Archive for the ‘Cacao’ Category

Here is a video that explains in the most simplistic way, (the way only a kids show can do it) about the process of making chocolate and the fermented cacao bean. Remember our cacao beans after drying in the warm sunny Caribbean sun are then packaged and shipped to you guys, keeping it a raw food.

This is a Colombian dish, sort of like little cocoa cakes. Again, notice the use of salt along with the cocoa, to bring out its full flavor!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon Baking powder
1/3 cup Organic Agave Nectar
a pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
2/3 cup Milk
3/4 cup Conuco Reserve Organic Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup Flour

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter until creamy. Add agave nectar and continue to beat until light and very fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, again beating well each time. Combine cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix dry ingredients then add to egg mixture. Add milk. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and beat well.

Transfer resulting batter to greased, floured muffin tins. Each cup should be about 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from tins and cool on wire racks.

Cacao nibs are the roasted, chopped bits of cacao seeds that are the fundamental element of chocolate. They have a strong chocolate aroma and nutty nuances. In this candy, they are caramelized with sugar to produce a crunchy, darkly sweet snack that is addictive on its own, and a great addition to truffles, barks, and brittles.

Ingredients:
3 ounces cacao nibs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp butter, softened
1 tsp agave nectar

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Place the butter on a dish or slip of parchment near the stove.

2. Place the nibs and the sugar in a small saucepan and heat them over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Soon the sugar will start to stick together and form larger clumps. It is normal for the mixture to give off a little smoke during the cooking process.

3. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sugar liquefies and there are only a few specks of unincorporated sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter immediately, stirring well.

4. Scrape the candied nibs onto the prepared baking sheet, separating them as much as possible. Allow them to cool at room temperature before breaking them apart by hand. Store in a dry Ziploc bag or airtight container. Do not refrigerate.