they would encircle the earth 48 times!
Author: Chocolate Covered Weekly
The ancient Aztecs used chocolate as face paint in their religious ceremonies.
You know what kind of brownies over-whipped eggs and sugar produce?
Hard bricks, instead of chewy brownies!
Make cupcakes look sophisticated…
Use chocolate frosting and sprinkle with edible gold leaf!
Chocolate is often associated with gold.
This may possibly be from Montezuma’s ritual of drinking chocolate from a golden goblet.
Happy National Chocolate Day! December 28, 2020
Happy National Chocolate Day! December 28, 2020
Popeyes adds ’New Orleans-style’ chocolate beignets to its menu

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is taking its dessert options to the next level this holiday season. The fast-food chain announced that it is adding chocolate beignets to its menu nationwide. The beignets are a deep-fried pastry stuffed with Hershey’s chocolate and covered in powder sugar. The dessert is a famous staple of New Orleans, where Popeyes was founded, although the chain now is headquartered in Miami.
Sweet deal! Drinking hot chocolate makes you smarter, study shows
Sweet deal! Drinking hot chocolate makes you smarter, study shows
Hot chocolate makes you a smarter and faster thinker, according to new research. In a study of 18 men, researchers at the University of Birmingham found that drinking cocoa improved participants’ ability to quickly solve a series of complex mental tests. The team chalked up the heightened sharpness — including that subjects finished tests up to 11 percent faster — to the brain-boosting compound flavanol, which is found naturally in chocolate, according to the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Stout and chocolate chunk brownies: You read that right. We’re making beer brownies!

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! These brownies are dark, deep and rich – this is for serious chocoholics. The recipe is incredibly easy, light on sugar and made deliciously complex with the addition of stout beer. Yes. There’s beer in these brownies!
Stout and Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Ingredients:
1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup sorghum
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup stout beer
1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-by-9-inch pan with butter and flour.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and eggs until light, then add sorghum, vanilla and beer, mixing thoroughly to combine. It will be lumpy – that’s normal! Add the dry ingredients in stages, mixing just until combined.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan, then sprinkle in half of the chocolate chunks and the walnuts. Top with remaining batter and then sprinkle top with remaining chocolate and more nuts if you’d like.
Bake brownies for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a bit of batter and crumbs. Allow to cool on a rack and turn the brownies out on a flat surface to cut into squares. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar if you like!
Recipe by Emmy-winning host Catherine Neville, publisher of Feast Magazine and producer of tasteMAKERS, as published in Wire.Lee.net.
The Best Fancy Chocolate Bars

No matter who you’re shopping for (even if you’re treating yourself), you can’t go wrong with chocolate. Craft chocolate bars make an excellent gift, as they’re often packaged in beautiful boxes that don’t require extra gift wrapping and offer a sweet indulgence to the lucky gift recipient. From single origin dark chocolate bars to creations featuring fun inclusions like doughnuts and cereal, these are the best fancy chocolate bars to gift this holiday season. Check out these suggestions, click here.
15 of the Best Chocolate Subscription Boxes to Gift Family and Friends (Or, You Know, Yourself)

Feel like you could use a little bit of comfort delivered to your doorstep these days? Fortunately, you can have exactly that, if you sign up for a chocolate subscription box—an ingenious service that sends a steady supply of high-quality chocolate straight to your home, so you can eat your feelings whenever you want. Yep, there’s a subscription box for everything. However, there is an overwhelming number of options out there, so a little guidance might go a long way to helping you select the package that best satisfies your sweet tooth. Just pick one of these winners, (click here), and you’ll be able to curl up with scrumptious chocolate on the regular.
The Best Dark Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate should be your go-to gift this holiday season as chocolatiers report a pandemic-driven run on chocolate, especially ones that evoke nostalgia. It’s no surprise that chocolates that inspire warm, positive memories are so popular during such a trying time. Says Wendy Lieu, co-owner of Socola Chocolates, “Taste and smell have a visceral power to transport people to memories when they felt safe, seen, and loved.” She’s right on—transport your loved ones with these sumptuous, silken dark chocolate offerings. Click, here, for the Holiday Gift Guide for the “best dark chocolate truffles”.
Ferrero To Build Its First North American Chocolate Manufacturing Center In Bloomington, Illinois
Ferrero To Build Its First North American Chocolate Manufacturing Center In Bloomington, Illinois
Ferrero North America, part of the global confectionery company Ferrero Group, today announced plans to build a new chocolate manufacturing center in Bloomington, Illinois. It will be Ferrero’s first chocolate production plant in North America.
The Healthiest and Easiest Ways to Get Your Chocolate Fix
The Healthiest and Easiest Ways to Get Your Chocolate Fix
If you don’t satisfy the craving with healthy chocolate snacks, you may end up binging on chocolaty sweets that will ruin your mood and add to your waistline. While there are many health benefits attributed by the cacao bean, the added ingredients to make chocolate (processed sugar and often dairy) are unhealthy. Check out these 10 healthy snacks, here.
Chicago candy icon Fannie May celebrating 100th anniversary with new flavors, redesigned stores
Chicago candy icon Fannie May celebrating 100th anniversary with new flavors, redesigned stores
A beloved Chicago chocolate and candy icon celebrates a hundred years in business this year. Fannie May has more than 50 stores in the Midwest – most of them in Illinois. As part of their anniversary, they’re re-designing stores and adding a few new flavors.
Cocoa mixes keep about two years if sealed tightly.
Higher quality cocoa powder may not keep as long because it has more fat, which may oxidize.
Chocolate is good news for stroke and heart attack patients.
Compounds in cocoa appear to have an aspirin-like effect, improving circulation and making blood less likely to clot.
It is possible that the word “chocolate” derives from the Maya verb, “chokola’j”.
“Chokola’j” means “to drink together”.
During Marie Antoinette’s reign, chocolate parties became fashionable.
These parties, called chocolat du roi, were social events to which only the very elite were invited.
When pairing wines with chocolate, the wine should be at least as sweet as the chocolate you’re serving it with.
Cocoa has 550 flavor compounds after fermentation, drying, roasting, and conching.
A carrot has 96 flavor compounds!
How do you know if chocolate is tempered?
Drizzle some chocolate on a piece of wax paper. Place in front of a fan. If the chocolate starts to set in about three minutes, it is tempered.
Spanish princess Maria Theresa, who married Louis XIV in 1660, said…
“Chocolate and the King are my only passions.”
Cacao trees produce pods containing pulp-covered seeds.
The seeds, once fermented and dried, are processed into chocolate.
The Hershey Bar was introduced in 1900.
It cost five cents!
Happy National Chocolate Day! October 28, 2020
Happy National Chocolate Day! October 28, 2020
The Toxic Ingredient in Chocolate You Need to Know About
The Toxic Ingredient in Chocolate You Need to Know About
Cacao + sugar + a few other things = a food we all know and love: chocolate. It is commonly known that a diet high in chocolate candy can be bad for your health because of the high amount of sugar. But that isn’t the only thing making chocolate potentially harmful to your health. Although cacao is a natural ingredient derived from seeds, it can also carry some toxic properties. This is because of the soil the potentially toxic ingredient in chocolate is grown in. Much of the world’s cacao trees are located in Latin America. Here there are more traces of cadmium, a metal that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and even kidney disease, according to the CDC. A team of researchers from Ecuador and Belgium are now looking to develop ways to reduce the amount of cadmium that ultimately ends up in cacao beans, according to a new report in the Journal of Environmental Quality.
The trendy hot chocolate bomb you can get at Costco!

There’s a new trend spreading across TikTok, and it has everything to do with one of the best classic drinks of the winter holiday season. These trendy hot chocolate bombs from Costco are already getting people excited for a mug. It’s the perfect way to snuggle up for a cozy winter night. Whether you prefer hot chocolate or hot cocoa, this product combines both into one, and it’s oh-so-satisfying to watch. Those who love a good bath bomb will love this new Costco item — which is essentially an edible version — even more. Glamour states that the Cocoa Bombs are simply chocolate spheres that melt in warm milk. Once the chocolate subsides, it releases hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and other flavors and treats into your mug. It’s certainly a luxurious and aesthetically pleasing way to enjoy a chocolatey beverage. According to Delish, each 16-count box is only $19, making them a little more than $1 each. Each bomb is festively wrapped in red, green, gold, or silver foil, so these small treats could be the perfect hostess gift to stock up on before the holiday season begins. Though you might think it’s hard to beat classic hot cocoa, there are actually a few different flavors in the boxes of bombs. The variety box includes flavors such as milk chocolate, salted caramel, strawberry, and s’mores. The only thing you might want to pick up to add to your cup once it’s all mixed together is some whipped cream.
S’mores Hot Chocolate Bomb

Hot chocolate bombs are the new way to enjoy the beverage — here’s how to make them! Move over coffee ice! TikTok has given the world another hot, new trend and this time, it’s the tastiest way to usher in cooler weather! Social media enthusiasts are ditching cocoa powder mixes and taking hot cocoa to the next level this season with hot chocolate bombs. But what exactly are they? Hot chocolate bombs are pretty simple. Each bomb is a hollow chocolate sphere that’s filled with mini marshmallows and cocoa mix. You put the chocolate orb into an empty mug and pour hot milk on top until the chocolate begins to melt. When the chocolate shell begins to melt into the milk, the marshmallows from the interior float to the surface. After a quick stir, you’ve got yourself the perfect sweet treat! Here’s a recipe for “S’mores Hot Chocolate Bomb! Click, here, for other recipes for “The Bomb”!
Cathy Ortiz’s S’mores Hot Chocolate Bomb
Ingredients:
Compound chocolate
Graham crackers
S’mores hot cocoa mix
Mini marshmallows
Instructions:
Melt your compound chocolate in a bowl (if you’re an expert, you can also temper the chocolate).
Brush your silicone mold with two coats of chocolate and let it dry.
After they’ve dried, remove the hardened halves from their mold and heat the edges of one side with a hot plate so the rim is melted and even.
Put a tablespoon of s’mores hot cocoa mix inside that half of the sphere along with as many marshmallows as you can fit (toasting optional, but recommended).
Heat the rim of the second half on a hot plate and connect both halves together so it forms a complete sphere.
Melt more of the chocolate compound and put it into a piping bag. Drizzle chocolate on top of the dried hot cocoa bomb and top off with some finely grated graham crackers for the full s’mores effect.
As published on TODAY.COM.
Foodies are losing their minds over ‘hot chocolate bombs’ that explode when warm milk is poured over them – oozing cocoa and tiny marshmallows
Foodies are losing their minds over ‘hot chocolate bombs’ that explode when warm milk is poured over them – oozing cocoa and tiny marshmallows
Millions of foodies are obsessed with a DIY ‘hot chocolate bomb’ which cracks open when it comes into contact with warm milk, revealing a sweet surprise. Self-taught baker Jen from Sweets by Jen shared a video showcasing what the decadent dessert can do, with a number of Australians commenting on how ‘amazing’ it is. The footage from Jen’s kitchen in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has gone viral on social media with more than 15million views to date. Click, here, to view video.
Ultimate Bakery-style Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is the result of weeks of testing and countless bags of chocolate chips to produce what is thought to be the ultimate chocolate chip cookie! If you want a cookie that’s thick, chewy, filled with chocolate chips and big, this is it! Crispy on the exterior but gooey on the inside. And the perfect combo of sweet and salty, too.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 13 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups White Lily All-Purpose Flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (10- to 12-ounce) bag mini-semi-sweet chocolate chips
flaky/kosher salt
Instructions:
Combine the cold, cubed butter, white sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and use a mixer to combine — 3 to 5 minutes — or until completely mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another large bowl, measure 3 cups of flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off before adding it to the bowl. Add the baking soda, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon salt and whisk to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture all at once. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a light-colored cookie sheet with parchment paper.
After the dough has chilled, use a food scale to measure out 6 ounces of dough for each cookie. Place 2 to 3 dough balls 6 to 8 inches apart on the prepared pan and sprinkle with a generous pinch of coarse or flaky salt. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and just set. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving the entire piece of parchment, with the cookies on it, to a wire rack to cool. Work in batches to bake the remaining dough, being sure to keep it refrigerated until it gets baked.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days. For warm cookies, reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Notes
White Lily All-Purpose Flour is important to the success of this recipe because of its low protein content. If you can’t find it in your area, see notes above, which suggest an acceptable replacement.
This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com and published recently on AlabamaNewsCenter.com.
Triple Chocolate Mocha Shortbread Cookies

Celebrate National Homemade Cookies Day and International Coffee Day with these coffee cookies from Maria Provenzano (or make them any time of the year!).
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MOCHA SHORTBREAD COOKIES
INGREDIENTS :
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
DRIZZLE:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
DIRECTIONS:
In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the butter and sugar and mix together until well combined and lighter in texture.
Stir in the vanilla.
In another bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, cinnamon, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue to mix until well combined being careful not to over mix. It’s ok if it looks crumbly as long as it comes together when you squeeze it in your hands.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Separate the dough evenly and half and form two balls. Roll each fall in between parchment paper to about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.
Place in the refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes or until the dough is easy to work with.
Use a circle cookie cutter that is about 3 inches, or any shape you desire, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Use a sharp knife to cut a rectangle shape in the cookie as the slit of the cookie that will sit on the side of the mug; make sure you know how thick your mug is prior to cutting.
Bake about 18-20 minutes, depending on thickness and how cold the dough is.
Once the cookies have cooled, make the chocolate to drizzle on top.
Melt together the chocolate chips with the coconut oil either in a double boiler or in the microwave and drizzle it over top of the cookies.
As published on HallmarkChannel.com.
Popeyes Debuts Chocolate-Filled Beignets

The New Orleans-born fried chicken chain has quietly debuted chocolate-stuffed beignets. While the new item is currently available in just a few locations, Popeyes says it will “eventually” be added to menus nationwide. Where they are reportedly on the menu, at restaurants in and around Boston, Massachusetts, the fried-to-order beignets come in three-, six-, and 12-piece options for $1.99, $3.99, and $7.49, respectively (though prices may be different when they are added elsewhere). There’s no word yet on when the new dessert will be available in locations nationwide or if they will be a temporary or permanent addition.
Enna Chocolate named one of the country’s best

Fine chocolate flavor occurs at the intersection of art and science, and these two realms are equally fascinating! The chocolate-maker must use her palate and knowledge to finesse the best flavors out of her beans: balancing acidity, astringency, bitterness, earthiness, and other elements. And Enna Chocolate does just that. Enna Grazier, in Megan Giller’s new book, “Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: America’s Craft Chocolate Revival”, was named one of the country’s top 50 bean-to-bar chocolate makers. Check out Enna Chocolate at EnnaChocolate.com.
Chocolate Brown Nail Polish Is Turning Out To Be This Season’s It-Shade

If you’re feeling a little bored by fall’s usual trends, you’re not alone. The same shades dancing across lips, lids, and nails year after year can be tiring. So, if you can’t bear to look at wine-colored manicure or another pumpkin-colored anything, you’ll be pleased to know chocolate brown nail polish will never let you down. Far from boring, this shade will easily last you through the rest of 2020.
Frozen Hot Chocolate

Love Hot Chocolate? Make this icy cold version! This frozen cold chocolate or Frappuccino is so refreshing that you’ll excuse “the weather Gods” for not bringing winters in sooner. After trying it once, you would want to make it again and again to enjoy its delicious and creamy taste.
Frozen Hot Chocolate
To make the creamy and frothy cold chocolate, mix sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and cinnamon powder together and pour hot milk over it to make a smooth paste. Then blend the chocolate paste with milk and ice together till the ice is crushed. Remember, the milk should be hot, not just-boiled. And that’s it, just top the drink with whipped cream; you can also decorate it with grated chocolate, and refresh yourself. (Watch the video detailed instructions, HERE).
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate and peanut butter come together in a most excellent pie. Those Reese’s folks got it right. There’s nothing better than a good peanut butter/chocolate combo. And, when it comes in pie form, well that’s just about the top of the PB/chocolate mountain. The filling is poured into a pre-made chocolate cookie crust, so, really, it comes together in no time flat.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie
Makes 1 9-inch pie.
Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cups whipping cream
1 (9-inch) chocolate cookie pie shells
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
Directions:
1. With an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and cream cheese until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Blend in the vanilla.
2. Beat the whipping cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and spoon evenly into the pie shells. Freeze for 30 minutes or longer.
3. Mix the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture on frozen pie. Freeze until serving time.
As published in TheAdvocate.com.
Must See Video: 5ft-Tall Telescope Made With Chocolate – Looks Too Good To Eat!
Must See Video: 5ft-Tall Telescope Made With Chocolate – Looks Too Good To Eat!
A pastry chef from Las Vegas has built a five feet tall telescope in his kitchen that is made entirely with chocolate. Take a look! (click HERE)
Real life Russell Stover given chocolate-themed wedding by candy brand
Real life Russell Stover given chocolate-themed wedding by candy brand
Jessica Russell and Rich Stover had one chocolatey wedding. A bride and groom were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime wedding because of their respective last names: Russell and Stover. Bride Jessica Russell and her husband, Rich Stover, were given a chocolate affair to remember after American chocolatier Russell Stover caught wind of the pair’s unique surname combination.
Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortez, found Aztec Indians using cacao beans to prepare a drink.
The drink was called “xocolatl” which means “warm liquid”.
Which countries salute chocolate on their national coat of arms?
Fiji features a cacao pod and Ghana features a cacao tree.
It takes 5 years before cacao trees begin bearing fruit in the form of pods.
Use a pizza cutter to keep brownies looking their best.
Knives tend to crunch and crack brownies when serving.
Use a pizza cutter to keep brownies looking their best.
In 1860, a Ghirardelli worker accidentally discovered a way to make fat-free cocoa powder.
Ground cacao beans were hanging in a cotton bag overnight. By morning, the floor was covered in cocoa butter that had dripped from the bag.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing

A cake without frosting is like spaghetti without sauce or a hot dog without a bun. You can separate them, sure. But why would you want to? So try this recipe for your chocolate cake.
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
MAKES: About 2½ cups, or enough frosting for 1 (10-inch) round cake or 18 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa, sifted
Directions:
Cut butter into tablespoons. Fill a medium saucepan with 1½ inches water, bring to a boil, and lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Place egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a metal mixing bowl. (Use the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one.) Place bowl on saucepan, making sure bottom doesn’t touch water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is opaque and bubbly and reads 160-165 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan.
Use an electric mixer with whisk attachment to beat mixture on high speed until it is white and fluffy with stand-up peaks and bowl is no longer warm, 4 minutes. With mixer running, add butter a tablespoon at a time, scraping down sides with a spatula. Beat in vanilla and cocoa until fully incorporated. If buttercream looks soupy, ingredients are too hot. Set bowl in refrigerator to cool and beat again. If it looks dense or curdled, ingredients are too cold. Put bowl back over simmering water until it starts to melt at edges. Beat until it comes back together. Frosting can be frozen in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature and beat until smooth.
—Adapted from “Simple Cake” by Odette Williams, as published in The Wall Street Journal.
Chocolatey Chocolate Cake – without icing!

This Chocolate Cake Recipe Is So Good, It Needs No Frosting!
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
MAKES: 1 (10-inch) round cake or (12-by-4-by-3-inch) loaf cake.
Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing pan
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
½ cup grapeseed oil or neutral oil
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-by-3-inch round pan (not springform) or a 12-by-4-by-3-inch loaf pan with butter, line bottom and sides with parchment paper and grease paper.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar.
In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Gradually add wet ingredients and whisk until smooth, with no lumps. Stir in boiling water to combine.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in center of oven until a wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean and cake bounces back when lightly pressed, about 50 minutes for round pan, 35 minutes for loaf pan.
Remove cake from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around cake to gently release. Peel parchment from sides. Invert cake onto a wire rack and peel off bottom piece of parchment.
—Adapted from “Simple Cake” by Odette Williams, as published in The Wall Street Journal.
Oreo Monster Decorating Cookie Kit

The Oreo Monster Decorating Kit comes complete with pre-baked Oreo Cookie pieces, pre-made icing, Mini Oreo cookies, and an assortment of colorful candies for decorating. Check it out on Amazon.
Oreo® Spooky Graveyard Chocolate Cookie Kit

Decorate your own frighteningly delicious spooky graveyard with this Oreo cookie kit. Use icing and assorted candy pieces to decorate a mausoleum and tombstones to create a haunted graveyard. This will make a wonderful project and display this Halloween. Check it out at Michaels.
14 ‘Healthy’ Chocolate Snacks to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Made from the seeds of the cocoa tree, chocolate has been shown to stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, including endorphins and serotonin. Thus, it’s no surprise that you may find yourself craving a chocolatey snack from time to time. However, not all chocolate products are created equal. Many are high in calories, added sugars, and highly processed ingredients. Whether you’re in the mood for a simple chocolate bar or something crunchy to munch on, when buying a chocolate snack, you want to consider the product’s nutritional content and ingredient quality. The products on this list were selected based on the following criteria: nutritional content, ingredient quality, additive content, such as preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, and taste. Click, here, to see the list of the 14 best “healthy” chocolate snacks to satisfy your sweets cravings.
Guittard Chocolate Company Announces Launch of New “Mindful Choices” Chocolate

Family-owned Guittard Chocolate Company, the San Francisco-based premium chocolate company with a more than 150-year history of crafting exceptional chocolate and cocoa, announces the launch of its new Mindful Choices chocolate—a new line designed to unite the artistry of chocolate with evolving dietary awareness. The new Mindful Choices collection introduces Beyond Sugar, an innovative new series of chocolate crafted with sugar alternatives, and includes Absolute Chocolate, a selection of classic Guittard products that celebrate cacao’s naturally bold character. The new line aims to expand possibilities in both flavor and function while providing solutions to customers interested in suiting a wide range of dietary preferences and needs. Guittard’s Mindful Choices line will be available for purchase directly through Guittard and its distributors beginning in September 2020. Click, here, to see various options.
A Huge Chocolate Museum With The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain Opens
A Huge Chocolate Museum With The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain Opens
Lindt is opening a new Willy Wonka-style chocolate museum and tour, and rumour has it Grandpa Joe may actually hop out of bed for this one. While we can’t promise you Oompa Loompas or Mr Wonka himself, from September 13 this magical museum will offer guests a unique insight into the wonderful world of chocolate. Lindt Home of Chocolate is located in Kilchberg, Switzerland and just like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, you’ll learn all about the history and production of their legendary bars, truffles. and pralines. Fortunately, you won’t need a golden ticket to enter, just a regular one that you can purchase.
Lisa Donovan’s Chocolate Chess Pie

Makes Two 10” Pies, One for your hostess, One for your holiday hangover breakfast.
INGREDIENTS:
2 prepared, unbaked and frozen pie shells (see Lisa’s Pie Dough Recipe)
12 Medium or Large Eggs
6 cups Sugar
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
8 oz Butter
4 oz Finely Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 Vanilla Bean
3 cups Buttermilk
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and place in a medium saucepan with the butter and chocolate. Over low heat, melt the chocolate mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and combined with the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Whisk all the dry ingredients together, breaking up all lumps.
Whisk eggs and buttermilk together and combine with the dry ingredients, whisking until well combined.
Slowly whisk in the butter/chocolate mixture until well combined.
Pour the batter into a frozen pie shell. Place in oven bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Bake until set, about 40 minutes.
As published in The Splendid Table.
Happy International Chocolate Day! September 13, 2020
Happy International Chocolate Day! September 13, 2020