DIY: Chocolates!

Trying to maintain my body’s chocolate levels, I tried to return to my high school days when I was still selling chocolates. No, my parents didn't force me to do it for a living. Actually, it all started when my bag, which contains a walkie-talkie owned by our CAT commandant, got stolen in Clark.  I didn't tell my parents about it and tried to clean up the little mess I did with my own hands. So I sold chocolates to my classmates to pay for it.

I kinda missed doing these kinds of things so I immediately went to a shop along downtown Angeles to buy some ingredients. I like mixing 2 different kinds of chocolates so I got 1 bar of premium milk chocolate (the sweetest kind, more fatty) and dark chocolate (lesser fat, more cacao taste). Since I love nuts on my chocolates, I also got 1/4 kilo of almonds (120 pesos). I would've prepared hazelnut anytime but it was just too expensive. 

 

First, I had to cut the chocolate bar in to smaller pieces. Then we have to melt them either by the oven method or the saucepan method. For the oven method (the method that I do), you just place the choco pieces (I do a 1:1 mix of milk and dark chocolate) on a ceramic bowl in the oven and heat for 5 mins. For the saucepan method you place choco pieces on the saucepan and heat in low fire. I prefer the first method since the temp is more controlled. Chocolate tends to be too dry when burnt and will not set as good.  

Once you get a smooth consistency, you place them in molds and then add the nuts. Place them in the chiller and wait for around 15 mins just to make sure they're properly tempered. Tempering is the right cooling of chocolate so that it would achieve the smooth shiny appearance that it should have.

After cooling, you just pop them in a tray and you're good to go! Enjoy! :)