Premium chocolate maker Scharffen Berger returns to private ownership
Premium chocolate maker Scharffen Berger has returned to private ownership after The Hershey Co. sold the brand for an undisclosed amount.
Author: Chocolate Covered Weekly
Happy Chocolate Day! July 7, 2021
Happy Chocolate Day! July 7, 2021
Guilt-free Banana Chocolate Smoothie is a great way to tame chocolate cravings
Chocoholics often feel that nothing beats a rich piece of chocolate, a sumptuous slice of chocolate cake or a creamy serving of chocolate ice cream. Chocolate contains four times the amount of catechins as tea, and it contains the same heart-healthy flavonoids as red wine. However, the way chocolate is prepared can affect its potential health benefits. For those who want a healthy, low-fat chocolate option that’s easier on the waistline, smoothies may be the way to go. This recipe for “Guilt-Free Banana Chocolate Smoothie” from Ellen Brown’s “Super Smoothies: 100 Recipes to Supercharge Your Immune System” (Crestline) is one way to get a full dose of delicious chocolate (in two forms). This smoothie is chock-full of other ingredients, including a potassium-rich banana, that are part of a healthy, balanced diet. When the kids are indulging in ice cream, this smoothie offers parents the same texture and taste without all the guilt.
Makes 4 1-cup servings
Ingredients:
1½ cups chocolate soy milk
3 ounces chopped dark chocolate
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
2 tablespoons bee pollen
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
2 cups sliced banana
1 cup chocolate frozen yogurt
2 tablespoons shaved chocolate for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Combine soy milk, chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, bee pollen, flaxseed oil, and banana in a blender or smoothie maker. Blend on high speed for 45 seconds or until mixture is puréed and smooth. Add frozen yogurt, and blend on high speed again until mixture is smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with chocolate shavings, if desired.
As published in GwinettDailyPost.com
Double-Chocolate Smoothie Bowls
Even though they look like dessert, these double-chocolate smoothie bowls are actually good for you. You can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, as a snack or even for dessert. The best part is that you can make them with regular or dairy free chocolate chips or even cocoa nibs, which have no added sugar.
Ingredients:
3 large bananas, peeled and frozen
1 cup frozen cauliflower rice or florets
2 tablespoons pure cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chocolate chips, carob chips or cocoa nibs
1/3 cup milk of choice
optional toppings: chocolate chips, granola, dried coconut, fresh fruits, hemp seeds or chia seeds
Preparation:
Place ingredients in a blender. Use a tamper to force the mixture to purée and add a little more milk, if needed.
Place in two bowls and serve with desired toppings.
As shown on TODAY show. For more details, click HERE.
Dr. Bronner Soaps launches Vegan Chocolate Candy Bars
Known for its all-in-one soaps, Dr. Bronner’s new Magic All-One Chocolate line comes in six decadent flavors and supports regenerative agriculture and the livelihood of small farmers. The organic candy bars are made with fair-trade chocolate and will be available in six flavors: nut-accented bars Roasted Whole Hazelnuts and Salted Whole Almonds; nut-butter filled Crunchy Hazelnut Butter and Salted Almond Butter, and Smooth Coconut Praline (filled with a sweet praline made from coconuts). The new chocolate bars are made with 70 percent dark chocolate sourced from regenerative organic cocoa beans and sweetened with coconut sugar.
Chouquette Chocolates selling chocolate-covered cicadas — bug optional!
From cicada tattoos to sculptures and now chocolate, a Maryland candy company is finding success with the Brood X cicada invasion. While tons of cicadas are buzzing around outside, inside Chouquette Chocolates in Gaithersburg, cicadas are being air-fried and dipped in chocolate. If you want the chocolate-covered cicadas, you’ll have to special order them online. Click, HERE, for chocolate delicacies.
Blue Diamond Dark Chocolate Almonds Are The Most Satisfying Sweet And Salty Snack
These almonds are simply dusted with a light cocoa powder, making them different than those chocolate-coated almonds that come in boxes near the checkout line at the grocery store. While those are delicious, they’re really more chocolate than almond. Blue Diamond’s dark chocolate almonds, on the other hand, actually just taste like almonds with a light cocoa taste. They’re great for people who don’t have much of a sweet tooth but occasionally want just a bit of chocolate. They also feel less like a dessert and more acceptable as a mid-day (or morning, or night) snack. They’re versatile. While good alone, they also make a light, crunchy add-on to a lot of favorite foods. They taste amazing chopped up in some yogurt and granola, or on top of ice cream or tossed into oatmeal. Not only are these filling—just a small handful staves away late-afternoon cravings—but they’re also incredibly satisfying. They have a tiny bit of sea salt sprinkled on them, so the sweet-salty taste gives the same satisfaction that chocolate covered pretzels do.
Blue Bell releases Chocolate Sheet Cake Ice Cream
The best chocolate cake is not at your local bakery. You can find it in a carton of Blue Bell Ice Cream. Chocolate Sheet Cake Ice Cream arrives in stores now. Chocolate Sheet Cake contains Blue Bell Milk Chocolate Ice Cream combined with delicious chocolate sheet cake pieces, chopped pecans and a chocolate icing swirl. “A sheet cake is simple, but so delicious,” said Sara Schramm, marketing brand manager for Blue Bell. “It is the perfect cake to combine with our Milk Chocolate Ice Cream. Sprinkle in pecans, add a swirl of chocolate icing and you have one great-tasting new flavor.” In Texas, the home state of Blue Bell Ice Cream, a chocolate sheet cake is often referred to as a Texas Sheet Cake. “No one knows exactly why we have our own name for the cake in Texas,” Schramm said. “Some say it is because the cake is baked in a pan that is larger than normal, and well, we often say everything is bigger in Texas. You will notice on our Chocolate Sheet Cake cartons, just below the flavor description, we have added, “Inspired by a favorite Texas dessert”!” Chocolate Sheet Cake is available in the half gallon and pint sizes for a limited time.
Reese’s Stuff Your Cup experience lets you customize giant peanut butter cups at Hershey’s Chocolate World
If you can’t get enough of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you’re in luck. Mega fans of the classic candy can now customize the treats by cramming tasty add-ins into a massive one-pound version. Reese’s Stuff Your Cup, a new seasonal experience at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania, lets guests cram a giant peanut butter cup with more goodies. (Hershey’s Chocolate World)
Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! June 7, 2021
Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! June 7, 2021
Scientists discover new ‘chocolate frog’ in swamp
Scientists discover new ‘chocolate frog’ in swamp
A team of Australian scientists has discovered a curious “chocolate frog” tree frog in the lowland rainforests of New Guinea. Tree frogs are known for their green skin — but due to its brown coloring, researchers named it “chocolate frog” — and the name stuck.
How the mold influences a chocolate bar’s crystalline structure
How the mold influences a chocolate bar’s crystalline structure
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.
Which chocolate flavor does your state taste like?
Which chocolate flavor does your state taste like?
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.
Willy Wonka Who? Harrods Built a Chocolate Lover’s Paradise With Its $421 Million Renovation
Willy Wonka Who? Harrods Built a Chocolate Lover’s Paradise With Its $421 Million Renovation
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.
Here’s why chocolate is about to get a whole lot more expensive
Here’s why chocolate is about to get a whole lot more expensive
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 cooking up chocolate covered cicadas
A Maryland candy company is cooking up chocolate covered cicadas
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.
Is chocolate actually good for you?
Is chocolate actually good for you?
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 Plans To Acquire Health Conscious Chocolate Company Lily
The Hershey Company Plans To Acquire Health Conscious Chocolate Company Lily
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.
The chocolate market was impacted by COVID-19 during its onset in 2020
The chocolate market was impacted by COVID-19 during its onset in 2020
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.
Hershey’s Recalls Chocolate Topping After Bottles Were Accidentally Filled with Nuts
Hershey’s Recalls Chocolate Topping After Bottles Were Accidentally Filled with Nuts
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.
Spanish Confectioners Create Life-Size Chocolate Replica of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ – with a half ton of chocolate
Spanish Confectioners Create Life-Size Chocolate Replica of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ – with a half ton of chocolate
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.
EAT THIS, NOT THAT!: What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Dark Chocolate
EAT THIS, NOT THAT!: What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Dark Chocolate
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.
Two compounds can make chocolate smell musty and moldy
Two compounds can make chocolate smell musty and moldy
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.
Covid-19: Dark chocolate, fish, eggs in government’s list of foods to build immunity
Covid-19: Dark chocolate, fish, eggs in government’s list of foods to build immunity
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“)
After masked bunnies, Belgian artisan shifts to chocolate syringes
After masked bunnies, Belgian artisan shifts to chocolate syringes
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“.
PLANTA Chocolate vegan Cake
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.
Petee’s Pie Company Little Pies – Choose Your Own 4 Pack
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.
Breads Bakery Chocolate Babka
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.
Portillo’s Heart Shaped Chocolate Cake
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.
Michele’s Pies Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie
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.
Pinewood Kitchen Whole Chocolate Cake
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.
André’s Engadiner Nut Torte
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 Homemade Cookie Dough Kit
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.
Kokak Chocolates D.I.Y. Single Origin Brownie Flight
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 in Boston
Chocolate Necco Wafers are making a return in Boston
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.
Guittard Chocolate Launches New Line of Alternative Sugar Chocolates
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.
Necco Chocolate Wafer Rolls are Back!
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.
Coffee v/s Chocolate: Which one is best for your skin & hair health?
Coffee v/s Chocolate: Which one is best for your skin & hair health?
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.
How Brexit Ruined Easter for Britain’s Chocolate Makers
How Brexit Ruined Easter for Britain’s Chocolate Makers
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.
Police looking for group who poured chocolate syrup over merchandise at Michigan Target
Police looking for group who poured chocolate syrup over merchandise at Michigan Target
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.
Chocolate for constipation is not a new idea
Chocolate for constipation is not a new idea
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 say poop is one of the essential tastes of chocolate
Swiss scientists say poop is one of the essential tastes of chocolate
Swiss scientists have broken down the aromas of cocoa and chocolate and identified poop as one of the major scents.
Chocolate, raspberries, sweet potatoes among the best 17 healthy foods
Chocolate, raspberries, sweet potatoes among the best 17 healthy foods
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.
Eating Chocolate Before Bed Is a Bad Idea—Here’s Why
Eating Chocolate Before Bed Is a Bad Idea—Here’s Why
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.
French Chocolate Mendiants
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!!!
Happy American Chocolate Week! March 21-27, 2021
Happy American Chocolate Week! March 21-27, 2021
Flourless Chocolate Cake With Café de Olla Ganache
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
Got sourdough discard? Use it to make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
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)
These Chocolate Eggs Are Made With Baileys Irish Cream And Are Ideal For Adult Easter Baskets
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.
Why a Piece of Chocolate Costs More Than a Porsche Taycan
Why a Piece of Chocolate Costs More Than a Porsche Taycan
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.
Man sues company for sending him chocolate penis, claims “emotional distress”
Man sues company for sending him chocolate penis, claims “emotional distress”
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.
Eat your chocolate — but don’t inhale it!
Eat your chocolate — but don’t inhale it!
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.
Happy Chocolate Cheesecake Day! March 6, 2021
Happy Chocolate Cheesecake Day! March 6, 2021
How to Remove Chocolate Stains (‘Cause We All Have Them, Right?)
How to Remove Chocolate Stains (‘Cause We All Have Them, Right?)
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!
The Best Chocolate & Mint Cookies
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!
Why This Neuroscientist Says We Should Eat More Chocolate
Why This Neuroscientist Says We Should Eat More Chocolate
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.
Swiss chocolate consumption dips to lowest levels in 40 years
Swiss chocolate consumption dips to lowest levels in 40 years
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.
“I ate 40kg (about 88 lbs.) of chocolate”, says Yorkshire teacher, 21, on rowing solo across the Atlantic
“I ate 40kg (about 88 lbs.) of chocolate”, says Yorkshire teacher, 21, on rowing solo across the Atlantic
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 launches low sugar and no sugar chocolate baking chips
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.”
Hershey unveils organic Reese’s cups, chocolate bars set to hit shelves this month
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.