Bittersweet Seduction

Although Indonesia is the 3rd largest cacao producer in the world. But why globally Indonesian cacao is still perceived as a low-quality cacao? After the cacao pod harvested from the tree, the fermentation and drying process have an important role to produce fine, high-grade beans. Majority Indonesia’s cacao export as raw beans instead of processed cacao, it means Indonesia lost some revenue values. 

Unfortunately, the proper fermentation process mostly less appreciated by the public. Indonesian cacao farmers usually do not ferment their beans; partly because to the fact that large-scales companies pay the similar prices for fermented and unfermented beans. However, with the raises of bean-to-bar chocolate companies like Pipiltin Cocoa, the practice of fermenting cacao beans has been introduced. Farmers and smallholders also being educated about its benefits.

Pipiltin Cocoa Jakarta

Pipiltin Cocoa founded in 2013 by Tissa Aunilla and her brother, Irvan Helmi (owner of Anomali, Indonesian coffee house). The name of Pipiltin refers to the upper-class Aztec society that high valued chocolate. They started their business by opening their first cafe in Barito, South Jakarta. In this two-story building, customers can see the process of chocolate making.

Besides in Barito they also open in Sarinah, Central Jakarta. Pipiltin offers desserts with unique platings, like Egg No and Chocolate Soup. Besides dessert, this cafe also has savouries menu like Chicken Quesadilla. Choices for chocolate bar quite varied, from single-origin bars like Tabanan Bali and Tanazozo Flores to unique chocolate bars like potato chips

White Chocolate & Marshmallow Muffin with Cacao Nib Streusel

This muffin recipe adapted from Rocky Road Cupcake by Mia Ohrn. I use white chocolate because I want the contrast colour between the muffin and the streusel.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 338g butter
• 190g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 150g granulated sugar
• 160g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallow
• 25g cacao nibs

Cacao Nibs Streusel

• 4og butter
• 35g all-purpose flour
• 25g coarse sugar
• 20g cacao nibs
• 20g chocolate chips

Method

•  Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat to 160 C.
• To make cacao nib streusel, place the butter, flour, sugar, cacao nibs and chocolate chips in a bowl. Gently incorporate all the ingredients using fingers until there are no longer any lumps of butter. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add chopped chocolate to the pan and melt them at low temperature. Turn off the heat when the white chocolate almost melted, mix until smooth and let it cool slightly.
• Shift together flour, baking powder and salt. Lightly beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl, then stir in the chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture to the batter, mix until smooth. Fold in cacao nibs.
• Divide batter between muffin cups, then sprinkles marshmallow over the batter.
• Place on an oven tray and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven then quickly sprinkle with cacao nib streusel and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until cooked when tested with skewer.
• Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, and remove from tins to serve.