March 1

Gluten Free sourdough update and a bit about chocolate prices

I am giving up on the sourdough for a bit. I am just too frustrated, and frankly, I am getting a little sick of eating all these trials. I am moving on to something else tomorrow.

This last loaf was so beautiful. I used equal parts sorghum and ultra-fine brown rice flour, along with tapioca and potato starches, though it still had psyllium. I think the psyllium is the problem, but I need more research as to why. Does psyllium have a heat range that it is made to work within? I tried a non-sourdough to see if the yeast would have a better rise, but it did not. If you are waiting on that chocolate sour cherry loaf, sorry, it’s going to be a bit.

On to chocolate…

I don’t know if you are on any of the same social media feeds that I am, or if you follow any financial news, but chocolate prices are having a moment; a few. 

I wanted to take just a few minutes to talk about it in the simplest possible terms because there is so much to it and I don’t understand the majority of it! I have never understood why cocoa is designated as a commodity, to begin with, I assume it’s horrible. 

Back in the fall of 2023 prices were already at near all time high. As of yesterday, February 29th they are even higher. Prices since January 1, 2024, have increased up to 45%. In less than 2 full months. Why? So many factors but first and foremost, supply. What is going on with supply? In a word, climate. Climate as in not enough or too much rain, but also disease as a result of rain. There are also issues with smuggling and human migration. There are also regulatory changes coming from Europe, I will get into that one another time.

Craft chocolate makers and chocolatiers that use ethically sourced or direct trade products aren’t utilizing commodity-grade chocolate, so why does this matter to me? While that is true, the increase in price won’t be as steep because direct/transparent trade is already paying farmers a significantly higher price. The fact is, the conditions affecting the commodity cocoa market are affecting the premium specialty market and all related markets including cocoa butter (cosmetic and food grade) and cocoa powder. 

So, what should you, the average chocolate lover be expecting? Shrinkflation, cheaper oils and additives, higher prices. Your candy will cost more, your Lindt, Hershey’s, and Dove chocolate will cost more. Chocolate as an ingredient will cost more for pastries, ice cream, and baked goods. All of this is pretty grim and we are only on March 1. But, I think there may be hope for the fine/craft chocolate sector. I hope that if the prices in the candy sectors rise, people might choose a quality product at a slightly higher price, rather than a candy bar at a hugely inflated one. I am hopeful that this time might bring about some necessary change in the market. 

If you have any questions please reach out! 

February 26, 2024

Just a quick update. I have been here in Staunton just about 5 weeks. It has been such a strange, and incredibly peaceful time. My son has been hanging out with his brothers, doing a bit of dog sitting and loving it. Ellie and I have just been hanging out, walking around the historic area multiple times a day and generally hibernating. I realize what a luxury it is, to have this time and I feel really blessed to have it. While my grocery budget decrerased drastically, I just rerouted it to the boys via instacart!

If you are following along on instagram, I have been doing a ton of baking. I really don’t have the space to do any chocolate work here. I have been trying to get a decent loaf of bread. I thought for sure sourdough was the way to go, but as with all things gluten free, nothing works out quite the way you assume it will. I have been baking my way through Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple, which I have loved since the day I got it a few years ago. It is worth getting for the cakes alone. Every cake and cookie have come out beautifully. I adore the flavor profiles and sensibilities. I have a dream that we will become long distance besties, then neighbors 😉 I have not had as much luck with her breads. I am sure it is my fault completely, whether it is lack of same ingredients or wonky scale or what have you.

I’d like to blame the psyllium. I don’t love it. I have tried reducing it greatly to decrease the gumminess, but I just can’t quite get there. Psyllium is a fantastic addition to gluten free baking. It allows the product to actually resemble traditional bread dough. It behaves like tradtional dough in that you can kneed it and stretch it and it actually has a shape. Most gluten free doughs are like a thick cake batter, so a dough that you can knead is actually pretty cool.

I know most people come here for the chocolate info and recipes containing chocolate. I am hoping to have a chocolate sour cherry sourdough up soon. The first attempt was ok, but I feel like it will sing when I can get a decent sourdough loaf that I actually love.

This downtime has given me so much time to contemplate my future. Does it include chocolate, specifically chocolate production? I am still unsure. It is on my mind daily. Not in an anxiety inducing way, I just want to make the right choice. How can I be of service to my new hometown? Do they want just any chocolate? Do they care about chocolate in the way that I do? In the way that I am taking my time in finding a home, I am taking my time in deciding what comes next.

I hope you are well. K

February 10

I should be up to my elbows in chocolate right now, it feels weird that I am not.  My temporary landing spot doesn’t have the space for any kind of production, which I knew.   I just overestimated how much down time I needed.  I have been baking up a storm, testing a bunch of recipes and watching a ton of Italian language shows and movies. I need a project.

December 18, 2023

It has been pretty crazy since the last time I checked in. I meant to return here immediately after my previous post. I started production, but my brain was at capacity.
First, I am thankful for all the feedback from the news that I am moving. I really felt like a terminal patient who attended the funeral they planned for themselves before they passed. People were incredibly kind and generous. I was taken by how many people said I was brave for doing this, which I don’t feel. Still, it’s incredible if I inspire others to make the changes they have been sitting on.

2023 has been challenging; let’s be honest, it has been hard for the last few years. I honestly thought it was just me. Don’t get me wrong, I know everyone is struggling with something in their own way, but until I sent out that email, I didn’t understand how widespread it has been. Small business owners, in particular, expressed their frustrations, exhaustion, and worries. I have seen many people in the chocolate industry close their doors; I guess I didn’t see it as problematic in other sectors. I am unsure if I will be shutting down or pivoting; it will depend on what I can find on the other side of this move.

Since I checked in last, I had a quick pop-up event and sold out of chocolate; my youngest, Declan, graduated from Virginia Tech, and my house went under contract. There is a week until Christmas, and I have yet to do much shopping. I really need to get cracking on that, but I also need to start looking at logistics for the move. The home inspection is on Thursday; if all goes well, I will start on the moving chores then. I am equal parts terrified and excited.
I will check back in when I have more news to share. In the meantime, I will make myself a cup of hot chocolate and fold some laundry while shopping online.

The mountains are calling….

I have an announcement to make, but not really. I have an intention to announce, how is that? My house is for sale, and I am moving to Staunton, Virginia! While this may sound sudden (and a bit crazy), it has been on my mind for a few years, and I have been actively working towards it since this summer. What does this mean for Cocoa Nouveau? I am not sure. I still need a livelihood; I still need to work from home as the caregiver to my adult neurodivergent son. I love chocolate too much to walk away, but I don’t love full-time production life. 

A few things this year really planted the desire to do it now: 

• Ironclad was looking for a second location for a tasting room with the possibility of my involvement; the first spot they looked at was Staunton. I had only been there a few times, but the more I looked into it, the more I became intrigued. After visiting again in the summer, it was decided.
• I can only work in my current space 5 months out of the year. Which means I have little income for more than half the year. I just can’t do that.
• I am a native Oregonian. I miss the mountains. I love the pace and the vibe of mountain towns, the vineyards and apple orchards, cideries, and farmers’ markets. 
• What do I love the most? The kindness and welcoming nature of the people. There is a school for the deaf and blind in Staunton, and not every busy business has someone working with sign language. While people were ordering with their phones, taking a bit more time, I saw compassion and patience and not a hint of attitude. It gives me hope that my son might find some independence and acceptance.

I did agonize over the decision and have many valid reasons to talk myself out of it. But I don’t want to. I will miss all my customers and all my people here. But as a former military spouse with friends all over the world, proximity is no measure of friendship. 

My house is still up for sale, and if I am here, I might as well make a bit of chocolate. I am still determining what I will be able to accomplish while keeping my home ready for showings, but I will do what I can. Watch this space for what I figure out.

September 25th

It’s officially fall; it just looks different here in Coastal Virginia. I have officially lived outside of Oregon longer than I lived in the state, but I still think of myself as an Oregonian. I kind of long for that collective fall of my youth. I don’t know that it even exists in Oregon anymore, with climate change. Maybe it is a longing for something else entirely.

I have so many drafts and very few things published lately. I think I am just in a funk, brought on by hot temperatures and the lack of a project. My workspace, a basement in an area prone to flooding (sea level rise and sinking, only worsening), is not conducive to year-long production. I have spent months looking for a space that can be production and retail, but the cost of retail space has skyrocketed. If the data from last year shows me anything, it is that a shop in Norfolk just isn’t feasible, and neither is working in my basement for 7 months a year. So, I am at a crossroads.

Across all modes of social media, I have seen so many of my chocolate contemporaries leave the business. It’s not really surprising. The physicality of the job is exhausting, and repetitive use injuries are no joke. The ever-increasing cost of ingredients is also a huge factor. There are also so many more people in the industry. Do we need yet another 70% bar from Peru? The whole evolve or perish thing, right? How to pivot and whether to do that within the industry is what I am pondering.

Today, as I ponder these big questions, I am going to do it with a cozy cup of hot cocoa. It is hot cocoa because, well, it is only made with cocoa powder. Today it is being made with an organic single-origin powder from San Martin, Peru. I am specifying this because I truly believe we need to stop thinking about chocolate as just an ingredient. If you have been with me for any period of time, you know what I am going to say: it is an agricultural crop, and where it comes from matters, not just in how it tastes but all the societal implications as well. I truly believe that cacao (the unprocessed agricultural material) should be treated like wine and coffee. I think there should be a.o.c. or d.o.c. designations. It needs to be more than candy, and I don’t know how to make that happen.

Here is a recipe for a cup of cozy, in case you are grappling with big questions, too:

In a small saucepan, add:

• 2.5 tbsp cocoa powder
• .5 – 2 tbsp sugar (to taste)
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 oz water

Whisk over low heat until all the sugar and the cocoa powder have dissolved. Add 6 oz milk of choice and a splash of vanilla (if desired).

Enjoy!

July 12, 14

It has been a crazy few days. Still dealing with the leak repairs in the house. Throw in an oil leak in my car, a house full of guests, a small birthday celebration, and a dog fight. Crazy. The heat makes it feel even more chaotic; I’m not fond of it. 

Before the last few days’ whirlwind, I got my cocoa powder shipment from Meridian Cacao https://meridiancacao.com. I was so excited about it; I had recipes lined up to try, but then life happened, and I forgot all about it. In keeping with my continual rant about origins, I ordered two origins: Peru and Tanzania. You might ask yourself, “Do origins matter in cocoa powder?” Of course, they matter. They come from the same bean that chocolate comes from. Companies like Meridian give me hope for the chocolate industry; they believe in transparent direct trade. How do we get bakers and other chocolate-adjacent industries to care about the origins of their cocoa powder? Is there a flavor difference? Does it cost more? 

I know from polling my own audience that very few people care about their chocolate’s origins, ethics, or sustainability. It’s incredibly frustrating to me because it is so important to me. From day one as a chocolatier (back in 2005), I only wanted to use chocolate made at origin because of food miles; I didn’t fully understand the farmers or the industry. I firmly believe in “when you know better, you do better” The more I learned, the more I realized I needed to change. 

I want to rage against “big chocolate and candy,” but that won’t change anything; I can only try to educate my audience. I have only been dabbling in bean-to-bar or craft chocolate, as a maker, since 2018. I have been an avid eater for as long as the bars have been out there. At the time, I thought the industry needed to follow the coffee industry, and while there are parallels, both are fermented and dried before roasting, my opinion has changed. The industry needs to be taking on more from wine. I don’t know how to change the markets and the policies of commodities, but fine chocolate, heirloom quality chocolate, doesn’t belong there. People need to start seeing the origins of their chocolate, on a tree, in a place. Whether you see your chocolate as more like coffee or wine, most people recognize these products as having come from a plant. The steps from plant to product may differ and involve more, but they all start with a plant.

How did I get from chatting about cocoa powder to another rant about origins and cacao as an agricultural crop? Probably because I mentioned origins. If you bake a lot and love chocolate, consider where your cacao products are coming from. 

The first recipe on my experimenting list comes from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. This is my ice cream bible. I have converted several recipes using oat milk. This chocolate sorbet is already vegan, so no conversion is necessary. This is the perfect recipe for this horribly hot weather, though brownies are next.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cup (555 ml) water
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 6 ounce (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

july 5

Nothing new to say here. The water mitigation is dragging on due to the holiday. Hoping the repairs will actually be finished today. I did receive my order of Kokoa Kamili cocoa powder, so I am super excited to get working with it.

I have been thinking about the products that come from the cacao fruit, aside from chocolate after seeing Blue Stripes Urban Cacao water at Harris Teeter. While I am really happy to see more products come on to the market that lessen waste from the chocolate industry, up to 70% of the cacao plant is wasted, the information about the cacao is vague.

I get that most consumers don’t care about the specifics of cacao, but I am really hoping that will change. How do those of us in the industry that care about sustainable and ethical practices convey that these things matter? In my opinion, we need to lean in to the fact that chocolate comes from a fruit, it is an agricultural product. Like wine and coffee and a million other things. We are fighting against the candy culture ingrained in the US. Not chocolate culture, candy culture. Until people start thinking outside the snickers bar we will always have people questioning the value of intentionally made craft chocolate, in any form. For me, the minimum information I want to see is the origin of the cacao.

Cacao comes from a plant. Again, like wine and coffee, where it comes from matters. It is hand harvested, hand processed, incredibly labor intensive. That in and of itself should lend itself to higher costs. I am trying to stay focused on the agricultural aspects of cacao, it is nearly impossible to separate that from the the human costs, it will be addressed fully later. Right now, I am really trying to focus on the fact that chocolate comes from a tree.

I am off to search for infographics…

Friday 6.30.23

All experimentation is on hold; a leak from an upstairs bathroom (a specific location yet to be determined) has thrown everything into chaos. My pantry is a complete loss, which means the contents of said pantry are all over the first floor. It could have been so much worse, and everyone sent to help out has been fantastic, so I am not complaining. Summer has also arrived, so I am not really missing the bread baking right now.
Yesterday I broke into my emergency chocolate stash. It was a double-bar sort of day. So I thought I might actually talk about the chocolate that I was craving to sort my nerves. The first bar I went searching for was the Amano Macorís from the Dominican Republic. I love this bar. The first time I tasted it, it was for an online Zoom event with 37 Chocolates. I love this bar. It is the epitome of comforting chocolate. It is complex without being overpowering in any one flavor. It is deep chocolate, but it is not what you expect 70% to taste like. It is light, sweet, and almost creamy, like a milk bar. To me, it is nutty and slightly honeyed. It’s a lovely bar and one I dream of making one day. You can find this bar at: https://caputos.com/product/amano-macoris-chocolate-bar/ OR https://barandcocoa.com/products/amano-macoris-70, among other places.
The second bar is just fun. Moka Origins sources coffee and cacao. They started in Cameroon but have since expanded. Who doesn’t love chocolate and cherries? I don’t know that I would make it quite like this, but I love it. Sometimes I pull the cherries off the back and then eat the chocolate! This Cherry bar with 72% chocolate from Tanzania is a flavor bomb. Moka bars are now available at Wegman’s, which is super exciting. Hoping to get over there tomorrow for a restock. Aside from Wegman’s, you can find their bars at: https://mokaorigins.com/products/cherry-chocolate OR https://themeadow.com/products/moka-origins-72-dark-chocolate-with-cherry.
It takes a lot of work to concentrate with all the people and the machines going. I also can’t stop running through all the possibilities with this leak. They have yet to find the exact source, so it has yet to be repaired. The plumber will be back today to (hopefully) identify the problem and fix it. I hope for an easy fix; send me all the good vibes. I am off to watch more Stanely Tucci in Italy; I am counting it as my Italian lesson for the day. Ciao!

For Everyone Playing Along

If you want to get your hands dirty and bake with me, these are the three books I have used for my gluten-free cinnamon roll experiment. It has since expanded to yeasted/sourdough bread because I am slightly tired of cinnamon rolls after a month. “Be careful what you wish for” is true.
I have had the top book, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, for years and have used it twice. I was tired of preparing my own blends; once King Arthur Flour came out with their “measure for measure,” I refused to use anything else. Gone were the days of a pantry filled with 10 different flours! The next book: Baked to Perfection, is relatively new and filled with all the bakes, with a bit of science. I bought it after seeing a recommendation on Instagram. Katarina Cermelj has a great Instagram feed and a blog that pre-dates the book. Beware, if you purchase the book and use the blog, the recipes are different, so don’t try to utilize both while baking. The serving sizes are different for some reason. The last book Cannelle et Vanille, by Aran Goyoaga, is beautiful. I have followed her on Instagram and her newsletter for years. I love her flavor combinations and perspective on food; everything she does is gorgeous.
All three use brioche as the base for cinnamon rolls. Each brioche is slightly different in ingredients and techniques. Cannelle et Vanille doesn’t have a cinnamon roll in her book, it is a cardamom rhubarb roll, but she also uses brioche. So three brioche recipes, three filling recipes, and my own dairy-free cream cheese icing (when required). Ingredients are all reasonably similar, with a grain swap or two across the three books. Two of the three use psyllium, and “…5 Minutes a Day” gives you the option of use.
Before I get too far into the weeds with recipe dissection, I want to state that all recipes worked. They were all delicious fresh out of the oven. The failure, in my opinion, is longevity. The more psyllium, the quicker they decline. So if you are baking a batch for a brunch or holiday event and can unload 8 rolls, you are golden. During one tasting session, the texture declined dramatically within 2 hours, let alone overnight.
The three recipes all mentioned psyllium, so I started there. I hadn’t used it before, so that must be the ingredient that makes everything work. It was magic. Whatever the recipe, psyllium makes the dough wonderful to work with; it feels like traditional dough! I was amazed and posted about it on Instagram. I thought the holy grail of gluten-free yeasted doughs was found, but the more trials I attempted, the more apparent it became that while psyllium solves some problems but seems to create others. I tried all recipes as written, including the overnight rise and morning bake.
I have done 23 batches thus far and need to crack it. My favorite version right out of the oven is the Baked to Perfection (though I used the blog version at The Loopy Whisk); it was not dairy free. A very close second was the cardamom rhubarb roll in Cannelle et Vanille, I love cardamom, so it was a struggle to compare the recipes. I am trying to winnow it down to one cohesive recipe; I am just not there yet. I will check back in as soon as I get there!