Tired Of Eating Chocolate?
August 27, 2010
Is it really possible to get sick of eating chocolate?
According to feedback from participants in a medical research study out of Australia, it is! What, no way! Sure enough, read on...
By the end of the study, many participants said they would rather take a pill containing the antioxidants than eat any more chocolate. About half the people in the study found the chocolate difficult to eat because of the strong flavor and about 20 percent “considered it an unacceptable long-term treatment option” over the concern for the fat and calories from the chocolate.
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Fermenting Cocoa Beans
August 26, 2010
Did you know that one the most important steps in making chocolate taste like chocolate is cocoa bean fermentation?
Cocoa beans grow inside a thick-walled pod surrounded by a sugary pulp that provides nutrients to the beans (seeds). The pulp is made up of about 12% sucrose which gets broken down by microbes, mostly yeasts.
During the harvest, pods are cut down from the tree, opened, and the cocoa beans scooped out by hand. Large mounds or heaps of pulp and beans are built in order to start the fermentation process. To speed things along, big leaves (like banana) are used to cover the heaps in order to seal in the heat generated by the microbial action.
The temperature can reach 40C to 50C in the fermentation heap. Many chemical reactions take place, and it is here during fermentation that chocolate acquires its color and flavor.
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Brownie Oatmeal Gems
August 25, 2010
If you can’t get enough chocolate per bite, try these babies. And for more chocolate impact, go with the optional chocolate dipping at the end.
| Brownie Oatmeal Gems • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped • 1/4 cup margarine or butter • 2/3 cup light corn syrup • 2 eggs, slightly beaten • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 4 cups old fashioned oatmeal • 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed • 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Read more |
Functional Chocolate: Snacking with Benefits
August 24, 2010
Chocolate for chocolate’s sake is just not cutting it anymore with consumers. Apparently we are demanding chocolate with more meaning, purpose, and benefit.
The general term for this type of chocolate is “functional chocolate.” Functional chocolates supply a nutritional benefit and chocolate is a good vehicle for transporting things like vitamins, probiotics, omega-3, and calcium.
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Kashi Cocoa Beach Granola
August 23, 2010
Kashi company, www.kashi.com, started in 1984 with their first creation of a “unique blend of Seven Whole Grains and Sesame for its supreme nutritional profile — a vegetarian source of protein and complex carbohydrates that’s hearty, satisfying, and energizing.”
I recently tried their Cocoa Beach granola cereal. The cereal has almonds, coconut, and granola clusters all coated in cocoa.
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Lecithin in Chocolate
August 22, 2010
Take a look at an ingredient label on a bar of chocolate. 9 times out of 10 you will see soy lecithin listed there.
Is using lecithin as an ingredient in chocolate important, and what is the benefit of using it?
Sugar-Free Chocolate Nut Cookies
August 21, 2010
If you are diabetic or have to watch your sugar intake, check out this recipe. I recommend using a dark, rich, “gourmet” type cocoa powder for maximum chocolate impact!
| Sugar-Free Chocolate Nut Cookies • 5 Tablespoons butter • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder • ¼ cup cream • 1½ teaspoon vanilla • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 cup sucralose (Splenda) or preferred sugar substitute to replace 1 cup granulated sugar • 4 eggs • ½ cup flour • ½ cup dried shredded coconut • 36 almond or macadamia Read more |
Travels with a Sweet-Tooth
August 20, 2010
According to the TripAdvisor website, www.tripadvisor.com, they have come up with a list of US attractions that satisfy a sweet-tooth.
Not all of these include chocolate, but I thought the list was pretty interesting anyway.
Here you are (drum roll please) the top 10 US destinations for the lovers of all things sweet!
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Look! It’s a Bean to Bar Chocolate
August 19, 2010
Bean to bar means quite literally that the product was manufactured from the roasting and grinding of the bean to the tempering and packaging of the chocolate.
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Chocolate Dessert for Grown-Ups
August 18, 2010
Hot days call for cool treats. Who am I kidding? I would eat this on any day regardless of temperature!
| Chocolate Chambord Sorbet 4 cups water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup cocoa powder 8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped 3/4 cup Chambord (raspberry-flavored liqueur) Read more |