Arko: Marc De Champagne Chocolate

Arko is a German company specializing in premium coffee and fine chocolates.

When Arko began 60 years ago, customer satisfaction was at the center of their thoughts and actions.  That habit continues to the present.
According to the Arko website, they are the brand for discerning connoisseurs.

Wondering how I got my hands on their chocolate?  Once again, I was given a gift from a fellow chocolate lover/world traveler.  Oh yes, my friends know what I like!
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Like Coffee for Chocolate

==> www.chocolateuniversityonline.com/goto/northstar.html

North Star Fine Coffees is introducing a new coffee that is designed for students of Chocolate University Online and chocolate lovers with a keen sense of taste. 

"Simply Decadent" is not a chocolate flavored coffee, but rather is a coffee designed to pair well with chocolates and chocolate desserts.
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Chocolate Martini – A Liquid Chocolate Bar

In 1888, the word Martini first appeared in the "New and Improved Illustrated Bartending Manual."

The Chocolate Martini is a recent new comer, and there are many different recipes to choose from.  I like this simple recipe.

Chocolate Martini

• 2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz creme de cacao (I used Amsterdam Chocolate Liqueur By Van Gogh)
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The U.S. Chocolate Market, Part I

The 2009 U.S. chocolate market is considered “recession-resilient.”  Chocolate sales increased 3% in 2009 over 2008.  That translates into record sales of $17 billion! 

Researchers predict that chocolate sales will continue to increase and could exceed $19 billion by 2014.

According to an article on www.marketwire.com, most of the 2009 growth comes from the 75% of Americans who, in spite of increases in chocolate prices, kept buying quality chocolate as an affordable treat.
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The Secret (and Science) of Ice Cream Coatings

There are two basic types of chocolate ice cream coatings, “real” chocolate coatings and chocolate flavored compound or confectionery coatings.

Both types of coatings must be thin enough to cover and bend over the ice cream, thick enough not to crack open and let the ice cream seep through, and simultaneously be crunchy and melt in your mouth.  That’s not asking too much, is it?

Most of these demands have to be met by the fat system used in the coating.
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Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Can't get enough chocolate in a single cake? 

Interested in impressing your dinner guests with a scrumptious chocolate dessert? 

Your family is begging for a new recipe with lots of chocolaty goodness?
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Banning Chocolate Milk in School Cafeterias

Reports show that 71 percent of the milk served nationwide is flavored, and the predominant flavor is chocolate.  Most public schools offer chocolate milk as an alternative to white milk. 

But chocolate milk is the center of controversy in many cities in the US.  The school districts of the District of Columbia; Berkeley, California; and Boulder, Colorado have already banned chocolate milk from the cafeteria.  Florida schools are considering it.

What’s the big deal? 
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Novi Cioccolato

Novi chocolate is an Italian made chocolate from the province of Piedmont. 

My in-laws recently traveled abroad and brought back a Novi milk chocolate bar for me.

This chocolate, called Novi Al Latte Classico, is an extra fine milk chocolate with a cacao content of 30%.
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The Shelf Life of Chocolate

It's Q&A time.  Here is another question from a subscriber:

"Once chocolate has been melted, how long is it good for once it has been molded (again)?"

Chocolate is a very versatile and tolerant product to work with, the nuances of tempering aside.  Chocolate can be melted, tempered and molded, re-melted, re-tempered and re-molded, again and again. 

The shelf life of chocolate depends on whether it is milk or dark and whether or not it has inclusions like nuts, coconut, or dried fruit.
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Ultimate Raspberry Chocolate Sauce

Try this taste sensation over ice cream to elevate the experience of your taste buds.  Your ice cream will taste better than your usual ice cream.

Keep a bag of frozen raspberries on hand for an all year ‘round treat...

Ultimate Raspberry Chocolate Sauce
 
• 12 ounces frozen raspberries (individually quick-frozen), defrosted
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
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