El Rey Recipe Book

From Venezuelan cacao
to your finest creations.

A curated collection of recipes designed to unlock the potential of each origin. Inspired by the book “Venezuela’s Brown Gold” and refined in our kitchen: Venezuelan classics, pastry techniques and drinks to share.

The full collection

Eight recipes to get to know cacao

Each recipe highlights the profile of a different origin. Tap any card to open the full recipe, share it or print it.

Simple ganache
  • 15 min
  • Easy

Simple Ganache

The cornerstone of chocolate pastry: truffles, fillings, glazes.

Made with Apamate 73.5%

Chocolate marquesa
  • 30 min + 4 h
  • Easy

Marquesa

The Venezuelan cold dessert par excellence — silky and deep.

Made with Bucare 58.5%

Chocolate tart
  • 1 h + rest
  • Medium

Chocolate Tart

A cacao sablé base topped with a glossy ganache and sea salt.

Made with Gran Samán 70%

Walnut brownies
  • 45 min
  • Easy

Walnut Brownies

Dense, fudgy in the center, with a crisp edge.

Made with Bucare 58.5%

Chocolate cookies
  • 30 min
  • Easy

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The classic, perfected with generous chunks.

Made with Mijao 61%

Chocolate ice cream
  • 30 min + maturation
  • Medium

Chocolate Ice Cream

Silky texture and deep cacao flavor, made for professionals.

Made with Bucare 58.5%

Hot chocolate with cinnamon
  • 15 min
  • Easy

Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon

A traditional drink from the Venezuelan Andes. Pure nostalgia.

Made with Bucare 58.5%

Chocolate fondue
  • 10 min
  • Easy

Chocolate Fondue

For sharing: fruits, sponge cake and marshmallows dipped in chocolate.

Made with Caoba 41%

Good craft

A few things worth knowing

Tempering

For bonbons and molded pieces, temper correctly: melt to 45–50°C, cool to 27°C and bring back up to 31–32°C. Good tempering shows in the shine and the snap.

Substitution

You can swap one origin for another as long as you respect the cocoa percentage. The profiles will change — that’s the point — but the recipe will stay balanced.

Storage

Keep chocolate between 18–21°C, away from odors and humidity. Do not refrigerate: it causes fat bloom and loss of aroma.

Tasting

To taste: let it melt in the mouth without chewing; pay attention to the attack, the middle and the finish. Apamate is bright and floral; Mijao is fruity; Gran Samán is enveloping and persistent.