Snickers Pie
February 8, 2012
If you're expecting some friends or family members to come over to your house, and you happen to be clueless about what to serve for dessert, fret not. Snickers Pie can come to your rescue.
It consists of Snickers candy bars which, apparently, were invented by Frank Mars in 1930. He allegedly put in some chocolate to an already existing snack, and then named it after one of his family's favorite horses. This candy bar is basically composed of roasted peanuts and caramel mixture on top of a bar of nougat, all covered in milk chocolate. Just a bit of trivia; each Snickers bar is said to contain approximately 16 peanuts.
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Southern Ocean County’s Chocolate Week
February 7, 2012
If you plan on heading to southern Ocean County (in the Long Beach Island region of New Jersey) within February 11 to February 20, 2012, and happen to love chocolate, then you're in for a treat.
Southern Ocean County's Chocolate Week, which is taking place on the dates mentioned above, was developed with that premise, according to Lori Pepenella who is the destination marketing manager for the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce.
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So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival
February 3, 2012
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and several events are already planned out in celebration of the love season, one of which is the 10th annual Salem's So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival happening on February 10-14.
Chocolate tasting and over fifteen sparkling and humongous ice sculptures are expected in the city center of Salem. Ice Sculpture Themes include the SSU Viking, a crystal snowflake, a single-room room school house, TinTin and Snowy, a dragon, Marilyn Monroe, and the Salem Witch. Huge discounts, along with free chocolate are also to be expected from a lot of many business establishments downtown.
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Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate
February 2, 2012
Chocolate, a native to Mexico, has been a staple there for centuries already. Initially, they enjoyed chocolate as a drink. They made variations og chocolate by incorporating different flavors and ingredients such as honey, spices, and nuts, among many others. The chocolate beverages they made did not have a sweet taste to them. Nevertheless, it was well-loved by the Aztec and Mayan royalty.
The Aztecs were whipping up and enjoying their hot chocolate drinks when the Spaniards arrived. They took the cacao beans along with them as they headed home, and started enhancing the flavors by adding milk and sugar. You can trace the roots of the hot chocolate drink recipe back to that. Shortly thereafter, chocolate became all the rage in European royal places. Special china pots and cups were produced, intended only for drinking hot chocolate. Nowadays, such kitchenware are considered as collectors’ items and can sell for a fortune if they come in a complete set.
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Chocolate Carrot Cake
February 1, 2012
Plain chocolate cake is downright delicious, but at times, it can become such a bore. (Did I really say that?) And what better way to give it more oomph than putting in additional ingredients. Case in point: carrots.
One of the most sought-after nutritional benefits you can get from carrots is the beta-carotene that gets converted into vitamin A, helpful for eyesight. But aside from that, carrots have been proven to lower the levels of cholesterol in the system and also aid in combating heart attacks and cancer.
However, there are people who just aren't big fans of carrots, or vegetables, for that matter. If you're one of them, fret not because the carrot-y taste is not gonna outstand the chocolaty taste. Instead, the carrot will just enhance the overall flavor of the chocolate cake.
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Austrian Students Develop Healthy Chocolate
January 31, 2012
Good news to every chocophile out there. Pretty soon, your favorite guilty pleasure will be way more pleasurable! Students of the University of Applied Sciences in Wels, Austria are currently working to develop a certain type of chocolate that does not only taste good but also packs a lot of nutritional benefits.
I know where you're getting at, and you may be right. Yes, it’s no surprise that chocolate has a lot of health advantages to offer, specifically because of the high antioxidant properties it contains. But this one is of different level, a higher one.
The students were able to come up with the special chocolate through a project in their course of organic and environmental technology. They were looking to bring the healthy apple back into the diet of Upper Austrians. The bitter-tasting and filled chocolate is made out of old, native apple varieties that are purified using apple brandy in oak barrels.
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Eat Chocolate, Prevent Bowel Cancer?
January 27, 2012
Recent research has shown that a daily cocoa fix cuts down your risk of having bowel cancer. This is one of the newest findings with regard to the nutritional benefits of cocoa beans.
Previous studies have shown that, indeed, chocolate packs a lot of health benefits. Of particular interest is all the potent antioxidants it contains which are known to combat those detrimental molecules called free radicals. Consumption of cocoa has also been associated with diabetes control, as well as keeping blood pressure and heart disease under control.
Dr. Maria Arribas of the Science and Technology Institute of Food and Nutrition in Spain led the most recent research along with her team. They conducted an experiment aiming to find out if the food could prevent rats from developing bowel cancer as they are exposed to tumor-inducing chemicals. Arribas said: "Foods like cocoa, which is rich in polyphenols, seem to play an important role in protecting against disease."
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Chocolate Tasting
January 26, 2012
Chocolate never fails to give an enjoyable experience, especially if you are enjoying quality chocolate. It provides rich and intricate flavors that vary from one chocolate to another.
Truth be told, the flavor components found in chocolate are more than those of red wine. You get the full experience in eating chocolate if you savor it by eating slowly. Every type of chocolate offers a different set of flavor profiles.
We know all too well that chocolate is derived from cacao beans, like wine comes from grapes. The flavors of the cacao beans are hugely affected by certain factors, namely geographical location, climate, conditions of the soil they're planted into, the processes they undergo after being harvested, and their unique genotypes. And since there are a lot of factors that influence the flavor of a single chocolate bar, it's crucial to taste meticulously to get the fullest flavor it can give.
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Strawberry Truffles
January 25, 2012
Truffles are the bomb. They never fail to give us the little pleasure we root for when it comes to chocolates. Below is a recipe for a strawberry truffle which is quite a variation to the conventional chocolate truffle.
Even at first sight, the heart-shaped silhouette of strawberry would give you a hint that it is good for you. They pack a lot of nutritional benefits like vitamin C, fiber, manganese, potassium, and also contain a great deal of antioxidant properties called polyphenols. Strawberries are free of sodium, fat, cholesterol, and are considered a low-calorie food.
Did you know that strawberry is a member of the rose family? Truth be told, it is not actually a real fruit or berry, but the enlarged receptacle of the flower. Interesting, eh?
Try this recipe if you plan on throwing a party, inviting people to come over to your house, or just because!
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Chocolate Love A’fair
January 24, 2012
With Valentine's Day nearing, it seems as though love is already in the air, but not necessarily the romantic kind of love. If you have been paying attention, numerous fundraising projects are taking place this February and many of them involve chocolates! Case in point: The 13th Annual Chocolate Love A'fair in Dover, Ohio.
Lucky are the chocoholics who will come and get the chance to spoil themselves with all the chocolaty pleasures. A generous assortment of chocolate treats such as candy, truffles, tortes, and cakes, are being presented by more than 20 area restaurateurs, chefs, bakers, and chocolate makers.
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