White Chocolate, the delightful, buttery and sugary treat isn’t technically considered chocolate. It gets a wildcard entry into the chocolate family simply because of cocoa butter – one of the main ingredients used. The lack of cocoa beans gives it the whitish color that sets it apart from dark and milk chocolate. You can try the white chocolate collection at Chocholik.com.
Some find these handmade gourmet pieces and popular branded bars to be too sweet for their taste. You can try the main recipe and its variation to create some white chocolate of your own.
White Chocolate Recipe
Before we begin, there are three important techniques that can make a difference between a grainy or lumpy end product and a smooth and silky one. They involve the chopping and melting of cocoa butter, the perfect blending of other ingredients, and finally, the tempering of the chocolate.
Plain White Chocolate
This is a quick recipe that uses milk powder and vanilla extract.
Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 12 persons (a piece each)
Skill Level: Novice to Expert
Ingredients
Cocoa butter – 1/3 cup or two ounces
Powdered sugar – 1/4 cup
Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
Powdered milk – 1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla extract or paste – 1/2 teaspoon
Preparing the Ingredients
Finely chop the cocoa butter just before you melt it. When the cocoa butter is chopped in advance, it absorbs the moisture present in the air and loses its texture. You can use a double boiler or a microwave to melt the butter. Since cocoa butter melts at a low temperature, ensure that it doesn’t get burnt.
When using a double boiler, use a low flame and constantly stir the butter. Use a silicone/plastic spoon or a whisk instead of a wooden spatula. This prevents moisture from being absorbed by the chocolate. You can use a cooking thermometer to identify the approximate temperature, that falls between 32° C and 33° C. Wait till the cocoa butter starts to melt. Remove from the flame once the lumps dissolve and set it aside. It will melt down completely.
Those of your using a microwave have to set it at medium for two minutes. Remove the bowl containing the chopped butter once every 30 seconds, stir well and place it back into the microwave.
Tempering the Chocolate
Now that the butter has melted, add the other ingredients one at a time. Keep stirring while you add the sugar, milk powder, salt and vanilla extract.
In case you want additional flavors, add a flavored extract of your choice. You can also add finely ground spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper or nutmeg to the mixture to give your white chocolate a spicy zing.
Placing in Molds
Use a silicone or plastic mold of the desired shape. You can also use cupcake or jelly molds and ice cube trays. After you have poured the chocolate into the molds, refrigerate it for four to five hours. Don’t freeze it; rather keep it in the middle shelf of your refrigerator.
Storage
Store white chocolates in an airtight container and keep them in a cool place.
Options
You can use good quality, commercially available white chocolate when cocoa butter isn’t available. Just skip the addition of milk and sugar. You can use honey or cane sugar instead of powdered sugar.
Variations – Vegan or Dairy Free
To make dairy free or vegan white chocolate, simply substitute milk powder with soymilk powder or rice milk powder. Use the rest of the recipe and follow the procedure.
Now that you have learnt the basic technique, with a little bit of practice, you can make white chocolates to be added to other recipes like truffle, mousse, even mocha or hot white cocoa.