Chocolate Mint

[boozinsusan]

This chocolate mix (from Penzey's Spices)does not have dairy, but I will not use it anyway. Thinking I would have too much sugar and not enough chocolate. I will try the cocoa powder or syrup.


What do you think about adding a vanilla bean? I am thinking that when making chocolate cookies, vanilla is added to bump up the flavor, but do not know what it would do to wine......

 

[vcasey]

I like the idea of using a vanilla bean. I have a vanilla mead that I'll be bottling soon and last taste it use really good. So go for it but, be careful because the vanilla can easily out shine the rest. I over did the vanilla (or so I thought) at first in that mead, but like I said its really settled now and shows lots of promise for a 2 year old mead. Time does wonders!
VC

 

[boozinsusan]

Cool beans (pun completely intended)

 

[boozinsusan]

You can add chocolate baking powder. I have used Hersey's with success, but plan on a lot of sediment and then plan on a little more. Also it will take a while for the chocolate to lose the bitter taste and come out in the wine so know you'll need to age this close to 2 years. The last time I made something with chocolate powder I used 1/2 per 1/2 gallon. This was for a cayenne chocolate mead and the chocolate was coming through nicely when it was bottled. I used 3.2 oz in a gallon of mocha mead and that one was also showing well at bottling. Why I measured one and weighed the other is beyond me - 2 different days.
Love this idea and it is the direction I am considering when I make mine.
VC

VC, what do you mean by 1/2 per 1/2 gallon? Is that a half can of powder?


I just found some more mint in my freezer, and am thinking of starting a gallon of this chocolate mint stuff.....


Also... cayenne chocolate mead.... hmmmmmm........

 

[vcasey]

1/2 Cup. I know that is a lot but my goal was to really taste the chocolate. You'll want to make extra because the sediment will really fall out of this one. My mint is still growing very nicely. The boys made, what they call a hobo tent and all my herbs have stayed nice and warm during this ridiculous cold blast.

 

[vcasey]

Oh yeah when we bottled the chocolate cayenne was nice and tasty. Since I bottled this in May 2009 it will be a couple of more years before we open a bottle, much to my husband's dismay because the bunch included a cayenne mead and a jalapeno mead.

 

[boozinsusan]

Did you use fresh cayenne peppers for this mead, or dried?


... still have not done anything with the extra mint - but thinking the plain mint wine would be nice with lemonade this summer, if I do not like it alone..... or with hot chocolate this winter...... (still not convinced I will like mint wine all by itself) - and hope I am pleasantly surprised...

 

[vcasey]

I used fresh peppers we grew - my husband challenged me!