Media outlets in Ireland, including the Irish Post, report that a five-hour standoff with hostages at Midlands Prison in Ireland was brought to a peaceful end when one of two inmates agreed to trade his weapons for a chocolate bar. A Mars bar specifically. By the way, the European version of a Mars bar contains caramel and nougat coated with milk chocolate — similar to a Milky Way.
San Francisco has a chocolatey heritage – the city is the birthplace of Guittard, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger. So it’s only fitting that the world’s largest gathering of craft chocolate makers should kick off here in the city. Coming to the Palace of Fine Arts March 6-8, the inaugural Craft Chocolate Experience is about as close as you’re ever going to get to a grown-up, gourmet Willy Wonka fest. Touted as a learning experience as well as a tasting and shopping event, the three-day happening will feature cacao-centric talks, an Insta-worthy cacao-bean ball pit, and a massive marketplace of more than 90 artisanal chocolatiers from 25 different countries.
The Ganachery, an exquisite chocolate shop located in Disney Springs, will soon be offering an all-new experience at the newly opened Disney’s Riviera Resort. If you’re unfamiliar with The Ganachery, the chocolatier creates delicious (and beautiful) chocolate treats that are a must-try. Everything is handcrafted, and now, Disney World guests will get to learn all about the artistry of chocolate and even make their own Ganachery treat.
As part of National Engineers Week, Florida’s Turnpike engineers taught students how to build roads from the bottom up using “Chocolate Asphalt.” Students used ingredients like chocolate, walnuts, oats, coconut, and sugar to build their road. The project is a way to raise awareness about STEM-related careers.
Could hot chocolate deliver relief to those suffering from the painful condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD)? A small, new study says it’s entirely possible. The chocolate used in the study is commonly available natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. This type of cocoa powder is rich in the flavanol epicatechin. This flavanol is found in larger quantities in dark chocolate containing more than 85% cacao. Dark chocolate that isn’t “alkalized” (a process to improve taste that removes some flavanols) would likely offer similar benefits. Regular chocolate wouldn’t be expected to have a similar effect. Study volunteers drank a warm mixture of milk or water and a powder packet containing cocoa and epicatechin, or a placebo three times a day for six months.
You probably think you already know everything you need to know about chocolate. For instance: The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate, right? The term “single origin” on the label indicates that the chocolate expresses a particular terroir. And wasn’t the whole bean-to-bar movement started by a couple of bearded guys in Brooklyn? Wrong; not necessarily; and definitely not.
Chocolate is one of the worst foods you can buy, in terms of the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. But some people are trying to change that.
Customized chocolate in complex shapes will no longer be exclusively produced by seasoned culinary chefs, as Swiss cocoa giant Barry Callebaut is set to launch the world’s first large-scale, 3D-printed chocolate under its decoration brand, Mona Lisa, in Spain. 3D-printing technology already exists on a small scale in the food industry, but this marks the first time for a major chocolate processor to make it available for the general public.
Trees are crucial weapons in the fight against climate change, but they’re also vital to the livelihoods of 1.5 billion people, including those of cocoa farmers. We can’t put a fence around forests to keep poor people from exploiting them. Doing so may reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not realistic. We need to fashion a future where forests can be used to benefit those who count on trees for their living without inflicting damage on the rest of the planet. And in the cacao groves of West Africa where these conditions are being met, plants and people are thriving.
More than a century ago, Ecuador was the world’s largest exporter of cacao, with one native varietal in particular—nacional—serving as its calling card. Unfortunately, a fungal disease arrived in Ecuador in 1916 and started decimating the cacao trees, until the point people believed the varietal was lost entirely. About 12 years ago, it was found again, deep in the rainforest. After confirming through genetic testing that nacional was alive and well, To’ak started using it to make chocolate from bean to bar, with a focus on expressing the terroir of the region. According to ROBB REPORT, it’s worth every penny! Check it out at ToakChocolate.com.
Some people can’t get enough chocolate. Luckily, at one Belgian chocolate factory, you can eat as much as you like. According to Metro, Journalist Jon Stone discovered a chocolate paradise in Brussels that would make Willy Wonka jealous. While visiting the Neuhaus Belgian Chocolate Factory, he found out that visitors can actually gorge themselves as much as they like while they’re on the premises — free of charge. There are a couple rules: First, you may only sample chocolates while in the factory. Hoarding the chocolate and eating it later is not allowed. Second, all boxed and sealed chocolates are off-limits (but available for purchase). The factory is located, as Stone noted, in Brussels (technically Sint-Pieters-Leeuw) at the end of the 5 Metro Line at the Erasme Metro station if you’re traveling by public transit.
In a sure sign that spring is in the air, Hostess is bringing back their limited-edition mint chocolate cupcakes just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. The mint chocolate cupcakes are made with a traditional Hostess chocolate cupcake, but instead of white icing, they come with pale mint green frosting and are filled with minty green cream. The cupcakes are sold in multipacks for around $2.99 a box nationwide at grocery stores like Walmart. A Hostess representative told us they will only be around until March 15 or while supplies last, so bring them home while you can!
Chocolate is one of the most beloved foodstuffs on earth, making it a great choice for Valentine’s Day gifts. If you want to treat the chocolate fan in your life to something sweet this Valentine’s Day, we’ve got you covered. This Valentine’s Day, think outside the box when shopping for the chocolate fiend in your life with these 19 clever gift ideas. Check them all out at the Valentine’s Day gift guide, click here.
Of course love is a serious matter. But didn’t you also fall for your significant other because of their terrific sense of humor? If love and laughs go together in your life, you should plan on gifting one of Jacques Torres’ delightfully amusing chocolate treats. Click, here, to see “Love Stinks” as well as many other chocolate Valentine’s Day gifts.
The candy war has begun! Weighing in at more than 4,700 pounds and measuring 2 feet high and 26 inches wide, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Waco, Texas, as the home to the world’s largest chocolate nut bar – a Snickers the size of 43,000 single-size candy bars put together. The record didn’t last long. Hershey has one-upped Mars with an even bigger version of a Reese’s Take 5 candy bar weighing 5,943 pounds and measuring 9 feet long by 5.5 feet wide by 2 feet high, the Hershey Company said.
Brooklyn Born Chocolates are crafted from the finest ingredients in the world by one of the top pastry chefs in NY and are sure to provide a gustatory adventure! All of Brooklyn Born Chocolates are done by hand each and every step. Don’t be mislead by the standard caveat on the label of your bark that says “made…with equipment”. The equipment correctly translates to “hands”! As Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Bonnet is fond of saying, “Chocolate creates a memory”. Visit their website to create some lovely memories! BrooklynBornChocolate.com.
Mayana Chocolate is a destination, a new world of chocolate experienced in every flavor, every bite, and every ingredient. Award-winning Chef Daniel Herskovic uses only the best, freshest ingredients to create an uncommonly luxurious chocolate product. All Mayana confections feature only organic cream, pure ingredients, and never any extracts. Supporting their craftsmen approach, the beautiful Mayana packaging pays homage to the lush chocolate growing regions. If you are looking for the very best in contemporary chocolate artistry, you need look no more! Recipient of the 2017 Good Food Award, Confections category for the Space Candy Bar. Named Top Ten Chocolatier by Dessert Professional Magazine. For more info, visit their website at www.MayanaChocolate.com.
Beyond Good, a Brooklyn-based company, exceptional single origin dark chocolate bars and vanilla from Madagascar, is launching three new chocolate bars at Winter Fancy Foods: Crispy Rice, Orange Zest and Salted Caramel. Featuring 73% certified organic and direct traded cocoa, the delicious new inclusions are a bold addition to Beyond Good’s current lineup of heirloom chocolate bars. Hitting shelves in Q2 of 2020, these new bars will be available at natural stores, specialty markets, retailers nationwide and online at beyondgood.com. Formally known as Madécasse, the new brand name invites consumers to experience a chocolate bar that doesn’t just taste good, it’s breaking the status quo. Beyond Good articulates the company’s practices to solve the issues affecting the global chocolate industry while stressing the economic and environmental impact made in Africa.
There’s a brand-new chocolate on the block, and Häagen-Dazs is the first company to put it in ice cream in the U.S., bringing us ice cream pints and bars featuring the relatively new ruby cacao. The new Häagen-Dazs has two new products with this pretty pink chocolate: Ruby cacao crackle trio crispy layers, a layered ice cream, and ruby cacao ice cream bars, which feature a ruby cacao coating. Häagen-Dazs says the ruby cacao bean “offers intense berry fruitiness (reminiscent of cassis [berry] and blueberries) and luscious smoothness with fresh, sour notes.” The crackle trio crispy layers ice cream pint features crispy ruby chocolate layered within Häagen-Dazs’ pistachio and sweet cream ice cream flavors. The bars are sweet cream ice cream dipped in the rich ruby cacao, giving the bar fruity notes. The pints cost around $5.49, while a box of three bars is $4.99. Both are in stores nationwide now, but only through September, so you’ll want to head to your local store now before they’re gone.
Cookie monsters, rejoice: Chocolate chip cookies can be baked in space, but they’ll take a lot longer to make there than the ones you whip up at home in your Earth oven. The first batch of cookies baked on the International Space Station are back on Earth now. Astronauts report they were able to smell the cookies baking. So far, the cookies remain in an Earth freezer, as they must be tested to determine if they’re safe to eat. One of the cookies has been offered to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum — but for display, not a snack.
So many things can happen if your pup gets his paws on that yummy chocolate. If chocolate ingestion occurs, one of the MOST important thing for your veterinarian to know is what type of chocolate Fido ate AND how much of it. The effects of chocolate can range from room clearing gas to vomiting/diarrhea and in most severe cases, irregular heartbeats and death can occur. Generally speaking, milk chocolate has less impact than dark chocolate or cooking chocolate. Similarly, the weight and size of the pet also determines how they might be affected. The good news is that in MOST cases, Fido might have some GI upset with that room clearing gas and with minimal medical intervention will have a great prognosis!
If you’re struggling to sleep well, upping your chocolate levels could be the answer. The links between what we eat and how we sleep, and how there are certain foods which can aid – or disturb – slumber. Hormones influence the sleep process. Our levels of serotonin, which is essential for the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, can be boosted by certain foods, including chocolate. It increases serotonin; serotonin helps you fall asleep at night. What’s really important to note is we have hormones that wake us up in the morning. Cortisol wakes you up in the morning, and then cortisol dips across the day and passes the baton to the melatonin, and the melatonin helps you sleep. Insulin, which regulates your energy and blood sugar throughout the day, will affect your cortisol and your melatonin. So what you eat, when you eat and also how you eat as well, can affect your hormones.
At the Chicago-based Vosges Haut-Chocolat, founder Katrina Markoff is experimenting with “sound infusion.” As the brand’s “cosmic” truffles cool, they’re treated to piped-in sounds of varying frequencies. Sold in a 21-piece box for $72, they’re made for people who believe in the wellness proprieties of vibrations. “There are healing frequencies that people listen to with meditation and sound healing and gong baths, so we decided to try that,” she says. “We really focus on creating experience.”
See original recipes (yes, including CHOCOLATE!!!) from Intrepid and Growler’s service and other artifacts that illuminate the monumental task of creating confections big enough to feed Navy crews. The special exhibition, Navy Cakes: A Slice of History, is on view in hangar 1 aboard Intrepid through October 2020 and is free with Museum admission. Donors who make a gift of $100 or more will receive a chocolate cake recipe featured in the Navy Cakes: A Slice of History exhibition. The recipe has been scaled down for home use by celebrity chef Duff Goldman! For more info, visit Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, in New York City, website at www.intrepidmuseum.org.
The seed of the cacao tree, which is only called a cocoa bean once it is removed from the pod in which it grows.
The liquid chocolate produced by grinding the cocoa nibs. It is the basic ingredient in all chocolate products. There is no alcohol in chocolate.
The tropical tree that produces cocoa beans. Theobroma means “food of the gods”.
The leathery oval pod that contains cocoa beans.
The “meat” of the cocoa bean remaining when the shell is removed in the chocolate production process.
Forrest Mars is the genius behind the Mars bar, M&M’s, and the Milky Way.
False. Making one ounce of chocolate requires up to 35 beans.
Switzerland leads the world in chocolate consumption with 22.36 pounds per person, according to a survey by Chocolate Manufacturers Association.
The United States, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium
Switzerland (two top brands are Nestle and Lindt)
Thank the Big Apple for these humongous chocolate chip cookies. This style of ultra-thick chocolate chip cookie, popularized by the New York bakery Levain, requires a dough with less sugar than flour and more chocolate chips than sugar. These ratios keep the cookies thick, not caky, with a flavor defined by the chocolate, so be sure to use the best-quality chips you can find. Part of the novelty of the cookies is their enormous size. They are eye-catching, for sure, but we recommend splitting them with a friend (or three). For nutritional purposes, that means we’re assuming one person is eating a quarter of a cookie. The portioned cookie dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Alternatively, the portions can be individually wrapped, then placed in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough to 40 degrees, unwrap and bake as directed. These cookies taste best when freshly baked, but leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; rewarm briefly in a 350-degree oven before serving.
Recipe notes: Cookbook author Stella Parks does not recommend leaving the nuts out of this recipe, as they help provide non-melting bulk to the cookies.
Ingredients:
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
• About 1/2 cup (113 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• About 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (may substitute 1 teaspoon table salt), plus more for sprinkling (optional)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, cold
• About 2 1/4 cups (283 grams) all-purpose flour
• About 2 1/2 cups (425 grams) assorted chocolate chips (not chopped chocolate), such as a mix of milk, bittersweet and semisweet
• 8 1/2 ounces (scant 1 3/4 cups/240 grams) raw walnut pieces or lightly toasted pecan pieces (see NOTE)
Directions:
Step 1
Combine the butter, brown and granulated sugars, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to moisten, then increase the speed to medium and beat until soft, fluffy and pale, about 8 minutes; halfway through, pause to scrape down the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula. With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate fully before adding the next. Reduce the speed to low, then add the flour all at once. When the flour is incorporated, add the chocolate chips and nuts and keep mixing until the dough is homogeneous.
Step 2
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (about 6 ounces/170 grams each) and round each into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before baking; if well protected from air, the dough can be kept in the fridge up to 1 week.
Step 3
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. When the oven comes to temperature, arrange up to 4 portions of cold dough on the prepared pans, leaving ample space between them to account for spread. If you like, sprinkle with additional salt to taste.
Step 4
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for about 22 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and lightly brown or to an internal temperature of between 175 and 185 degrees. The ideal temperature will vary from person to person; future rounds can be baked more or less to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 5
Cool the cookies directly on the baking sheet until no warmer than 100 degrees (they should feel lukewarm) before serving. Enjoy warm, or within 12 hours; these cookies taste best when freshly baked.
Adapted from Stella Parks at SeriousEats.com.
Every baker has a love for sheet cakes. They’re perfect for when you want a delicious cake, but don’t want to fool with the hassle of a layer cake. And no one ever complains about turning a sheet cake into a poke cake by filling it with a delicious creamy filling, right? So this is the best of both worlds. If you love Reese’s peanut butter cups, you’re going to flip over this. And added, is even more Reese’s flavor by using International Delight’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Creamer to the filling. The frosting, made with creamy peanut butter and whipped topping, is peanut butter perfection. And it’s topped with mini Reese’s cups.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 10
Ingredients
• 1 (15.25-ounce) box milk chocolate cake mix
• Plus ingredients to make the cake as directed
• 1 (3.9-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups International Delight Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Creamer
• 1 (16-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (8-ounce) package Reese’s Minis miniature peanut butter cups
Instructions
1. Prepare the cake according to the package directions.
2. Allow to cool 25 to 30 minutes in the pan.
3. Use the stick end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and the Reese’s creamer to make the chocolate peanut butter sauce.
5. Allow the mixture to thicken for about 10 minutes, then pour over the cake and into the holes. The mixture will not thicken completely to pudding consistency.
6. In a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter into the thawed whipped topping.
7. Spread the frosting over the cake.
8. Sprinkle the peanut butter cups evenly over the frosting.
9. Cover and keep refrigerated.
By Stacey Little, in Southern Bite
At La Maison du Chocolat in Paris, the chef and creative director, Nicolas Cloiseau, has come up with a collection of “deconstructed” bars. Each box has a side-by-side panel of dark, milk or white chocolate, with other ingredients like dried fruit, nuts and puffed rice mixed in. In another innovation, the panels are scored for breaking into pieces instead of being molded in segments. There are six 2.75-ounce bars in the collection, each in a bright box.
For grown-ups and kids alike, winter is the perfect time to indulge in a cup of hot chocolate. And Trader Joe’s has come up with an ingenious way to enjoy some hot cocoa with a chocolatey, marshmallowy (and adorable) snowman you melt into a mug of hot milk. Here’s how it works: First, get a Trader Joe’s hot cocoa snowman. Place the snowman in a warm cup of milk. TJ’s says he’ll bob in the cup until he starts to melt — and that’s when the magic happens. The snowman’s chocolate exterior will give way to a marshmallow and chocolate chip interior, turning your warm milk into a yummy cup of hot cocoa.
ETH researchers are making chocolates shimmer in rainbow colors without the addition of colorants. They have found a way to imprint a special structure on the surface of the chocolate to create a targeted color effect. (CLICK, HERE, TO SEE!)
If you want to consume some of the best edibles—pastas, cheeses, breads—and wines in the world, of course, you head to Italy. If you want some of the world’s best chocolates, you should go there, too, specifically to the quietly elegant city of Turin, a bucket-list stop for anyone remotely interested in fine-quality versions of the sweet.
A new kind of food label hopes to fight obesity by stating how much exercise is required to burn it off. There have been numerous attempts to simplify nutrition labels – some more successful than others – but a new suggestion has potential to make a difference. “Physical activity calorie equivalent” (PACE) labeling adds the type and amount of exercise required to “burn off” a particular food. For example, eating 229 calories in a small bar of milk chocolate would require about 42 minutes of walking or 22 minutes of running to burn these off.
Chiqueolatte, a chocolate cafe with roots in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, is opening its first U.S. location in Logan Square. The franchise is taking over the old Half Italian deli at 2643 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chocolate is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. But how many stop to consider how chocolate is made?
If you were ever considering of becoming a chocolate master yourself, you’re going to love learning all about the cocoa bean’s journey from plant to your palate.
Bars and bonbons, dark and milk, single-origin and small-batch, Mexican and Vietnamese: The world of chocolate is vast and fascinating. With this A-to-Z survey, explore it in all its delicious varieties.
A novel approach to 3-D printing has allowed researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to 3-D print chocolate-based products at room temperature using cold extrusion.
Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, whose Latin name translates as “food of the gods.” With a pedigree like that, it’s no surprise that science is finding some potential health benefits from eating chocolate. We can thank the flavanols in cocoa beans.
More than 90% of Americans say they intend to gift or share chocolate and candy during the holiday season, according to the National Confectioners Association. According to Winter Holidays Central, there will be more options than ever before for packages with 200 calories or less this holiday season. But regardless of how many calories are in it, most people in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy two to three times per week.
Those mourning the closing of City Bakery, in New York City, may be suffering withdrawal from any number of the bakery’s iconic treats: the Ur-Frankenpastry pretzel croissant, the monster chocolate-chip cookies, the less-heralded but arguably better little peanut-butter domes, the mysteriously delicious blueberry-corn muffins. But on the prospect of facing a cold, damp winter without superior hot chocolate, we have good news. Maury Rubin, the City Bakery’s founder, baker, and hot-chocolate-maker, is embarking on a citywide series of pop-ups he’s calling Maury Rubin Me and My Hot Chocolate Tour.
The Food and Drug Administration in the Nov. 22 issue of the Federal Register issued a temporary permit that allows Barry Callebaut USA L.L.C. to market test a product identified as ruby chocolate even though it deviates from the U.S. standards of identity for chocolate products.
We know that eating a huge amount of sweets isn’t the healthiest choice, as this can lead to a range of health issues in the future. But it’s not advisable to live on a restrictive diet for the rest of your life either! When eating a balanced diet, we can allow ourselves to indulgences once a week or so. It’s okay to reward yourself with desserts occasionally. In fact, there are at least 5 good reasons why you shouldn’t feel guilty.
