I have recently bought some cacao paste from Sunfood.com. I seem to be paralyzed, though. I am not sure what I want to do with this cacao paste. I mean, the longterm goal is to make the most delicious and healthy chocolate in the world. The short term goal is to learn how to make it sweet, and have the right texture. I happen to think texture is important in my chocolate sampling. It seems to [...]
I am going to an “event” today, and I am bringing one of the sweet treats that will end the meal. I decided to make 2 different kinds of chocolates. I’ll blog each one separately, each a unique recipe. This is a simple recipe, and affordable to make for larger groups. The price of sunflower seeds is considerably lower than the price of nuts, and raisins are delicious in chocolate, and also affordable. That said, it isn’t always about saving [...]
Lately I have been experimenting with superfoods…. of course that means I am experimenting with superfood chocolate as well. When I eat my chocolate now, I am convinced that I am eating heath food. I am still working my way through that 10 pound box of chocolate that I wrote about earlier. (I love that entry…. the story about the chocolate guy who came for the California gold rush, and he found out that people were more than glad to [...]
OH dear… It is Father’s Day again. What to get Dad….. always the question. There is nothing in the world he needs. He has a lovely wife who makes sure of that~! But, I know a secret. Dad has an unquenchable sweet tooth. He doesn’t require the finest chocolate. He’ll eat anything. But there are a few ingredients that would be special to him… peanuts, heath crunch, dried cherries… sounds good to me, too. I used the chocolate melts, instead [...]
We are going to our neighbors’ tonight for dinner. They said not to bring anything, but how can I do that? I haven’t been to the grocery store in about a week, so a fruit salad isn’t an option…. Oh what to do? Then I remember, I have a HUGE box of Guittard Chocolate. I can make a chocolate something. But, I don’t feel like tempering chocolate today. OH OH OH…. I can make a chocolates spread. No, what would [...]
I puff my chocolate… I find I get more out of it that way~! Does that sound interesting to you? It might be… Read more and I’ll tell you about it. OK… here’s the deal. Chocolate is a non-negotiable for me… come hell or high water, I’m still gonna find a way to eat chocolate, and the more, the better. That’s where the Puffing comes in. This is how I make my chocolate “bigger”… I add bulk by adding Kashi 7 [...]
My friend Jacqueline and I have admired the lavender chocolate by Dagoba for some time now. But, I typically have the same problem with most other peoples’ recipes. I wish that the seasoning were stronger. More lavender please~! Well, as opportunity had it, when I went to Lancaster for a fall craft show I visited the Farmers Market in the center of town. There is a fabulous Herb Shop in that market. I always try to go there when I [...]
Maybe not the greatest photo, but it sure was the greatest chocolate. Brook was asking me what kind of cake or pie I would like for my birthday. As I thought about it, I decided that if it really was my day to have my favorite things, I was going to have to make my own chocolate… I just like my own recipes the best. (Of course if it had really been all about me, one of the recipes would [...]
Happy Birthday Josh~Boy, Here is a description of your crazy birthday chocolates: Ginger dark chocolate – 70% Guittard dark chocolate with spicy dried ginger, in triangle mold. (Bloomed… sorry, looks mottled, but still tastes the same.) Hot Cherry Pop-Rock-Chocolate -70% Guittard dark chocolate with habanero powder, sour cherries, and pop rocks! Snap-Cracked slab. Bare Naked Chunk – 32% Guittard milk chocolate with Bare Naked granola, in deep square mold. Jasmine Pecan Bark – 32% Guittard milk chocolate with stone ground jasmine pearls and [...]
This is a fun experiment! I saw a recipe for white fudge (AKA: Opera Fudge). It seemed like it would be a wonderfully adaptable base recipe. I could mix in flavorings, fruit and nuts, even peanut butter, and it could be a different fudge each time. This was my very first time making fudge. I didn’t like the “beating with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes” part. But, I survived. I put Jasmine tea and raw vanilla bean into the [...]