Red Chocolate

I said I'd make red chocolate by Easter... but I didn't say WHICH Easter. It turns out to be much, much harder to make than anyone would guess and the solution is ridiculously simple once you think of it. Most red plant coloring turns purple above a pH of 5: all berries, beets, hibiscus, etc. and sugar does not crystallize below pH 6 or so. The solution turned out to be to make a white fondant, heat it to melting and add tempered chcolate plus dried coloring matter and additional fats, then mix quickly and cool as quickly as possible (I used an icebath). I used sun-dried tomatoes processed in a coffee grinder with paprika, cayenne and star anise to color; cherry extract was added as well.



Red chocolate truffle with dried cranberries and cocoa powder to compare color

 If I'd used white chocolate, this would be a bright brick red, but white chocolate isn't chocolate in my book. The brown of roasted cocoa beans is hard to cover up with red.

And it tastes okay, which was the other problem. Tomato doesn't work well with chocolate, nor does paprika, so getting a combination of flavors that compliment each other was tricky.

Don't try this at home, kids.