I made chocolate, like they do in anime! (Recipe included)

I tried making chocolate last year for my other half and it flopped horrendously. It did not set, I added way too much milk and months later we emptied it out from the freezer (where it had been kept for months) and it was still soft. In a way, I had made an unsolidable chocolate mousse.

This year I sat back and thought, how hard can it honestly be? I mean all these cute anime girls manage to pull it off so it can not be that complicated. After a lot of searching, I found a recipe that did not seem all that complicated and only had 5 ingredients, of which I already had 3.

This recipe is for dark chocolate, so it is bitter, but I am sure upping the sugar should help with that. Also, make sure to read my tips and experience afterwards to see how you can make it better.

You will need:

• 375grams Coconut Oil (solid or already melted)
• 3/4 cup Icing Sugar (190ml)
• 1 cup cocoa powder (250ml)
• 1/4 cup milk powder (60ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5ml)

Steps/process:

1. Grease your chocolate mould
2. Place the coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan and gently melt until liquid.
3. Sift together dry ingredients.
4. Add the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
5. Wisk mixture until everything is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
6. Pour mixture into the mould.
7. Place in fridge until the chocolate is completely set.

 

The real shizz and how it all goes down

Now we all know, the recipe says one thing and is made out to be easier than it is, most of the time. Plus it can be really messy and unexpected things can and do happen. This recipe had one major moment where I took a quick step back and wondered wtf. Then it passed and it was all good again. So, I shall break it down for ya, step by step.

Step 1 – I have a tiny chocolate mould that is meant to be pineapples (I got it free with a magazine). The tops of the pineapples just snap off.  Plus the mould itself is unable to hold all of the chocolate made. So if you do not have a mould or not enough moulds you can line a baking tray with baking/wax paper. It works really well with dark chocolate as it offers up thin pieces when you cut it. Also, make sure to grease everything properly otherwise good luck getting the chocolate out the mould. I used a spray n bake.

Step 2 – Even if your coconut oil is already liquid, you need to heat it up. In the recipe, it says melt it gently, but you need the oil hot enough to dissolve the dry ingredients, but do not bring the oil to boil. If it is boiling, it is too hot and you will need to wait for it to cool down.

Step 3 – Basic practice, if you use a powder form of anything you must sift it first. It just makes everything easier and smoother in the long run.

Step 4 to 6 – This is where things got a lil crazy. I added the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and the concoction hissed at me and bubbled angrily. I have never had my baking result in a hiss. NEVER. So I was pretty worried since I was dealing with hot oil and did not want the glass bowl I was using to shatter on me nor did I want to get burnt myself. After a few moments though it stopped it angry hissing and I carried on as if nothing happened.

My advice for this particular part – Use a third bowl to mix the oil and dry ingredients. I know it just makes more dishes but it also means you have better control in mixing and making sure everything dissolves properly. So place a 1/3 of the combined dry ingredients in the bowl and add a 1/3 of the oil and all of the vanilla extract. Wisk it all together until the powder is completely dissolved. Then add the next 1/3 of dry ingredients and oil until all is dissolved.

Plus you can control how much oil is added to your chocolate. I added a bit too much to mine and I can taste it in the finished chocolate. It is not bad, but noticeable.

Mine was really liquidy so it was easy to spoon into the mould but made moving the mould a slight challenge. Which is why it looks so messy in the photo. I placed the mould in the fridge and the tray in the freezer to compare how they would set and really there was not much difference. They both set within 20 minutes to the point where I could handle them.

The chocolate has a really low melting temp so minimal handling is adviced. The side of the chocolate facing upwards goes whiteish but that is completely fine and normal. It does not affect the taste at all.

Following the above recipe results in a bitter dark chocolate, which I myself really enjoy. The steps were easy to follow and avoided much time with a stove for which I was grateful for. Now you have a recipe for homemade chocolate that is not overboard hard or requiring a ton of ingredients.

If you use this recipe I would love to know how it goes for you and if you did things any differently!