How to make your own chocolate

Many people are chocoholics and many consider chocolate to be a drug - even an aphrodisiac. Some say it makes them feel effects similar to those of "too much coffee", amphetamines, cocaine and other "uppers", combined with the feeling of "being in love."

I've never experienced any of those effects and a lot of chocolate tastes like dirt to me. Not always my favorite thing to eat. However, I ate 3 Hershey's Kisses with a cup of coffee once and felt my blood pressure go up, but that's the extent of my chocolate reactions.

I do like a good German Chocolate Cake, though!

At any rate, here is want I know and enjoy about chocolate production.

Use some plastic or silicone (preferable) molds like those that come form the candy making store or most department stores these days. A silicone ice cube tray might even work.

Purchase raw cocoa beans here:

• Live Super Foods
• Raw Cacao
• Tava

Learn more about cocoa and cacao beans here

International Cocoa Organization

Roast the beans as a single layer on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Remove the pan or pans from your oven and let them completely cool

Peel off all of the outside husks from the beans. Roll them on the counter top to get the processes going and then remove the shells with your fingers.

Break up the de-husked cocoa beans by putting a small amount of them into a heavy, deep pole and breaking them with a heavy instrument such as a pestle or the bottom of a very heavy drinking glass or rolling pin that does not have the handles on ti.

Now put the beans into a food mill and grind them to a medium grain. Any smaller and they will turn to slushy, dark liquid. That is why a food processor or a blender will not work. You do want a mushy substance, though. Put all of this into a larger dish and put the dish into a sink or larger bowl of hot water. Keep mashing the substance until it is smooth and rich.

Finally, add ½ - ¾ cup sugar for each pound of beans you began to roast. Add the sugar by ¼ cupfuls at a time and taste the mixture to make sure it is not too sweet. You can also add additional flavor to the chocolate, including raspberry (my favorite) or mint or orange (my other favorite). Use bottled flavoring or fresh orange zest.

Yum-O!, as Rachel Ray would say. Pour it all into your molds and let it set.