Batches 88–90: Rebuilding DELIGHT, One Small Batch at a Time
There’s a quiet comfort in starting over.
After the long, patient work on Batches 85 to 87, I decided to step back — not to change direction, but to rediscover what once worked. This week, I went back to my earlier Delight formulations, the ones that set the foundation for this entire journey.
The goal was simple: find the magic again — that moment when texture, taste, and feeling come together in perfect balance.
Reviewing the Last Batches
The previous round had been a mix of success and frustration.
The macadamia I introduced brought a beautiful richness to the flavour, but it also made the final texture far too soft. It tasted lovely but couldn’t hold its form. The chia and flax seeds, while functional, were still too forward in taste.
In Balance, the nutritional functionality was right, but the seed flavour dominated. It worked well as a nut butter, but not as something indulgent. Charge remained the most consistent performer — smooth, pleasant, and energising before rides or walks.
So I made a decision: it was time to hit reset. Go back to what worked before. Rebuild Delight from its roots.
Setting the Objectives for Batches 88–90
This time, all three batches would focus on Delight alone — each with a slightly different composition:
- Batch 88 – Hazelnut Delight
A simple formulation built around hazelnut, coconut, and cocoa nibs. - Batch 89 – Hazelnut Coffee Delight
The same as 88, but with coffee added for deeper flavour and aroma. - Batch 90 – Mixed Treenut Delight
A blend of hazelnut, almond, and pecan — a nod to one of my earliest recipes.
Each batch was only 500 grams — small enough to experiment freely, but large enough to evaluate the outcome properly. The aim wasn’t to find perfection but to rediscover direction.
Roasting the Nuts
The roasting process always brings a sense of calm focus.
I started with small quantities of almonds and pecans — just for the mixed treenut batch — followed by coconut and finally hazelnuts, which formed the base of all three recipes.
The smell of freshly roasted hazelnuts filled the garage. That familiar warmth and nuttiness reminded me why I love this process. Each roast was controlled and deliberate.
Loading the Melangers
With the roasts done, it was time to load the melangers.
Batch 88 — pure hazelnut Delight — went into the first machine.
Batch 89 — hazelnut with coffee — into the second.
And the third melanger was reserved for the mixed treenut version.
For a change, I tried loading all the ingredients together rather than blending them separately first. I wasn’t sure if it would work better or worse, but that’s part of the fun — every new approach brings new learning.
The aroma was incredible. Even at this stage, the tree nut combinations stood out. As a pure nut butter, it would’ve been a great product already. But this isn’t just nut butter. This is meant to be something more — something that goes beyond conventional chocolate.
Tempering and Moulding
The next day, I began tempering — carefully heating and cooling the mixture to achieve stability and texture. The hazelnut-based batches had higher cocoa butter content, which meant they would react differently to heat.
Spring has arrived, and the ambient temperature in the garage has crept up to around 24°C — the warmest I’ve worked in for months. Even the granite surfaces felt warmer, and that made a noticeable difference.
The first batch, the Hazelnut Delight, behaved beautifully.
The second, Mixed Treenut Delight, showed more shine — but not in a good way. That sheen meant instability, not temper.
The third, the Hazelnut Coffee Delight, looked duller but felt firm. Experience told me dullness could sometimes mean stability.
I hand-moulded all three into silicone moulds, letting them rest overnight to set properly.
Tasting and Reflections
The next morning, I felt a mix of anticipation and nerves. I’ve learned that expectations can be tricky — especially after a season of mixed results. The garage was quiet as I began the tasting, early in the morning, just before eight.
Batch 88 – Hazelnut Delight
Pleasantly surprising. Stable texture, beautiful melt, rich hazelnut character. The flavour lingered nicely, though the melt was a little too quick — something to refine in future. The sweetness was subtle, maybe even understated, but in my current low-sugar rhythm, it felt right.
Batch 90 – Mixed Treenut Delight
Also good. Slightly more intense in flavour but less stable in structure. The reduced cocoa butter gave it more boldness but less firmness. Still, it carried a wonderful balance of roasted nut flavours.
Batch 89 – Hazelnut Coffee Delight
This one was my favourite surprise. The coffee came through beautifully — just enough to add depth without overpowering the hazelnut. The texture was stable, the aroma rich, and the overall profile unique.
By the end, I felt relief — and even a bit of pride. After a long series of tests, failures, and adjustments, something finally clicked again.
Closing Thoughts
These three batches reminded me of why I started this journey — to make something thoughtful, and better with every iteration.
It’s slow. It’s often frustrating.
But that’s how progress works — one tweak at a time, 88 batches in.
This isn’t about scaling fast or chasing perfection.
It’s about crafting chocolate that goes beyond indulgence, beyond convention, and beyond expectation — one small batch at a time.
