BillB > wrote:

> The white coating that frequently is seen on chocolate is said to
> be a "bloom", or harmless migration of oils (or something) to the
> surface of the chocolate, and most experts say "ignore it and eat
> it". Is the white layer you've seen caused by something else?

I have no idea what causes it... just that on the few occasions it's
been stored long enough to happen, it's resulted in an off flavor.

> Wouldn't you need to put the pellet
> fragments in some kind of a tough bag before whacking it? I can see
> slivers and tiny pieces flying off in all directions if you don't.

I just do it in the paper or plastic wrapping it comes in. Sometimes
bits fly, and are swept up along with the stray beans on the floor. :-)

> Lastly, when you end up with lots of small fragments, do they blend
> easily in hot liquid or do you need to stir with a spoon or
> mini-whisk until exhausted?

I always stir my chocolate with my favorite whisk.

--
Art Sackett,
Patron Saint of Drunken Fornication

BillB wrote:

>Wouldn't you need to put the pellet fragments in some kind of a tough
bag before whacking it? I can see slivers and tiny pieces flying off
in all directions if you don't.Lastly, when you end up with lots of
small fragments, do they blend easily in hot liquid or do you need to
stir with a spoon or mini-whisk until exhausted?

I think that I put my Mexican chocolate fragment into a brown paper bag
and whacked it with a hammer many times, turning it into little brown
crystals. Some of the crystals didn't dissolve in the hot milk, giving
the chocolate a gritty texture.

The taste was OK, but the process seemed labor intensive to me, since
anything that takes more than about five minutes to prepare takes me
away from watching TV or reading a book or surfing the web...

BillB wrote:

>Wouldn't you need to put the pellet fragments in some kind of a tough
bag before whacking it? I can see slivers and tiny pieces flying off
in all directions if you don't.Lastly, when you end up with lots of
small fragments, do they blend easily in hot liquid or do you need to
stir with a spoon or mini-whisk until exhausted?

I think that I put my Mexican chocolate fragment into a brown paper bag
and whacked it with a hammer many times, turning it into little brown
crystals. Some of the crystals didn't dissolve in the hot milk, giving
the chocolate a gritty texture.

The taste was OK, but the process seemed labor intensive to me, since
anything that takes more than about five minutes to prepare takes me
away from watching TV or reading a book or surfing the web...