Newest Chocolate Lover

So, now that I'm back on top of my life (ha, ha, ha) I'm gonna see if I can start blogging again - hopefully with a new and improved blog! For now, I'll keep posting here til it's ready.

Anyway, to the newest chocolate lover:

Here's to following in her family's footsteps.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Starting at Bottom Tier: White Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon, Cinnamon Swirl, Red Velvet

Almost look too good to eat!

Thanks sisters for an awesome baby shower for our little Violet!

Cocoa Nibs Baby!

So, here's the scoop. I got tipped off on an awesome deal for Amano gift certificates on CityDeals: $25 gift certificate for $12. Since this chocolate is great, but expensiveish, I snatched a couple of these up really quick. Who doesn't want 52% off? Anyway, last time I  checked the deal's still up, so go get you some certificates if you haven't had a chance to try this chocolate.

I've been craving cocoa nib brittle from their store, and I also wanted to get some cocoa nibs to do a little bit of my own baking (think brownies, cheesecake, etc.). So, I went yesterday and picked these up:

(Sorry picture is kinda crappy - camera is just not doing it anymore since half of the buttons died on it.) These nibs are from the Barlovento region of Venezuela. They were highly recommended for baking. Amano has 3 other kids of nibs they sell, too. Anyway, now for some experimenting! I have to figure out how to make this brittle! I've never really cared for brittle in the past, but this stuff is something else. It's so light and flaky.....just good! I'm not much of a candy maker, but I guess I have something new to start learning. If you do have a good recipe for brittle, pass it along!

Cocoa Powder: To Dutch or Not To Dutch? (SCHARFFENBERGER & VALRHONA REVIEW)

So my awesome sis-in-law, Tammy, brought me a treat a couple of months ago when we got together on family vacations: cocoa powder! What more could I have asked for? Anyway, I've been wanting to do a little more baking with cocoa powders because like everything else, not all cocoa powders are created equally. From the origin of the beans to the way that it is processed.....it all makes a difference. And if you want that end product to turn out absolutely divine, well, it definitely helps to start out with good quality raw ingredients.

How is cocoa powder made in the first place? I thought you'd never ask. To quote, from the Hershey's website (http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition-professionals/cocoa-powder.aspx):

"Cocoa Powder is the end product from a pressing or extraction process that removes a significant portion of the fat or cocoa butter from the cocoa bean.  The starting cocoa bean material that is pressed is usually in the form of chocolate liquor.  This liquor contains no alcohol but is simply the roasted cocoa bean material (either whole beans or ground beans referred to as nibs) that is finely ground and refined into a paste that becomes fluid at temperatures above 40°C.  This fluid paste or chocolate liquor is then subjected to a pressing process at 6000-12,000 psi., removing most of the fat or cocoa butter from the liquor.  The resulting material is called “cocoa press cake” and typically contains from 10-12% residual cocoa butter, reduced from approximately 54% cocoa butter.  This press cake is then mechanically broken into smaller pieces and subsequently ground into a fine powder which is commonly known as “cocoa powder”."

So, of course when you go to the common grocery store, this is what you're going to see on the shelf: Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and one common one around here is Saco (dutch-processed). I've used 'em all, but I wanted to try some new ones. So Tam brought me a sampling of Sharffen Berger and Valrhona (dutch-processed).

First, what is the difference between natural cocoa powder and dutch processed? There is a significant difference in flavor so it's worth understanding. And to quote again from Hershey's (same webpage):

"Natural Cocoa Powder comes from pressing cocoa beans with no additional modifications.  The resulting natural cocoa powder is usually a light brown color.

Alkalized Cocoa Powders, sometimes referred to as Dutched, come from cocoa nibs and/or chocolate liquor that have been treated with mild alkali solutions in order to raise the pH.  This alkalizing or dutching process is a safe and approved process for cocoa that is used to modify the color, taste, and functionality of cocoa powder in food products.  Alkalization can be used to create a range of dark brown and red-brown colors that add desirable appearances to some food products that contain cocoa powders.  Alkalization can improve taste by reducing some of the sourness and bitterness associated with natural cocoa powders.  The alkalization of cocoa powder can also improve the solubility of cocoa powder in certain beverage applications."

I didn't want to over-complicate things when testing out these new powders, so I kept it simple and tried them out in a chocolate frosting on top of my favorite boston cream cupcakes. They were both really great, but surprisingly I found that my taste liked the Valrhona dutch-processed a bit better for the frosting. The flavor was a little darker and richer. I also read that a taste test on Cook's Illustrated found that most people prefer dutch-processed in baking over natural, although too much dutch was no good. I think I'll just have to keep testing things out to see if this holds true for other recipes :)

In the meanwhile, I've read some opinions that natural cocoa powder is tastier for stuff like homemade hot chocolate. Well, I know I grew up on Hershey's cocoa powder in my household, and I loved the hot chocolate my dad used to make, so I can buy into that....

Anyway, have fun testing out different cocoa powders! Next time you go buy cocoa powder, try a different kind. Just do it! It will be a baking adventure.

On a side note, I'm really craving cocoa nibs right now. I tried some cocoa nib brittle a few weeks ago, and I think I am now addicted.....

Chocolate Travels: Switzerland!

Although this is not always the case, when I find a good chocolate that I like, its origins tend to reach back to Switzerland (or very close neighbors). Hallelujah for that country and their chocolate history! I'm sure chocolate would not be where it is today if it wasn't for them, and that would just be an honest shame.

So, as I was snacking on my Milka bar this morning that I got for Christmas (can you believe it's lasted this long?), I was reminiscing about the first time I had a Milka bar. It was back the summer of 2002. I was doing Study Abroad in Costa Rica, and the food court at the University had them visible in every corner it seemed. Same way at the mall. I had never even seen one of these before. So I had to try it. It did not disappoint. That's one of those moments where I started realizing that most mainstream chocolate in the U.S. was somewhat of a sham and I'd definitely been missing out up to that point. Well, when I came back to the states, as expected, I had not just overlooked this candy bar. Milka bars were no where to be found in my territory. Now 8-ish years later, I am happy to announce that you can find a Milka bar without having to go to a foreign country, although you may have to visit a few different stores.

Don't you just love this cow?

So anyway, I looked at the back of the bar and was surprised to find that Kraft actually owns Milka. Upon further research, I found out they've owned it since 1990, but just didn't really sell in the U.S. until recently. This bar I'm eating was made in Germany. But where did Milka actually come from? My interest was piqued, so of course a quick Wiki search was called for.

And this is what I found. The original Milka bar was formed around 1884 by the Suchard Company (founder Phillipe Suchard from Switzerland). He started a confectioner's business in 1824 and actually developed a method to grind cocoa paste which is still used today. I could go into details, but I'll just say, kudos to you, Mr. Suchard. You done good.

So, as I previously stated, all good chocolate seems to have Swiss roots. This brings me to my second thought as my mind was wandering. I once passed through Zurich, Switzerland, on a layover from some travels in Europe. Upon passing through, I wished I had planned it into the trip. It was the most fairytale village I have ever seen. The scene was absolutely breathtaking. And obviously others think so, too. The airport was very protective - checked our passports at least 20 times it seemed, and had armed security guards throughout to make sure no one could try to enter illegally. They might never want to leave.

Anyway, although we couldn't actually stay long, there was a duty-free shop in the airport. And you guessed it..... lots of chocolate. We settled for the oversized Toblerone - it was huge. Each Toblerone letter was the size of its own candybar. And who is the distributor of Toblerone? Kraft. Interesting. But the original chocolatiers were Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann from, you guessed it, Switzerland. They merged with Suchard in 1970 and were then obviously included in the Kraft buy-out.

I think I really better plan a trip to Switzerland. And maybe I'll just end up staying.

Choktoberfest!

It's starting to get that chill in the air.... in a serious way. I didn't think it was too bad until this morning. Brrr! Winter is right around the corner.

But I don't want to jump the gun just yet.....we still get to celebrate the leaves changing, and with Halloween coming up, let's not forget the chocolate caramel apples!


I just had my birthday a week ago, and my sweetie bought me an awesome caramel apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - second year in a row! I hope this becomes a delicious tradition :) This year it was covered in chocolate and Reese's peanut butter cups. It was sooooo good! I keep thinking that maybe this week I will have to experiment to make some of my own chocolate caramel apples. We'll see.

So anyway, back to the freezing morning air. It just reminded me that there is one thing I do love about the cold...it's the perfect excuse for drinking hot chocolate! Like.....everyday! I love it just plain, with marshmallows, with whipped cream....or you can always add a candy cane, cinnamon.... so many options! I used to go on 7-Eleven runs and get the hot chocolate there. They had mix ins that you could just squirt in - hazelnut, Irish mint, caramel..... seriously that stuff is good! I don't even know if they still have them anymore. Haven't really been there lately. Now I usually just buy the Stephen's Hot Cocoa and make it on the stove. It's quite delish as well. Or you can always make it "from scratch" with cocoa powder, milk, and sugar like my mom used to back in the day. Anyway, one way or another, it's definitely time to stock up again!


Happy October!

Chocolate: The Cure-All

So, did you know that scientific data has shown that chocolate can cure cancer!?!?!??!? Especially dark chocolate, because it has antioxidants and blahblahblah..... Is this really true? Who really knows, and personally, who really cares?

I mean sure, try to justify your chocolate addiction with these "amazing" wannabe facts that some study might disprove in 5 years. But, you know, I really eat chocolate for a different reason: because it tastes awesome and it makes me happy. And that's evidence tested and approved by me personally so I know it's true! So I fully embrace the fact that I could honestly eat chocolate all day. And when people say "Doesn't that make you sick," I am proud of my high chocolate tolerance. :) 

However, since I do promote eating chocolate responsibly, I'll throw in that even though I could eat chocolate all day, I don't..... at least not EVERY day. :) 'Cuz that's responsible, right?

But can chocolate be a cure-all? A most definite YES. It can cure me from a bad mood! It can heal hurt feelings - great forgive me gift (wink, wink), and I even think it can be the perfect cure to certain desserts that need a little help. Sounds pretty all-inclusive to me.

For instance, take peanut butter cookies. Plain - okay. Add chocolate chunks, divine! (recipe)

How about your everyday rice crispy treats. Have you ever tried melting some chocolate and butterscotch chips and pouring some of that on top before you dig in?  Or maybe try some chocolate peanut butter frosting on for size (recipe). It fits perfectly!

  

So there you have it. Proof that chocolate really is the Cure-All!

(And maybe that even includes cancer folks, but don't take my word for it on that one. Ask the professionals.... or your network marketing buddy.)

Oprah: My New Chocolate Hero

Oprah, you are kind of my new chocolate hero.

So, I am not much of a TV watcher. In fact, basically not at all. Mostly spend time watching movies and good TV series on Netflix with hubby (no commercials), or sports games in their season. But when I caught word of this Oprah episode that aired a couple weeks ago, I was actually kinda sad that I didn't see it, and even more sad that I couldn't have been there.

These pictures pretty much explain it all:

So hopefully, you're catching my drift, but if not, I'll clue you in. The whole set is made of Godiva chocolate! White, milk, dark, and truffles and glued together with ganache.

Some more facts:

800 boxes shipped to construct set

 52 types of chocolate

Over 15,000 pieces

1,400 man hours to create

And of course, Oprah, being the generous person that she is, let the audience and all of her staff come onstage after the show and take chocolate home. Now that's eating and sharing chocolate responsibly! 

You go girl!

Check out these pics and video on her website:

 http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Making-of-Godivas-Chocolate-Set-Video_1

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Godivas-Chocolate-Set

Chocolate for the Holidays!

Isn't it just great that we celebrate so many holidays here in the U.S.! And what better way to celebrate than to enjoy one of the best foods on earth, CHOCOLATE!

I got my White Fudge Covered Oreos at Christmastime. Now I'm excited for my Easter seasonal favorite, Cadbury Mini Eggs. Oh, they are just little eggs of goodness. Why do I like these so much? Well, obviously because they are delicious. Easy enough. I went to do my grocery shopping a few days ago and they were nowhere to be found! Luckily, I went to another grocery story yesterday since we were having dinner with some friends, and was more fortunate. Yum! I only ate half the bag with a little help (not much though. I have to take most of the credit). I finally had to hide it so hopefully it will still last for a weekish.

GREEN & BLACK'S ORGANIC: CHOCOLATE REVIEW

Okay, so here's a new brand that I recently have tried. I'm still a newbie to what this chocolate has to offer, but I'm thinking that I'll be sampling more Green & Black's Organic Chocolate.

So, this company was started in the UK in 1991. The cacao beans that are used for most of their bars are of the Trinitario variety, mostly harvested in Belize and Dominican Republic.

I heard about this chocolate in a book I was reading actually, so I thought I'd better look into it. So, the first cool things about Green & Black's Organic is that they have a fairtrade agreement with the farmers that harvest the cacao crop so that they are paying a fair market value. That's really admirable.

The second cool thing is that the chocolate is good. I tried a Mint Dark Chocolate Bar (60%). This is the kind of chocolate that you have to savor to appreciate all of the flavors because it definitely has a unique taste. I liked it, however, the mint personally threw me off a little at the end, even though it was pretty light. I think that next time I grab a bar, I will just go with the straight chocolate, no extras added, so I can appreciate the natural flavor a little more.

Anyway, I had some of the bar left and was making cookies, so I decided to break it into big chunks and use it with the dough. Now that was delicious!!!!

Check out their website: http://www.greenandblacks.com/

I found the Green & Blacks bars in WalMart. Honestly, I live in Utah, so that's sometimes as close as you get to the real retailer here. Anyway, it looks like they sell at other similar stores like Target and local grocers, and maybe they have some retail stores here in the U.S. - let me know if you know of one. They make a variety of bars (there was a decent variety at WalMart - about $3 for a sizable bar),  baking chocolate, hot chocolate mix, and ice cream (not quite sure where the rest of these items are carried - didn't check that closely yet - still on the hunt).

 Give 'em a try and let me know what you think!

LU's Petit Ecolier (Little Schoolboy) Biscuits

So, when I was in WalMart the other day, I found these european biscuits, translation, chocolate covered cookies of deliciousness (made in France). They brought back some good memories of my friend, Dorothee Cannon, who always had a good supply at church and often helped soothe my cravings.

I just love them! They even have a cute little french schoolboy impression (hence, the name petit ecolier) on the top in the chocolate coating. Who can resist that! They come in milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

These are just a good all-around snack cookie. It's like when you're craving something but you don't know quite what..... these will often do the trick, or at least hold you over in the meanwhile :)

LINDT: CHOCOLATE REVIEW (Lindor Truffles)

Why is it that chocolate in every other country besides the US seems to be better? (Sorry, Hershey's, but you are just not at the top of my list.) Anyway, Lindt & Sprungli from Swizterland is one of my fav's for the money! Especially their collection, Lindor Truffles. I bought a big bag of them right before Christmas, and was trying to hold out, to savor just one a day to make them last longer. Well, that has not been happening lately. Because once I have one, I just want to try another flavor, to try to decide which one is my favorite. Such a predicament!

Anyway, what is my favorite? Honestly, really can't say, although I really like the Extra Dark Chocolate. But then there's the Stracciatella that's also quite delish. And then I get to looking at their website (www.lindtusa.com) and I start realizing how can I even decide when I haven't even tried all of them!

I so wish they had a retailer around my parts. But, not so. Maybe one day they will smarten up and get one around here (Utah). Or I'll have to start with their new program of becoming a Lindt home distributor (seems appealing, but I might just eat it all instead of having the parties, so I don't know how successful that would be). 

Anyway, for those who don't have a true retail store close by, there's still hope as they are common to find. If you buy these chocolates separately just at a local grocer, as they are often sold as impulse items by cash registers, you will pay around 50 cents a pop. Since I am a little more price savvy than that, I recommend going to WalMart or Sam's Club/Costco, and buying a bigger variety bag (or all of one flavor, if you have your favorite). The one downer is that you really can't find all of the flavors if you go that way, but they are getting better at having a selection.

I'm sure most of you have seen these and hopefully had the opportunity to taste! If not, put it on your list of things to do. You will not have regrets.

Holiday Treat Overload!

Wow. So, I have some serious recipes to post on here. I'll admit, I've been indulging lately, but I could hopefully say that I'm still being "responsible", meaning, only seconds, not thirds or fourths :)

So, here's what's on the way:

• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
• Key Lime Pie
• French Chocolate Silk Pie
• Cake Balls/Pops, and Cheesecake Balls
• Gingerbread Houses

Don't worry ya'll. Chocolate is still my main passion, but there are still other delectable treats to appreciate in life, and so I wanted to share these recipes as well for a little change up. ENJOY and Happy Holidays!

These are a few of my favorite things.......

I went to lunch today with my husband, Ben, for my birthday. Afterward, he took me over to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (http://www.rmcf.com/) for one of our favorite treats, their oh-so-good caramel apples. Now, if you have not been to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before, you may not really understand what I'm talking about. Yes, you can get your pretty standard caramel apple there, which is delicious. But just to give you an idea, a few of my favorites are the Key Lime Pie Caramel Apple (caramel, white chocolate, graham cracker, some delicious key lime flavoring), the Snickers Caramel Apple (caramel, milk chocolate, chopped up snickers) and the Toffee Caramel Apple (caramel milk chocolate, toffee), just to name a few.

We also tried some mint truffles there. They were tasty, but a bit pricey at $2/ea. We were expecting our taste buds to explode at that price, but it just didn't happen for us.

Let me tell you though, if you want a good mint truffle, I have found a few that are delicious, and are also a really reasonable price.

Go try to Utah Truffles Mint Bar (dktruffles.com). They are to die for! And I believe I've seen them for around $1.50 at some local grocery stores.

Also good companies - Kara Chocolates (based in Orem, UT), and my other fav-favorite, Alvey's Mint Melts. I have not been able to find these since I attended school up in Logan, UT (USU). They are yummy! I have to know if I can still get them! I will find out and let you all know.

Happy Chocolate-ing, All!

Submit your Chocolate Recipes!

Submit your favorite chocolate recipes so that we can share them on this blog! You can either join the facebook Chocolate Lover's Club and submit, or email recipes to christina_lakey@yahoo.com.

Chocolate Lovers Welcome!

I don't know if I was just bored yesterday or what, but I came across some old stuff from my college days when I started the Chocolate Lover's Club at USU. My "chubby" roommates were great to help the cause. Anyway, I am still a great appreciator of chocolate, and so I think it appropriate for me to start this blog and share my passion.

Some people have blogs that talk all about the nutritional value of chocolate, origin, blah, blah, blah. Well all of that is great, but I'm all about application! I want stuff I can taste. This is a place to share great chocolate secrets - recipes, brands, places that we must go!

So chocolate lover's of the world...unite!