This year, #AmIRight?

I was told that here are my tempering options:

• Cocoa Butter

• Cocoa Silk

• Powdered Cocoa Butter/Silk

Ruby chocolate anyone?

Well, now that we have a good and prominent link up showing how to submit questions to me (hangs head in shame) so many are coming in it seems a good time for a pretty simple speed round

Do you have a recipe for or experience with making candied whole cocoa beans? I ate some in Costa Rica that were really good and I’d like to make my own. It’s definitely not rocket science, but I botched my first try and my second attempt wasn’t very good, so figured I’d check to see if you had any experience with it.

This is going to be a little rambling with a little of this and a little of that. I’ll get to the Ask the Alchemist after a couple announcements.

How much vanilla extract should I add to my chocolate?

I’m always thrilled to offer a new product., and this case I mean REALLY new. This is reminiscent of when, some 15 years ago, I first offered cocoa beans by the pound when they were not available ANYWHERE else.

Thanks for all the great blog posts on roasting, and specifically the Behmor. Thanks to Uncle Sam and tax returns, it's time to upgrade from oven roasting to the Behmor.

I wrote an article yesterday. It was kind of a venting rant session for me. Call it therapy. But I started having doubts that I might be just railing at the world and it wasn’t useful or delivered the message I wanted.

Just a whack of product updates

I have been making your milk chocolate using your suggested 25% blend of cocoa, sugar, milk power, and cocoa butter. I'm curious what the best way would be to try different percentages without messing up the end product?

I am a recent convert (2wks) from my coffee to brewed chocolate, and I don't ever see myself going back. I live in an apartment now, so for the winter this would be strictly oven roasting. Can you be truly successful in a basic oven roasting method?

Welcome to 2021 everyone. I don't have any earth shattering news....and I suspect you'll be relived by that. I know I am. Right? I do though have a few new things. Low key. You're welcome.