When enjoying a chocolate bar, most people don’t think about how the molecules within it are organized. But different arrangements of the fats in chocolate can influence its taste and texture. Now, researchers have found that the side of a chocolate bar facing the mold has a more orderly crystalline structure than the side facing air, knowledge that might help chocolatiers produce tastier confections, the researchers say.
If you could condense your home state into a single flavor, what would it be? Chocolatier Phillip Ashley Rix thinks Missouri, for example, tastes like vanilla custard—at least, based on his new Taste of America chocolate collection, with 50 unique pieces of chocolate to represent the 50 states. Click, HERE, and find the list of states and their chocolate flavors.
When Charles Henry Harrod coined his store’s catchphrase in 1849, it is safe to assume that he did not foresee the consequences that would unfold 172 years later. Harrods’ motto of “Omnia Omnibus Ubique” translates from the Latin, less catchily, as “all things for all people, everywhere.” So imagine a department store floor just for chocolate. And not only that, but, London’s most iconic department store is selling a single bar of chocolate for £350 ($491). Never has the intention to be inclusive been more exclusive.
The meteoric rise in palm oil prices is poised to inflate costs for everyone from restaurants to confectionery and cosmetic manufacturers, and could potentially change consumption patterns.
A Maryland candy company is selling chocolate covered cicadas to celebrate the emergence of the noisy insects that have spent the last 17 years underground. Chouquette Chocolates is selling the cicadas — dipped in either milk or dark chocolate — online, but it also posted the recipe on its Facebook page for brave chefs looking for something to do with the bugs.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta tell us how eating certain types of chocolate can help us live to 100 (click, HERE, for video presentation).
The Hershey Company has signed an agreement to acquire Lily’s, health conscious chocolate company. Lily’s makes low-sugar products include dark and milk chocolate bars, baking chips, peanut butter cups and other confection products that align with Hershey’s multi-pronged better-for-you snacking strategy.
Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report “Chocolate Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 – 2026)” – https://www.reportlinker.com/p06067779/?utm_source=GNW. Consumers’ in-home consumption of chocolates witnessed a steep rise during the lockdown. Chocolates, among other consumables, were bought in bulk, which led to higher volume sales through supermarkets and hypermarkets. On the other hand, the premium sector of the global chocolate market was severely affected by low sales volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to supply-side issues linked to quality and certification. Consequently, varied public sectors provided support to the strengthening partnership between fine cocoa producers and chocolate companies to enhance the resilience of marketing infrastructure. In 2020, the chocolate market witnessed an inclination toward the darker varieties of chocolate, as consumers showed preference for them over other varieties, on account of better health benefits, lower in calories, and altering perception toward premiumization.
The Hershey Company has issued a voluntary recall for its Hershey’s Chocolate Shell Topping after at least 1,700 bottles were incorrectly filled with Heath Shell Topping, which contains almonds. The recall notice, which was posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and also on Hershey’s website, says that the 7.25-oz bottles containing the almonds were shipped nationwide between April 15 and May 3 with the product code 25JSAS1. Anyone with an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds may be at risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the recalled products. The recall notice says that the “situation arose due to an isolated error at a contract manufacturing facility,” and Hershey took “immediate steps” to ensure the issue did not occur again. There have been no reports of illness or injury, according to the recall notice.
In 1937, Pablo Picasso channeled fierce anti-fascist and anti-militaristic sentiment into an 11.5- by 25.5-foot painting titled Guernica, rendering the horrors of war in stark geometry and shades of gray, black and white. The iconic mural has since inspired countless imitations in other mediums, including a fiber-art version and one composed entirely out of Legos. Compared with its peers, the latest rendition of Guernica is significantly sweeter. As Vincent West and Nathan Allen report for Reuters, confectioners in Spain’s Basque Country recently created an all-chocolate version of the Cubist masterpiece in honor of the 85th anniversary of the April 1937 bombing that inspired the mural. To see what it looks like, click here.
There’s no better dessert for the pseudo-healthy than dark chocolate. The age-old myth about dark chocolate is that it is a relatively healthy dessert option. In fact, rumor has it that dark chocolate isn’t just less unhealthy, but that it might have some nutritional value of its own—a rich combination of beneficial antioxidants.
Chocolate is a beloved treat, but sometimes the cocoa beans that go into bars and other sweets have unpleasant flavors or scents, making the final products taste bad. Surprisingly, only a few compounds associated with these stinky odors are known. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have identified the two compounds that cause musty, moldy scents in cocoa — work that can help chocolatiers ensure the quality of their products.
In the pandemic, there has been a lot of emphasis on healthy eating. Experts have always insisted that your health and immunity are directly dependent on the food you eat. As such, the government has listed some food items on its mygovindia Twitter handle, which it recommends you consume to boost your natural immunity amid the Covid crisis. Read on (CLICK “HERE“)
A Belgian chocolate company that put white masks on its Easter bunnies a year ago is now producing large chocolate syringes as it tries to keep step with the evolving trend of the coronavirus pandemic. And as Belgium steps up its vaccination campaign against COVID-19, specialist confectioner Cocoatree is also touting the natural health benefits of chocolate as a kind of “vaccine” in its own right against certain conditions. To see what the bunnies with syringes look like and how they are made, click, “here“.
This 6-inch chocolate cake is completely vegan and made with a handful of ingredients: oat milk, dark chocolate, vanilla paste, applesauce, flour, plant-based butter, sugar and salt. Pro tip: serve it with raspberry compote or fresh raspberries for a nice zing to balance the rich chocolate flavor. Buy it plantanationwide.com for $20.
Choose from a dozen different flavors to build your 4-pack of mini 4-inch pies, with chocolatey options including Petee’s signature Salty Chocolate Chess Chocolate and Coconut Chess. If you’re having trouble narrowing it down to just four flavors, they’re also selling 8- and 12-packs. Buy it, here, for $49 for a 4-pack.
The babka from Breads Bakery in New York City is legendary, and for good reason. They bake them all day, every day, using French cultured butter, Nutella and Belgian dark chocolate chips. These are shipped via Goldbelly just a few hours after they’re taken out of the oven, so that they arrive fresh. This 3-pack ensures you’ll have enough to gift at the family brunch and save one for yourself. Buy it, here, for $49.95 for a 3-pack.
Show someone special how much you love them, with this heart-shaped chocolate cake. The fluffy cake comes unfrosted with a spatula and a bag of rich chocolate frosting, so you can pop on the frosting, put it on a nice plate and no one will know you didn’t actually bake it yourself. Buy it at portillos.com for $43.99.
Need I say more? This boozy chocolatey, nutty pie from a gourmet pie shop in Norwalk, Connecticut is a National Pie Championship award winner. It has a flaky crust and a bourbon chocolate filling topped with chopped pecans held together with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Buy it, here, at $64.
This beautiful chocolate cake is gluten-free and dairy-free and can also be made vegan. Pinewood Kitchen is all about health-conscious, allergy friendly food that tastes delicious. This cake is made with PW flour, a gluten-free house flour that Pinewood uses in their baked goods. Find it at Pinewood Kitchen for $65.
This decadent dessert is a traditional specialty from Engadine, Switzerland. It’s made with roasted pecans and creamy caramel, which are baked between layers of buttery sugar dough. The torte is then sliced and covered in Swiss milk or dark chocolate. It’s a dessert that’s not commonly found in dessert shops in the U.S., and the version from André’s is definitely worth a try. Find it at Andreschocolates.com for $58.
Maman’s Nutty Chocolate Chip cookies are some of the best out there (gooey, chocolatey, delicious), and you can enjoy them straight out of the oven with this cookie dough set. You get two dough logs per package (enough to make 20-24 cookies) and you have the option to mix and match flavors like Nutty Chocolate Chip, Salted Nutella Crunch and Brown Butter Coconut Oatmeal. The cookie dough is made to order and this gift comes packaged in a cute blue and white box tied with twine. You can find it at mamannyc.com for $49.
Treat yourself to a brownie tasting that you can enjoy in the comfort of your home. The gift set includes four different single origin brownies, a bamboo tasting board and a tasting guide. The brownies are made with single origin, organic milk and dark chocolate from the Esmeraldas and Manabí provinces in Ecuador. Find them at KokakChocolates.com for $50.
Chocolate Necco Wafers are making a return to New England, the Spangler Candy Company announced Monday. Rolls of the candy will be handed out at two points along the Boston Marathon route on Patriots’ Day in an effort to “fill the absence of something iconic with something nostalgic,” according to the company.
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 Beyond Sugar chocolate—a line designed to unite the artistry of chocolate making with evolving dietary awareness. The keto- and paleo-friendly line includes a new innovative baking chip sweetened with organic coconut sugar, in addition to a reimagined Guittard 100% cacao chocolate chip that celebrates cacao’s naturally bold character. Guittard’s Beyond Sugar line will be available for purchase directly through guittard.com beginning March 2021 and at Whole Foods Market stores and other retailers nationwide beginning this summer.
Spangler Candy Company announced today the return of the iconic Necco Chocolate Wafer Roll, available online and in-store this spring. An established fan-favorite since 1847, Necco Wafers have stood the test of time as one of the oldest candy brands in existence. While the Original rolls offer eight different flavors and colors, when consumers unwrap the Chocolate Roll, they will delight in finding 40 all-chocolate wafers for their enjoyment. Since their inception, Necco Wafers have been enjoyed by fans of all ages. They were even carried by soldiers during the Civil War and also sustained explorers on expeditions to the North and South Poles in the early 1900s. During World War II, the U.S. government requisitioned a major portion of Necco Wafers production for morale boosting. The candy was perfect for shipping to troops overseas since it doesn’t melt and is easy to carry. Today, the Chocolate Rolls are available for purchase in single rolls or 24 count trays online at SpanglerCandy.com and will be available at select retailers this spring.
Many of us start their day with a cup of coffee and end it with a piece of dark chocolate. There are reasons why something typically referred to as junk food or addiction might be slightly healthier than people give it credit for. There are potential health benefits you can expect from eating a moderate amount of dark chocolate or drinking coffee on your skin and hair. High quality dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, iron, fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium and other minerals. Coffee is loaded with antioxidants as well.
For the second year in a row, Easter was largely online affair, with socially distanced egg hunts and virtual church services. But there was one notable difference in Britain. Domestic chocolate makers, who should be celebrating one of their busiest times of year, were fuming instead, and all of them cite the same cause: Brexit.
WOODHAVEN, Mich. — Police are searching for five men who poured chocolate syrup over merchandise at a Michigan Target then left the store. Surveillance video shows the group go to the seasonal area of the store around at 10 p.m. last Friday, pour Hershey’s syrup over myriad products and then leave the store. They were in the store for about 10 minutes and caused about $1,000 worth of damage, authorities said.
There is research to support that chocolate or cocoa could act as a laxative (Nutrition & Metabolism, April 18, 2012). Eat an ounce or so of dark chocolate and you could be in the bathroom within about 20 minutes! The authors of the study conclude that “regular consumption of cocoa products increases dietary fiber intake and … improves bowel habits.” Researchers have also shown that probiotic chocolate can improve bowel function in constipated rats (Food Research International, February 2019).
Swiss scientists have broken down the aromas of cocoa and chocolate and identified poop as one of the major scents.
First there was Atkins diet, then keto, and a range of raw and other dietary fads. These days, gut health is all the rage. And the best way to take care of the good microorganisms in the gut, according to doctors and research, is to nourish them with healthy foods.
Sleep is something everybody wants more of these days. Despite the fact that our bodies are capable of basically growing a new skeleton every 10 years, something as seemingly small as eating the wrong thing before bed can really mess them up. Two experts name the foods to avoid eating late at night, and both agreed that chocolate before bed is a no good, very bad idea.
It’s almost Easter, and apart from enjoying traditional chocolate Easter eggs, we think that chocolate mendiants should also be part of this festive day. Making mendiants requires some technical skills but with our instructions, you should find it straightforward to transform plain chocolate into an elegant dessert. It is surely a perfect gift for every chocolate lover. For the recipe and complete directions, with photos, click HERE. ENJOY!!!
Tamar Fasja Unikel, co-owner of Masa Madre bakery in Chicago, grew up in a tight-knit Jewish community in Mexico City where Passover was a very big deal. One of her aunts, Adela, started making this cake 35 years ago and it’s now a part of Unikel’s holiday table too. At Masa Madre she and her partner Elena Vazquez Felgueres pay homage to their Mexican heritage by frosting the cake with ganache enriched with the flavors of café de olla, a combination of ground coffee, piloncillo, and cinnamon. This cake gets better throughout the week, whether cold from the fridge or warmed before serving. It can be made parve/dairy-free by subbing in margarine or vegan butter for the butter and cream.
Ingredients:
CAKE
7 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 cup (150 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1¼ cups (125 g) raw pecans, plus chopped for serving
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (125 g) almond flour or meal
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
6 large eggs
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
GANACHE AND ASSEMBLY
1½ cups (150 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. finely ground espresso or other dark roast coffee
½ tsp. cinnamon, preferably Ceylon
½ tsp. grated piloncillo or light or dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt
Preparation:
CAKE
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly butter a 9×5″ loaf pan; line with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on long sides. Butter parchment. Combine chocolate and remaining 7 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter in a medium bowl and set over a large saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Heat chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and set chocolate mixture aside.
Step 2
Pulse pecans in a food processor until somewhat finely ground (it’s okay if there are some coarser pieces). Pulse in almond meal and salt; set aside.
Step 3
Beat eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, gradually stream in sugar and beat until mixture is very pale and nearly doubled in volume, about 1 minute. Stream in reserved chocolate mixture and beat until no streaks remain. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in reserved pecan mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape bottom of bowl, until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan and tap pan on counter to remove any air bubbles.
Step 4
Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan.
GANACHE AND ASSEMBLY
Step 5
As soon as the cake is almost cool, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream, corn syrup, coffee, cinnamon, and piloncillo in a small saucepan to a faint simmer over medium heat. Pour over chocolate, whisking constantly until melted and smooth. Add butter and salt and whisk until butter is melted and ganache is shiny and smooth. Let cool until thickened slightly, 15–30 minutes.
Step 6
Turn cake out onto a large plate or cake stand and turn right side up. Pour ganache over (it should flow over the sides but not quite hit the plate). Scatter chopped pecans over as desired; chill until ganache is set, 10–15 minutes.
As published in BONAPPETIT.COM
What’s better than paleo chocolate chip cookies? Well, it has to be Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies made from sourdough discard as they are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients:
½ cup (100g) refined coconut oil, softened, similar in texture to softened butter
⅔ cup (96g) coconut sugar
1 flax egg (see Notes) or regular egg, room temperature
½ cup (125g) mature gluten-free sourdough starter, unfed (see Notes)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups + 2 tablespoons (204g) blanched almond flour
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle on top, optional
Method:
Mix together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until smooth and lightened slightly in color. Add the flax egg (or regular egg), vanilla extract, and sourdough discard, and mix until smooth.
Add the almond flour, salt, and baking soda to the wet ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to 48 hours).
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Use a cookie scoop (using this size will give you 12 cookies, using this smaller size will give you about 20) to form cookies and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet; press down slightly.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Bake for about 10 or until just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the discard: don’t use discard that is from a super new starter – it should be smelling good and at least a week old. The starter does not need to be active, and should be fed with about 100% hydration.
(Recipe: Rachel Conners, Instagram/bakeritablog as published in HINDUSTANTIMES.COM)
Baileys Irish Cream is a staple of the springtime and these chocolates include the familiar rich taste of the drink. The mini eggs come in nine-count boxes and feature a dusting of gold on the outer chocolate shell to make them look just as festive as the foil-wrapped chocolates you know and love. Similar to a chocolate truffle, these eggs have a hard outer shell and a creamy center that is flavored with Baileys. Of course, the inclusion of Irish Cream means these chocolates are meant for those 21 and older and the box itself labels them as a “grown-up treat.” You can buy boxes of these chocolates from Carrolls Irish Gifts for for $12. For those that want something even more special, the site also sells a Baileys Salted Caramel Chocolate Egg that weighs in at almost half a pound.
If you were thinking of companies that might want to increase the value of their shares by buying back stock, Lindt & Sprungli AG would likely come near the bottom of the list. Primary shares in the Swiss chocolate-maker closed at 81,600 Swiss francs ($87,650) a piece March 1, 2021. That’s roughly enough money to buy a brand-new electric Porsche Taycan, or a five-bedroom house with a vineyard in Portugal. The next day, Lindt announced plans to buy back 750 million Swiss francs of equity, edging the shares closer to the record 93,800 franc level they peaked at last February.
A care package is a great way to let someone know you’re thinking of them. A care package containing a chocolate phallus, on the other hand, may be enough to “shock, offend, and frighten” the recipient. That’s the basis of a case filed against Ruin Days, a New York prank company.
Americans eat 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate a year and science reports that chocolate is good for you — well, at least 70% dark chocolate is, in 1-ounce-a-day doses. But that makes folks who vape think chocolate-flavored electronic cigarettes are healthy, too. Far from it. A new study found that of all the lung-polluting elixirs added to e-cigs, chocolate flavor (with a high dose of what the researchers say is benzene-ring flavorings) is the most harmful. According to the study published in the American Journal of Physiology/Lung, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, it delivers a brew of toxins that can kill off lung cells and reduce the ability of your immune system to remove bacteria and regulate inflammation.
Chocolate is the greatest gift to mankind—full stop. You can have it on your birthday via a rich chocolate cake with a luscious ganache, as a beverage when you feel like cozying up with a cup of hot chocolate, or even at the dinner table as a beer-infused sauce for your rib eye. It’s true that incorporating chocolate into your meals is easy, but how to remove chocolate stains from your clothes (when you throw table manners out the window at the mere sight of it—we’ve all been there), is another story. Click, HERE, to discover the way to remove chocolate stains!
Alexia Castellon, Entertainment Editor on NW The Website, asked around which brand of chocolate mint cookies people ate. The most common ones are: Girl Scouts Thin Mints, Oreo Thins Mint Flavor Creme and Keebler Grasshopper Mint & Fudge. After that, she put together a team of cookie enthusiasts and rated the cookies on a scale of 1-5 based on taste, texture, appearance and overall cookie experience. Click, HERE, for the results!
The heart and the brain are undoubtedly two of our body’s most vital organs. Thankfully, taking care of one inadvertently tends to the other. One simple way to support our brain and our heart is by eating nutrient-dense foods—and no, it’s not all fruits and veggies. According to neuroscientist and neurodegenerative disease researcher Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D., dark chocolate is one of the most powerful functional foods we can add to our diet.
For the first time since 1982, average annual chocolate consumption in Switzerland has fallen below the 10 kg per person mark. On average, a Swiss resident munched 9.9 kg of chocolate in 2020, 6.9% less than the year before, according to the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse). This decline was at the expense of Swiss-made chocolate, as the import volume of foreign-made chocolate increased by 1.8%. and its share rose from 41% to 43%. The industry body blames protectionist measures at home for the rising sales of imported chocolates in Switzerland.
Jasmine Harrison, the youngest woman to make the 3,000-mile journey alone, relished the freedom of doing it all by herself. Instead of the ration packs people normally eat on these long journeys, she lived off biscuits and chocolate – “I think I ate 40kg of chocolate,” she laughed – and could choose to avoid rowing in the rain. “I could do what I liked. If it’s raining outside, and I’m in my cabin because I’ve just woken up, I ain’t gonna go out and row.”
Ghirardelli has launched two new better-for-you baking chips. The 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips are now made with 50% less sugar and the 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Chips have no sugar. “Now, consumers can enjoy premium chocolate while reducing or adjusting the overall sugar in any recipe to control their desired sweetness,” the company said. Ghirardelli said the 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips “are made with high quality cocoa beans, real vanilla and 50% less sugar than Ghirardelli’s popular semi-sweet baking chips. With no sugar added, the 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Chips are a true blank canvas for a baking creation.”
The famous chocolate company of central Pennsylvania is unveiling options that allow nearly every chocolate lover to enjoy. Hershey’s announced the sale of organic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey Bars. “The Reese’s brand is quite literally finding ways for everyone to enjoy that same sought-after taste only achieved with a true and unmatched Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter combination,” the Hershey Company said in a release. They’ll be available in milk and dark chocolate, and certified organic by the U.S.D.A. The organic sweet treats will not contain any genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well.
Nestle SA is adding its first vegan milk chocolate to its products as the world’s biggest food company expands beyond meat alternatives. The Swiss food giant will start offering plant-based KitKat bars this year, called KitKat V, according to Alexander von Maillot, head of Nestle’s confectionery business. The product will be for sale online and at selected stores in a handful of markets including the U.K. as a test run before a possible wider rollout. The bar, which uses a rice-based formula as a milk substitute, took about two years to develop. The main challenge in making alternatives to milk chocolate is ensuring it blends well with cocoa and sugar for a creamy texture. Other substitutes, such as soy or almond formulas, can create off-notes, von Maillot said.
The secret to David Lebovitz’s Parisian-style hot chocolate is whole milk and plenty of high-quality dark chocolate. The optional addition of raw or brown sugar lends a wonderful toasty toffee flavor. Mr. Lebovitz recommends making the drink a day or two in advance and storing it in the refrigerator, then rewarming it: The drink gets thicker the longer it sits. Serve it in small tea cups, the way the French do, as this intense hot chocolate packs a punch. To give the hot chocolate a nice frothy texture, zap it with an immersion blender for a few seconds before pouring it into your cup—a technique recommended by both chocolate/cacao scholar Maricel Presilla and Wonderbon Chocolate Co. co-owner Maury Rubin. It’s a worthwhile extra step that gives the drink a light, airy mouthfeel, and it works well with packaged cocoas, too.
Ingredients:
– 2 cups whole milk or neutral plant-based milk, such as Oatly Barista Edition
– 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
– 1-2 tablespoons raw or light brown sugar (optional)
– Whipped cream or marshmallows, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and chocolate, whisking occasionally until chocolate is melted.
Bring mixture almost to a boil, paying close attention. (If it comes to a full boil, it will quickly boil over.) Reduce heat to lowest setting and gently simmer hot chocolate, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
When chocolate is cool enough to sip, add sugar to taste, if using. To serve, pour hot chocolate into cups and top with whipped cream or marshmallows, if using.
—Adapted from “Drinking French” by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press) as published in WSJ.
Hershey recently announced that it will be launching its plant-based sugar chocolates as a part of the ‘Better-for-you’ category with an investment in a company that is developing sugars that have fewer calories than conventional chocolates and a negligible glycemic index impact.
Simran Sethi – she hosts “The Slow Melt” podcast, where she explores all things chocolate. And she reports on the latest episode of NPR’s Life Kit podcast, which is titled How To Savor Chocolate Like A Cocoa Expert. Sethi says the first step to enjoying chocolate like a pro is picking the right bar. For more tips, click, HERE.
Before industrialization, chocolate was expensive and often only consumed by the elite. And, it wasn’t wrapped in the heart-shaped foil we recognize today. “Chocolate for thousands of years has been consumed traditionally as a beverage”. “It was ground with honey as a sweetener and the nibs were ground with a mortar and pestle, like a ground tea.” The chocolate industry was eventually revolutionized by Milton Hershey, who had roots in Philadelphia and brought chocolate to the masses.
A survey from data analytics firm YouGov asked more than 5,000 U.S. adults to name their top chocolate pick, and one type of sweet indulgence was a clear winner: milk chocolate is America’s favorite chocolate by a long shot. Click, HERE, for more details.
Media and popular literature link chocolate and sex-interest in women, but there is little research examining their association. This cross-sectional analysis sought to address this gap by assessing the relation of chocolate-consumption frequency to self-rated interest in sex. Seven-hundred twenty-three (723) Southern California men and women, age >20, completed surveys providing chocolate-consumption frequency (Choc0, x/week) and interest in sex (rated 0-10). Check out the findings by clicking HERE.
Chocolate and strawberries – it is a classic combination and the perfect finish after a great dinner. This dessert combines both and is the ultimate dessert for your upcoming Valentines dinner (or any time of the year!). The recipe is easy, but you need to organize ahead of time as the recipe requires preparation over 2 days. It is all well worth it for this delight! You can choose to buy chocolate decorations instead of making them, which makes the preparation less long. Click, HERE, to see the step-by-step preparation and to find more intriguing recipes to try!
Ingredients:
For the crust:
50 gr speculoos
30 gr butter
For the filling:
90 gr milk chocolate pistoles
½ tbsp honey
60 gr cream
180 gr cream cold (day 2)
For the compote:
150 gr fresh strawberries
25 gr coconut sugar
1 pc gelatine leaf
1 pinch freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
For the garnish:
Fresh strawberries
120 gr milk chocolate optional
Method:
Day 1
• Prepare the ganache:
Bring 60gr of cream with the honey to a boil and pour it over the chocolate to create chocolate Chantilly. Leave it 3 minutes before stirring to combine and obtain a smooth and shiny texture. Place a cling film on top then refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare the crust:
Process the speculoos to crumbs with the help of a food processor. Add the butter and blend together to combine.
Arrange this mixture into a mould, press it down and bake at 150°C for 8 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate in the mould.
• Prepare the chocolate decoration: (optional)
Place the chocolate in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the chocolate is half melted, half solid; then quickly stir to melt the milk chocolate completely.
Pour the chocolate on a plastic sheet and cover with a second sheet. With a rolling pin spread the chocolate to a thin layer and let it set. Cut the forms of your choice and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Transfer the chocolate decoration into a sealed container and keep below 24 degrees.
Day 2
• Prepare the strawberry compote:
Clean and cut the strawberries and keep 8-10 calibrated pieces to garnish the mould. Place the remaining in a saucepan with the sugar and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes.
Stir in the freshly ground pepper and the soaked gelatine leaf and dissolve.
Remove from the stove, cool down and add the fresh mint.
• Prepare the filling:
Pour the remaining 180 gr of cream over the firm chocolate ganache from day 1 and gently whip until combined. Speed up the whipping at the end until the Chantilly cream has soft peaks. Transfer the fluffy filling into a piping bag.
• Finish the cake:
Arrange the halved strawberries around the mould. Spoon the strawberry compote on the bottom of the tart and fill the center with the milk chocolate chantilly.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. The milk chocolate ganache must firm up before unmolding.
NOTES
• Speculoos can be replaced with shortbread biscuits, Oreo, palet Breton biscuits.
• Chocolate starts melting in the centre, which is why microwaving it shouldn’t exceed 30 seconds at the time.
• When you temper chocolate, you are heating and cooling the chocolate in a specific way. When it’s done correctly, the chocolate is shiny, firm at room temperature and has a sharp snap when you bite into it.
For full recipe with detailed instructions and pictures, go to CulinaryAmbition.com (click, HERE). You will also find many other delicious recipes!
So a shift was made towards chocolate. The colonies could get cacao beans straight from Central America tax-free.
Chances are, if you’re reading this article you’ve mastered how to make chocolate covered strawberries, or you’ve received a chocolate covered strawberry delivery (lucky you). Now that you’ve got the strawberries, you need to figure out how to keep those beauties fresh.
For all your answers, from the best way to store, to how long, etc., take the advice from the Food Network Kitchen, and click HERE.
Enjoy a personal chocolate cake that comes with a built-in sauce, that can be whipped up and on the table in less than an hour. And made with pantry staples. And is ideal for a special date night at home (this is a rich, once-in-a-while treat, though feel free stretch each cake to 2 servings if you happen to have four people around to eat them!).
Ingredients:
– 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing the molds
– Cocoa powder, for dusting (natural or Dutch process)
– 2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
– 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
– 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
– 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Directions:
Step 1
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
Generously butter and dust two 4-ounce molds, custard cups or ramekins with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
Step 2
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan with a few inches of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted. (Alternately, you may heat them together in a microwave, starting with 1 minute on HIGH, then stirring, and finishing in short bursts on 50 percent power as needed until almost melted. Stir together until thoroughly combined.) Remove the bowl from the pan.
Step 3
While the chocolate and butter are melting, in a medium bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer on medium-high, beat together the egg, yolk and sugar until light, thick and pale yellow.
Step 4
Finish stirring together the chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour by hand, just until combined.
Step 5
Divide the batter between the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts for up to several hours. Bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
Step 6
Transfer the molds to a baking sheet to make them easy to move in and out of the oven (and contain any possible overflow). Bake for 7 to 10 minutes — the longer you bake, the less “sauce” there will be. The center will still be quite soft and slightly dipped, but the sides will be set. Let rest for about a minute.
Step 7
Place an overturned plate on top of the mold and, holding onto the mold in one hand with a potholder, mitt or dish towel, invert the plate and the mold. (If you have a lightweight pot rest or trivet, you can set the ramekin on top of that and use it to help you invert as well.) Let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one side of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. It’s okay if you have to tap or gently shake the ramekin to nudge it out. Serve immediately.
Adapted from “Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef,” by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. As published in The Washington Post.
