Cupcakes Rule!

May 1, 2010

A couple weeks ago I attended an event that included a lunch buffet.  I love buffets, especially the all-you-can-eat-dessert part of a buffet.

After eating my lunch, I elbowed my way through the crowd that had swarmed around the desserts.  I stared at the table.  <gasp> It had an abundance of cupcakes, the most diverse assortment of beautifully decorated cupcakes I had ever laid eyes on!
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Tips for Molding Chocolate

April 29, 2010

Molded Chocolate (not to be confused with moldy chocolate!), or chocolate from molds (moulds),  has been around for a long time. 

Most chocolate molds are made of either metal or plastic. They can be flat, to shape chocolate like a candy bar, or three dimensional, to shape like an Easter bunny.

If you are a beginner at working with chocolate, start with a flat plastic mold with small cavities of simple shapes.  You can buy these at craft stores or baking/candy supply stores or online at a number of candy-making supply websites.
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The Price of Chocolate

April 26, 2010

I have friends who are often reluctant to spend 10 dollars or more for a 100 gram chocolate bar.  I can understand that.  They wonder if it is worth it. 

Here’s the thing; in the chocolate world, you get what you pay for!

There is an obvious taste and quality difference between a $0.79 chocolate bar and one that costs $1.99.  All my friends get that.  Also, there is a significant distinction between one priced at $1.99 and one for $7.99.  Most of my friends get that.  Where I lose almost all of them is anything above the magic $8 mark.  Are the flavor differences that occur in this price range really worth the extra dough, they ask? 
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Celebrate Earth Day with Chocolate

April 22, 2010

Happy Earth Day!

Just in case you haven't guessed the obvious... I enjoy eating chocolate, and I want chocolate to continue to be part of my world!

According to the International Cocoa Organization, 2.5 million farmers produce almost 90 percent of the world's cocoa on about 5-10 acres. Most of the world's cacao is grown on the small family owned farm.  The best chocolate comes from shade grown cacao managed by farmers using small-scale, low-impact techniques. 
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Chocolate Adventures in England – Thorntons

March 11, 2010

My little niece was baptized on Valentines Day, Feb. 14, 2010 in a small church near Covent Garden in London.

Previously I had been told the English didn’t celebrate Valentines Day much, but that’s not what I experienced.  The chocolate shops and patisseries surrounding the church fully embraced the holiday with window displays decked out in red hearts, flower bouquets, and lots and lots of chocolate!

Most of the time I don’t buy chocolate truffles by the box and off the shelf because I don’t know how long ago those truffles were made.  I prefer a really fresh, handmade truffle at the corner shop.
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Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Nibs

March 2, 2010

Cocoa (or Cacao) Nibs are made from cocoa beans after they get separated from their thin shells and roasted.  The bulk of nibs produced are ground into chocolate liquor, either used as unsweetened baking chocolate or as the main ingredient of chocolate bars and candies. 

Roasted cocoa nibs are not for everyone.  They taste rather bitter because they are not sweetened.  If you can get past the bitterness, you’ll find they do taste rich and chocolaty and have a crunch similar to nuts.  In fact, nibs are often used to replace nuts in cookies and granola recipes.

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Chocolate Adventures in England – Digestives

February 24, 2010

“Could you go for a chocolate digestive and tea?” – my sister asked me shortly after arriving at her flat in London.  There is nothing more refreshing than a digestive and tea after a long flight.

Digestive biscuits are extremely popular in the UK.  They are a cross between a cookie and a cracker, slightly on the sweet side.  The term 'digestive' probably came from the belief that the significant levels of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) used in the recipe aided in digestion.
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Troubleshoot Chocolate Tempering

February 18, 2010

Recently I was asked about tempered chocolate that fails to keep a good shine and what can be done to fix that?  (See comments on how to temper chocolate page.)

That's a really good question.  Concerns about the streaking and the lack of shine make me think about how temperatures, crystal development and the appearance of chocolate are all connected.

Properly tempered chocolate is shiny and uniform in color. When chocolate has streaks and does not shine, it indicates that at some point in the production process, the chocolate solidified without being in a properly tempered state.
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Chocolate Adventures in England – Green & Black’s

February 15, 2010

Green and Black's Organic Chocolate.  Have you seen these chocolate bars in the stores and pharmacies of your neighborhood?  Green and Black's is definitely all over London!  G&B is an English chocolate company started in 1991.  The founders "set out to bring to the masses the world's first organic chocolate."  You can visit them at www.greenandblacks.com.

The Green and Black's 70% Organic Dark Chocolate was the first on the scene.  Since then, the product line has expanded to include more varieties of chocolate bars, baking chocolate, hot chocolate, and ice cream.

Yes - Ice Cream!
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Chocolate Adventures in England – Jaffa Cakes

February 11, 2010

Tonight I find myself sitting in my sister's flat in London, England eating Jaffa Cakes and sipping Frangelico flavored coffee.  I am visiting my sister and my brand new niece, only 2 days old.

What is Jaffa Cake?

The Jaffa Cake is a British favorite.  The cake is a three layered treat about the size of a cookie.  It is made with a bottom layer of sponge cake, a middle layer of orange flavored jelly, and a top layer of rich milk chocolate coating.
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