Homemade chocolate from cocoa powder experiment 1

Ever since I made Giada's tarragon merlot truffles, the idea popped into my head that I wanted to actually make the chocolate from scratch rather than use chocolate chips. So I did a google search and most of the recipes sent me to grinding cacao beans, while a couple indicated butter and milk (which I will try next time). But what I really wanted to know was
what happens if you mix cocoa powder and heavy cream?
The answer is, it kind of makes chocolate. It does not get to the consistency of a chocolate bar, but it does solidify and is quite smooth and creamy. My roommate says it's more like a smooth fudge.


What I used:

• heavy cream
• extra dark cocoa powder
• granulated cane sugar
• other... toppings 

How:

I used a double boiler to keep some warm-to-hot water on the stove. In a small sauce pan, I put two tablespoons of heavy cream and in it I dissolved one teaspoon of sugar (I actually used the "Sugar in the Raw" packets - one packet is perfect) by swirling it around. Once the sugar was all dissolved I added one heaping of cocoa powder and mixed it in on the water bath. Once the cocoa was all mixed in, I took the sauce pan out of the water bath and mixed until it made a smooth consistent sauce.

This is very important! The first time I kept mixing vigorously on the hot water bath and the oil separated out of the heavy cream so I ended up with this grainy thing in oil. I think it was because of the temperature and the heavy mixing. 

Then, with a teaspoon, set the chocolate on aluminum foil pre-chilled in the fridge. I didn't get them to look very pretty - I think I need more patience with it, but it tastes great.

Now, for the toppings... I made:

1. chili powder (the Mexican chocolate) - I added 2-3 pinches of chili powder when I added the cocoa
2. orange peel - added 1/3 of fresh orange peel after the cocoa powder was all blended in
3. orange peel & cognac - I added one teaspoon of cognac to half of the already blended orange peel and then more cocoa powder to regain the consistency
4. cardamom - soaked two crashed green cardamoms in the heavy cream while dissolving the butter and took them out before adding the cocoa powder
5. walnuts - added one tablespoon of walnut pieces to the chocolate blend
6. almonds - placed a chocolate base, let it cool down a little, then placed the almond on it and covered it in chocolate. 
7. basil and biscuit - finely crushed biscuits (to make 1 tablespoon) and chopped 2 fresh basil leaves; added them to the chocolate blend at the end
8. Grand Marnier - added 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier to the chocolate blend

Conclusion:

I loved all of them - tasted bits of each one day after I made them. They are very rich and very dark and very soft. The Grand Marnier did not have as great of a flavor as the other ones though.