to http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/ re Sirene Guatemala bar and cocoa butter
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http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/sirene-chocolate-unique-and-exciting.html
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http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/sirene-chocolate-unique-and-exciting.html?showComment=1440124159808#c5209522146119094228
Do you know if Sirene is using additional cocoa butter or are they relying 100% upon the cocoa butter in the beans ?I ask because in 2005 when we at Tostaduria Antigua in Antigua Guatemala first roasted cacao beans and ground them we simply added honey and, in my opinion, the honey partly mimics the texture of cocoa butter and is released as cocoa butter in the ground cocoa beans melt.
At that time I also did some bars with 'whole bean cacao' and powdered sugar but they tasted and had a texture more like an eggless,flourless brownie than a chocolate bar;(although a natural 'whole bean' cacao - honey bar can't be compared to a sugar bar cocoa powder,cocoa butter bar.)
When we first made a cacao honey bar in 2005 I searched the internet for others doing the same as us,(including roasting both coffee and cacao with our coffee roaster), but found no one else,leading me to believe that ,strangely enough, we were perhaps the first to make and sale cacao-honey bars.
Recently Boston has had a cluster of 3 chocolate honey bar makers who, I believe, had reason to know about our cacao honey bar in Antigua before they began making their's with cocoa powder and cocoa butter - that still depends on the first part of the 'Dutch process' of 1827 that we use whole bean cacao honey process to avoid! Nonetheless they are going about it all wrong in my opinion because our cacao-honey bars do not require more cocoa butter than is found in the beans and we want to avoid all aspects of the Dutch process.
I even tried maple syrup which is even more expensive in Guatemala than honey that I still prefer.Also to prerserve the maple I cooked it down to sugar crystals but didn't grind it so felt the sugar crystals which,of course, never happens with honey.
In my opinion everything from Hershey's to the best U.S. or Belgian,et.al.
cocoa powder,cocoa butter,sugar bars are about the same compared to 'whole bean' honey bars that even still retain some flavor and aroma of the fermentation process itself.
I noted you have a recipe for making a bar from 'nibs' and it also recommends adding additional cocoa butter with the ground sugar.
So if you have the answer I would sure like to know if Sirene adds additional cocoa butter to their bars,particularly the Lachua Guatemala bars.And if you or anyone reading this blog is in Antigua come check us out,we need collaborators.
At that time I also did some bars with 'whole bean cacao' and powdered sugar but they tasted and had a texture more like an eggless,flourless brownie than a chocolate bar;(although a natural 'whole bean' cacao - honey bar can't be compared to a sugar bar cocoa powder,cocoa butter bar.)
When we first made a cacao honey bar in 2005 I searched the internet for others doing the same as us,(including roasting both coffee and cacao with our coffee roaster), but found no one else,leading me to believe that ,strangely enough, we were perhaps the first to make and sale cacao-honey bars.
Recently Boston has had a cluster of 3 chocolate honey bar makers who, I believe, had reason to know about our cacao honey bar in Antigua before they began making their's with cocoa powder and cocoa butter - that still depends on the first part of the 'Dutch process' of 1827 that we use whole bean cacao honey process to avoid! Nonetheless they are going about it all wrong in my opinion because our cacao-honey bars do not require more cocoa butter than is found in the beans and we want to avoid all aspects of the Dutch process.
I even tried maple syrup which is even more expensive in Guatemala than honey that I still prefer.Also to prerserve the maple I cooked it down to sugar crystals but didn't grind it so felt the sugar crystals which,of course, never happens with honey.
In my opinion everything from Hershey's to the best U.S. or Belgian,et.al.
cocoa powder,cocoa butter,sugar bars are about the same compared to 'whole bean' honey bars that even still retain some flavor and aroma of the fermentation process itself.
I noted you have a recipe for making a bar from 'nibs' and it also recommends adding additional cocoa butter with the ground sugar.
So if you have the answer I would sure like to know if Sirene adds additional cocoa butter to their bars,particularly the Lachua Guatemala bars.And if you or anyone reading this blog is in Antigua come check us out,we need collaborators.
Interesting. Can you put on some chocolate recipes too? Im sure it will give a boost to your blog. Try it!
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