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!

Molten Lava Cakes

So, I've been a little MIA. Mostly, because I am expecting my first little one in a couple of weeks (super exciting) and I felt like I had (and still have) a million things to do to get ready! However, I realized that since my list will never even be close to getting done, I might as well just still find a little time to dedicate to the things that I truly love in life. And of course, chocolate must make the list!

By the way, my new little girl, I'm sure, will be a chocolate lover. I read some article talking about a study that says baby in the womb will develop their tastes according to what you eat during pregnancy. (Take it for what it is - I just read it on the internet so not much backing to it, really). There was a brief stint in my first trimester where I didn't crave chocolate (it was weird and I didn't like it) but then things fixed themselves quickly and the natural me came back out! So, I have still been enjoying my fair share.

Anyway, I have a few treats that I've stored away to share with you, and a new camera to take much better pictures than the previous pitiful shots. So, we'll get this party started again!

The first recipe to share from my new bunch of favs: 

Molten Lava Cakes courtesy of The Neelys (Food Network)  - thanks to Cami Smith for introducing me to this recipe!

The thing that makes this recipe so good - the hint of almond, cayenne, and nutmeg in these little delights! It takes you by surprise at first bite, and you will just simply fall in love with it!

Also the first time I made these, it was fun to see the tops crack open. See, the way a molten cake works is it sets up around the edges and top but the middle is still gooey deliciousness. Right in the last minute of cook time, there's kind of a like a mini "volcanic eruption" in your oven where the goo is located. FUN TO WATCH I TELL YOU!

Here's the recipe. This is for eight 6-oz ramekins - way too many for me and hubby (although if necessary, I'm sure we could eat them all). I have four 4-oz ramekins, so I actually cut this recipe in thirds to make 2 nice servings for each of us.

• 2 sticks butter, unsalted, plus more for ramekins
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch nutmeg
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter 8 (6-ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

In a saucepan combine butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth; stir frequently. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until creamy. Add melted chocolate to the batter and whisk together. Pour into prepared ramekins.

Bake cakes until the top is stiff and cracked and the edges are dark, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a small paring knife then invert onto plates while warm.

Chocolate Caramel Tart (w/Raspberries and Cream)

Well, Ben and I really wanted to try something out with our new cocoa bean purchase, so he found this recipe on epicurious.com. It looked pretty good, and it is pretty good! However, we didn't have raspberries or cream last night when we taste tested it, and in my opinion, it actually really needed it to help tone down the sweetness factor. Or maybe the caramel needs to be adjusted (that's where most of the sweetness was stemming from). I think I'll buy some fresh cream to whip up and fresh raspberries to give it a second chance today. Don't get me wrong - it was still very good - but there is such a thing as too sweet and it definitely caps my threshold. But maybe that's a good thing for me to not be able to eat as much? Eh.

Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Drunken Raspberries and Vanilla Crème Fraîche

Bon Appétit | June 2006

Jeanne Thiel Kelley

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs*

Ben's notes: Seemed a little salty and eggy. Will add a little vanilla next time to round out.

Caramel filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon finely ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt

Christina' notes: Watch closely! Did not take full cooking time noted for me, and b/c I did not have the cream ready to add immediately it kept cooking even after I took it off of the heat and ended up getting burned. Round two worked out much better!

Chocolate ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Edible gold dust (optional; for garnish) -  I was fresh out of this :) You'll be fine without it
Drunken Raspberries - I plan on just using fresh raspberries
Vanilla Crème Fraîche - and diddo on just using fresh whipped cream

For crust:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps form. Add cocoa nibs; blend in using on/off turns. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack while preparing caramel filling.

For caramel filling:

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until mixture is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add butter and stir over low heat until caramel is completely smooth. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir in salt. Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm caramel into crust. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 45 minutes.

Christina's notes: Because we were in a rush (I had a meeting to get to) we tried to cut corners on cooling the caramel (putting in fridge/freezer to speed cooling). DO NOT DO THIS! It compromised the texture, making it a little grainy. Still tasted good, but not as good as it should have been.

For ganache:

Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Pour ganache evenly over caramel filling. Refrigerate tart uncovered until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Brush top of tart with gold dust, if desired. Cut tart into thin slices. Arrange 1 slice on each plate. Spoon berries and crème fraîche alongside.

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 Chip Banana Bread

What to do when 3/4 of the bananas I purchased last week are already past their prime? Well..... banana bread of course! Since I was in a rush the other day, my man, Benny, made some in the mini loaf pan.  We prefer to cook them in there because they seem to brown better. Also I always say I should take a loaf to a neighbor or something and that seems like a good size. That usually never happens though because we eat it so fast...... :) In fact, we ate this last batch so fast that I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of it! Also b/c half of the buttons on my ghetto camera just stopped working so now I really can't get a decent picture....Time for a new camera? I think so.

Of course, what's even better than banana bread? Well, that would be chocolate chip banana bread, of course! That's maybe the "not so healthy" variation, but it tastes so good! For an inexpensive but delicious addition, throw in some Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips. They are probably the better of the "low-end" brands that I have used. Another cool variation Ben made this time was to sprinkle toasted coconut on top of some of the loaves before baking. Both highly recommended!

This recipe is a mix between a recipe we found on epicurious.com and a recipe from my mom with some alterations from us. Hope you enjoy!

C&L's Banana Bread

1/4 cup butter, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar/brown sugar (we like brown, or you can do a comb. of the two)
2 eggs, beaten
3 ripe bananas (or semi-overripe), mashed very well
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups bread flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
chocolate chips - as many as you want!
toasted coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Creme butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add mashed bananas and sour cream. Add all remaining dry ingredients. Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan until a toothpick stuck into the bread comes out clean, about 60 minutes. For 4-mini loaves, bake 45 minutes. 

Notes: I'm pretty sure the reason I like this recipe the best is the bread comes out really moist. I credit that to the sour cream which does wonders in baking in general! Also, one other tip is to mash the bananas up really well for a consistent texture. I will never forget my dear roommate (who shall not be named) in college who made banana bread once (or twice). I don't remember much about it except that it seemed like I could've thrown it at a wall and it would have bounced right back to me. Mash those bananas or weird things may happen!

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.

Chocolate Cake on a Stick....

I made some of these delicious cake balls again (and cheesecake balls). They are really soooo easy! And, did I mention, delicious? Here's the recipe for the cake and cheesecake mixture. Then simply form into balls, chill (I do this step in the freezer 'cuz I'm impatient), and dip in delicious chocolate! I do prefer putting them on a stick as well. I'm not very good at the whole dipping step yet, and that tends to make it a little easier.

My favorite combination is chocolate cake center, white chocolate coating, and topped off with Heath toffee. Um, can I say, to die for?

Happy Holidays! And if you want some ideas to spruce these up for Christmas, go to my other post, and/or visit bakerella.com! She has a lot of cute ideas.

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!

The Great Wall of Chocolate Cake! (P.F. Chang's Copycat Version)



Alex is getting excited about his Uncle Ben's cake!



It was my husband's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday Ben, wooh!), so what better way to honor his advancement in age than an amazing chocolate cake!

I love straight up chocolate cake, but I like to mix it up with some other flavors so that the chocolate's not too overwhelming (for others, that is. You all know I can take on any amount of chocolate any day of the week. But I try to think of others, I really do try). 

So, I chose to go along the lines of the famous "Great Wall of Chocolate" from P.F. Chang's. Basically it's a towering cake packed with chocolately goodness inside and out, with berry touches.

I've dabbled around with this in the past with different chocolate cake recipes. And really, my suggestion is find one that suits your cake tastes and make it. The beauty is, if you don't want to spend a lot of time making the actual cake, go pick up a cake mix. Here's some links to a couple of different recipes that I have liked for the cake: Devil's Food Cake from Food Network, Chocolate Cake from Epicurious. If you're going full on traditional layer cake, bake in two 9" rounds (line bottom with wax paper, butter, and flour). If you truly want to have a WALL of chocolate, you can double the recipe, and do a four layer! I wasn't that adventurous yesterday, but that would be cool..... I've also done a cupcake variation which turned out quite nicely.

PS - I almost never follow a recipe to the exactness. I just can't. It's just me. So seriously, with your chocolate cake, be creative! Throw in some melted chocolate, chocolate chips, or chopped choco chunks to the batter. You can also mix in some sort of extra flavor just depending on how you're complimenting it (in this case, fruity raspberry undertones would be delish!)

For the Frosting:

Being in the berry spirit, I found a great chocolate raspberry ganache to frost this baby, and it really turned out great! 

I only did about 2/3rds of this recipe, and it was still plenty for my cake. Just depends how thick you like to smear it on.

18 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or if you prefer sweeter, that's fine, too)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam (you will definitely want seedless to keep the smooth texture)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream and raspberry jam. Put in the cubed butter and salt, and bring just to a boil (stirring often to make sure nothing sticks).

So, this is the most random thing, but when I started making this raspberry cream mixture, it totally reminded me of a Schwann's raspberry push-up pop. That was like the coveted treat at my friend's house back in the day. Yum.

Ok back to the recipe. Bring just to a boil. Then pour mixture over the chopped chocolate in the bowl and let it stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth then mix in the vanilla extract.

You'll want to cover this with plastic wrap so that it will not get a weird film on top. If you actually plan ahead you can make this in advance and let the frosting thicken overnight. If you're like me, you will make it two hours ahead of when you need and put it in the fridge to set (you'll only want to leave it in there 1 to 1 1/2 hours so that it is still easy to spread).

Simple Raspberry Sauce:

Seriously, I play this one by ear. Get some fresh raspberries (I did a 6 oz container yesterday) and blend in a food processor. Thin out with a little water. Put in a small saucepan. Add sugar to sweeten to your preference. Bring just to a boil. Let boil for about one minute. If you want a little thicker, whisk in a little bit of cornstarch.

If you don't have fresh raspberries, I bet you could take some  seedless raspberry jam and thin it out a bit.  Just probably don't add any sugar.

Lastly, get your berries ready. Fresh strawberries - wash, core, and slice. Fresh raspberries - wash. Fresh blueberries - wash. Wash them all, okay? I just want to make sure we're being sanitary :) Anyway, I just throw 'em all together in a bowl and garnish one piece at a time as I serve. If you really want to impress, you could probably throw some fruit ensemble on top of the cake and on the platter before you serve so it's picture perfect.

Okay, time to put this baby together! It's really quite simple.

Get the two rounds. Layer with ganache in-between. Stack, and frost outside with remainder.



Oops, someone snuck an early piece :)



Decorate edges with chocolate chips, mini chips, chocolate shavings, chocolate chunks, however you want!  I was a little lazy yesterday and in a rush, so I just did a ring of choco chips along the top, but you can seriously go all out with this to make it simply beautiful! Throw on any other deco such as fresh fruit. 

That's it! It turned out simply delicious. And even the non-chocolate lovers at the party tried it, which made me happy :) The only warning: the second piece may just do you in. I learned that firsthand. And here I am, always bragging that I can handle my chocolate.....

If this cake is a little too much to handle, just make a chocolate cake, and serve with the simple raspberry sauce. That's also quite excellent.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN! YOU ARE THE BEST!

Quick and Easy Chocolate S'mores Bars

So, I discovered these S'mores Bars when we were visiting some neighbor friends and they brought them out for a treat, and.....well..... I'm hooked!

These are an awesome, fast treat to throw together, and they taste way better than traditional s'mores, in my opinion. The chocolate is more melty gooeyness, which in this case, is quite perfect.

Anyway, try 'em out. You'll be glad you did!

S'MORES BARS

3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tbsp butter
1 pkg (11.5 oz) milk chocolate morsels
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp vanila
1 pkg (12 oz) Golden Graham cereal (9 cups)

Heat corn syrup, butter, and morsels in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour over cereal and toss until well coated. Fold in marshmallows, 1/3 at a time. Press in well-greased 13x9x2 pan with buttered spoon/spatula. Let stand until completely cool and set (if you'd like to speed things up, refrigerate, or even put in freezer for a few minutes so the chocolate will set faster.)

Once completely set, cut into bars. And eat away! (It's healthy, right? There's cereal in it at least.....)

Frosting.....and Cupcakes to Go With It!





Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting



I don't know about all of you, but I remember the good ole' days when my sis would make a batch of homemade chocolate frosting when my parents were away and then we would get some big spoons and go to town! I imagine my parents probably didn't appreciate the after-effects of such occasions.

Anyway, despite the bellyaches, I am still a huge advocate of enjoying delicious frosting. Yes, all by itself. Especially chocolate frosting! Luckily, my husband is quite an awesome frosting maker, and basically can whip up any kind of flavor that you can imagine!

So, given that this is a chocolate blog, I definitely wanted to share two of my chocolately favorites with you: chocolate coconut frosting, and chocolate peanut butter frosting. (He also makes an awesome strawberry frosting and cinnamon sugar frosting, so if you would like these let me know and I'd be happy to share them, too!)

Oh, and if by chance you do want something to put them on, I'm including a delicious cupcake recipe that we've been working on for you to try out!

Chocolate Coconut Frosting

1/2 stick butter (softened)

1/2 box (4oz) cream cheese (softened)

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

4 Tbsp sifted flour

Cocoa powder to taste (2 Tbsp ish)

Beat together butter, cream cheese, salt and extracts on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add powdered sugar (measure, then sift), flour and cocoa. Beat until well combined. Frosting should be smooth and creamy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

I don't have exact proportions on this one, as my husband and I often like to bake using the "taste" test method. Anyway, you'll get the idea.

1 part creamy peanut butter

1 part butter (softened)
(so basically 50/50 split on these)

Mix together peanut butter and butter.  Add a "decent" amount of vanilla. Then mix in cocoa powder to taste (Ben warns not to put in too much - it won't look dark, but then when you add the powdered sugar, the darkness comes out.) Finally add powdered sugar to your desired sweetness. Texture of the frosting should be thick, almost like play-dough. This one basically tastes like a Reeses PB cup.



Vanilla mini-cupcake with cinnamon-sugar frosting

 Ben's Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup whipping cream
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temp. Preheat over to 350 for cupcakes, or 340 for miniature cupcakes. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on high, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate two of the eggs. Add the remaining egg and the two egg yolks to your butter mixture and beat on high until light and fluffy. Beat the separated egg whites on high speed until firm peaks form and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour (sift, then measure) and baking powder. In a measuring cup, combine the whipping cream and the vanilla extract. Add 1/2 flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until combined. Slowly beat in the cream mixture on medium speed. Add the reamining flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Don't overbeat. Mixture should be very thick. Fold in the egg whites with a scraper. Fill the cupcake cups about 3/4 of the way. Cook cupcakes at 350 for 23-25 minutes and mini-cupcakes at 340 for 16-18 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed lightly and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Tops should be white, not browned. Let cool in muffin pan. Makes approx 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

Variations: Chocolate of course! (take out some flour and subs cocoa powder); Pureed strawberries (subs for a portion of the whipping cream); Coconut (add coconut extract to basic recipe). Have Fun!



Chocolate Mini-Cupcakes



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.)

AMANO: CHOCOLATE REVIEW

So, I did it. I visited the new Amano Artisan Chocolate storefront located in Orem, Utah!  It was awesome! And in fact, I'm pretty sure I will be going back quite regularly, as the budget allows.

First of all, before I tell you about the delicious chocolate I tried, let me tell you a little bit about Amano. The founder/head chocolate maker, Art Pollard, didn't start as a chocolate connoisseur. He was working at BYU in the physics department when he came up with the idea to make his own chocolate. And then he just went from there. Researching techniques, finding the best beans, and even designing his own chocolate-making machine. To me, this is inspiring, because it makes me realize that if you truly have a passion for something, you can make it happen!

Anyway, now to the chocolate. I sampled 4 different kinds while there, so I still haven't tried to whole spread, but I'll be back. Here they are with a little description:

Madagascar (70%): This is the one that I ended up bringing home, not necessarily because it was my fav, but because my niece that was accompanying me was so enthralled with the name (most likely, because a particular "film" that she is familiar with). She informed me that is the one that we MUST buy! It has a very complex flavor - a very fruity undertone. When I was eating some a little later, it almost tasted like raspberry to me. The cool thing with Amano Chocolate is that they do not add any flavorings to their chocolate other than vanilla which enhances the natural flavor.

Guayas (70%): The beans for this bar originate from Ecuador. Also delicious! This was a little more subtle, smooth flavor... A deep dark chocolate. I don't know how else to describe. Loved it! I want more.

Jembrana (70%): These beans come from Bali. It looks like Amano will be discontinuing the bar soon because they said the new crop of beans was not up to their standard. Too bad, because this one's good. But, since Amano's all about quality, they want to keep it that way. And I have a great admiration for that. Anyway, this one's a bit sweeter - and like the description on Amano's website, there are hints of honey and spice in it.

Ocumare Milk (30%): This chocolate also had a little bit of a fruity undertone, which was cool for me. I've never really had a milk chocolate bar that had any hints of extra flavor. Liked it.

So, which one did I like best? That's a great question. I honestly can't compare. They are all so very good but for different reasons. And I haven't even had a chance to try all the flavors yet. There's still Dos Rios, Ocumare Dark, Montanya and Cuyagua (both currently sold out), and the new origins chocolate! We'll just have to see over time.....

As my niece who accompanied me to the store said, "They just keep getting better and better." 

Go check it out: www.amanochocolate.com , or go to their storefront at 450 S 1325 W Orem, UT 84058 (Open 10-8 M-F, 10-6 Sat).

PS - The new Amano Origins Bar is from Chuao, Venezuela and I'll let you know how it is once I get a try!