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April 2007

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Fri 27 Apr 2007

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Chocolate Bars Made the Mexican Way

Posted by tlisenby under Chocolate Culture
[2] Comments

Credit goes to the Spanish nuns for the creation of an easier way to store and prepare chocolate. In the different convents, the nuns experimented with distinct formulas each one better than the previous one, thus perfecting the technique of toasting and grinding the cocoa beans. In many rural homes today, the tools for the preparation of the chocolate disks or bars are handed down from generation to generation. These consist of a flat, rectangular balsamic rock used as a grinding bed and a long, squared off rock used as a ‘rolling pin’.

To make homemade disks or bars, toast two pounds of cocoa beans and one pound of almonds separately over a flame. Set aside to cool while grinding 3.5 ounces of cinnamon sticks. Then grind the cocoa beans and almonds by pressing the rolling pin in a back and forth motion over the beans and almonds until the cocoa butter comes out and a soft mass begins to form. Next, add four pounds of sugar until the sugar is incorporated and the mass is homogeneous. Finally, shape the mass into disks or bars using molds. Remove from molds, wrap in paper and store.

In Mexico today, making hot chocolate follows the traditional practices. The chocolate squares or medallions are melted in hot water. Milk is boiled separately. When both mixtures are hot, they are beaten together with a wooden whisk, called a molinillo, designed to mix the liquids thoroughly and create foam. Finely chopped chili, honey and a pinch of salt may be added to the mixture before serving.

tags: chocolate, molinillo, spanish nun, chocolate bar, chocolate disk

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Thu 26 Apr 2007

Chocolate and Blogs

Posted by tlisenby under Chocolate and Blogs
1 Comment

A blog is basically a web log in a diary like format. Since you are at this website, you are reading a blog. You do go to Blogger, or Google Blog search to search for your favorite topics.

Entries can be on any topic for which you feel you will find readers. People who write for a blog are called bloggers. Many times you see links to other sites, ideas and thoughts of bloggers on any topic he/she feels like and also comments from other bloggers. There are different types of blogs but the format remains the same diary like. As blogging can be done on any topic, one of the hottest topics for blogging on food items such as chocolate.

A sense of humor while writing on a blog is an added advantage. You don’t need to be a great writer or a reporter to compose on these sites. Bloggers can write on anything, anytime and anywhere in the world. The most important thing about a blog is that it has to be updated regularly. If you don’t do that your readers will desert you faster than a blink of an eye. After all there are so many sites offering so many things, new things that they won’t find it difficult to go to a new site.

Blogs on chocolate offer lot of things. They give out the history of chocolate, various recipes associated with chocolate, how to start a chocolate chop and many other things. They offer an opinion on anything related to chocolate. Blogs are a great forum for chocaholics to chat about chocolate.

tags: chocolate, chocolate blog, google blog, chocaholic, blog search

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