Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club
May 18, 2012
Another Mother’s Day has passed. This is a time of year when people wonder about the best way to give their mothers the love and attention that they surely deserve. This year, some of those moms were treated to a truly breath taking and mind-blowing indulgence... a gift membership to the Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club or other chocolate membership club.
The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club offers a wide variety of chocolate confections each month. Members are treated to creative interpretations and presentation made by international chocolatiers who are primarily dedicated to quality. The Skelling’s Champagne Fizz Truffles hail from the northern realm of Ireland. The Gudrun’s Passion Fruit Heart consists mainly of a dainty dark chocolate heart with a very rich layer of caramel and tart passion fruit pulp.
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Bittersweet and Semisweet Chocolate
May 17, 2012
Bittersweet chocolates are simply a sweetened form of plain chocolate that contains no milk. It is basically a mixture of chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and quite often, vanilla. Plus you might see a substance called lecithin on a label. That is added to serve as an emulsifier.
Cocoa that is produced via the grinding of its beans into a liquid form is usually referred to as chocolate liquor, which ironically contains no alcohol whatsoever. Unsweetened baking chocolate is chocolate liquor that has been solidified.
In the North America, a standard is set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that bittersweet chocolates are required to contain at least thirty-five percent chocolate liquor. While in the United Kingdom, the figure is usually as high as forty-three percent.
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Walnut Chocolate Rum Balls
May 16, 2012
Anytime you want to whip up dessert in a jiffy, Walnut Chocolate Rum Balls can be your go-to recipe.
Quick info... rum was made long before any other spirit was manufactured, distilled, and made. For the record, it was actually the first branded spirit. Rations of rum were actually provided for the sailors in the British Army so they could mix it with lime juice to fight off the scurvy.
With regard to walnuts, these nuts are rich sources of energy. They also pack a lot of health benefits. They contain vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants that are essential to achieve optimum health.
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Breathable Chocolate
May 15, 2012
Avid chocolate lovers and chocoholics will surely love this recent advancement in the chocolate industry... the ability to enjoy chocolate without any trace of calories!
An aerosol container that is shaped as a lipstick is now being used to spray minute particles of dark chocolate into the mouth which provides the sweet pleasure of the real thing while providing zero calories.
People who are on a rigid diet may also find the simple taste to have an effect on their appetite. Recently, a Harvard professor who goes by the name of David Edwards has invented an aerosol type spray call Le Whif. He indicated that we only need a little amount of chocolate for us to have our tastebuds satisfied.
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Durango’s Chocolate in Asia
May 11, 2012
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has been a forerunner in the confectionery business. The company is based in the famous town of Durango which is located in the western area of the Rockies in southwestern Colorado. It manufactures a line of quality chocolates to supply the many franchises it owns, and delivers via their refrigerated trucks.
Now, many chocolate aficionados in Japan will be treated to the famous Durango chocolates. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has planned to expand into Asia; particularly Japan, Hong Kong, and China.
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Cacao Nibs
May 10, 2012
Cacao nibs have enjoyed an increased amount of attention lately. They are turning up almost everywhere nowadays, but since they are often just added to other products, many people don't really know what they are.
Nibs are actually cocoa beans with the shell removed. By the time you get them as an ingredient they have usually undergone roasting and prepping to a point that making them into bars is the only major step that remains.
The chocolate making process consists of grinding up the cocoa nibs into a very consistent and thick paste and then adding sugar. For milk chocolate, milk powder would be added. For some chocolate, extra cocoa butter might be added. But the basis of all chocolates are the ground up nibs.
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Apple Peanut Butter Fudge
May 9, 2012
Peanut butter with the nutrition of apples to boot makes for a healthy snack. Peanut butter is known to contain protein and healthy fats, while apple contains vitamin C and fiber. However in this recipe, we’re only gonna be using apple juice.
Quick fun fact, a medium apple (approximately 3 in. in diameter and weighing 182 g.) contains 95 calories, while two tbsp. of peanut butter has 188 calories. All regular peanut butters have the same amount of calories, whether it be smooth or chunky. Peanut butter also provides you with manganese and niacin. And according to the American Heart Association, most of the fat found in peanut butter is of the unsaturated type. This may help lower cholesterol.
You can rest assured that this is not only delectable, but it’s healthy, as well. And of course, it has chocolate. What more could you ask for?
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Nutella Sued For False Advertising
May 8, 2012
Parents should be cautious about their children's health, especially regarding the food they eat on a daily basis.
A popular, spreadable, chocolate-based treat is Nutella, a product that is made by Ferrero Rocher Incorporated. Have you ever tried Googling the exact ingredients of this product online? Most people would think a manufacturer would be completely honest with this type of information, but some have sued saying that lapses were made.
The claim is that the company hadn't been entirely truthful regarding their famous and well-selling product. Nutella is said to contain hazelnuts, cocoa powder, skim milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, soy lecithin, and vanillin. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?
Two mothers have reportedly sued the company because the product was advertised as a healthy food. They suggest that the nutritional value of the product is suspect.
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Chocolate for Foodie and Fashionista
May 4, 2012
Chefs of award-winning stature have recently unleashed and released their latest cocoa and couture at the recently concluded Charity in Chocolate benefit event featuring District of Columbia’s only Chocolate Fashion Show.
It was hosted by the Heart of America Foundation (HOA), a DC based nonprofit organization that boasts volunteer services as well as literacy. They advocate for the needs of marginalized children in the DC area as well as nationwide. Income and proceeds from this event provide funds to children living in poverty who are not able to buy their own books and school supplies.
This event was held at the magnificent National Building Museum, and featured more than 60 local world class chefs who offered not only sweet and savory tastings but very well conceived gravity-defying chocolate sculptures.
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Ghirardelli Chocolate
May 3, 2012
Dating back into the golden old days of California’s gold rush, the Ghirardelli chocolate has been present ever since. A 31-year-old native of Rapallo, Italy, who goes by the name of Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli, had been a very successful owner of the confectionery business situated in Lima, Peru. However, he was enticed to travel to California because the news of fabulous gold and riches lured him so in the year 1849.
He was able to buy himself a way to sail up and down, back and forth, in the San Joaquin River. He acquired supplies as far as San Francisco and then carried his merchandise into Stockton. By 1851, he found himself a new start.
On the 3rd of May 1851, the Great Fire of San Francisco destroyed a total of 1500 buildings. Coincidentally, a fire broke out and destroyed half the city of Stockton. In a span of one week, Domingo lost everything he had. He even tried to open up a coffee shop but it didn’t go so well. Therefore he decided to go back to his roots as a confectioner.
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