Have you ever wondered what blonde chocolate is or what it tastes like? Or how it’s made? It’s a lot more than just white chocolate. Read on to find out all about blonde chocolate and see if it’s something you’d like to try.
What is blonde chocolate and where does blonde chocolate come from?
Blonde chocolate is acaramelized form of white chocolate. To achieve the caramelized flavor, processed white chocolate is either cooked or milk crumb (dry mixture of concentrated milk and sugar that has been cooked together) is used in the initial recipe. Blonde chocolate can also be made using toasted milk powder. Like ruby chocolate, blonde chocolate manipulates traditional chocolate ingredients to develop a new flavor profile.
The flavor notes are toasty and almost like shortbread. Some might liken it to dulce de leche version of chocolate with deep caramel notes.
Blonde chocolate origins
Here’s a quick summary of the blonde chocolate origin story. In a fortunate accident, a renowned chocolate maker at Valrhona unintentionally discovered blonde chocolate, a delicious new type of chocolate. During a pastry demonstration, Frédéric Bau left his white chocolate in a bain-marie for an extended period. To his amazement, the chocolate transformed into a beautiful blonde hue, emitting a tantalizing aroma of freshly baked cookies and caramelized milk.
After years of dedication, Bau perfected the Dulcey (blonde chocolate) recipe, fueling his creativity. Valrhona now offers blonde chocolate, beloved by pastry chefs worldwide.
Blonde chocolate has experienced a surge in popularity, seen in social media tutorials and the introduction of blonde chocolate bars and chips by various chocolate companies. Even Hershey’s has embraced the trend with its own creation called Hershey’s Gold.
How to make blonde chocolate at home?
Be sure to use high-quality white chocolate that is at least 30% cacao and contains no preservatives or unnecessary ingredients. Low-quality chocolate will not work well for this technique.
You won’t need any special equipment, just a baking tray and a rubber spatula. The caramelization process is best done at a low heat to avoid scorching and can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours depending on your oven and the brand of chocolate. All you need to do is stir the chocolate every 10 minutes or so.
Just be careful not to get water on the chocolate before, during or after cooking. Even a drop could cause the chocolate to seize up and take on an unpleasant texture.
The end result is blonde chocolate that can be used immediately in melted form or you can pour it into molds of your choice and allow it to cool. You can use blonde chocolate in any recipe that calls for white chocolate or even swap it for milk or dark chocolate to change the experience.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 to 12 ounces of high-quality white chocolate, at least 30% cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
METHOD
- Heat your oven to 250°F (121°C).
- Finely chop the white chocolate.
- Place the chocolate on a baking tray.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven, transfer to the oven and bake until the chocolate is melted about 10 minutes.
- Spread the chocolate evenly in a single layer with a rubber spatula.
- Return to the oven and bake until the chocolate turns the color of (unroasted peanut butter), stirring and spreading evenly every 10 minutes. This can take from 45 minutes up to 2 1/2 hours depending on your oven.
- Give the blonde chocolate one last stir. If using, add salt to taste. This amplifies the flavor of the chocolate.
- Use right away in a recipe that calls for melted chocolate (see below), or cool, then transfer to an airtight container.
If you are making blonde chocolate from scratch, for example with a CocoTerra chocolate maker, you can simplify the process by starting with caramelized milk powder. Caramelized milk power is much the same as regular milk powder, however, the milk powder has been toasted in an over to develop the blonde chocolate flavor notes. In most recipes, carmelized milk powder can be substituted 1:1 for regular milk powder.
Enjoy!
Blonde chocolate is easy and fun to make, but still hard to resist! I hope we’ve inspired you to be bold and create unique blonde recipes.
