BASIC QUANTITIES FOR USE IN HOME CHOCOLATE MAKING

Use 2 slabs of plain or dark chocolate and 1 slab of milk chocolate
Obtain plain & milk chocolate direct in bulk (20 kg)(if you are in Zimbabwe) from M E Charhon Ltd in HARARE or in small quantities from some specialist supermarkets

Small Milko Bars (white chocolate) It is best to buy these by the box - remember there are two types - plain and crunchy. See the section on colouring Chocolate for how to make coloured chocolates from white chocolate base.

This forms your normal base.

You may wish to experiment by using only dark chocolate (especially good with peppermint filling or liqueur chocolates). I would recommend that you use a small quantity of white chocolate with your dark foundation as this gives a better texture to your finished product

Ordinary plain cooking chocolate may be used. It is, however, expensive to use as a base.

Commercially produced milk chocolate also makes a good if slightly soft base and although expensive makes a good change to the flavour and in some sweets a crunchy chocolate gives a pleasant touch

A special effect can be created by adding a quantity of Milo to your chocolate mixture

MELTING THE CHOCOLATE

All chocolate should be melted down very slowly to a temperature 20 degrees c. High melting temperatures cause poor flavour, bad gloss and crumbling

REMEMBER THAT WHITE CHOCOLATE BURNS MORE EASILY THAN MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE

Put your saucepan, with the water in the bottom, on the heat to reboil

Turn the heat down to your lowest setting and place the solid chocolate in a china bowl over the water

Stir the chocolate continuously, pushing the lumps down to the bottom of the bowl and keeping the chocolate away from the sides as much as possible

DO NOT LET ANY WATER OR STEAM TOUCH THE MELTING CHOCOLATE. THIS WOULD RUIN IT...CAUSING IT TO GO POWDERY AND HAVE A POOR GLOSS DO NOT OVERHEAT AS CHOCOLATE BURNS QUICKLY AND EASILY. IF USING A MICROWAVE, STIR EVERY MINUTE AND WATCH PRECISELY

The chocolate is hot enough to use when your little finger feels hot but comfortable when placed on the surface of the mixture. Take away from the heat while lumps are still visible and keep stirring away from the heat until the chocolate is fully melted and fluid. The bowl will retain the heat even when removed from the source of power and should remain very hot.

I have found Willsgrove Pottery (made in Zimbabwe) retains the heat wonderfully - however any glazed pottery would do as well. Your base should now be well mixed and not streaky. If any streaks remain, stir well before letting cool to room temperature when it will be ready for use.

ADDING FLAVOUR TO YOUR CHOCOLATE BASE

Use only oil based flavours for chocolate.

DO NOT USE CAKE FLAVOURING AS THIS WILL CAUSE YOUR BASE TO SOLIDIFY AND BE UNUSABLE FLAVOURINGS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM STRACHAN'S PHARMACY AND BORROWDALE PHARMACY - BOTH IN HARARE

Oils should be added once chocolate has melted - a few drops are added at a time until the right intensity of flavour is obtained.

Approximately 30 drops of most oils will be required to flavour a normal batch of chocolate. You may find that you require more if you use only plain dark chocolate as your base as the slightly bitter taste of the dark chocolate dissipates the flavouring to some extent.

FLAVOUR FADES AS CHOCOLATE SETS.

If coffee flavour is required use the best instant coffee powder available - about 1 teaspoon to a batch. Add as the chocolate is melting so that the flavour is well incorporated into the chocolate and the powder mixed well with the base.