After months of research, calculations, frustrations and constant costing, I finally got to do the thing I had been working towards: taste the first Lady Jasper chocolate prototypes.
For so long, Lady Jasper has been an idea to work on, a recipe to think through or another set of numbers to check. Having actual chocolate bars to taste makes it feel different. This is still the beginning, but it is a beginning I can finally hold in my hands.
These are not the finished Signature Bars or the larger Safari Bars I am developing for the future. They are test bars, made to help me understand the African chocolate itself and explore how it works with different inclusions before committing to recipes, formats and packaging.
I started with four flavours:
- Milk Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate & Banana
- Milk Chocolate & Honeycomb
- Milk Chocolate & Kenyan Macadamia Nuts
I was not expecting everything to be perfect straight away. What I wanted was a starting point: something I could taste, compare and learn from. Is the chocolate smooth enough? Does the banana come through clearly? Is there enough crunch from the honeycomb? Do the Kenyan macadamia nuts complement the chocolate rather than take over?
The encouraging thing is that there is something I like in each one. The plain milk chocolate lets me focus on the chocolate itself. The banana, honeycomb and macadamia versions each bring something different, and that makes choosing between them less straightforward than I imagined.
It is easy to think that one version will be the obvious favourite. In practice, two bars can both be good for completely different reasons. That is where tasting again and hearing what other people think will help. I want to give these recipes the time and attention they need, rather than rush to call them finished.
(Organic Freeze Dried Bananas in the Mould)
There is still plenty to work through. Recipes will change, decisions will need revisiting, and these prototypes are only one step towards the Lady Jasper bars I hope to share with you.
But for now, I am letting myself enjoy this little milestone. After months of talking about Lady Jasper chocolate, I can finally taste it. And that feels like a very real step forward.