Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 13(RP) e: 12Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 137/5/18 3:37 PMIntroduction 3134TextMy first experience with making chocolate went poorly. It was the fall of 2009, and I was living in Somerville, Massachusetts. The square near my apartment had a lovely weekday afternoon farmers’ market. On one October afternoon, a booth I had fre-quented a few times to buy Taza Chocolate had cocoa beans for sale. I had recently roasted coffee beans in my oven at home, and I really enjoyed how they turned out, so I jumped at the chance to buy cocoa beans and roast them. These beans came in a cool miniature burlap sack, but they also came with no instructions. I didn’t think I needed instructions, because at this point I was a pro at roasting coffee. How much different could roasting cocoa beans be? That weekend I fired up my oven to 450°F (230°C), because that’s what I had roasted my coffee at. When the oven had preheated, I arranged my beans on a baking tray and put it in the oven. Very quickly, the kitchen began to smell like brownies, and I was pleased. After six or seven minutes, though, the smell began to change to a distinctly burnt smell, and smoke began to seep out my oven door. I turned off the oven and opened it. I immediately heard a series of small pops, and then my cocoa beans burst into flames. After this incident, I did some research and found out that I had roasted my cocoa beans at least 125°F (52°C) too hot.When I met Ryan Cheney in New York City a year later, his concept for Raaka was appealing to me: “We’re gonna make chocolate bars without roasting the cocoa beans.” Great, I thought, I can dive deep into learning how to make chocolate, but I won’t have to deal with another cocoa bean fire. The appeal was obviously about more than just fire pre-vention. Raw cocoa beans have interesting and intense flavors that are developed during post-harvest fermenta-tion. These flavors are also aided by the different terroirs in which they’re grown. Cocoa beans grown on the arid coast of northern Peru taste completely different from cocoa beans grown beneath the cloud forests in the valleys of the Sierra de Chama mountains in central Guatemala. In the mostly mass-scale chocolate I had been exposed to, Taza being the lone exception, these flavors were completely stripped of their nuance through heavy roasting and processing. Raaka has always been interested in making the difference in these flavors abundantly clear to customers and collabo-rators. In my own personal experience with chocolate, I was so far removed from knowing anything about where choco-late came from, how it was made, and what the agricultural product that chocolate originates from even looks like that tasting the raw beans was revelatory. Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 13(RP) e: 12Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 137/5/18 3:55 PMProof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 14Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 147/5/18 3:37 PMTHE ART AND CRAFT OF CHOCOLATE 3144TextWhen I began to discuss chocolate with my family and friends, I quickly found that the story of chocolate wasn’t reve-latory just to me. It turned out that chocolate was full of mystery to everyone I knew. Humans have been consuming the stuff for at least 3,000 years, and in recent history, we’ve become far removed from its origins and the globetrotting essence it embodies. I’ve been all over the world and connected with people far different from me because of the one thing we had in common: choc-olate. Chocolate unites people because it makes everyone happy. Its mysterious mix of unique alkaloids allows it to do this. At Raaka, whether it’s the farmers we buy from, the many companies we collaborate with, our employees, or our cus-tomers, we just want to make the world a happier, more equi-table place. I acknowledge that it’s a cheesy and simple goal, but it’s one we’re going to defend, because what other goal fits with something as joy-inducing as chocolate?Raaka is influenced by the city we operate in: New York. Our city is full of multiple cultures all mashing together and attempting to live in balance and harmony. It gives New York an energy that not all cities have. Our bars have always been inspired by the many flavors and ingredients that can be found all over the city. Every culture is represented here. If there’s a dish you enjoy from some far-off corner of the globe, chances are there’s a tiny restaurant in Queens where you can find it. The culinary energy of the city drives our desire for constant experimentation. In the past seven years, we’ve made over 200 different flavors of chocolate. These flavors have been influenced by everything from Thai soups to Mexican bever-ages to Indian spices. I have no doubt that the creativity that pumps through the fabric of Raaka comes from being in the mecca for cuisine in the United States. New York fuels us. This book is an attempt to share that creativity and love of culture with you. Let’s begin to look beyond chocolate as the stuffy bonbon or truffle you give as a gift only on special occa-sions. Chocolate is a food that unites, excites, and inspires with the many mysteries of its history and raw materials. This book is an exploration of those mysteries. Along the way, we’ll encounter some tips for making chocolate at home, and we’ll make some food using chocolate as the star ingredient. Don’t worry—we’ll always think about safety first. Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 14Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 147/5/18 3:55 PMProof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 15(RP) e: 14Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 157/5/18 3:37 PMIntroduction 3154TextINTRODUCTION OF TERMSBefore we dive into where chocolate really comes from, let’s lay out some basic terms to avoid confusion. The truth is, the cacao tree contains many by-products that we will discuss, and without setting the scene in terms of what is what, I run the risk of confusing you. Consider the following your guide to the wonders that are the by-products of the cacao tree.CACAO POD: This is the fruit of the cacao tree. It manifests itself in the form of a pod, which can range from the size of a fist to the size of a football. Cacao pods generally contain 25 to 50 seeds. The color of these pods can be purple, yellow, red, green, orange, or anything in between.CACAO PULP: This is a sticky white mucilage surrounding the seeds that is the sweet, edible fruit part of the cacao pod. Cacao fruit is needed for the fermentation process that turns cacao seeds into cocoa beans. Its taste can be both sweet and tart, and can range in flavor from green apple to cantaloupe to vanilla pudding.CACAO SEEDS: These are the purple seeds that sit in the white pulp of the cacao pod. They are surrounded by a fibrous outer layer, not unlike sunflower seeds. Since they are seeds and can germinate, they are referred to as cacao seeds instead of cocoa seeds.COCOA BEANS: These are the fermented and dried cacao seeds that are, at some point, the basis for all the chocolate in the world. Since they can no longer germinate and become new cacao trees, they are referred to as cocoa beans. After they are dried, they have a tough, fibrous outer shell that needs to be removed and a dark brown inner bean that is the most desirable part of the cacao tree and the reason cacao is grown. COCOA NIBS: These are the cracked inner portion of the cocoa bean. Cocoa nibs are made up of roughly half cocoa butter and half cocoa powder. These nibs will always be ground down using some method and are the basis for most chocolate. The percentage of a chocolate bar is the amount of that chocolate bar that is ground-up nibs. Say a chocolate bar is labeled as 70 percent dark: This means that 70 percent of its content is ground-up cocoa nibs, while the other 30 percent is sugar.Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 15(RP) e: 14Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 157/5/18 3:55 PMProof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 16Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 167/5/18 3:37 PMTextCOCOA BUTTER: This is the vegetable fat that is present in the cocoa nib. It is cocoa butter’s smooth, silky texture that gives chocolate its decadent mouthfeel. Cocoa butter melts at the temperature of the human body, making it extra alluring to the senses. Cocoa butter can be extracted from the cocoa nib using a press. Extracted cocoa butter is valuable in cosmetics, confections, and as a processing agent in chocolate making.COCOA POWDER: This is the solid of the cocoa nib, the other part you get when you extract cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is where chocolate gets most of its flavor and its desir-able alkaloids, caffeine and theobromine. Cocoa powder is complex, consisting of carbohydrates, minerals, alkaloids, fla-vonoids (antioxidants), and protein.COCOA LIQUOR: This is not alcohol, but rather the cocoa nibs ground down into a smooth paste. Cocoa liquor is often imported and used to make chocolate products instead of starting from scratch with the beans.Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 16Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 167/5/18 3:55 PMArt Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1367/5/18 3:44 PMArt Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1367/5/18 3:55 PMProof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 137Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1377/5/18 3:44 PMChocolate Recipes 31374Text1 ½ cups (145 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting1 ½ cups (188 g) unbleached all-purpose flour¼ teaspoon salt1 cup (225 g) butter, softened2 cups (400 g) sugar½ cup (120 ml) chocolate stout2 large eggs¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powderThese crunchy, chocolaty cookies are delicious on their own, or go all out and fill them with a cream filling, like a whoopie pie. I also like to break them up and use them as the crust for pies and cheesecakes (see page 138). Everyone needs a great cookie recipe to bust out when needed, and this is mine. This again incorporates a touch of chocolate stout for depth of flavor, just like the dinner rolls (see page 117).MAKES ABOUT 25 COOKIESSift the cocoa powder, flour, and salt together in a large bowl.In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar. While mixing slowly, pour in the stout, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Sprinkle in the vanilla powder and mix until incorporated.Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C, or gas mark 3). Scoop out tablespoons of dough and roll into small balls by transferring between two spoons. Place them on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. You should be able to make about 25 balls. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are starting to brown. If you’re making these to use for a crust for a pie or cake, bake them for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until all but the very tops of the cookies are browned. Let cool on wire racks.Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 137Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1377/5/18 3:55 PMProof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 134Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1347/5/18 3:44 PMTHE ART AND CRAFT OF CHOCOLATE 31344TextPreheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, or gas mark 7) and arrange a rack in the middle position. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Keep warm.Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the cracked cardamom pods, shells and all. Turn off the heat and let the pods steep in the butter for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the butter mixture into a small strainer set over the melted chocolate. Stir the butter and chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Remove the chocolate-butter mixture from the stove and allow to cool for 5 minutes.Add the egg yolks to the chocolate-butter mixture and lightly whip them in.In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites, sugar, and hot water together until the egg whites form thick peaks. Add about one-quarter of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and whip them in. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture.Pour the batter into a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.12 ounces (340 g) chocolate, coarsely chopped ½ cup (112 g) butter8 cardamom pods, cracked5 large eggs, separated1 ½ teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon hot waterSERVING NOTE:Drizzle Simple Chocolate Sauce (page 94) over the top of the cake while it’s still in the pan. Or combine 1 ½ tablespoons (9 g) cocoa powder and 1 1/2 tablespoons (11 g) confectioners’ sugar in a bowl with ½ teaspoon ground cardamom and sift this over the top of the cake after you have removed it from the pan. Growing up, whenever we had family or special friends over for dinner, my mother would make a flourless choc-olate cake. Her secret was adding a lot of chocolate, which coincidentally is a great secret. I can’t help but get nostalgic for family meals and loved ones whenever I make or eat a flourless chocolate cake. I’ve added my own secret ingredient to the family recipe: cardamom. Cardamom tastes great with chocolate and can be infused into butter very easily because of its fragrant aroma. However, you may choose to infuse your cake with hibiscus, chile peppers, herbs, or something else entirely. You do you. SERVES 8Proof 1Job: 13082 Title: #301428 Art & Craft Of Chocolate (RP) GSC Page: 134Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1347/5/18 3:55 PM(RP) 134Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1357/5/18 3:44 PM(RP) 134Art Craft of Chocolate_001-160_13082.indd 1357/5/18 3:55 PMNext >