Customize the Flavor
Customize the flavor of your homemade dark chocolates. I like to experiment and make different chocolate flavors. If you want to make flavored chocolate pour 1/2 cup of the melted chocolate mixture into a small bowl and then add the flavor of your choice. Make sure you taste as you go. You can always add more.
Extracts & Spices
I have tried: Mint Extract, English Toffee Extract, and Kahlua.
You need to be careful when adding extracts to chocolate as it can cause the chocolate to seize. It is best to wait until the chocolate mixture has cooled a little and add the extract very slowly and mix really quickly.
Instant Coffee: 1/2 tsp - 1 TBSP depending on your preference.
I added 1 tsp. Add while cacao butter and unsweetened baking chocolate are still melting in order to make dissolving the Instant Coffee easier.
Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp
I added 1 tsp as Penguin likes spicy and these had a serious kick.
Smoked Paprika: 1/2 tsp
I added 1/2 tsp Penzeys Spanish Style Smoked Paprika.
Reduced Red Wine Dessert Sauce
I made a reduced red wine dessert sauce using Cabernet Sauvignon and Pure Monkfruit 30% Extract but the sauce didn’t reduce as well as I would have liked and it was a little bitter.
The reduced red wine dessert sauce needs to be made with sugar or erythritol and next time I would use a Zinfandel.
Add-Ins
Fill candy molds with the chocolate mixture but leave a little room to add:
Dried Cherries.
I tried chopped frozen cherries but frozen cherries have too much moisture so they do not work well.
Dried Cranberry, Sunflower Seeds, and Pepitas Seeds.
I used the Salad Topper from Costco.
Fresh Lemon Zest.
I used the zest from one lemon for the 16 chocolates.