How to make 84% dark chocolate from scratch using honey
Learn how to make 84% dark chocolate from scratch using honey. An easy recipe and a great alternative to chocolate sweetened with cane sugar. Paleo-friendly.
Melt the cacao butter over a double boiler until it reaches 122°F/50°C.
Add the cacao powder, honey and vanilla and mix until all combined and the mixture reaches 122°F/50°C.
Now temper the chocolate:
Pour the chocolate mixture on a marble slab (I used a glass cutting board).
With a flexible plastic scraper or palette knife, spread the chocolate thinly, then scoop it up before spreading it again. Repeat the sequence, keeping the chocolate constantly on the move for about 10 minutes.
Test to see if you are done tempering by dropping a little of the chocolate onto the side of the marble and if it sets very quickly that you have finish tempering the chocolate and are ready to pour the mixture into molds.
Let it cool at room temperature for a few hours.
Notes
If you prefer, you can skip the tempering process and store your chocolate in the fridge.This recipe makes 4 oz of chocolate. If you decide to make a bigger batch you will need to temper it slightly different by first pouring only ¾ of the melted chocolate onto the marble, tempering it until it reaches 82°F/28°C, then stirring the remaining chocolate. With the addition of the hot chocolate, the temperature should now be 90°F/32°C, making the chocolate ready for use.