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Chocolate is not easily made at home, but with persistence and the right equipment, it can be done. making chocolate at home will give you an appreciation for all that goes into producing that wonderfully addicting confection! Read on to learn how to make chocolate.
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Step 1: Roast the Cacao Beans
You can purchase specialized chocolate roasters, but you can also roast the beans in your oven. You'll need to experiment with different temperatures and times, to see which combination gives you the best flavor. Spread the beans on a cookie sheet and place in an oven that's been preheated to 450 degrees. Lower the temperature to 350 after they've roasted for 5 minutes. The beans will e done when they start to crack. This may take from 15-35 minutes.At the end of the roasting, they should taste like chocolate.
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Step 2: Remove the Husks
After roasting the beans need to be cracked and winnowed. Start by blowing the roasted beans with a blow dryer. You may be able to remove most of the husks that way. You can then crack the remaining beans with a hammer or mortar and pestle, and remove the husks by hand, or use a specialized grinder that both cracks the beans and removes the husks. -
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