Make your own Chili Chocolate

Instructions for making chili chocolate for your own private consumption - tips and tricks

Spicy Chili Chocolate is not a modern invention, as the Mayans (250 - 900 A.D.) seasoned their unsweetened cocoa drinks with chili. Sweetening chocolate with cane sugar was first done by the Spanish in the 16th century. The spiciness of chili goes very well with the sometimes bitter flavour of chocolate.

What do you need for making spicy chili chocolate ?

Simply take some of your favourite chocolate in its pure form (so without ingredients such as nuts, raisins etc.) and a very spicy and very finely ground chili powder. You can use whole milk, plain, dark or white chocolate, although the latter isn`t technically chocolate as it does not contain any cocoa. The chili powder should be very spicy, even if you wish to make a mild chili chocolate. The reason for this can be easily explained. If you use a mild chili powder, your chocolate will just taste like the powder. The art, however, is to include spiciness and a fine chili flavour in the chocolate without overwhelming the taste of the chocolate itself. Particularly suitable powders are Bhut Jolokia or Trinidad Scorpion Butch T powder.

Make your own Chili Chocolate - Step by Step

There are many possibilities for melting chocolate, such as, melting it in a water bath or on the hob. The method of heating doesn`t matter as long as the temperature is correct. The chocolate must reach at least 27 °C in order to create the desired crystal form. The characteristics of this crystal form are the quick rising of the chocolate when cooling, a beautiful glossiness, and no grey fogginess. Chocolate at the incorrect temperature has a crumbly consistency, a grey fogginess and melts when lightly touched by hands.

Important: Milk chocolate should not be heated over 32.5 °C, dark chocolate over 34.5 °C and white chocolate over 31.5 °C. Over these temperatures, the useful crystals dissolve. If the chocolate becomes too hot, just let it cool again and re-heat it.

For slightly spicy chocolate, add 0.5 g of Bhut Jolokia powder per kg mass, and stir everything well. You should not use more than 2 kg per mass, otherwise the subtle chocolate flavour will disappear. The Bhut Jolokia Chili has a very fruity and flavourful taste and is therefore ideal for chocolate. You can spread the chocolate on a marble slab and let it cool or use it for a cake icing.

Tip: Spicy chocolate cornflake heaps are very popular. Carefully mix 200 g cornflakes with 300 g spicy dark chocolate and form them into small heaps on baking paper.

You can now see that making your own chili chocolate is not difficult, and is a lot of fun.

Picture credits: dark chocolate with chili pepper - matka_Wariatka #22605178