Homemade Chocolate (Fudge)

Mai jos găsiți și textul în limba română!

I was so excited about this one! I first tried making fudge last year, when I totally blew it. I didn't make fudge, it was some sort of chocolate pudding. Now this year I really nailed it! I thought I didn't, but I did. The thing was, I had to grease the pans I used to cool the chocolate in the fridge, but I totally forgot. So I thought we would have to scrape it down. Actually, after cooling it for about 2 days, I left it out for about an hour to soften a bit. Then it gained the right consistency and I managed to remove all of it from the pans, I even modeled a few Christmas-themed bars. They look OK, not the best but they are my first so, I'll keep practicing.

Oh, I also made two in the shape of banana bunches. I only made two because the chocolate looked like it will never harden and it was a bit hard to put it in the molds as it was very sticky too. Anyway, two days later, guess who has the prettiest chocolate bars ever??

For this recipe I used:
450 gr sugar
150 ml water
150 gr butter
500 gr powder milk
50 gr cocoa
vanilla and rum extracts

I made two separate chocolate pans out of this composition: white chocolate and dark chocolate. So, here's what you have to do:
1. Melt the sugar in the water. When it starts to boil, leave it for another 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add the butter (cut into small pieces) and the extracts. Mix until butter has melted.
3. Add the powder milk and mix quickly and well.
4. Separate half of the composition and add the cocoa to it.

You can also add peanuts, nuts, raisins or whatever you wish to your chocolate. I chose some coconut (my new favorite) and some peanuts.

5. Pour the chocolate into desired pans or shapes.
6. Leave it 24 hours to cool in the fridge.

This one's my favorite!

And these are my Christmas chocolate bars...

Bon appétit!
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CIOCOLATA DE CASA

Am fost foarte incantata de asta! Prima data am incercat sa fac ciocolata de casa anul trecut, cand am dat-o-n bara rau de tot. N-am facut ciocolata, am facut un fel de budinca de ciocolata. Ei bine, anul asta chiar mi-a iesit! Credeam ca am ratat-o, dar nu. Chestia era ca trebuia sa ung cu unt/ulei tavile in care urma sa pun ciocolata la racit, dar am uitat. Asa ca am crezut ca va trebui s-o racaim ca sa o putem manca. De fapt, dupa ce-am lasat-o vreo 2 zile la racit, am scos-o din frigider si am lasat-o vreo ora la temperatura camerei, ca sa se mai inmoaie putin. Abia atunci a capatat consistenta perfecta si am putut s-o scot din toate tavile, am si modelat cateva pentru Craciun. Arata OK, nu sunt cele mai frumoase, dar au fost primele. O sa mai exersez.

Ah, am facut si doua in forma de ciorchine de banana. Am facut doar doua pentru ca ciocolata arata de parca nu urma sa se intareasca niciodata si era cam greu s-o pun in forme, fiind si foarte lipicioasa. Oricum, dupa doua zile, cine are cele mai frumoase ciocolate ever??

Pentru reteta asta am folosit:
450 gr zahar
150 ml apa
150 gr unt
500 gr lapte praf
50 gr cacao
esenta de vanilie si rom

Eu am facut doua ciocolate din compozitia asta: una alba si una neagra. Ce trebuie sa faceti:
1. Topeste zaharul in apa. Cand incepe sa fiarba mai lasa-l 5 minute.
2. Ia-l de pe foc si adauga untul (taiat in bucatele mici) si esentele. Amesteca pana s-a topit.
3. Adauga laptele praf si amesteca repede si bine.
4. Separa jumatate din compozitie si adauga cacao.

Poti adauga si arahide, nuci, stafide, orice vrei. Eu am pus niste cocos (noua mea preferata) si niste arahide.

5. Toarna (e mult spus) ciocolata in formele dorite.
6. Las-o 24 ore sa se raceasca la frigider.

Bon appétit!