http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg

http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg



73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.

The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
all!!! Hard as a rock.

Dee Dee

Dee Randall wrote:
> http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg
>
> http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg
>
>
>
> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>
> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
> all!!! Hard as a rock.

Do you have a Mouli grater? If you can chip off small rocks, the Mouli
should handle it.

"Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg
>>
>> http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg
>>
>>
>>
>> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
>> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>>
>> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
>> all!!! Hard as a rock.
>
> Do you have a Mouli grater? If you can chip off small rocks, the Mouli
> should handle it.


Yes, they would definitely be "rocks."
I googled images of Mouli and I can't see any that would handle this
chocolate. I think I will try melting some; perhaps it's lava :-))

Thanks for your helpfulness.
Dee Dee

In article >,
"Dee Randall" > wrote:

> Yes, they would definitely be "rocks."
> I googled images of Mouli and I can't see any that would handle this
> chocolate. I think I will try melting some; perhaps it's lava :-))

"The butter wouldn't melt, so I put it in the pie." - P. McCartney

Chocolate keeps a long time, and although it grays over with time, even
when sealed, it is still good, and still melts consistently for the
grade of chcoloate it was/is.

jt

"jt august" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Dee Randall" > wrote:
>
>> Yes, they would definitely be "rocks."
>> I googled images of Mouli and I can't see any that would handle this
>> chocolate. I think I will try melting some; perhaps it's lava :-))
>
> "The butter wouldn't melt, so I put it in the pie." - P. McCartney
>
> Chocolate keeps a long time, and although it grays over with time, even
> when sealed, it is still good, and still melts consistently for the
> grade of chcoloate it was/is.
>
> jt


P. McCartney's quote reminds me of when I was using the microwave, I would
put butter in to soften or melt. Some brands would take MUCH longer to melt
than others. I always considered the longer the time, the lesser quality
the butter, but still don't really know.


Now, I've settled on one brand
http://www.kateshomemadebutter.com/K...ter_about.html
that I wouldn't be able to get here at all. I buy it in Connecticut and
freeze it for use, which is not much different than how I treated other
butter that I have bought.

Dee Dee

Dee Randall wrote:
> "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>> http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg
>>>
>>> http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
>>> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>>>
>>> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
>>> all!!! Hard as a rock.
>> Do you have a Mouli grater? If you can chip off small rocks, the Mouli
>> should handle it.
>
>
> Yes, they would definitely be "rocks."
> I googled images of Mouli and I can't see any that would handle this
> chocolate. I think I will try melting some; perhaps it's lava :-))
>
> Thanks for your helpfulness.
> Dee Dee
>
>
ROTFL -- now you are making me wonder if my > than year old El Rey has
also become a rock :-)


Ellen

"nobody" > wrote in message
...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> "Janet Wilder" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>>> http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg
>>>>
>>>> http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
>>>> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>>>>
>>>> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
>>>> all!!! Hard as a rock.
>>> Do you have a Mouli grater? If you can chip off small rocks, the Mouli
>>> should handle it.
>>
>>
>> Yes, they would definitely be "rocks."
>> I googled images of Mouli and I can't see any that would handle this
>> chocolate. I think I will try melting some; perhaps it's lava :-))
>>
>> Thanks for your helpfulness.
>> Dee Dee
> ROTFL -- now you are making me wonder if my > than year old El Rey has
> also become a rock :-)
>
>
> Ellen


Maybe if it is in the 60's percentile, it will be better.
I don't like wasting money on buying sugar in chocolate, so I try to go at
least 73%.

Many chocolatiers have gone to using wax, so I've heard; maybe that's what
is causing the hardness? Or would wax be easier to break off, like lava, in
chips?

Dee Dee

Dee Randall wrote:

>
>
> Maybe if it is in the 60's percentile, it will be better.
> I don't like wasting money on buying sugar in chocolate, so I try to go at
> least 73%.
>
> Many chocolatiers have gone to using wax, so I've heard; maybe that's what
> is causing the hardness? Or would wax be easier to break off, like lava, in
> chips?
>
> Dee Dee
>
>

I think some (many?) chocolates use wax or paraffin

http://www.ochef.com/674.htm

I think they use the wax to get the shiny shell kind of look ... and
keep it looking that way. And probably an easier and cheaper way to get
the desired end result in commercial large scale manuf'ing of candies


I would hope El Rey wouldn't do that in the 2.2 lb blocks

yes I also buy the 73% -- Anyway I used to buy the apamante and also
the gran saman and while I am not a great fan of milk chocolate they
used to have (maybe still do, nope don't see it I think it was irapo or
something simiar) an absolutely terrific milk chocolate ... don't see
that anymore

have you tried melting a bit of it? um well that is assuming you can
somehow crack off a piece :-)


Ellen

Dee Randall wrote:
> http://fantes.com/images/2857ice_utensils.jpg
>
> http://fantes.com/images/12112chocolate.jpg
>
>
>
> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>
> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
> all!!! Hard as a rock.
>
> Dee Dee
>

If a serrated bread knife doesn't work try a small hand saw or hack saw.

On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:34:22 -0500, Moka Java > wrote:

>> 73.5% El Rey chocolate -- using the above chipper and grater, serrated
>> knives, nothing did the job even using DH's gorilla tactics.
>>
>> The chocolate was a year old and I've used 99% chocolate, but this beat
>> all!!! Hard as a rock.
>
>If a serrated bread knife doesn't work try a small hand saw or hack saw.

Or a baggie and your kitchen mallet.

If the mallet breaks, send the chocolate to NASA for analysis and potential use
in shuttle heat shields.

-- Larry