Forum Activity for @David Lollia

David Lollia
@David Lollia
01/15/11 10:46:57AM
7 posts

Tempering raw chocolate


Posted in: Make Mine Raw ...

I used cacao paste and cacao butter. I also did it with cacao nibs grinded in the concher. Results were similar in terms of tempering.

But again the less agave syrup or moist sweetener the less trouble (technically).

Plus, there has been controverses about the raw agave syrup. It seems difficult to produce in a raw state because it has to be heated to become a syrup by evaporation. The darker it is the more processed it probably is. Also the benefits of fructose over glucose on health has been disputed.

David Lollia
@David Lollia
01/10/11 05:51:29PM
7 posts

Tempering raw chocolate


Posted in: Make Mine Raw ...

Ive been able to temper raw chocolate with up to 20 % (in weight) of agave syrup. I dont have the exact values at hand (re: temperature, proportions, etc.) but it is totally possible. And it might be hard to believe but the result does have snap. However from my experience, with agave, you will end up with a chocolate that can bloom quite easily. You might also observe a change in texture over time, maybe after a few weeks with the chocolate becoming slightly grainy.
Because of that id recommend using coconut sugar rather than agave syrup.
Also regarding raw food and temperature we had this interesting discussion last year.
David Lollia
@David Lollia
01/03/11 04:16:21PM
7 posts

Tempering raw chocolate


Posted in: Make Mine Raw ...

Hi Jennifer,

Did you read the previous discussion we had on this topic?

David Lollia
@David Lollia
05/03/10 10:41:07AM
7 posts

Tempering Raw Chocolate


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Olga,You should not need to add more cacao butter than that. Have you already tried to do the same recipe without tempering? Does it end with the same leathery texture? Is the molten mixture fluid or quite thick?From what I can see either you didnt temper it properly (not stiring enough, wrong temperatures) either the moisture in agave syrup is upsetting the balance somehow (the quantity, but also the order in which you put it might be critical).
David Lollia
@David Lollia
05/02/10 10:53:10AM
7 posts

Tempering Raw Chocolate


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Many raw chocolate recipes Ive seen use coconut oil, liquid sweeteners (agave, maple, honey) and additional superfood powders (mesquite, lucuma, maca, etc.)If you use any of these youll have to find the right proportions to be able to temper properly. And Im not even sure that you can temper chocolate containing coconut oil.Also liquid sweeteners are difficult to use as they tend to seize the chocolate in a thick paste (maybe the cause of the leathery texture youve got)Anyway youll definitely need a substantial amount of cacao fats in your recipe because this is what is tempered.
David Lollia
@David Lollia
04/28/10 08:36:04PM
7 posts

Tempering Raw Chocolate


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Here is a comment by Brad Churchill about tempering by hand without seeds. I regularly use a similar technique and Ive been quite happy with it.Heating up to 120F might be too high to fit in your raw definition though but youll probably be able to temper without going over 115F. The best is to experiment I suppose.
David Lollia
@David Lollia
04/27/10 08:08:48PM
7 posts

Tempering Raw Chocolate


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hi Olga,Yes it is possible: tempering raw chocolate is not fundamentally different than tempering roasted chocolate. Although your ingredients and recipes will surely influence the results.Have you tried it yet?