Tag Archive: milk chocolate

The Shelf Life of Chocolate

It's Q&A time.  Here is another question from a subscriber:

"Once chocolate has been melted, how long is it good for once it has been molded (again)?"

Chocolate is a very versatile and tolerant product to work with, the nuances of tempering aside.  Chocolate can be melted, tempered and molded, re-melted, re-tempered and re-molded, again and again. 

The shelf life of chocolate depends on whether it is milk or dark and whether or not it has inclusions like nuts, coconut, or dried fruit.
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Chocolatier Hachez

In 1890 Joseph Emile Hachez, originally from Belgium, established the Bremer Hachez Chocolade Company in Bremen, Germany.

In 1922, they began producing what would become their signature product, a chocolate autumn leaf called Brown Leaves.

 

Brown Leaves comes in either solid milk or dark chocolate or praline leaves filled with fine nougat.  This traditional line of chocolates is only part of what they offer now.
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Green and Black’s Miniature Bar Collection

I am hard pressed to think of a box of chocolates that claims to be everything to everyone, but I may have hit the jack pot with Green and Black’s Miniature Bar Collection.

The collection contains milk chocolate, dark chocolate, almonds, butterscotch candy bits, crystallized ginger, dried sour cherries.  Everything’s organic.  The tasting samples are the perfect size.  Also suitable for vegetarians.  Did I miss anything?
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The Finest Camel Milk Chocolate

No, you did not read that wrong and I did not mistype caramel.

There is something new in the milk chocolate world – one made with camel’s milk instead of cow’s milk! 

According to the Al-Nassma Chocolate website, camel’s milk makes great milk chocolate, and it’s healthier than cow’s milk.
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Montezuma’s Creative Chocolates

I can’t imagine getting bored with chocolate.  There has never been a time in chocolate history as full of imagination and creativity with chocolate as there is now. 

One of the leaders successfully bringing new and innovative flavor combinations to chocolate is Montezuma’s.

You may already know that I am a huge fan of dark chocolate and orange.  Chocolate and orange is so yesterday!  My new favorite is Dark chocolate with Orange and Geranium.
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Is Milk Chocolate Inferior to Dark Chocolate?

I was asked a question like this recently, "is milk chocolate considered inferior to dark chocolate?"

Inferior?  No.

Not as “in”?  Yes.
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Mother’s Day and Chocolate

Those two things, Mother's Day and Chocolate, just fit together nicely, don’t they? 

Mother's Day is celebrated on different days and different months depending on which country you live in.  In the United States, it is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. 

We can thank Anna Jarvis for this great day.  She is the one credited for founding Mothers Day in the US.

How do you choose the perfect chocolate for Mom?
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Chocolate Adventures in England – Thorntons

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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Troubleshoot Chocolate Tempering

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 – Jaffa Cakes

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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