we can get together or do dinner! I love putting faces to the names I see on the board. (Especially with people who truly love the very best food.)

Thanks to everyone here for the support we have received over the last few years. As we all know, one of the very best parts of cooking is seeing the joy it brings others.

-Art

[Darienne]

The awards announcement is here:

http://www.academyofchocolate.org.uk/acade...wards/2009.html

and our press release is here:

http://www.amanochocolate.com/press/releas...009_awards.html

Good one, but I have to tell you that my informant gets ksl.com in Utah!

[aguynamedrobert]

Congrats Art!

[prasantrin]

Is anyone familiar with Caffarel? I've read about them, but I'm wondering if their chocolates are really that good.

I found a Caffarel store, and wanted to try some of their chocolates, but at almost Y200 per piece (small foil-wrapped Gianduja-based chocolates), I didn't want to risk buying crappy chocolate.

They've also got a nutella-like spread that I'm tempted to get, but it's about Y2000 for a small jar. Anyone ever try their spread? Is it better than nutella?

[prairiegirl]

This topic has become a mangle of different types/uses of chocolate so my apologies for shifting, but I just added a few new bars to my store's shelves.  My current favorites in order:

1. Patric 67%

2. Corallo

3. Cluizel Mangaro Noir

4. Askinosie 75% (although its unfair to include them since I mostly like their nib bars)

Corallo is the new one for me and it is amazing!

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Which Corallo bar? I bought some last year and it was interesting. Bourbon flavour came thru in the the 70ish%. Can't remember the %.

oh, and the Askinosie was good. I can see room for improvement and I haven't tried anything this year. The 75% reminds me of chocolate pudding. I loved it.

Edited June 14, 2009 by prairiegirl (log)

[prairiegirl]

Okay, my ultimate favourite is Amano. Anything that Art and Clark put together is fabulous. I need to try Patric.

[gfron1]

Which Corallo bar? I bought some last year and it was interesting. Bourbon flavour came thru in the the 70ish%. Can't remember the %.

oh, and the Askinosie was good. I can see room for improvement and I haven't tried anything this year. The 75% reminds me of chocolate pudding. I loved it.

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For me the 80% bar is the best. In the chocolate forums, CC gets tossed all over the place and typically the discussion ends with, "you just don't get it." CC uses a process that results in a much less refined outcome than what we expect, but when you sample the bar v. eat the bar, the texture, flavor profile and even the dare I say it, bouquet are extremely refined and complex. My favorite part of CC bars is when I snip the silver foil and that first whiff of perfume is released. I can live on that smell for a good hour.

All of his bars with add-ins (ginger, sugar crystals, etc) are good, and I enjoy them, but I always feel like that's a cop out to inferior chocolate. Same goes for Askinosie. But, when you turn off the chocolate snob and turn on chocolate lover, then those bars are wonderful - especially Askinosie.

Long answer to short question

[Darienne]

For me the 80% bar is the best.  In the chocolate forums, CC gets tossed all over the place and typically the discussion ends with, "you just don't get it."  CC uses a process that results in a much less refined outcome than what we expect, but when you sample the bar v. eat the bar, the texture, flavor profile and even the dare I say it, bouquet are extremely refined and complex.  My favorite part of CC bars is when I snip the silver foil and that first whiff of perfume is released.  I can live on that smell for a good hour.

Sorry, guys, but I just can't find 'C.C.' anywhere in the last two pages of this thread. Please, for the uninitiated amongst us...

[Art]

Sorry, guys, but I just can't find 'C.C.' anywhere in the last two pages of this thread.  Please, for the uninitiated amongst us...

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Darienne:

It is Claudio Corallo. He is a farmer/chocolate maker, out of Sao Tome.

http://www.claudiocorallo.com/

-Art

[Desiderio]

Talking about fine chocolate, today I came home from work to find a nice box full stuffed of Amano chocolate samples!!!!!!!

OMG, Art I dont think I can add any more to the other comments, only that I simply love the chocolate ( yes all of them!) even the madagascar that usually isnt my favorite, wow I am in chocolate heaven and overload I think.

The ocumare Milk, wow, what to say ( where is the drooling one?).

Thank you for the samples and for the care you put into the chocolate, I am looking forward to use your precious chocolate into my production ( I just hope to be worthy of it )

[Kerry Beal]

Talking about fine chocolate, today I came home from work to find a nice box full stuffed of Amano chocolate samples!!!!!!!

OMG, Art I dont think I can add any more to the other comments, only that I simply love the chocolate ( yes all of them!) even the madagascar that usually isnt my favorite, wow I am in chocolate heaven and overload I think.

The ocumare Milk, wow, what to say  ( where is the drooling one?).

Thank you for the samples and for the care you put into the chocolate, I am looking forward to use your precious chocolate into my production ( I just hope to be worthy of it  )

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Vanessa,

This is wonderful - you are going to start using Art's chocolate? Lucky girl!

[Lior]

Really lucky girl! I swoon over here that you can access all these chocolates from all the bean to bar micro batch makers!! I have had CC-I love the pulp/raisin one. Sigh!!

[Chocolot]

I have 5# of Amano Madagascar and am afraid of not doing anything wonderful enough for it. I used a little of it in a ganache with no added flavors, just wanting the flavor of the chocolate to speak for itself. Anyone have a good idea of what I should do with it? It pays to live within an hour of Amano

[Kerry Beal]

I have 5# of Amano Madagascar and am afraid of not doing anything wonderful enough for it.  I used a little of it in a ganache with no added flavors, just wanting the flavor of the chocolate to speak for itself.  Anyone have a good idea of what I should do with it?  It pays to live within an hour of Amano

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Why not try a water ganache.