Chocolates - Wah !! The word makes my mouth water. I am such a lover of this flavour. May be because of that, when given an opportunity in college, i pouned and learnt the way to make it!! We had a rocking time at college selling these. Thanks to my dear saheli for life - Neelu for teaching me this. This is dedicated to Neelam - The Blue Babe!!
So, here it goes, my limited knowledge to chocolates. I have become to be known as the chocolate akka in my colony, because of my regular weekends dedicated to chocolate sheet cakes and chocolate making times. In fact, I am strongly thinking of involving all my apartment kids in this one day. It is such a fun to have kids involved - in the moulds part. Little messy, yet it is just fun!! So read on, and post back on queries. Would be glad to share what I know!!
Process:
Take equal amounts of milk chocolate and dark chocolate and boil them using the double boiler method.( Keep a wide mouthed vessel eg: kadai and fill it one-fourths with water and set on a medium flame. Take a vessel that fits into the kadai, but make sure the water does not reach the tip of the vessel. Keep chocolates in the vessel. It is important to make sure water does not get into the chocolates. Keep on a low to medium flame and stir constantly. In minutes you will notice the chocolates melting well. As it becomes into a think liquid consistency, add about one teaspoon of stabiliser. It is fine if you dont have the stabiliser. You just have to store it in a cool, dry place. And in this stage, if you are like me, you will have the overwhelming desire to lick the ladle. Please do so
. Once the chocolate reaches a good sitrrable consistency, and is quite thick - switch off the gas. If required, add nuts and pour into moulds using spoons. Make sure you pour it hot, else it wont set. Keep the moulds the fridge for about 20 - 30 mins in the fridge cabinet ( not in freezer). Then once they are done, just topple them over, and there they are - Amazing Chocolates - Home made
to you!!.
Stabiliser:
This is added to keep the chocolate from melting even if it is stored out a refregirator. Also, adding this makes the chocolates more solid.
Wrapper:
In the shop where you buy chocolates, you will get wrappers as well.These are glittering sheets, foild with butter papers. You can buy these and cut each wrapper into four and pack the chocolates in these to sell and present.
Variations:
I have tester, tried these varieties in chocolate making.
1. Truffles - Pour warm chocolate into the layers of the mould. Then let it cool in the fridge for over 5 - 10 mins. As it is semi solid, pour another helping of warm chocolate. Let it set. This will result in two layers of chocolates.
2. Two - in - One - Follow same method as truffles, but give the first layer as white, and the second layer as milk or dark.
3. Honey - My personal favourite. Coat one layer of semi sweet chocolate and let it set for 506 mins. Pour a helping of honey, till the mould is half full. Let it set for about 5- 6 mins. Now pour in a final helping of chocolate.Let it set for another 5- 10 mins. Wow!! This is the most gooest of the lot. The bite, and the taste of honey into it, is just amazing. I have tried with caramel in the same manner and that was very similar to 5 star.
4. Rock - Once again, a rocker. This is normally done when I run out of moulds. I have about 20 moulds, and each yields a average of 12- 15 chocolates. So you can imagine - at a time we make upto 200 - 250 chocolates. So once I keep all my moulds in, and I have some more chocolate left over - I jus take them in huge table spoons and pour them as a lump on butter papers. ( No, you dont have to buy butter papers.The sheets kept in between the wrapping papers are all butter papers). So just let these freeze as papers for about 10 mins - and yes the famous rock is ready. This has to have nuts.
I can think and rattle so many kinds. Just thought I will keep it short!!
So here are the costs, to all those ladies out there who want to make it as a business.
Chennai Rates.
1. Chocolates
Marco Chocolates or a purple wrapper brand ( I dont remember the name but it is much cheaper and has the same taste as marco).
Milk - Rs. 75 for one kilo
Dark - Rs,. 75 for one kilo
White - Rs. 90 for one kilo.
I think Marco costs are Rs. 90 for milk and dark and white is at Rs. 150. I prefer the purple brand, because I make it in bulk for personal uses. The quality is the same according to me. But marco certinaly tastes better. So to all those women there who want to do a business - Buy Marco!
2. Moulds
I am not aware of the recent rates. But it wont be more than Rs. 20 per mould. These comes in various shapes ( Cones, hearts, Flowers, Leaves, Shells etc). A mould is about 15cm X 10 cm in size, and has about 12 - 15 chocolate moulds in it. The most favourite of mine was the A-Z mould. I made a cake for my mom with her name in chocolates. She adored it.
3.Stabiliser:
This is added to keep the chocolate from melting even if it is stored out a refregirator. Also, adding this makes the chocolates more solid. You can also do without it. Ask for chocolate stabiliser when you buy - because there are stabilisers available for ice creams as well. This woudl be around Rs. 30 - Rs. 40 a bottle. I dont buy this at all, because my chocolates are not for sale. So, there is no problem in refregirating it!
4.Wrappers
This comes in two variants. Plain and Printed. 50 sheets around the size of 7cm X10 cm costs about Rs. 35. So you can approximately wrap 200 chocolates in this. Every sheet has a butter paper attached. You can use those for rock!!
5. Vessels and Other Expenses
Any vessel at home would do. So no special investment in that. You will need a long knife to stir as a ladle will leave a lot of chocolate sticking to it. If you are like me, or if you have a kid at home( my bro is only 19), you can let tht kid have the fun of scrapping it and eating it
. Other stuff would possibly be gas. It wont take you more than 30 mins to make about one kg of chocolates.
Nuts : Use Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Raisins, Pistas, Praline. just about anything. If you are using chocolate chips in white chocolate, make sure to add them after the chocolate is sligthly cooled. All nuts are to be added after the chocolate is taken off the stove only.
Yield : For about one kg, you can make approximately 100 chocolates.
Average costs invovled: Chocolate - Rs. 70. ( Rs. 35 for milk, Rs. 35 for dark). Assorted Nuts - Rs. 30. Gas - I dont know, may be Rs. 10!! So works out to Rs. 110 for a kg of making.
Selling: My rates were Rs. 2.50 for plain. Rs. 3 for honey. Rs. 4 for truffle and Rs. 5 for rock.
Thts all folks!! Will post back later on marketing techniques and some useful tips
Cheers
Archana
Re: Chocolate Business 
Pls accept my kind request...
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