Lisa Higginson
Easter is almost upon us and eggs of all different shapes and sizes are spilling from the shelves of shops everywhere. The selection has become somewhat overwhelming and when it comes to choosing these chocolate cocoons we are truly spoilt for choice.
White, milk and dark chocolate eggs sit alongside those made with 70 per cent cocoa, those certified organic and those that are pure novelty â hard-boiled (chocolate) egg and soldiers anyone? You can pay a hefty price for a gold leaf-encrusted egg or snaffle a supermarket bargain (Raymond Blanc recommends Asdaâs Extra Special milk chocolate and toffee offering for £6 in The Observer), but what should we really be shopping for to get the most out of our Easter chocolate treats?
ToM caught up with Ramsbottomâs king of chocolate Paul Morris, of the acclaimed Chocolate Cafe, to find out. Paul is the force behind Ramsbottomâs Chocolate Festival, as well as a purveyor of a vast range of carefully sourced quality milk, dark and white chocolate, luxurious drinking chocolate, truffles and the famous chocoloate pizza.
1) Describe your dream Easter eggâ¦â¦
My dream Easter egg would probably not be an egg at all. Iâm not really a fan of moulding chocolate into novelty shapes. Instead my perfect Easter treat would be a delicious box of handmade chocolate truffles â except no coffee creams - yuck!
2) If you could take one bar of chocolate to a desert island, what would it be?
If I could only take one bar to a desert island I would take a bar of our Chocolate Cafe 70% Premium Dark Chocolate. I am extremely proud of how it both looks and tastes and it has been almost two years in the making. For me, it has the perfect blend of bitter and sweet with just a hint of fruit - but I suppose I would say that!
3) What is the secret to making perfect chocolate?
As with all food production you have to start with good ingredients. Most chocolatiers, including ourselves, receive their chocolate processed into chocolate couverture. It is important to start with good quality couverture from a chocolate manufacturer who understands your requirements.
Much of the sugary sweet, mass produced chocolate we eat in the UK contains artificial sweeteners instead of natural sugar, and vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter. These things are used because they are cheaper and have a longer shelf life, but they donât taste very nice.
Once the chocolatier receives the couverture it is up to them to temper the chocolate correctly to ensure both the appearance and taste are perfect. This is the art of the chocolatier. It is also at this stage that any flavours or fillings can be added to complement the chocolate.
4) Where did the idea of the Chocolate Cafeâs famous Chocolate Pizza come from?
The idea for our chocolate pizzas came out of the need to find a cost effective way of packaging our products. It is very difficult for a small scale chocolate company to source good quality, recyclable packaging at a reasonable price.
One night while waiting for a pizza in the local pizzeria I realised that if I could make a round chocolate bar a pizza box would be a perfect way to package it. That simple idea of a round bar turned into a solid chocolate pizza, complete with dark chocolate âolivesâ and white chocolate âcheeseâ.
5) What three things should everyone look for when buying chocolate?
⢠Look for the cocoa content of the chocolate. As a rough guide white chocolate should have a cocoa butter content of at least 20%, milk chocolate should have a cocoa solid content of at least 30% and dark chocolate should have a cocoa solid content of at least 50%.
⢠Always check the rest of the ingredients on the chocolate. Besides the cocoa, most chocolate contains milk solids, sugar, flavourings and emulsifier. Look to see if these are natural, and be very suspicious if you see things like man made sweeteners such as sorbitol or vegetable fats.
⢠Check the origin of the cocoa. Check where the cocoa in the bar was grown. Many bars are a blend of cocoa from different countries, while increasingly several now state the country of origin. You may find that you prefer chocolate made from cocoa beans grown in one country to that of another.
Chocolate Café, 2 Bolton Street, Ramsbottom, BL0 9HX
T: 01706 822 828
W: www.chocolate-cafe.co.uk