Hi Mackenzie, you just dropped some inspiration my way.
I grow the most delicious organic white pineapple and organic sesame seeds. Mind blown by your Tahini Pineapple White Bar.
and a question:
I live in Panela land (we call it raspadura), yet I've been afraid to add it to the melanger for fear of it being too moist. Are you dehydrating / freeze drying panel cones, or can you shed any light on working with such a moist sugar.
the panela I use is granulated (I get it from the company Just Panela), and it definitely has more moisture than the cane sugar I use. I’ve found that if I add it after everything else is in the melanger it clumps on the wheels, but if I add it with the oat flour (or whatever milk alternative I’m using--quinoa, almond flour, etc) and hold off on adding all the cocoa butter it smooths out fine. If I had a dehydrator I’d definitely use one to dry the panela!
My right hand man, Carlos, who helps with all things Cacao Farm, his family makes panela the traditional way. They have a small "trapiche" where they have the big wooden press that is powered by a horse or donkey. The the two interlocking clock wheels take in the sugarcane and press it, and the juice runs to a collection bin. Then it's cooked over the fire for hours and then poured into hand carved wooden molds. I keep thinking of how to incorporate his family's panela into our chocolate bars.
wow!! this is just so cool that you have access to origin cacao + origin sugar! I hope you give it a try. Panela is one of my (not so secret) secrets in making plant-based "caramel" white or milk chocolate, since maillard doesn't happen easily (if at all) without the reducing sugar etc in dairy. The panela lends the color we expect from caramel, which = flavor expectations, and it brings in a warmer flavor. It definitely seems sweeter/more intense to me, so for those bars I've usually had salt as one of the inclusions/contrasting flavors. Please keep us all posted on what you come up with!
Hi Mackenzie, you just dropped some inspiration my way.
I grow the most delicious organic white pineapple and organic sesame seeds. Mind blown by your Tahini Pineapple White Bar.
and a question:
I live in Panela land (we call it raspadura), yet I've been afraid to add it to the melanger for fear of it being too moist. Are you dehydrating / freeze drying panel cones, or can you shed any light on working with such a moist sugar.
Sweet regards, Lyn
typo: that was panela cones.
the panela I use is granulated (I get it from the company Just Panela), and it definitely has more moisture than the cane sugar I use. I’ve found that if I add it after everything else is in the melanger it clumps on the wheels, but if I add it with the oat flour (or whatever milk alternative I’m using--quinoa, almond flour, etc) and hold off on adding all the cocoa butter it smooths out fine. If I had a dehydrator I’d definitely use one to dry the panela!
My right hand man, Carlos, who helps with all things Cacao Farm, his family makes panela the traditional way. They have a small "trapiche" where they have the big wooden press that is powered by a horse or donkey. The the two interlocking clock wheels take in the sugarcane and press it, and the juice runs to a collection bin. Then it's cooked over the fire for hours and then poured into hand carved wooden molds. I keep thinking of how to incorporate his family's panela into our chocolate bars.
wow!! this is just so cool that you have access to origin cacao + origin sugar! I hope you give it a try. Panela is one of my (not so secret) secrets in making plant-based "caramel" white or milk chocolate, since maillard doesn't happen easily (if at all) without the reducing sugar etc in dairy. The panela lends the color we expect from caramel, which = flavor expectations, and it brings in a warmer flavor. It definitely seems sweeter/more intense to me, so for those bars I've usually had salt as one of the inclusions/contrasting flavors. Please keep us all posted on what you come up with!