Chocolate Orange Mousse
February 20, 2013
Oranges are packed with nutrients. This particular fruit is known to be low in caloric content, and has no cholesterol or saturated fats. It is rich in fiber, too. Oranges, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is a powerful natural antioxidant. And the list of the nutritional contents of oranges goes on…
I just gave you one whole paragraph regarding oranges because it's gonna be in the recipe I'll be giving you now! Of course the recipe is not as nutritious as orange when it's all by itself, but some of the nutrients are still there, right? LOL At least, the flavor is very present. A lot of chocolate lovers dig their treat with a hint of orange. I'm not crazy about chocolate and orange pairing myself, but this recipe is actually pretty good!
Chocolate Facts You Want To Know
February 15, 2013
Always be choosy with the chocolate you eat. Chocolate is known to be packed with nutrients, but to be able to get its substantial benefits, we must know what we're eating.
Chocolates that have at least 70% cocoa are the best ones, considering the higher the cocoa content, the more nutritious. Your chocolate is also better off non- or lightly alkalized or non-dutched. While milk and white chocolate are head-tilting good, they don’t offer as much healthy flavanols as dark chocolate does.
If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, fret not. It's actually an acquired taste, and you can develop it by slowly increasing percentage of cocoa in the chocolates you eat. As a matter of fact, there are milk chocolates with 50 percent cocoa or more available in the market now.
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Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies
February 13, 2013
Chocolate and mint seem to go together very well. A lot of sweet treats have been surfacing with this flavor combination. I, for one, swear by this pairing. I just find the combination of rich chocolate and the refreshing mint oh so delightful.
Chocolate and mint have been consumed separately for centuries now. But, who first combined the taste sensations is unknown. Chocolate mint is popular for sweet treats like candy, ice cream, and cake, to name a few. With its continuous popularity, it invaded the liquid world. It is now used in coffee, tea, and even some main dishes. It’s even used in cosmetics! I myself love my chocolate mint bath gel and lip balm.
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Luxury Chocolates in Developed Markets
February 8, 2013
Considering the chocolate-lovers phenomenon, it's no wonder why chocolate gift boxes make the perfect present for almost anybody. Experts have expressed that chocolate makers have to invest in luxury and premium chocolates in order to help sales boom in well-developed markets.
The global chocolate market is estimated to be around US$107 billion for 2012 according to Euromonitor data.
A senior foods analyst from Euromonitor International, Francisco Redruello, has stated that manufacturers in the developed markets have to focus on quality while increasing investment and innovation. The only possible exception to the quality focus would be in the U.S. and Germany where there's much greater price consciousness.
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Cheese Fudge
February 6, 2013
Some people crave chocolate treats every once in a while, while others won’t last a day without their chocolate fix. Chocolate today is getting more and more interesting by the minute. Chocolate lovers seem to be constantly on the hunt for a new twist to their favorite treat that would tickle their fancy.
A lot of chocolate pairings have been surfacing recently. Different types of chocolate have different ingredients combined with them, like nuts, mint, caramel, nougat, and fruits, among others. If you truly are the chocoholic that you claim you are, you know that there are still a lot of chocolate pairings out there you have yet to try.
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Shots, Shots, Shots, Truffle Shots, Everybody!
February 1, 2013
When Sherri Athay was in a chocolate-making class, she remembered intricately making chocolate truffles only to discard the shell and eat the centers.
"I thought there must be a better way to get to the best part of the truffle, without all that work," she said. It was a light bulb moment after seeing a set of tall shot glasses while shopping with her daughter. Truffle shots!
After some years, they made the idea tangible. They came up with unique confections from a storefront in Essex, Connecticut, and worldwide from their website. Truffle Shots display what Sherri Athay considered as "good stuff" in a truffle, layered in a two-ounce shot glass.
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Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ball
January 30, 2013
Nothing beats a homemade treat. The thought of the person you love going through all the effort just to please you on a once-in-a-year event is heavenly enough, the scrumptiousness of the gift is just a bonus.
I don't know about you, but Valentine's Day is a big deal to me. Every 14th of February, I always make it a point to do something worth remembering, worth seeing on photos. No, actually, just worth remembering. It doesn't have to be grandiose, though, just memorable.
However, my Valentine's Day always comes with a treat, be it food, flowers, or sweet treats. Yes, this year, I will be big on sweet treats! While I have a couple weeks left to wait, it's good to have it planned by now. I'm not big on spontaneity, I like planning, so here goes a recipe which I might have to include in my Valentine's Day "plan". 🙂
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Chocolate Flavored Envelopes… Yum?
January 25, 2013
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we all know that Valentine’s would be so bland without chocolate, well, at least to me.
Valentine cards also happen to be a big part of the celebration of love, but we’re not exactly thrilled about licking the envelopes we put those cards in. Imagine the horror of having to lick envelopes for a living, so my heart goes out to those who have to mail out sales letters for days on end. However, I believe the advent of Chocolate Flavored Envelopes will make things much more bearable for them.
Imagine, how much of a help this would be during the holidays when you put tons of cards into envelopes and have to taste the glue. It’s not exactly delightful. Too bad they’re only releasing them now, but who cares, right. All the ladies will dig it for sure, and of course, their male significant halves who have to do all the licking.
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Coconut Pecan Brownies
January 23, 2013
Let me feed your brain first, OK? The term “coconut,” is of Spanish and Portuguese origin. The term was derived from the word “coco,” meaning “monkey face.” This is allegedly because Portuguese and Spanish explorers found a resemblance between a monkey’s face and the base of a coconut.
Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, scientifically known as cocos nucifera, and the word nucifera means "nut-bearing." The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia, and southern Asia, and are now also abundant in South America, India, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii and Florida.
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Chocolate and the pseudo-morphine effects on the Human Brain
January 18, 2013
Endorphins are chemicals that are endogenously occurring and are functioning as good and efficient neurotransmitters. These are produced mainly by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during the experience of pain, excitement, exercise, spicy foods and yes, love.
Another derivative of endorphin, known as enkephalin, is a peptide that is able to do the activation of many cerebral opioid receptors that are responsible for the intense and insatiable drive for eating that can be compared to the same mechanism of narcotics that are bound to kill pain.
Eating in bulk, and even consistent small frequent feedings, are revolved around the idea of being overly compulsive and doing some kind of over-consumption that triggers the brain’s reward and satiety center.
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