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Making Blonde Chocolate


Susanne Hindle Kher

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So Valronha's Blonde Chocolate seems to be a huge hit, but it is pretty expensive and it's very sweet. I wonder if this can be made from "scratch" with cocoa butter, toasted milk powder and sugar (but a bit less).  I've found some recipes for plain white chocolate online and it looks simple, but is it really?  Has anyone made their own white chocolate? Would love to hear about it if you have and whether you'd do it again (oh, and whether it saved you any money!).  Thanks!

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I've had some success by simply baking white chocolate until it is golden brown.  Put pieces of WC in a hotel pan, put into a low oven, around 250F.  Bake, stirring every 20-30 minutes, until as brown as you like, iirc around 2 hours for 2-3 kg.  I'll admit that I never tried tempering or molding with it afterwards, but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to re-temper it.  I used it in mousses and cremeaux, and it melted and combined with cream just fine, though there was the occasional odd bit that needed to be strained out.

 

I don't see why your toasting the milk powder idea wouldn't work.  Do you have a stone grinder?  You could even caramelize the sugar separately and add that too, if you have the means to get it smooth again.

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I have also baked white chocolate until brown, but it just isn't the same as Dulcey. Valrhona says that they came upon the idea by accidentally leaving wc in a bain marie overnight and that was the start. It has taken years to perfect it. It has a salty flavor that they say is natural--not added. It is very thin and difficult to enrobe with. The stuff I made was ok, but just not the smooth lovely stuff that Dulcey is. $12 a lb is a bit steep, but I only use it for one piece, so it doesn't break the bank. Let us know how your experiment goes.

Ruth Kendrick

Chocolot
Artisan Chocolates and Toffees
www.chocolot.com

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I made it once accidentally when I put a stainless bowl of white chocolate over water in a slow cooker.  It was the most fabulous thing - never duplicated it!

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I've been thinking of starting a topic sort of about this. The blonde chocolate from Valronha, is this caramelized white chocolate? What I was wondering was if caramelized white chocolate was typically something purchased, or made. Sort of how you can purchase gianduja, but you can also make a gianduja from scratch. It may not be up the par with something purchased, but still very acceptable. The reason I was wondering this is because I dont recall anything in chocolates and confections mentioning caramelized white chocolate, and if I recall correctly, in Notters book, he uses caramelized white chocolate for a few recipes, but doesnt mention how to make it (I could be wrong, but thats what I seem to remember).

As for making it, is there a point where it can get too dark? Id like to hear more details or a reference if anyone has one.

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I've been thinking of starting a topic sort of about this. The blonde chocolate from Valronha, is this caramelized white chocolate? What I was wondering was if caramelized white chocolate was typically something purchased, or made. Sort of how you can purchase gianduja, but you can also make a gianduja from scratch. It may not be up the par with something purchased, but still very acceptable. The reason I was wondering this is because I dont recall anything in chocolates and confections mentioning caramelized white chocolate, and if I recall correctly, in Notters book, he uses caramelized white chocolate for a few recipes, but doesnt mention how to make it (I could be wrong, but thats what I seem to remember).

As for making it, is there a point where it can get too dark? Id like to hear more details or a reference if anyone has one.

 

At the NW Chocolate Festival someone told me it was made by carmelizing the sugar. Online I read it was made by roasting/toasting the milk powder. So I really am not sure which method is truly used, or perhaps both.

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I have also baked white chocolate until brown, but it just isn't the same as Dulcey. Valrhona says that they came upon the idea by accidentally leaving wc in a bain marie overnight and that was the start. It has taken years to perfect it. It has a salty flavor that they say is natural--not added. It is very thin and difficult to enrobe with. The stuff I made was ok, but just not the smooth lovely stuff that Dulcey is. $12 a lb is a bit steep, but I only use it for one piece, so it doesn't break the bank. Let us know how your experiment goes.

 

I'll report in! I may not get to it before the holidays, but it's certainly on my list of must-try items!

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I've had some success by simply baking white chocolate until it is golden brown.  Put pieces of WC in a hotel pan, put into a low oven, around 250F.  Bake, stirring every 20-30 minutes, until as brown as you like, iirc around 2 hours for 2-3 kg.  I'll admit that I never tried tempering or molding with it afterwards, but I don't see why you shouldn't be able to re-temper it.  I used it in mousses and cremeaux, and it melted and combined with cream just fine, though there was the occasional odd bit that needed to be strained out.

 

I don't see why your toasting the milk powder idea wouldn't work.  Do you have a stone grinder?  You could even caramelize the sugar separately and add that too, if you have the means to get it smooth again.

 

I don't have a stone grinder. But your methods seems to fit with Kerry's accidental blonde chocolate experience. I can't see why you wouldn't be able to retemper, since what you're tempering is the cocoa butter, not the sugar, right?

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I believe it's the 'caramelisation' of the milk powder.  Especially, with cooking white choc in an oven/bain marie, I feel that depth of colour couldn't possible come from caramelisation of sugar.

 

I have moulded caramelised white choc before but I first had to thin it out with extra cocoa butter, immersion blend it (to try to smooth it out) then strain it.  Cooking the white choc, for whatever reason, seems to make it thick and clay-like,

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If I read correctly, the OP is talking about making the equivalent of Valrhona's Dulcey from scratch, not from white chocolate.  Other posters have written about making caramelized white chocolate from already existing white chocolate.  There are several recipes for the latter on the Web:  There is this one from David Lebovitz, another from Joe Pastry (this recipe includes photos of the varying stages of caramelization), and yet another from Food52 (this recipe supposedly from Valrhona itself).

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Here's a discussion about it before with recipe.  

 

I've been searching for the pressure cooker and sous vide experiments that I know we did - but can't seem to find them so far.

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I am definitely going to be watching this thread. Pictures please if you try this and are successful.

 

I normally only eat dark chocolate but that was before I found out this stuff existed. Recently I was at Grace in the Kitchen (a favorite kitchen/cheese store in Kanata) and while wandering around I picked up a sample of a disc of light brown, caramelly-looking chocolate and fell in love. I bought a whole bag - labelled Douce (32% I think) - from some French producer - very expensive - but OH so good - too good! 

 

I am pretty sure they were not from Valrhona. Threw away the bag when I finished it unfortunately - may have to phone the store and see if they know the distributor - a Canadian company which starts with O. Kerry do you know that company by any chance?

 

I want more but if there is a way to make these at home or something equivalent, I may just give it a shot soon.

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Ok, well I had a chance to try it this morning, and im very pleased with the results. I didnt take the chocolate to the darkness of some of links mentioned above, but still followed the same method. I set the oven to 250, and every 10 minutes gave the chocolate a stir. After a while I just started stirring every 15 minutes. All in all, I think this was about 2 hours. The chocolate has a lovely nutty flavor, im excited about what can be done with this stuff.

Also, I didnt have to use an immersion blender to bring it back. When the chocolate was in the oven, it did have more of a solid texture, like a thick paste. But I noticed when I put it into a bowl after it was finished, after much stirring, it thinned back out to the consistency it would be if you were just melting it. I used callebaut 28% white, and after I did not temper it, so its still pretty fluid at room temp.

Here's a picture, sorry about the bad lighting. aea183c2c57deefddc46369dc774bd90.jpg

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I am definitely going to be watching this thread. Pictures please if you try this and are successful.

 

I normally only eat dark chocolate but that was before I found out this stuff existed. Recently I was at Grace in the Kitchen (a favorite kitchen/cheese store in Kanata) and while wandering around I picked up a sample of a disc of light brown, caramelly-looking chocolate and fell in love. I bought a whole bag - labelled Douce (32% I think) - from some French producer - very expensive - but OH so good - too good! 

 

I am pretty sure they were not from Valrhona. Threw away the bag when I finished it unfortunately - may have to phone the store and see if they know the distributor - a Canadian company which starts with O. Kerry do you know that company by any chance?

 

I want more but if there is a way to make these at home or something equivalent, I may just give it a shot soon.

Got me - doesn't sound at all familiar.

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I am definitely going to be watching this thread. Pictures please if you try this and are successful.

 

I normally only eat dark chocolate but that was before I found out this stuff existed. Recently I was at Grace in the Kitchen (a favorite kitchen/cheese store in Kanata) and while wandering around I picked up a sample of a disc of light brown, caramelly-looking chocolate and fell in love. I bought a whole bag - labelled Douce (32% I think) - from some French producer - very expensive - but OH so good - too good! 

 

I am pretty sure they were not from Valrhona. Threw away the bag when I finished it unfortunately - may have to phone the store and see if they know the distributor - a Canadian company which starts with O. Kerry do you know that company by any chance?

 

I want more but if there is a way to make these at home or something equivalent, I may just give it a shot soon.

Was the disc an oval shape? Sure sounds like Valrhona Dulcey to me:) Valrhona is French.

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Ruth Kendrick

Chocolot
Artisan Chocolates and Toffees
www.chocolot.com

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Yes, they were indeed oval. Strange there was no mention of Valrhona or Dulcey (just the Douce and percentage) on the package at all - but you may be (probably are) right, Chocolat. Thanks. They were truly delicious.

 

I figured you are supposed to use them for making other things but I don't think I can be blamed for just eating them out of the package on a road trip. :wub:

Edited by Deryn (log)
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Yes, they were indeed oval. Strange there was no mention of Valrhona or Dulcey (just the Douce and percentage) on the package at all - but you may be (probably are) right, Chocolat. Thanks. They were truly delicious.

 

I figured you are supposed to use them for making other things but I don't think I can be blamed for just eating them out of the package on a road trip. :wub:

 

Pretty sure it was Dulcey. I think it is a requirement to eat them straight out of the bag, road trip to not:)

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Ruth Kendrick

Chocolot
Artisan Chocolates and Toffees
www.chocolot.com

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I just looked up Dulcey and see that Valrhona Inc. is in Brooklyn, GlorifiedRice.

 

Address: Valrhona Inc.
222 Water Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 522-7001

 

Maybe you could call them and they would send you a sample? Or they might suggest where you could find a sample in your area. The stuff is so good it may be worth a try.

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If I read correctly, the OP is talking about making the equivalent of Valrhona's Dulcey from scratch, not from white chocolate.  Other posters have written about making caramelized white chocolate from already existing white chocolate.  There are several recipes for the latter on the Web:  There is this one from David Lebovitz, another from Joe Pastry (this recipe includes photos of the varying stages of caramelization), and yet another from Food52 (this recipe supposedly from Valrhona itself).

Thanks for those links! Really interesting and definitely worth trying! Seems hard to believe it would be that easy. 

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It suddenly occurred to me that there may be a way to make this in my TMX, so I went searching. Sure enough it seems that 250 grams white chocolate for 35 min, Varoma temp at SPD 1 might also get close to doing the trick.

 

The following TMX recipe from a very reliable TMX recipe 'artist' is where I got those settings:

 

http://tenina.com/recipes/caramelised-white-chocolate-bark

Edited by Deryn (log)
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It suddenly occurred to me that there may be a way to make this in my TMX, so I went searching. Sure enough it seems that 250 grams white chocolate for 35 min, Varoma temp at SPD 1 might also get close to doing the trick.

 

The following TMX recipe from a very reliable TMX recipe 'artist' is where I got those settings:

 

http://tenina.com/recipes/caramelised-white-chocolate-bark

 

I'm intrigued - what in the world is TMX? 

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