Homemade Chocolate

What’s the one thing that EVERYBODY loves? Chocolate.

What’s the one thing you can never get enough of? Chocolate.

What’s the one thing that calms you down when you’re nervous or makes you feel good when you’re depressed? Chocolate.

What’s a dietician’s guiltiest pleasure? CHOCOLATE!

Sweet, bitter, dark, white.. chocolates are a unique thing that brings people closer everyday, irrespective of caste and creed.

Want to be my friend? Give me chocolates. Messed up your relationship? Give them chocolates (Don’t forget the apology, though!).

Chocolate is everyone’s guilty pleasure. From the 2 year old kid who doesn’t really understand what guilt is, to the 18 year old girl who’s trying to lose a few pounds, to the elderly diabetic man whose wife is watching him from the corner of her eye- chocolate is everyone’s weakness.

So why not make some of this super-awesome stuff by yourself at home? Trust me, it’s really easy!

Here are some things that you’ll need:

1. Time. 5-7 minutes will suffice.
2. Milk powder: about 1 ¼ cups.
3. Cocoa powder: about 5 tablespoons.
4. Sugar: 2/3 cup.
5. Water: half a cup.
6. Butter: ¼ of a cup.
7. Chocolate or Vanilla essence.
8. Nuts, pistachios, almonds.
9. Now that you have the ingredients, here’s how you should prepare it:
   1. Take a vessel and heat the sugar and water to a boil.
   2. Reduce the flame and continue cooking till the syrup reaches one string consistency.
   3. Add the butter and mix well till it melts and blends with the syrup.
   4. Add 1/2 tsp of vanilla or chocolate essence at the time of adding butter.
   5. Turn off the heat.
   6. Add the cocoa powder and milk powder gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) and mix well till it becomes glossy.
   7. Sprinkle nuts/pistachios/almonds from the top.
   8. Then you need to grease a pan and pour the mixture into it.
   9. Let it set for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
   10. After that, place it in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes.
   11. Take it out and cut the chocolate into pieces using a cookie cutter.

   And Voila! You have successfully made your own chocolates at home!

   P.S. The  nuts/pistachios are optional; but you know what they say- ‘Life’s like chocolate. Sometimes you gotta deal with nuts!’

   Enjoy!