Mylk Chocolate
Here’s my recipe for vegan mylk chocolate, liked by both milk chocolate and dark chocolate fans.
What does milk do for chocolate? Milk chocolate lovers who spit out even the sweetest dark chocolate know that there is something special about how creaminess interacts with cacao for a synergistic mouth feel and flavor. It’s similar to coffee: a latte is a completely different drink than a cuppa black, as is black tea with and without milk.
I’ve long been a dark, the darkest, chocolate snob, but I’ve recently succumb to the appeal of this special pairing.
What accounts for the difference between a milk chocolate and a dark chocolate people? We need to look towards the flavor of bitterness and the sensation of astringency. Often super-tasters or others sensitive to strong flavors have difficulty with high percentage chocolate. Other people may simply lack exposure to darker chocolate than the candy of youth. We naturally avoid these flavors/sensations as babies, and over our lives most of us learn to accept and even seek them out. Many people find that astringency and bitterness in coffee, tea, and chocolate are not unpleasant notes to be covered up, but are complexity notes, inviting interest when softened by balance. Adding milk and sugar to chocolate is a popular way to find this balance.
Vegan mylks (made of grains, nuts, and seeds) can step in for dairy milk. My mentor McKenzie Rivers pioneered oat mylk in chocolate. Coconut, cashew, rice, and sesame are widely used. The traditional addition of ground almonds to astringent Mexican drinking chocolate is another example. Creamy milk-like foods can tame bitterness and astringency similarly to dairy milk.
Since I live in the land of macadamia tree orchards, I turn to this buttery nut as my creamy muse. I use macadamia nuts in my bonbons, spreads, and gluten-free cookies. I love mac nuts paired with chocolate!
As you probably know, my preference tends toward treating chocolate as a healthy food, which means not adding a lot of sugar. I wanted to create something for milk chocolate fans, and I ended up making a dark mylk that they love and I love. It tastes sweet, but only has as much sugar as a 75% dark chocolate bar. It is creamy, smooth, vanilla-scented, and delightful.
Here’s the recipe if you want to try. Vanilla is an essential addition to get the nostalgic fragrance. (My partner Jeremy says, “It smells like an Easter Bunny.” But, I assure you, it tastes much better - there’s real chocolate flavor there.) I first infuse pieces of vanilla beans in roasted, winnowed cocoa nibs for a few weeks, and also add the vanilla pieces to the grind. This is a good role for chocolate that may be a bit on the robust side: its boldness will sparkle faintly, attracting interest.
35% cocoa nibs
25% cocoa butter
25% coconut sugar
15% macadamia nut flour
vanilla bean (one per 500 grams of nibs or so)
Do you have a favorite mylk chocolate?
News:
This is the last day of the $20 discount on my new Tempering Zen Training: use coupon code TemperingZen20 . You will learn how to temper with confidence and ease, even in a tropical environment. I’ve also included some fun bonuses. Questions? Let me know.
I was featured an a public radio show called Good Food! My interview appears on an episode full of fun topics: chocolate, vanilla, Italian sweets named after naughty bits, and jujubes. Listen here.
I’m back at the Hakalau Market on Tuesday afternoons. Come try my chocolate, ask questions, and talk all things cacao!