| Chocolate Report

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Hazelnut Heaven

0

A delicious and affordable treat made by a classic American chocolate company

Ghirardelli's "Intense Dark" line seems to be aimed at the market of people who love Ghirardelli's creamy milk chocolate, but feel like they should try branching out into dark chocolate - probably because of the antioxidants. They are bars which are legitimately dark chocolate, but without many of the bitter notes that tend to turn off the uninitiated. They also have a surprisingly high milkfat content, which makes them creamier than most dark chocolates.

If you like your dark chocolate to be crisp, to snap when you break it and crumble in your mouth, then this is probably not the bar for you. It is much creamier than many dark chocolates, and it has a lot more hazelnut bits than a purist might look for.

As with all Ghirardelli chocolates, the appearance is outstanding. Each bar is formed of tablets that are about 1 inch square, with a brilliant glossy finish. (In fact, the finish on this square was so mirror-like that I had trouble photographing it; it kept wanting to reflect back the view from the window above it.) And stamped with the Ghirardelli seal and eagle.

How to make fudge the easy way

0

Too good to resist...

Who doesn't love the rich, sweet taste of a bite of fudge? The recipe from Nestle Toll House only takes a little over 10 minutes for the prep and cook time. This gift makes the perfect Mother's Day gift for the mom who loves chocolate. Read more about How to make fudge the easy way

Theo Fig, Fennel & Almond Dark Chocolate

0

Surprise! It's vegan AND delicious!

This is a premium bar of chocolate, make no mistake! Theo Chocolate is a Seattle-based chocolate maker, specializing in small-batch organic and Fair Trade specialty chocolates. Theo Chocolate is peerless as a company, the first American chocolate company to operate fully organic and Fair Trade, supporting local artists and artisans, and with a real passion for their product which shines through every aspect of the production, from sourcing to packaging.

Case in point: this bar, which is part of their "Fantasy Flavors" line, features a gorgeous and adorable illustrated wrapper designed by www.kittenchops.com. Says so right there on the label! When was the last time you saw a packaging designer credited on the label? It never happens. But Theo Chocolates does it, because they love their illustrators, and they want you to love them and buy more of their work.

It's endearing as hell, is what it is.

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs

0

One of the best things about Easter is the candy, especially for those who love chocolate. While store bought Easter candy works in a pinch nothing beats the freshness of homemade chocolate eggs. This recipe from the website tasteofhome.com uses ingredients such as peanut butter and nuts to keep it fun and unique. Take it with you to Easter dinner or as a treat after your kids Easter egg hunt. Young and old alike will enjoy this tasty, homemade Easter treat. Best of all, you won't eat into your cooking plans because the dish takes only 25 minutes to make and one hour to chill.

Things You'll Need:

¼ cup of butter, softened
¾ cup of chunky peanut butter
1 and ½ to 2 cups of confectionery sugar (divided)
1 cup of coconut (flaky)
½ cup of walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups or 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of shorting
Wax paper
Mixing Bowl

Chocolate Fantasy Fulfilled | The Chocolate Fountain

1

What is the greatest invention of the 21^st century? Cell phones? The internet? Electric cars? Nope. Those are all good guesses, but, unfortunately, all wrong. The chocolate fountain is the clear cut winner. It truly epitomizes all that is great about this century and I am confident that, looking back, future generations will feel the same way.

Sometime in the 1980’s, some genius from Canada with a love of all things chocolate decided that a free-flowing, lava-like stream of chocolate exuding from a towering volcano structure would be a fabulous idea. I have no idea why, but I do not argue with such obvious and remarkable intelligence. I mean, it is the stuff we dreamed about at night after viewing “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. Warm, melted chocolate at our disposal. Ready for the taking. Yum.

Review of Starbucks Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

0

Today I headed over to Starbucks for my usual: a nonfat iced mocha. When I arrived at the counter I realized that several new, low-calorie treats were available for us customers to choose from. When I saw the selection it came into my mind that I was eying the latest treats to land on Starbucks store shelves everywhere. The pastries are an attempt by the company to produce something sweet without breaking your calorie budget for the day. Previously, the store offered mini-cakes and cake pops, along with bagels, muffins, coffee cakes and large cookies. I love those soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies but I was in the mood to maybe try something different and, well, healthier.

5 Fun Facts About Oreo Cookies

0

Oreo Cookies Turn 100 This Week

Oreo cookie turned 100 this week and given that one of America's favorite brand reached such an important milestone, I thought covering a couple of facts about the famous cookie would fit well within the theme of all things chocolate. Did you know that Oreo produces different flavors depending on the country you live in? I didn't know that Mexicans enjoyed what's referred to as “Trio Chocolate” Oreo cookies. This is just one piece of information along with the other fun facts I gathered together for this post about the famous Oreo treat.

Treats and The Woman of My Family

0

I love chocolate. I’ve said that before. Heck, I’ll probably say it again. Many times. I am not usually a candy bar person, I prefer Godiva. The good stuff. But, there were times in my youth that I did eat the drugstore candy. So, did the other women in my family.

My mom loved those Bit-O-Honey candies. At one point they stopped making them, but they brought back the 1924 treat. My mom was not a sweets girl, but she loved this particular chewy bit.

St. Patty's Day Guiness Chocolate Beer Pudding

0

You can't go wrong with beer and chocolate.

St. Patty's Day is just around the corner and given that fact, I felt that a recipe centered around beer and chocolate is a great way to celebrate all things Irish. Well-known chef, Shane Phillip Coffey, for the Alias restaurant in New York City, designed the famous pudding after inspiration struck him at an Irish pub in Manhattan when he saw a sign displaying the Guinness name. Coffey recommends using dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cacao, as using good chocolate for the chocolate beer pudding makes it come out creamier. Also, a few of the commenters on epicurious.com recommend skipping or adding less sugar the whipped cream on top for those who do not like their pudding overly sweet tasting.

3 Best Chocolate Fondues From The Melting Pot

0

*groan*

We went to the Melting Pot for a birthday dinner this week. Can I please go every week? So. Gosh. Darn. Good. If you have a Melting Pot near you, go there now. Tonight. If you do not have one in your state, you have my condolences.

So, the chocolate fondue is everyone’s favorite, right?! At least, everyone reading this blog! Here are the top choices, in no particular order, of chocolate fondues at this yummy little restaurant.

1. The Flaming Turtle: A hot twist on the classic turtle sundae. This sweet fondue blends both melted chocolate and caramel into a tasty treat. Liquor is added and the whole thing is flambéed tableside and topped with peanuts. Why are more things not flambéed tableside? Seriously, I love this tableside stuff. So much fun!

2. Chocolate S’mores: In this concoction, melted chocolate is blended with marshmallow cream and topped with broken bits of honey graham crackers.