2

Is it possible to directly melt baker's chocolate (sliced from bar form), mix with sugar, then add an a sort of "inverting" chemical to prevent it for resolidifying?

I currently work with baker's unsweetened chocolate. I believe this is the product of cacao butter? Not sure.

What I do with the chocolate is emulsify it in water under slow heat whilst stirring rapidly. Typically a 1:2.5 ratio of baker's chocolate to water, then add 1:2.5 ratio of chocolate to brown sugar.

I add this to chocolate drinks, and I've always appreciated its ability to add thickness to the beverage. But if I can make it even thicker, that would be good right?

The bigger problem I suppose is that I've never trained with a chocolatier. I don't know what the pros do!

Improve this question
3
  • So you're trying to turn baking chocolate into as thick/dense/flavorful a chocolate syrup as possible, basically? Might be clearer if you said that more directly, especially in the title. ("melt" in the title implies hot)
    – Cascabel ♦
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 4:27
  • "inverting" chemical ... are you familiar with using/making inverted syrup?
    – rackandboneman
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 9:20
  • Adding chocolate thickness to a drink is far simpler - insert drink in blender, add cocoa powder (and sugar to taste), blend. I have also done this with baking chocolate, but you need to stir a lot and drink quickly, or most of it falls to the bottom. Cocoa powder is easier.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 13:54

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but what came to my mind was making a ganache - pouring heated cream over chopped chocolate and then stirring until the chocolate is melted. By adjusting the ratios of cream to chocolate, you can make a lovely thick chocolate syrup that works well for stirring into beverages.

There are 4 standard ratios of chocolate and cream, for different purposes:

  • 2:1 (chocolate:cream) is very firm and holds its shape, good for uncoated truffles.

  • 3:2 is firm but slightly softer; good for coated chocolates and cake icings.

  • 1:1 is soft and smooth; good for tart and cake fillings, some cake icings, and spreads

  • 1:2 is pourable and sauce-like - the obvious choice for sauces.

(from a Chowhound article on ganache)

Improve this answer
0

Inverted sugar (or any of its cousins: dextrose, honey, HFCS) won't help you, as what is happening is not recrystallization of the sugar, but that cocoa butter is solid at room temperature (it has a fusion point of 28-36 °C, 82-96 °F).

What a chocolatier would tell you is that chocolate and water are natural enemies, and they don't belong together.

If your objective is to add more "chocolatey" flavor to a water based drink, my suggestion is to use cocoa, and leave the fats out.

If your objective is to add thicken a drink, many options are available, depending on the composition of the drink: pectin, xanthan, carrageenan, what you would be looking for is a hydrocolloid.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.