Author Archive: Bryn Kirk
Fannie May Chocolates Returns
December 3, 2010
2004 was a tumultuous time for Chicago-based chocolate retailer Fannie May. It was the year they declared bankruptcy. More than 200 stores were closed.
Fannie May began in 1920 when H. Teller Archibald opened a chocolate shop on LaSalle St. in Chicago. In 1946, the famous Fannie May Pixies® were introduced and it continues to be their best selling item. Pixies are caramel covered nuts drenched in chocolate.
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Roasting Cocoa Beans
December 2, 2010
Here is a dose of chocolate science. You know you need it from time to time!
Roasting cocoa beans serve two purposes. First, it dries the beans, and second, it develops flavor.
Driving off as much moisture in the bean is important from a food safety perspective. The lower the water content, the more difficult it is for bacteria to grow and pose a health threat.
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Candied Orange Peel vs. Jellied Orange Candies
December 1, 2010
As promised here are two recipes. The first is for Candied Orange Peel. The second is for Jellied Orange Candies.
For best results you'll have to temper the chocolate so review those instructional blog posts, or refer to your Chocolate University Online lesson materials, if you need to refresh your memory.
| Candied Orange Peel • 1 large navel orange • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/2 cup water • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped Read more |
Chocolate and Orange
November 30, 2010
If you like the flavor combination of chocolate and orange, did you know you could enjoy it three different ways?
- chocolate-covered orange peel
- chocolate coated orange jelly sticks
- orange flavor-infused chocolate
Perhaps you are already of lover of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, the one that you bang on the counter and sections of chocolate wedges that look like an orange come apart.
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Harry & David Truffles
November 29, 2010
Harry & David is a large direct marketing and e-commerce company that sells many edible products, including chocolate.
Harry & David may be best known for their gourmet fruit and gift baskets. Recently, I sampled a bag of gold foil wrapped chocolate truffles from a gift basket.
They looked good on the outside, meaning the packaging was nice. But once opened, I saw that they had been taken over by bloom – perhaps stored in a place that with fluctuating temperatures. I can’t imagine it myself, but could it have been the last thing left in the gift basket???
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Cacao Grown in Fiji
November 23, 2010
There is small chocolate company revitalizing cacao and chocolate production in Fiji.
Adi Chocolate Fiji, is located on the island of Vanua Levu. They make chocolate using two crops grown on the island; Trinitario cacao beans and raw cane sugar.
The owners of the company fell in love with chocolate while running a restaurant and serving homemade chocolate ice cream. In 2007, they began making dark chocolates from their native Fiji cacao.
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Rocky Mountain Orange Peel
November 22, 2010
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is an international retail franchisor of chocolates and confectionery products. 21 years ago a man named Frank Crail started the company in the old-west town of Durango, Colorado.
I recently tried their version of chocolate-covered candied orange peel. Chocolate-covered orange peel is one of my favorite chocolates, and I like to try various recipes from chocolate shops around the globe.
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Austrian Style Hot Chocolate
November 20, 2010
This hot chocolate recipe is big enough to serve your entire crowd for a holiday party!
Cook it up, grab a mug, and share.
| Austrian Style Hot Chocolate • 30 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken in pieces • 10 small strips of orange peel, finely grated • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 15 cups milk • 2 1/2 cups whipping cream • Grated chocolate or cocoa powder • 30 cinnamon sticks (each approx. 3 inches long) Read more |
Samuel Adams® Chocolate Bock
November 19, 2010
Hey, let’s talk about beer again. A few months ago we had a guest author blog about chocolate AND beer. This time we’ll talk about chocolate IN beer!
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The Fineness of Grind
November 18, 2010
Why does one brand of chocolate bar feel so velvety smooth in your mouth but the next one feel so rough?
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we? (pun intended!) It all depends on particle size, or the fineness of grind.
When cocoa beans are shelled and roasted, the nibs are ground up and heated to form fluid chocolate called chocolate liquor, cocoa mass, or unsweetened chocolate. When chocolate liquor is then blended with other ingredients like sugar and milk powder, the resulting paste is ground up even further. This process is called “refining.”
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