Pinoy Chocophile: My own Bean-to-Bar chocolate making experience

Finally my own bean-to-bar chocolate experience was such a fulfilling experience. I am so thankful to Ms. Mely for the cacao from Aurora Province.

I have posted here my very first time of tasting raw cacao last August.
http://pinoychocophile.blogspot.com/2013/08/taste-of-raw-cacao-from-aurora_17.html#.UpGKytJkPsY

Then my experiment of fermenting with the post below:
http://pinoychocophile.blogspot.com/2013/08/fermenting-cacao-at-home.html#.UpGKxNJkPsY

As well as growing cacao seedling from the beans being fermented:
http://pinoychocophile.blogspot.com/2013/09/growing-cacao-seedling.html#.UpGMxNJkPsY

Some of the seedlings were brought to Ilocos already, hoping some of them survive, grow and bear fruits, after two - three years.

Well, the fermented and dried beans would be categorized slaty or moldy since it was my first time to experiment fermenting at home. Fotos shown below of cacao beans exposed for drying after a week of fermenting.

But I am happy with the turn out. The aroma when it was baked and roasted was wonderful, my nieces and nephew thought it was coffee, indeed there was a resemblance of a coffee smell.

Blend/grind brown sugar until it became powdery and then mixed with the roasted cacao nibs until the cocoa butter started to appear. Well the blender was not up to making it more fluid. So with the still granulated mixture we made our chocolate drink. With boiled water, evaporated milk and some more sugar - a chocolate drink that everyone enjoyed!