In Ivory Coast, Dana Mroueh’s chocolate factory is a rarity – and not only because the world’s top cocoa grower produces precious little finished chocolate. In the middle of the floor of her company Mon Choco’s factory sits a grinding bike, surrounded by large trays of carefully sorted cocoa beans. Poured in a funnel, beans are transformed into a paste by a grinder activated through pedaling.
One recent poll shows chocolate is the No. 1 craved food in the US. According to the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Susan Albers, our brains are wired so when the thought of chocolate pops into our heads, our brains begin to elaborate on it. She says before we know it, we’re thinking about how it smells and tastes, and then we want more. To diffuse those consuming thoughts, think about something else as quickly as possible.
At the end of World War II, Germany was divided. Berlin, its capital, was in crisis. The city was partially controlled by the Soviets, who held it under a siege. In order to save millions from starvation, the United States and England devised a plan: They would send in basic supplies by air and defy the Soviets. But candy? Well that was just a sweet surprise.
You may know people who prefer a batch of homemade oatmeal raisin or sweet sugar cookies over the classic chocolate chip, but it’s probably not many. According to Insider, the best chocolate cookie in our home state is in Orlando.
Business editor Graeme Whitfield is given a tour of the Nestlé plant at Fawdon. The plant, which opened in 1958 when then owners Rowntree needed to add capacity to its York factory, covers more than 100,000 square meters and employs almost 600 people to churn out hundreds of tons of sweet treats every week. It makes some of the best known names on the sweet aisle, from Rolos and Toffee Crisps to Fruit Pastilles, Caramac and Matchmakers.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery brand Dove Chocolate is celebrating International Women’s Day by breaking ground on a new marketplace in West Africa to support cocoa farming communities in the Ivory Coast.
Barry Callebaut is trying to convince the FDA that chocolate is health food—or at least, has a health benefit. The Swiss-based chocolate manufacturer petitioned the FDA to be allowed to claim on packaging and in advertising that chocolate has cardiovascular benefits. The petition refers to studies that flavanols found in cocoa can have a beneficial effect on blood vessel dilation, improving blood flow and possibly lowering blood pressure.
This chocolate hummus recipe will satisfy any chocolate craving, and it’s rich in protein! It’s smooth, chocolaty, and absolutely brilliant. And it doesn’t hurt that chocolate hummus looks gorgeous when served in a bowl with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and dusted with cocoa powder and flaky salt. The tahini, found in standard hummus, plays a part in this dessert variation, too. Except in chocolate hummus, it’s reminiscent of halva (a sweet and fudge-like sesame-based confection that’s a staple in Middle Eastern markets). This chocolate hummus is easy to make and enjoy! Have chocolate hummus as a snack or dessert, with sliced apple, strawberries, pretzels, and even pita chips.
Ingredients:
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons tahini
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Small pinch of salt
4 tablespoons water
In the bowl of a food processor, add chickpeas, drained and rinsed, unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup, tahini, vanilla extract, salt, and water and process until smooth. Serve in a bowl and drizzle with maple syrup and top with cocoa powder and flaky salt.
From SOUTHERN LIVING, by Ananda Eidelstein.
Kathy’s Chocolate Beer Cake is a moist, dense, rich, homemade chocolate bundt cake with some fun ingredients – beer, butter milk, and maraschino cherries!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Shortening
2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained (reserve 1/4 cup juice) and chopped
12 oz cold beer
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare bundt pan with baking spray or cooking spray and lightly flour. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined. Add cooled, melted chocolate. Alternatively add flour mix with buttermilk, cherry juice and beer. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes until cooked through. Let cake cool on rack for 20-25 minutes. Invert onto plate, cool cake completely, Drizzle with glaze or dust with powdered sugar.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp buttermilk
Combine all ingredients until mixed through.
By Kathy Kasza from Waupaca. As seen on FOX11 Online.
Caramelized white chocolate dinosaur bones (with cocoa nibs for extra crunch) are buried inside hot chocolate soil. Complete dinosaur skeleton in every box! This clever treat buries chocolate dinosaur “bones” in hot cocoa mix “dirt.” Handcrafted, this treat contains caramelized white-chocolate dinosaur bones infused with crunchy cocoa nibs buried in hot chocolate “soil.” There’s a complete T-rex or triceratops skeleton in every box. Excavate the (edible) bones and add your favorite milk to the “soil” to create rich cocoa with hints of cinnamon and vanilla bean. You can find this at Only Child Chocolate Co.
Because cacao trees are so delicate, farmers lose, on average, 30 percent of their crop each year.
A premium variety of cocoa beans grown primarily in South and Central America. Considered the rarest and noblest cacao in the world. A cocoa fruit variety which comes from the Amazon having big size beans. The color is light, the shape is round, and the taste is sweet.
It was a sweet sight on the catwalk in Belgium, where all the designs were made from chocolate. Thirteen delectable designs that were made partially or entirely of chocolate were showcased on the runway in Brussels.
Read up on all the ways dark chocolate benefits your health and enjoy your next indulgence guilt-free! From helping hair grow to combating inflammation, there are at least 7 other ways dark chocolate can benefit your health.
Ever heard of or tried “sexual chocolate beer”? It tastes like a bitter dark chocolate truffle filled with bourbon-and-espresso-flavored chocolate mousse! And this Russian imperial stout Sexual Chocolate took home medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup.
From the “food of the gods”, to being used to pay taxes and playing important roles in religious ceremonies, to its recognizable uses in romance, chocolate has always been important one way or another, serving various purposes at different points in history and geography.
There’s nothing like a relaxing, warm beverage. And there’s really nothing like a cup of Chocolate Hazelnut Black Tea from Stash for warming you up and calming you down at the end of a long day. This decaffeinated tea is flavored with natural cocoa, hazelnut, and vanilla extracts, and makes a delightful hot beverage with just a few minutes of steeping. When served over ice, it’s an invigorating drink that will pep you up sans sugar or caffeine. You can find it on .
Chocolate is a health food. Science says so. Not only did the researchers at Loma Linda prove stress relief, they also concluded dark chocolate reduces inflammation and improves memory, immunity and mood.
Are you a chocolate lover with a bit of wanderlust? Well, there are three open positions at Tony’s Chocolonely that you should apply for ASAP. The Portland-based candy company is looking for one captain and two co-pilots to take charge of its “Chocotruck” this spring.
If you are a chocolate lover, you will be delighted over this scrumptious finding: research suggests that dark chocolate may be good for your love muscle — the heart. The cocoa in dark chocolate naturally contains anti-oxidants, protecting your heart and blood vessels from damage and disease.
Chocolate should be kept between 15°C and 18°C (59°F – 64°F) in a dry place. The best temperature for consumption is around 20°C (68°F). If chocolate is kept in the fridge, water condenses and the chocolate whitens.
Reading your horoscope is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get. Look to the stars to find out which chocolate-covered surprise is most like you inside. Are you mushy? Brittle? Crunchy? Oozy? Unexpected? Do you take a bite out of every single one, hate them all, and put them back? These are the assorted chocolates that most define you.
The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend 1.8 billion dollars on chocolate and candy this Valentine’s Day.
Japanese women have ditched a workplace tradition that dictates they must give chocolates to male colleagues on Valentines Day, with growing anger at the practice of “forced giving”. The tradition is called “giri choco” which literally means “obligation chocolates”, a tradition started in the mid-50’s.
The onset of symptoms of chocolate toxicity in pets can be very rapid and include, but are not limited to, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, excitement, drinking a lot, poor balance, muscle tremors, seizures, collapse and even death. Chocolate is a concern not only for the theobromine component, but it also contains caffeine. Chocolate affects the gastrointestinal tract, heart, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, kidneys, respiratory system and hormones.
After scores of holiday bakers expressed disappointment that Hershey’s Kisses they purchased had no tips, Hershey said Thursday the manufacturing problem that left its candies tipless has been solved.
The popular confectioner has lost a long-running legal battle over the purple color of its wrapping. It has voluntarily given up its 1995 trademark of the color, called Pantone 2685C, after losing a court appeal. This means any company could now attempt to make chocolate wrapping with the same color as the iconic one of Cadbury.
Hershey’s Chocolate World in Derry Township unveiled a 6-foot, 260-pound chocolate sculpture to start the month-long Chocolate-Covered February event.
Turner Dairy Farm in Pittsburgh is re-releasing chocolate peanut butter milk for the month of February. Turner products are available throughout western Pensylvannia, including Pittsburgh.
A production phase that consists of spreading cocoa beans in a big plot of land so that they ferment and dry.
A survey by the British Heart Foundation highlighted the UK’s obsession with cocoa. 2.7 million people would leave the UK if there was a chocolate ban. Over a third of those polled claimed that nothing would make a ban on chocolate acceptable, even saving the planet.
Use your senses, ask questions, know your preferences, cleanse your palate, make it social, purchase with a purpose and don’t take it too seriously.
Between September 2015 and June 2017, 206 products in the U.K. shrank in size and 79 increased, according to ONS research published Monday. Prices tended to remain unchanged as the sizes changed, “consistent with the idea that some products are undergoing “shrinkflation,” the ONS said.
The chocolate market is projected to surpass $4.3 billion by 2023, on the back of growing chocolate consumption and rising demand for niche product categories such as organic chocolate products. Moreover, increasing focus of chocolate manufacturers on offering innovative products; for instance, Mondelez launching Cadbury Dairy Milk with Oreo in mint and strawberry flavors, is expected to positively influence the country’s chocolate market in the coming years.Rising number of health-conscious consumers, increasing demand for premium chocolates and rapid expansion of e-commerce in FMCG are some of the other factors that would fuel growth in Australia chocolate market during the forecast period.
Hailing from the Ukraine, Flasty makes the Chocola3D printer. It looks like a typical 3D printer, and extrudes chocolate into all kinds of fun shapes and patterns. At $1,800, the device isn’t cheap, but the company says they’ve already sold of number of them to restaurants across Europe. JER Education plans to launch the JER chocolate 3D printing pen by the end of the year.
Is there such thing as too much chocolate? We think not — so we created a sheet cake that’s so dark and chocolatey that it’s actually black. The flavor is every chocolate-lover’s dream: slightly bitter, rich, and intensely chocolatey. It has just the tiniest hint of sweetness and the same bittersweet flavor you get from a fancy chocolate bar. It’s all thanks to black cocoa powder.
Makes 1 (9×13-inch) cake; serves 12
• For the frosting:
• 1 pound milk chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup black cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• For the cake:
• Butter, for greasing
• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup black cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup sprinkles (optional)
Prep the frosting:
Place the chocolate chips in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.
Place the cream, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat, whisking constantly, until the cocoa powder is fully dissolved and the mixture begins to simmer, about 4 minutes. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Refrigerate until very thick, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the cake.
Make the cake and assemble:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Generously coat a 9×13-inch metal baking dish with butter, then line it with parchment paper.
Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Place the cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream mixture to flour mixture, then stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. (The mixture will be very thick at this point.) Add the hot coffee and stir until completely smooth. Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and discard the parchment paper. Trim the top so it’s flat. Flip the cake over and gently transfer it back into the pan. (So the top is now the bottom.)
Fit the bowl of chilled frosting onto the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Frost the cake and decorate with sprinkles, if using.
Recipe Notes
Cocoa powder: Depending on the intensity of the black cocoa you use, this cake can range in color from dark chocolate brown to jet black. Dutch-processed cocoa powder can be used in place of black cocoa, but the color will be much lighter.
Storage: Leftover cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
From The Kitchen by Charli Nowak
Just because a person can’t eat chocolate every minute of the day doesn’t mean he or she can’t enjoy its essence at all times. With a large 13-ounce hot chocolate-scented candle from Our Own Candle Company, the home (or office or spa) will be filled with the luscious aroma of chocolate for hours on end. In fact, this candle has a 100-hour burn time, so it can last for weeks even if burned for an hour or two daily. Find it on .
According to Professor Alyn Morice, head of cardiovascular and respiratory studies at the University of Hull and founding member of the International Society for the Study of Cough says, “chocolate can calm coughs”. The study of 163 people revealed that the patients taking chocolate-based medicine saw significant improvements in two days. According to Professor Morice, it’s due to chocolate’s “demulcent properties” – in other words, it’s sticky which means it forms a coating on the throat’s nerve endings, suppressing the urge to cough.
The PHD Terrace inside the Dream Hotel Midtown, New York City, NY will be offering up a 20-pound spiked hot chocolate in time for National Hot Chocolate Day on Jan. 31. And the giant chocolatey drink will set you back only $375, or the equivalent of about 94 Starbucks grande hot chocolates. It’s available from January 31 through February 14th.
A tanker carrying 3,500 gallons of liquid chocolate rolled over, causing lane closures on Interstate 40 Monday afternoon as a river of chocolate flowed down the road, officials say. The chocolate weighed around 40,000 pounds. As one official tweeted, “this will be a sweet cleanup”.
Before you say that there’s no “wrong” way to eat chocolate – think again! By considering doing 8 things to help you enjoy chocolate, you’ll be assured of enjoying chocolate in a way you’ve never enjoyed it before.
Would you spend $100 on a martini? How about a martini featuring “perhaps the rarest and most expensive chocolate in the world”? Academia has a cocktail on the menu that is really priced at $100. The reason the martini is so expensive is the aforementioned chocolate. It’s To’ak Chocolate, made from the oldest known variety of cacao and so rare the tree it’s harvested from was once thought to have been extinct.
A young Philly pastry chef has opened her first cafe just off of South Street, specializing in artisanal chocolates. Aurora Grace Wold’s new cafe at 517 South Fifth St. is aptly called Aurora Grace, located in a space that has a history of female entrepreneurs. The main staple of the cafe is Wold’s gourmet bonbons. “People say they look like little marbles or little jewels or gemstones.” The cafe actually first began as an online Etsy chocolate store.
This Too Faced makeup palette that’s shaped like a chocolate bar looks and smells like the real deal. That’s in large part because the eyeshadows are pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. You can find this at Ulta.com.
The Brits are known for some fine candies, and many of their finest can be found in this Great British Treats box from Cadbury. In it, you will get candy bars including a Flake, a Twirl, a Crunchie, and other sweets beloved in the UK but harder to find on the American side of the pond. You can buy this on .
Brothers Ryan and Eric Johnson say there are many benefits to the routine, including boosting your energy and creating a positive feedback loop. Ideally, they say you should eat a third of a bar of high quality dark chocolate 15 minutes before a workout.
There are so many versions of hot-chocolate creations it can make one’s head spin. Instant hot chocolate is one way to go, open the packet and throw it in some water and in less than a few minutes you’re sipping away. But there are many ways to make the perfect chocolaty beverage with little effort. These recipes will take your cup of hot chocolate to a whole other level and offer a specialty drink that will impress.
Depends on which hot beverage you’re drinking! One expert, Alan Hedge, director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University, in frigid Ithaca, N.Y., explains why a cup of joe may not be ideal for freezing days and what the Mongols drank to survive winter invasions. Bottom line…one of the best hot drinks that help on a cold day – hot chocolate!
These sweet pies became popular during the depression because they didn’t require refrigeration and because of their simple ingredients — butter, eggs, sugar, and flour. However, adding chocolate just elevated this dessert into something that is so good, you almost feel guilty about eating it!
Ingredients:
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 unbaked pie shell
Melt the butter with the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, heating on high in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the top is puffed and filling is set in the center. Let it cool before serving.
Recipe from Brenda Stanley, cookbook author and novelist. Visit her website www.brendastanleybooks.com.
This makes it the world’s second biggest exporter of the cocoa bean, second only to Ivory Coast.
Now called Snickers, the Marathon, a British candy bar, was created in 1930. It has always been called a Snickers in America. In 1990 Mars, Inc., which makes the peanutty chocolate snack, decided to change its name in the UK to match with the US brand.
For a perfect cup of hot chocolate, try Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Gourmet Powder. Mixed into warmed milk, it makes a heavenly beverage, but this sweet stuff can also be used in baking or to decorate confections. You can find this on .
