chocolate | National Chocolate Month

Valentine’s Day is coming soon! Think chocolate… a beautiful box of chocolates!

Vintage ad – 1908 – for New England Confectionary Company of Boston, Massachusetts chocolates and other sweets.

Whether it’s – Godiva, Hershey, Mrs. Nelson’s, Lindt, Nestles’s, Ghiradelli, Ferrero Rocher, Priscilla’s, Harbor Sweets, Whitman, Russell Stover or Dove – whatever your favorite confectionery brand – February is National Chocolate Month – time to celebrate. It comes as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate mixed with fruit and with nuts – chocolate with creamy filling, chocolate covering caramels, raisins, nougat, pretzels and cherries. As a pure liquid treat it covers ice cream or frosts cakes, cupcakes, brownies, donuts and cookies. Mixed with milk or cream it delights – whether hot or cold – frothy or foamy. It flavors cereal – cakes, breads, pies, muffins and donuts – and even liquors! It melts in your mouth as a heavenly no fail-fudge made with Lynn, Massachusetts-made Marshmello Fluff. Some firmly believe that chocolate is an aphrodisiac – others that in its darkest and purist form chocolate is actually healthy.

Since we are celebrating chocolate – here a few more positives about chocolate:

* The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.
* Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.
* Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.
* Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don’t.
* The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.
* Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
* The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

Valentine’s Day is coming soon! Think chocolate… a beautiful box of chocolates!

chocolate Mexican

Mexican Chocolate Fondue

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Do you have any romantic plans? We love to stay home and treat ourselves to a fancy dinner (with the kids) in our home. Yes, how things have changed since parenthood, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My family loves dipping foods, whether it’s chocolate fondue or chips and salsa, because it’s just more fun that way. There’s nothing more fun (and romantic) than dipping luscious strawberries into thick, rich, hot chocolate — Two lusciously sexy flavors when combined.

This recipe makes enough to serve you and your special someone — making this the perfect romantic dessert for two. If you have kids like we do then you might need to double the recipe or make babysitting arrangements.

Ingredients

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 3.3 ounce tablet Mexican chocolate (recommend Ibarra or Abuelita), chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional for thicker chocolate)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur (recommend Kahlua or Frangelico) (optional)

Dippers

Strawberries
Apples
Mango
Pineapple
Papaya
Star fruit
Banana
Raspberries
Blackberries
Kiwi
Pan dulce
Marshmallows

Directions

Heat 1/2 cup cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until cream comes to a low boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add Mexican chocolate. Let chocolate sit in the hot cream 3 to 5 minutes to soften, and then whisk chocolate together with the cream. Stir in butter, cocoa powder (optional), vanilla, cinnamon, and liqueur (optional).

Transfer to a fondue pot; keep warm, stirring occasionally. If fondue becomes too thick, stir in more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency.

Arrange your favorite dippers around your chocolate fondue with fondue forks or bamboo skewers, for dipping.

We want to thank all of our wonderful Muy Bueno fans by giving away a lovely piece of pottery by Cherie Mahon, a box of Nestle Chocolate Abuelita, along with a recipe card for this Mexican Chocolate Fondue!

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment about your favorite (or not so favorite) Valentine’s Day food or memory below AND please help spread the word by posting on Facebook or Twitter by using the social networking buttons below. We would really appreciate that.

This giveaway ends Monday, February 14th at midnight MST. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within 24 hours.

Chocolate Cream Pie

A classic pie with rich chocolate filling. Another time-tested recipe that can’t be beat!

• Prep Time 30 Minutes
• Cook Time 5 Minutes
• Difficulty Intermediate
• Servings
• System US Metric

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2-½ Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 3 cups Milk
• 3 ounces, weight Chocolate, Semi-Sweet (Chopped)
• 3 whole Egg Yolks, Slightly Beaten
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 whole Baked Pastry Shell (Pie Crust)
• _____
• FOR THE MERINGUE:
• 3 whole Egg Whites
• ¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
• 6 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Chocolate filling:

Mix in a saucepan the sugar, salt, cornstarch and flour. Stir milk in gradually. Add chopped chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Slowly stir half the mixture into 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten. Then blend the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot mixture. Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Blend in butter and vanilla extract. Pour into the baked pastry shell. Top with meringue.

Meringue:

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Bake 8 – 10 minutes in a 400ºF preheated oven.

Chocolate State tells Chocolate shop

State Tells Chocolate Shop

Yana Paskova for The New York Times

Byron Bennett can legally call his East Village shop the Chocolate Library.

This fall the education department — which regulates the use of the words library, school, academy, institute and kindergarten in certificates of incorporation and company names — rejected Mr. Bennett’s application. The thought was that the store might be confused with one of those places that lends out books or provides free Internet access.

But after a call from Diner’s Journal, officials reconsidered. Mr. Bennett received a letter from the department on Monday telling him that he could amend his business’s incorporated title, Chocolate 101, to reflect the name on his shop’s awning.

“It was clear that upon second review the use of the term library of this retail chocolate establishment did not pose a problem,” said Tom Dunn, a spokesman for the education department.

But the controversy shouldn’t have existed in the first place, said Mr. Bennett, 38, who said no one had mistaken his business for an actual library.

“This changes things a lot,” Mr. Bennett said. “Now we can move forward comfortably with our brand.”

What’s next for Mr. Bennett? Books, naturally.

Before the ruling he had held off selling books about the origins and history of chocolate and how to cook it. He also plans to set up a kiosk where customers can research the international selection of chocolates he sells. He hopes to reach his goal of carrying 100 brands of chocolates.

“We’ll get through Valentine’s first,” Mr. Bennett said.

Chocolate May Reduce Risk of Heart Failure

Chocolate May Reduce Risk of Heart Failure

Forget what you’ve heard about death by chocolate. A new Harvard study shows that chocolate may be good for your heart. It’s a great day for chocolate lovers everywhere.

Murray Mittleman and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School studied data on 31,823 middle-aged and elderly Swedish women to assess the relationship between chocolate and heart failure. The women who consumed an average of one to two servings (that’s a fairly small amount) of high-quality, cocoa-rich chocolate per week had a 32 percent lower risk of experiencing heart failure. Those women who ate 1 to 3 servings a month had a 26 percent lower risk of heart failure.

The scientists noted that the high concentration of phytonutrients called flavonoids in dark chocolate are potent antioxidants that are likely responsible for the results. The flavonoids are believed to lower blood pressure and reducing inflammation linked with heart failure.

Keep in mind that not just any chocolate will do. Forget the vast majority of candy bars on the market. The study results were achieved with high-quality, cocoa-rich chocolate. Read DARK chocolate. The darker the better. And, be sure the one you choose is low in sugar, has no trans or hydrogenated fats, and no artificial colors, flavors, or other synthetic ingredients.

Chocolate Filled Monkey Bread

Now this is a cookbook that I could learn to love, “Chocolate American Style“. It had more than enough choices for us….like Oreo -Crusted Chocolate Mousse Tart or White Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti. We settled on Chocolate-Filled Monkey Bread on page 57. You see, our family likes monkey bread. I like making easy monkey bread, and let me tell you, this one is not it. The recipe itself is two pages long….that should have been my first sign. Second it doesn’t have you proof your yeast, you know put it in warm water. How is my yeast suppose to activate unless it is warm first? Third, I had my 17-year-old make it and he promised me that he would type in the recipe for me.

I am simply going to tease you with the pictures and tell you the next time I make monkey bread, it will be my old recipe with canned biscuits. Feel free to add a piece of good milk chocolate in the inside of each of your monkey bread pieces. I thought this would be a great thing to make for the family for Valentine’s morning. Once again, it won’t be this exact recipe, but don’t hold our endeavor against the cookbook. It tasted lovely, it was just a lot of work. I know this hasn’t stopped me in the past, but this one I wanted to cut corners….like use canned biscuits. If you are a homemade bread lover, you will love this recipe in its entirity….but you will have to buy the cookbook to get it. I am such a tease…..and the 17-year-old didn’t want to type it in, who could blame him. He said he would type it in if you want him to….so leave me a comment and if we get enough he will add it.

A Feast For Chocolate Lovers

Have you ever wanted a chocolate fix but was tired of the old bar of chocolate? Because this recipe could be the solution to satisfying your cravings.

To put it simply, this is heaven in your mouth. The Chocolate cupcakes with ganache is a combination of a dense and earthy cupcake fused with the overwhelming explosion of chocolate and cream that makes up the ganache.

At first bite you are met with the base of the dessert, a warm and thick structure, and then you are hit by the delicate yet powerful ganache, which is more refined than mousse. The cupcake and ganache create a sensation in your mouth that cannot be ignored.

Chocolate helps eliminate cough

Chocolate helps eliminate cough.

Theobromine, an ingredient in over-the-counter chocolate bars, has shown promise as an anti-coughing agent.

Researchers have discovered that a chemical compound, theobromine, a methylxanthine commonly found in dark chocolate and other substances derived from the cocoa plant have shown great promise as an anti-cough medication.

Chronic cough is a symptom characteristic of many conditions, and many times it can simply be an irritating burden to the sufferer. Or in the case of kids with colds, it can keep them and their parents up all night.

Current over-the-counter cough remedies contain some kind of opioid, like dextromethorphan or codeine, compounds that may not only cause many side-effects but may also prove to be quite unreliable in dealing with the cough itself.

Researchers tested theobromine on both humans and guinea-pigs (not in that order, that would be inhumane) by using capsaicin and citric-acid, irritants that stimulate the cough reflex. This is a common method used to study the proper inhibition of coughs by medications. The cough reflex has been linked to vagus nerve and sensory nerve stimulation yet most scientists are still trying to determine the exact mechanisms responsible for long-term coughs brought on by many different conditions.

In this study theobromine was shown to inhibit both sensory and vagus nerve depolarization in test-test tube conditions, but the difficulty of reproducing and checking this in live organisms still remains elusive so it's unknown whether this is the main mechanism behind theorbomine's success. The studies, regardless of the mechanisms, demonstrate that it works however; a huge plus for cough sufferers everywhere.

The levels of Theobromine in over-the-counter chocolate bars however might be quite small . But the good news is that it's quite high in chocolate pudding (74.8mg / serving) and chocolate milk (0.011 mg / g). Despite these levels you're most likely not going to be picking up snacks when you're sick just yet. You would have to eat about 12 chocolate pudding cups just to get the amount needed to suppress your cough...something I'm actually looking forward to.

The sad part is that you would most likely be taking this form of medication in a non-edible form or at best as really really bitter dark chocolate. But I return to my chocolate fantasy for a final thought:

As a long-time lover of chocolate, I for one welcome this news as something extremely positive. It provides another reason to reach for a chocolate bar at random times with the most minuscule of excuses as to why I'm actually eating so much. Next time, I'll just say I'm taking my medicine.

Flourless Chocolate

Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake to Celebrate

Thank you to everyone who entered the Family Kitchen giveaway for a chance to win the latest cookbook by Food Network star Daisy Martinez. Your favorite holiday dishes were inspiring!

Our winner, who has been selected by random, will receive a copy of Daisy’s Holiday Cooking: Delicious Latin Recipes for Effortless Entertaining. The rest of you lucky readers get Daisy’s irresistible recipe for Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake.

(Drumroll!)

A big, happy congrats to Adelina. We hope this decadent chocolate cake—and other recipes you’ll find in Daisy’s book—will go great with your favorite holiday dish, arroz con pato. Yum!

Daisy’s Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake
makes 12 servings

1 cup brewed espresso
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 large eggs, beaten
Cinnamon ice cream and raspberries, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan: Cut a circle of parchment paper the size of the removable bottom of the pan. Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan. Tear off an 18-inch length of aluminum foil. Center the pan over the sheet of foil and crumple and crimp the foil tightly all around the sides of the pan. (The foil will prevent water from seeping into the pan during baking.) Set the pan aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, bring the espresso, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks to a simmer over very low heat. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and steep until the syrup is very fragrant, about 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the butter until melted and then stir in the cayenne pepper. Set aside.

4. Pulse the chocolate in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a deep bowl. Pour in the warm coffee syrup and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the beaten eggs until completely blended.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan. Set the pan in a large, deep ovenproof skillet or a roasting pan and set on the oven rack. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center is set and barely wiggles when you shake the cake pan gently, 50 to 60 minutes.

6. Remove the cake from the water bath. Let the water bath cool before removing it from the oven. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Remove the foil and chill the cake in its pan for at least 8 hours. Remove to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Run a wet knife around the sides of the pan, then pop the spring to release. Place a platter on top of the cake and fl ip the pan over. Remove the bottom of the pan, and peel off the parchment. (To cut neat slices of the cake, dip the knife in hot water before and wipe it clean after cutting each slice.) Serve with cinnamon ice cream and raspberries.

Chocolate Mints Puddles

I love Andes mints. Ever since I was a kid and was first introduced to them by my grandparents (who always had a stash waiting for me in their candy drawer!), to now as an adult somehow always finding a bag of their baking chips mysteriously appearing in my shopping cart….I absolutely love these little chocolate mints!

So when I recently saw this recipe for “Chocolate Mint Puddles” here and here, which features an entire delicious mint per cookie, I figured these would be right up my ally. So I whipped up my first batch this week for the Kansas City Food Bloggers’ Cookie Exchange. (Although I admit I realized as they were in the oven that it might not have been the best idea to test out a brand new recipe on a group of food bloggers – eeks.) But thankfully they ended up being a total success!!

Favorite part? Definitely the “puddle”-making. Loved swirling the melted mints into cute designs. (This would be a great project for kids in the kitchen!)

Not-so-favorite part? The process for making the cookies, which involved melting chocolate and refrigerating the dough for an hour before cooking. They still tasted great, but I think next time I’ll make the cookies with this simpler dough recipe.

Still, a wonderful cookie for anyone who loves Andes! I will definitely be making these again very soon. :)

Chocolate Mint Puddles Recipe
(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 (4.5 oz) packages Andes mints

Method:

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with sugar and water, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, mixing until melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before pouring chocolate into a bowl and beating in eggs, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Roll cookie dough into small balls and place on cookie sheets, approximately 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. After removing cookie sheet from oven, press a mint into each cookie and allow to sit for one minute, melting slightly. (If the mints don’t melt enough — as mine didn’t — feel free to pop the cookies with the mints on top back in the oven for an extra 30 seconds to soften the chocolate.)

Then, using a toothpick, swirl the melted mint to make a pattern. Allow to cool before serving.

Ali’s Tip:

The small Andes baking chips (rather than the full-size Andes mints) would also work with well with this! Just add 1 teaspoon of the baking chips to the center of each cookie.

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls

Hi Friends! I hope you're having a relaxing weekend but I'm sure many of you are running around like crazy trying to get everything done before the holidays. Either baking, shopping, wrapping presents, or attending holiday parties. I've been busy baking. If you could call today's recipe "baking".

I wanted to make these balls for my next door neighbor down here in Aruba who watches our house while we're not here. He keeps an eye out on the place for us and goes far and beyond the neighborly call of duty. He is one-in-a-million and although we bestow wine, liquor, and restaurant gift certificates upon him, I also wanted to make him something homemade. And decadent. But also didn't want to turn on my oven to make such a dessert.

Oreo Balls came to mind! There are tons of recipes for these balls floating around. I know Tina makes them and so does Holly. This recipe looks great and are first dipped in white chocolate; then, in milk chocolate.

However, down here in Aruba there are no white chocolate chips and honestly, the balls would get too large (because I rolled them kind of big to begin with) if first dipped in white, then in milk/dark. I wanted these them to be 25 cent gumball size and some of them are, but others are approaching golf-ball size as is. I didn't want to create baseball-sized Oreo Balls...haha!

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls

For the Balls
1 Package of Oreo Cookies (I used a 14 oz package and used all but 5 cookies from it)
1 8 oz Block or Tub of Cream Cheese (I chose Whipped Cream Cheese since I knew I was doing this by hand and thought that would be easier to work with than a block)

For the Chocolate Dip
1.5 Bags of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (1 bag = 12 oz, 1.5 bag = 18 oz of chocolate chips)

Optional: Vanilla extract to taste
Optional: 1/2 c Half & Half, cream, or other (nut) milk
Optional: 1/3 c (vegan) butter or butter. I'm sure coconut oil would work too but be aware of the flavor change that will happen.
Note: I found melting the chips in the microwave I have here too tricky without some milk + butter to help the process along and liquify the chocolate enough for dipping

Directions
Crush the Oreos and stir in the cream cheese.
Set in the freezer (at least 10 minutes) while making the chocolate dipping sauce.
Remove from the freezer, dip the balls, and place on parchment paper and freeze again until serving. Store in the freezer or fridge.
Yields 40 balls. If you rolled these smaller, i.e. had more patience than I did, you could get 50 out of this recipe.

Pictures of the Process

I chose Whipped Cream Cheese since I knew I was doing this by hand and thought that would be easier to work with than a block

Poured my Oreos in a produce bag and smooshed them. Kept me from getting black Oreo crumbs underneath my nails.

Add the Cream Cheese and Stir to incorporate

Form the balls, then freeze. If you have the patience, the smaller the ball is, the better. See note at beginning of the post, i.e. golf ball size, max. No baseball sized-balls. That would be Oreo gluttony. Haha!

Now, Freeze your balls! I have plenty of Freeze Your Ball Jokes, too.

Making the Chocolate Dip

It's time to take your balls out of the freezer and get ready to go for a bath, kids. A chocolate bath.

Fish them out, one by one, with a spoon and place on a parchment-lined tray.

After freezing again and allowing the chocolate to harden, this is what they look like

Here they are packaged up and ready to go!

And I also packaged up a few more containers for other neighbors and friends down here

Everything is waiting in the freezer til we see our friends next. I really need to forget that these things are just sitting here waiting in the freezer....

...because they are really tempting looking! There's gluten (and dairy) in them, though. I'll just remember how awful I'd feel from the gluten. Whatever I need to tell myself...haha!

Scott and Skylar have been helping to polish off the stash and loving every moment!