White Chocolate Bars

It may surprise some to learn white chocolate is not chocolate at all! Technically, white chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids the same way dark and milk chocolate do. Quick and easy, make these white chocolate bars with freeze-dried raspberries, chopped nuts, rainbow sprinkles, puffed quinoa, crushed pink peppercorns, or other complimentary additions you’re excited to experiment with! 

\What is milk powder? 
Simply put, it’s milk that has been turned into a dried powder by way of an evaporation process. This is done by removing all of the liquid from the milk until just solids remain, which is then ground into a powder.

There are several types of milk power products available. You can also experiment with dairy-free alternative powder options including coconut milk, soy milk, or rice milk powder.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz cocoa butter
• 1 tsp lecithin
• 14 oz dry, powdered milk/coconut milk powder/soy milk powder
• 14 oz sugar
• Vanilla (Optional, use scraped caviar from the pod, vanilla powder, or vanilla extract - though this may cause the mixture to seize)

Equipment

• Double boiler
• Chocolate bar mould/tray
• Silicone whisk/spatula 

Steps:

Because there are no cocoa solids present, you don't have to worry about roasting, cracking or grinding any cocoa beans. Go straight to your heat source!

If you have a large pieces of cocoa butter, chop it into smaller pieces. (We've done your work and suggest our drops or broken chunks.) The smaller, similarly sized pieces will melt faster and more evenly.

Set up a double boiler by placing a heat-proof bowl over a pot of water. The water shouldn't touch the bottom of the heat-proof bowl and may need to be refilled throughout the process. Bring to a gentle simmer only. A rolling boil may increase the risk of the cocoa butter scorching, and water splashing into your chocolate, causing it to seize.

Add the cocoa butter to the bowl to melt. Stir the cocoa butter often during this process to encourage even melting.

Once melted, add the powdered sugar, optional vanilla, and stir well to dissolve completely.

Add the milk powder, stirring until fully incorporated.

Transfer the melted white chocolate to a blender or food processor and blend to refine the mixture further for maximum smoothness. 

If you have a chocolate melanger, transfer the mixture to the bowl and let it run for several hours. This will pulverize the particles within the chocolate into microparticles, again to create maximum smoothness. 

Pour the mixture into the mould* and let set in the refrigerator or freezer. You can then transfer the chocolate to an airtight container in the fridge (or keep it in the freezer).

*If you want to incorporate additional ingredients (dried mango, grated cinnamon, candied orange peels), do this once the heat is turned off. You can also sprinkle the additions directly onto the chocolate moulds.