I've recently "discovered" that high
cocoa solids chocolate bars dissolve
quite easily into hot coffee. A small cup
(about 5 oz.) of hot coffee can easily
dissolve half of a 3.5 ounce Valrhona 71%
bar. (I haven't tried a whole one.)

The result is quite good. Because I roast
my own coffee, it is very strongly flavored
and I tend to drink it too soon (before
it's properly aged), so it's little bitter.
I also brew it very strong.

The chocolate neatly balances out the
bitterness. And although I stir it
vigorously before drinking (and seem
to achieve complete dissolution of the
chocolate in the coffee), by the time
I drink it down to the last third,
there's a chocolate-rich layer that
has formed. (Not that I'm complaining
about that.)

If anything, it's a wee bit sweet.
I may pick up an 85% or 99% bar for
further experiments.

You don't open a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup?
That's my MO for mocha.
```````````````````

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 14:48:22 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:

> I've recently "discovered" that high
> cocoa solids chocolate bars dissolve
> quite easily into hot coffee. A small cup
> (about 5 oz.) of hot coffee can easily
> dissolve half of a 3.5 ounce Valrhona 71%
> bar. (I haven't tried a whole one.)
>
> The result is quite good. Because I roast
> my own coffee, it is very strongly flavored
> and I tend to drink it too soon (before
> it's properly aged), so it's little bitter.
> I also brew it very strong.
>
> The chocolate neatly balances out the
> bitterness. And although I stir it
> vigorously before drinking (and seem
> to achieve complete dissolution of the
> chocolate in the coffee), by the time
> I drink it down to the last third,
> there's a chocolate-rich layer that
> has formed. (Not that I'm complaining
> about that.)
>
> If anything, it's a wee bit sweet.
> I may pick up an 85% or 99% bar for
> further experiments.

--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> You don't open a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup?
> That's my MO for mocha.


Of course not. How absurd. Why would *anybody* open up a can of
Hershey's to make mocha?


We use the squeeze bottles.

:-)

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
>
> In article >,
> Dan Abel > wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > sf > wrote:
> >
> > > You don't open a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup?
> > > That's my MO for mocha.
> >
> > Of course not. How absurd. Why would *anybody* open up a can of
> > Hershey's to make mocha?
> >
> > We use the squeeze bottles.
> >
> > :-)
>
> <lol> I use the packets of hot cocoa mix, and a generous amount of
> heavy cream.......

In which case, why not use Nescafe for the coffee?
And put a dollop of whipped cream on it with
sprinkles?

I was thinking of going in the other direction,
replacing the Valrhona 71% with Sharffen Berger 99%.
I'm thinking darker, more concentrated, less sweet.
I wish I had a home-size reverse osmosis unit
suitable for sucking the water out of coffee
without boiling it, sort of like how insipid grades
of European wines are being improved by using similar
equipment (on a much larger scale) to concentrate
weak wines to make them more flavorful by
removing water. (This is a controversial practice.)

The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
Sumatran Mandheling, dark roasted yesterday and
ground today while the water was heating up.
Brewed in my usual method, very strong.

I've got to stop drinking these things!

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
> >
> > In article >,
> > Dan Abel > wrote:
> >
> > > In article >,
> > > sf > wrote:
> > >
> > > > You don't open a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup?
> > > > That's my MO for mocha.
> > >
> > > Of course not. How absurd. Why would *anybody* open up a can of
> > > Hershey's to make mocha?
> > >
> > > We use the squeeze bottles.
> > >
> > > :-)
> >
> > <lol> I use the packets of hot cocoa mix, and a generous amount of
> > heavy cream.......
>
> In which case, why not use Nescafe for the coffee?

Ew! I so seldom drink coffee, I tend to be picky about it.
A lot of cheap coffee brands taste like crap!

Can't stand Folgers for instance, it's just plain sour tasting.

> And put a dollop of whipped cream on it with
> sprinkles?

What's wrong with that? ;-)
I often add a shot of brandy, rum or Irish mist.

>
> I was thinking of going in the other direction,
> replacing the Valrhona 71% with Sharffen Berger 99%.

Chocolate snob...
Just melt some Lindt's truffles.

;-)

> I'm thinking darker, more concentrated, less sweet.
> I wish I had a home-size reverse osmosis unit
> suitable for sucking the water out of coffee
> without boiling it, sort of like how insipid grades
> of European wines are being improved by using similar
> equipment (on a much larger scale) to concentrate
> weak wines to make them more flavorful by
> removing water. (This is a controversial practice.)
>
> The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
> Sumatran Mandheling, dark roasted yesterday and
> ground today while the water was heating up.
> Brewed in my usual method, very strong.

I like Gevalia coffees and keep them in the freezer.

>
> I've got to stop drinking these things!

Why?
If they bring you such joy, it's good for stress control.

Release of endorphins and all that. <G>
--
Peace, Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:12:46 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:

> The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
> Sumatran Mandheling

This absolutely boogles the mind.... you roast your own coffee (the
good stuff btw) and then mess it up by adding chocolate. I don't care
if your chocolate is $100 a pound. How can you do that to such good
coffee?

If I gave you bullets, you'd probably shoot your own foot.
whattaheathen
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

sf wrote:
>
> On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:12:46 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
> > Sumatran Mandheling
>
> This absolutely boogles the mind.... you roast your own coffee (the
> good stuff btw) and then mess it up by adding chocolate. I don't care
> if your chocolate is $100 a pound. How can you do that to such good
> coffee?
>
> If I gave you bullets, you'd probably shoot your own foot.
> whattaheathen

This is the last couple pounds of the pre-tsunami
Mandheling. It roasts differently than when it was
young, but I think it's at least as good if not better.
I also have about the same amount of the Sulawesi
that sweetmarias.com was selling about a year ago.

And it all will go into chocolate! That's like
dumping a shot glass of a very fine whiskey into
a tumbler of Coca-Cola Classic! Bwahahahaha . . . ! ! !

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 16:58:30 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:

> sf wrote:
> >
> > On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:12:46 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:
> >
> > > The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
> > > Sumatran Mandheling
> >
> > This absolutely boogles the mind.... you roast your own coffee (the
> > good stuff btw) and then mess it up by adding chocolate. I don't care
> > if your chocolate is $100 a pound. How can you do that to such good
> > coffee?
> >
> > If I gave you bullets, you'd probably shoot your own foot.
> > whattaheathen
>
> This is the last couple pounds of the pre-tsunami
> Mandheling. It roasts differently than when it was
> young, but I think it's at least as good if not better.
> I also have about the same amount of the Sulawesi
> that sweetmarias.com was selling about a year ago.
>
> And it all will go into chocolate! That's like
> dumping a shot glass of a very fine whiskey into
> a tumbler of Coca-Cola Classic! Bwahahahaha . . . ! ! !

Oh, my god..... This is beyond shocking! First it's coffee, now it's
whiskey. What other horrendous acts will you admit to next?
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 16:58:30 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > sf wrote:
> > >
> > > On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 14:12:46 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:
> > >
> > > > The coffee I used just a few minutes ago was
> > > > Sumatran Mandheling
> > >
> > > This absolutely boogles the mind.... you roast your own coffee (the
> > > good stuff btw) and then mess it up by adding chocolate. I don't
care
> > > if your chocolate is $100 a pound. How can you do that to such good
> > > coffee?
> > >
> > > If I gave you bullets, you'd probably shoot your own foot.
> > > whattaheathen
> >
> > This is the last couple pounds of the pre-tsunami
> > Mandheling. It roasts differently than when it was
> > young, but I think it's at least as good if not better.
> > I also have about the same amount of the Sulawesi
> > that sweetmarias.com was selling about a year ago.
> >
> > And it all will go into chocolate! That's like
> > dumping a shot glass of a very fine whiskey into
> > a tumbler of Coca-Cola Classic! Bwahahahaha . . . ! ! !
>
> Oh, my god..... This is beyond shocking! First it's coffee, now it's
> whiskey. What other horrendous acts will you admit to next?
> --
>
> Did somebody say horrendous acts? How about Nose Mocha? Mortar and pestle
equal amounts of dark-roasted coffee and cocoa beans, line it up on a
mirror, roll up a dollar bill and snort the lines while sucking on a piece
of Werther's Original candy.
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful

Mark Thorson wrote:
> If anything, it's a wee bit sweet.
> I may pick up an 85% or 99% bar for
> further experiments.

Tell us how the 85% works, because it sure ain't for eating.

--Blair

>
>> > And it all will go into chocolate! That's like
>> > dumping a shot glass of a very fine whiskey into
>> > a tumbler of Coca-Cola Classic! Bwahahahaha . . . ! ! !
>>
>> Oh, my god..... This is beyond shocking! First it's coffee, now it's
>> whiskey. What other horrendous acts will you admit to next?
>> --
>>
>> Did somebody say horrendous acts? How about Nose Mocha? Mortar and pestle
> equal amounts of dark-roasted coffee and cocoa beans, line it up on a
> mirror, roll up a dollar bill and snort the lines while sucking on a piece
> of Werther's Original candy.
> Lefty

No one can accuse Lefty of a lack of imagination.
Does this come from the Lefty side of the brain? Is that how you got your
name?
Dee Dee

Thanks Dee Dee, for being so enlightened to know that handedness is an
attribute that goes deeper than handedness. I am totally right-brained. I
like to think in terms of "what if?"

Actually, I got the name Lefty because I play/coach Badminton. One opponent
would inevitably confide in another "he's lefty" so they wouldn't have to
lose five points by hitting to my forehand before figuring it out -- then,
since there are so few lefties, whenever one has the opportunity to cheer at
a match it will be "Go Lefty!"
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful


"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...
> >
> >> > And it all will go into chocolate! That's like
> >> > dumping a shot glass of a very fine whiskey into
> >> > a tumbler of Coca-Cola Classic! Bwahahahaha . . . ! ! !
> >>
> >> Oh, my god..... This is beyond shocking! First it's coffee, now it's
> >> whiskey. What other horrendous acts will you admit to next?
> >> --
> >>
> >> Did somebody say horrendous acts? How about Nose Mocha? Mortar and
pestle
> > equal amounts of dark-roasted coffee and cocoa beans, line it up on a
> > mirror, roll up a dollar bill and snort the lines while sucking on a
piece
> > of Werther's Original candy.
> > Lefty
>
> No one can accuse Lefty of a lack of imagination.
> Does this come from the Lefty side of the brain? Is that how you got your
> name?
> Dee Dee
>
>