A chocolate lovers delight. Our tour guide George presented us a special treat at the end of our day. He brought out a fresh baked chocolate cake and topped it with the fresh hot fudge we just had made. He served it with the fresh cocoa made with the cocoa nibs we ground down. The two hours it took to get up the rough roads was was so worth it. What a wonderful learning experience. I have a new appreciation for chocolate. Join me and see what the day held as we discovered the entire Costa Rican cocoa process.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup baking cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
- Hot Fudge - prepared
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degree
- Grease (9 x13) cake pan and flour bottom and sides
- In a large bowl cream eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar until blended about 30 seconds.
- Then add in the sour cream and coffee and mix again for 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing.
- Mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Then gently add in the mini chocolate chips.
- Mix until fully blended.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes.
- Test center of cake with tooth pick, if it come out dry then the cake is fully cooked.
- In a medium size bowl add melted butter.
- Add sugar, cocoa powder, half and half and vanilla.
- Mix on medium speed for about 1 - 2 minutes until creamy.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Allow cake to full cool before frosting.
- Serve immediately.
- I garnished it with prepared hot fudge. This is seriously a chocolate lover's delight!
Our search for a Cocoa tour plantation turned out to be an all day adventure. Our journey started by driving up into the mountains near San Jose the capital of Costa Rica. We were in search of a small family owned plantation that was located high in the mountains. What we didn’t realize was how far into the mountains we would have to go to find the hidden treasure.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
The drive was beautiful and luckily we all had small SUV’s which I highly recommend. The roads were bumpy and rough in many areas. The roads were paved at first then dirt, and then paved and then dirt. It seemed like we kept driving and driving and driving. It would of helped to know it was going to take several hours. None of us realized how long it would take to get to our final destination. It was quite the adventure up to the small family owned La Iguana Chocolate Plantation in beautiful Costa Rica.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate Plantation, Costa Rica
Along the way we saw small houses. Ocassionally we saw people walking in the road and a cow or horse. However, this was the first donkey we saw. The long mountain roads seemed to go on forever until we finally arrived at the cocoa plantation.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
What a welcome site! A wooden sign for La Iguana Chocolate.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
After two hours on numerous bumpy winding roads this was a happy site to see – the Costa Rican Bano at La Iguana, Costa Rica
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate Plantation, Costa Rica
Mason waiting his turn for a much needed toilet break after the two hour trek up the mountains of Costa Rica.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
CeceliasGoodStuff.com
The tour began with an explanation of the cocoa bean process by George. The plantation is his family’s business.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A diagram of the cocoa bean process. Personally, I never knew how much work and effort went into making cocoa powder and other chocolate products.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George picking the fresh cocoa fruit from the tree directly in front of his house. The surroundings were very modest but everyone greeted us with a big smile. I was beginning to understand the real meaning of “PURA VIDA” – meaning living the pure life. A phrase you see everywhere in Costa Rica.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A cocoa fruit is cut open to expose the fruit inside. We tasted the fruit and it was delicious. I tasted a little like melon with a texture like a grape.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
In the center of the cocoa fruit is the cocoa bean – it is a deep purple color.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Once the fruit is picked in goes into this wooden box which is used to ferment the cocoa beans for approximately ten days.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
After the ten day fermentation the beans are sun dried for several days.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George picked a batch of the fresh sun dried cocoa beans used to make the truffles, hot fudge, chocolates, and cocoa.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Taking a closer look at the sun dried Cocoa Beans. They were bigger than I had imagined.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A cold press used to make the creamy cocoa butter. This is used to make the chocolates creamy.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Taking a closer look at the cocoa beans.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George roasting the cocoa beans. It smelled so good!
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A new inventive way of crushing the cocoa bean. And yes, that is a vacuum.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Fresh crushed cocoa beans used to make cocoa nibs.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A photo of George sorting the shells and roasted cocoa beans.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
After the shells are removed George crushes the cocoa beans to make cocoa. Some are sorted as nibs and others are crushed further to make cocoa powder.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George showing us the fresh ground cocoa powder that he made with the grinder. It smelled so good!
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A mortar use to ground fresh cocoa beans to make chocolate truffles.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
A photo of me working the chocolate, to make it creamy and paste like to make the truffles.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George working the chocolate to make truffles.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Shown here are a few flavors used to enhance the cocoa to make chocolates. In the little wooden dishes are his own grown chili peppers, fresh cinnamon, and vanilla beans.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Everyone had fun making fresh chocolate truffles especially the kids.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
And our final product – fresh truffles made with the fresh ground cocoa beans. They melted in your mouth – they were deliciously rich in in flavor, much more so than truffles we see in the USA.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
While the kids are busy making truffles the Mom’s look around and are buying some jewelry and other goods made by the family that owns La Iguana Chocolate Plantation.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
George melting the cocoa down to make chocolates and hot fudge using the with fresh cocoa.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate Costa Rica
Next up was George making chocolate for the molds. He is actually cooling it which makes it thicker and creamier.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Working the hot chocolate takes some time. It needs to cool down and thicken for a perfectly creamy chocolate.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
Making hot fudge in a double boiler.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica.
Once the chocolate is cool enough it goes into a mold used to make the fresh chocolates. Sorry, we ate them so fast there were none available to take a photo.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate Costa Rica
George made a fresh batch of cocoa to serve with the cake. YUM!
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
All that effort paid off. We were rewarded with a chocolate lovers delight – homemade chocolate cake with hot fudge and fresh cocoa.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate Costa Rica
George said they had a regular daily Tucan visitor. We were looking for Tucans all the way up the mountain. So this was quite a treat – and the fact that he was rather chatty made it even more exciting!
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
La Iguana offers a few packaged chocolate goods for sale. I came home with several packages as you might imagine. Check out my recipe for the chocolate cake using the fresh cocoa powder from La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
La Iguana Chocolate, Costa Rica
We headed down the mountains toward the city of San Jose. We made a pit stop to get a cold drinks at this local market.
A Chocolate Lover’s Adventure
Costa Rica
Thanks for stopping in. I hope you enjoyed my Costa Rican adventure with me. As they say in Costa Rica, “Pura Vida” (pure life) Until next time adios, Cecelia Dardanes while in Costa Rica
[…] Check out my adventure in Costa Rica – A chocolate lovers delight. Our tour guide at the end of our day treated us to homemade chocolate cake and topped it with the hot fudge we made. He served it with the fresh cocoa. The two hours it took to get there was so worth it. What a great learning experience. Click here to see the recipe and the photos from this amazing day – high in the mountains or … […]