Cocoa butter is an amazing product with a very wide range of uses. It is successfully used in medicine and cosmetology for the manufacture of natural cosmetics. But the most successful field of its application is confectionery production.
What is cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is obtained from cocoa beans, the fruit of an evergreen tree called Theobroma cacao, native to the tropics of South America.
For the first time in Europe, cocoa beans appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, when Christopher Columbus brought them from his travels. However, they were used only a couple of decades later - General Hernando Cortez brought from Mexico a recipe for an energy drink, which the Aztecs made from cocoa beans, hot pepper, vanilla and herbs.
Over time, this drink underwent some changes - they began to add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg to it and began to serve it hot. However, the invention of cocoa butter was still a long way off.
It was only in 1828 that the Dutch chemist Konrad van Guten invented a press, with the help of which he was able to squeeze 2/3 of the cocoa butter out of roasted beans.
Today it is produced by cold pressing from elite cocoa beans at a temperature of 45 ° C. As a result, a mass of whitish-yellow color with a characteristic chocolate smell is obtained. At a temperature of 16-18 ° C, the oil is hard and brittle, but already at a temperature of 32-35 ° C it begins to melt. In addition to natural cocoa butter, they also produce deodorized butter, subjecting it to additional processing.
Cocoa butter in baked goods
At home, cocoa butter is used in baked goods as a fat base for cookies, muffins, cakes, rolls and pies, and is also used for creams and icing. And besides, they successfully replace coconut oil with it.
When cocoa butter is mixed with honey, it creates a chocolate syrup that can be poured over baked goods. And by combining cocoa butter, cocoa powder and avocado, you can make chocolate pudding.
Even the simplest pie, such as manna, will become more aromatic and tastier if you add cocoa butter to it. This cake is simple and even a novice cook can handle it. First, one glass of flour, sugar, semolina and milk is mixed, in which a tablespoon of cocoa butter is preliminarily melted. Then add two eggs to the mixture, beat everything well and let the dough brew for about 20 minutes. After that, the manna is transferred to a mold and placed in a well-heated oven for about 45 minutes.
On the basis of all the same cocoa butter, you can prepare icing for this cake. In the same way, cocoa butter is used in other baking recipes. However, when using it, it is important not to forget that it does not like high temperatures. From strong overheating, the oil begins to taste bitter.
