 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.(September 2021) |
 A bottle of crème de cacao |
Chocolate liqueur is a chocolate flavored liqueur made from a base liquor of whisky or vodka. Unlike chocolate liquor, chocolate liqueur contains alcohol. Chocolate liqueur is often used as an ingredient in mixology, baking, and cooking.
There is mention in contemporary sources of chocolate en liqueur being produced as early as 1666. [1] Context[ which? ] suggests this is a chocolate liqueur, not a chocolate liquor or cocoa bean extract nor any other chocolate flavored beverage.
In New England prior to the 18th century American Revolution, a "chocolate wine" was popular. Its ingredients included sherry, port, chocolate, and sugar. [2] A French manual published in 1780 also describes chocolate liqueur. [3] An 1803 French pharmacy manual includes a recipe for a chocolate liqueur ( ratafia de chocolat, also ratafia de cacao). [4] An early 19th-century American cookbook, published in 1825 and preserved in an historical archive in South Carolina, includes a similar recipe. [1] Throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century, manuals and encyclopedias in French, English, and Spanish give similar recipes. A late 19th century food science manual gives a recipe that includes techniques for clarifying and coloring the liqueur. [5] A similar[ vague ] early 20th century manual gives four recipes. [6]
Early 19th century recipes for chocolate liqueur featured whole cocoa beans. [4] A basic modern recipe [7] for making chocolate liqueur at home lists the ingredients chocolate extract, vanilla extract, vodka, and simple syrup. To keep the chocolate extract in suspension and make the liqueur thicker, glycerine may be added. In its purest form, chocolate liqueur is clear; coloring may be added. [5] Recipes for home-made chocolate liqueurs may also include raw eggs as an ingredient, presenting a risk of salmonellosis. Reasonable safety may be achieved by combining the eggs with the alcohol before other ingredients. [8] Earlier, liquor was made by adding the cocoa beans to classic liqueur. Modern chocolate wine can be considered as a subspecies of chocolate liqueur. [9]
Chocolate liqueur can be consumed straight, as an after dinner drink rather than as aperitif. It is used in mixed drinks and in desserts, especially in dessert sauces, cakes, and truffles. Food writer Shirley Corriher notes that many recipes for chocolate truffle add a small amount of chocolate liqueur to melted chocolate, and warns that adding the liqueur often causes the chocolate to seize. [10] One of the more unusual uses is in chocolate rolled fondant. [11]
Arguably the most controversial use may be in connection with a scandal concerning the provenance of certain 17th century bottles of wines said to have belonged to Thomas Jefferson, and traded by Hardy Rodenstock. Benjamin Wallace writes in his book The Billionaire's Vinegar that at a wine tasting of 19th century wines from Château Latour, provided by Rodenstock, several people noted the wines had a flavor of chocolate liqueur and were fakes. [12] Wine and chocolate are a classic flavor pairing, and this is reflected in some cocktails that combine a strong red wine with a dash of chocolate liqueur. [13]
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There are three types of chocolate liqueur: liqueur, cream liqueur, and crème de cacao.
Crème de cacao may be either clear or a dark caramel color, which is often labeled dark crème de cacao. The French word crème identifies it as a crème liqueur, a liqueur with a high sugar content as stipulated by various regulations (for example, European law requires a sugar content of 250 g/L). There is no dairy cream in it.
The alcohol content of crème de cacao varies, but 20–25% ABV (40–50 proof (U.S.)) is common.
Chocolate or cocoa is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form for at least 5,300 years starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador and later Mesoamerican civilizations also consumed chocolate beverages before being introduced to Europe in the 16th century.
Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts. In some parts of the world there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.
Amaretto is a sweet Italian liqueur that originated in Saronno. Depending on the brand, it may be made from apricot kernels, bitter almonds, peach stones, or almonds, all of which are natural sources of the benzaldehyde that provides the almond-like flavour of the liqueur. It generally contains 21 to 28 percent alcohol by volume.
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved or melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. It is often garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency.
Dutch processed cocoa, Dutch cocoa, or alkalized cocoa, is cocoa solids that have been treated with an alkalizing agent to reduce the natural acidity of cocoa, giving it a less bitter taste compared to "natural cocoa" extracted with the Broma process. It forms the basis for much of modern chocolate, and is used in ice cream, hot chocolate, and baking.
Apéritifs and digestifs are drinks, typically alcoholic, that are normally served before (apéritif) or after (digestif) a meal respectively.
Crème de Noyaux is an almond-flavored crème liqueur, although it is actually made from apricot kernels or the kernels of peach or cherry pits, which provide an almond-like flavor. Both Bols and Hiram Walker produce artificially colored red versions of the liqueur while Noyau de Poissy from France is available in both clear (blanc) and barrel-aged amber (ambre) versions.
Ratafia is a broad term used for two types of sweet alcoholic beverages, a flavouring essence whose taste resembles bitter almonds, later to a ratafia flavoured biscuit, a biscuit to be eaten along with ratafia, and later still, to a cherry variety.
Crème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage. It is available commercially in a colorless version and a green version. Both varieties have similar flavor and are interchangeable in recipes, except where color is important. It is usually made with Corsican mint or peppermint, which is steeped in grain alcohol for several weeks before it is filtered and sweetened to create the final product. It typically has 25% alcohol by volume.
Riga Black Balsam is a traditional Latvian balsam often considered to be the national drink of Latvia. According to tradition, only the Head Liquor Master and two of his apprentices know the exact recipe. Nowadays, Riga Black Balsam is produced by JSC Latvijas Balzams and has received more than 100 awards at different international fairs throughout its history.
Chocolate cake or chocolate gâteau is a cake flavored with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, or both.
Whipped cream is heavy cream, double cream, or other high-fat cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape. Cream aerated by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid, is also called whipped cream. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and sometimes flavored with vanilla. Whipped cream is also called Chantilly cream or crème Chantilly.
Chocolate is a food product made from roasted and ground cocoa pods mixed with fat and powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified primarily according to the proportion of cocoa and fat content used in a particular formulation.
A Grasshopper is a sweet, mint-flavored, after-dinner drink named for its green color, which comes from crème de menthe. Tujague's, a bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, claims its owner Philip Guichet invented the drink in 1918. The drink gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s throughout the American South.
The Alexander is a cocktail consisting of gin or brandy, cocoa liqueur, and cream. A variation, the Brandy Alexander, uses cognac instead of gin.
A polar bear, After Eight or Peppermint Paddy is a mint chocolate cocktail that tastes like a York Peppermint Pattie or an After Eight mint. It is usually made from crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps, although crème de menthe is a popular substitute.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to chocolate:
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