The cacao tree appeared so long ago on the earth that no one remembers when it first appeared. It was far before the first humans appeared, most likely in the Upper Amazon basin, in the midst of the wet, hot tropical forest ! When and how mankind got the idea to extract the nibs from the pod and eat them is difficult. Over time, chocolate began to take on different shapes and compositions. Making "modern" chocolate bars takes a lot of time and has many steps.
As soon as they are freed from their pod, the cacao nibs ferment for a few days and then are dried in the sun. The beans are then cleaned, sorted and roasted to release the famous chocolate aroma ! Shelled and ground while still hot, they are transformed into a cacao paste to which sugar and cacao butter is added. This mixture is then refined, conched, tempered - so that the chocolate remains smooth and shiny - and finally molded.
Cocoa powder is produced from the hot pressed cacao paste, which enables the producers to extract the fatty parts, i. e. the cacao butter. White chocolate is made from cacao butter mixed with milk and sugar. Here's my wish for you to have fun making and enjoying these dishes. And keep in mind that a recipe is always a starting point - you have the right, even the duty, to change it as you like !