Categories: Chocolate

Cacao Paste ~ Now What~?~!

         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 [...]

Honey Sunflower Seeds & Raisin Bark

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 [...]

Superfood Chocolate is Healthy~!

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 [...]

Chunky Bars for Dad~!

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 [...]

Hazelnut Truffles

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 [...]

Happy Birthday to ME !

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 [...]

1st Try at Truffles!

Three cheers for my 1st attempt at making truffles! Oh Joy! This was not as hard as I thought it would be. Bring cream to simmer. Drop in chopped chocolate. Let sit… stir gently… form into balls… roll in cocoa, or dip in covering chocolate. Done. I was going to make a black & white truffle, using both the white chocolate and the dark chocolate in the same balls. I changed my mind and made them each into separate types. [...]

It’s Here!

I found a great price on good quality bulk chocolate. I ordered it. It came. You are looking at 20 pounds of chocolate! Oh, the fun that I will have with these boxes! A 72% dark chocolate & a 38% milk chocolate. It is almost like a painter having a blank canvas. Where to start? I would like to make truffles. But, they are a 2 day project, so I’ll have to leave them for next week. Hmmnnn…. . . [...]

Granola Chunky Bar

I am very pleased with this experiment, too. It was very easy to make, and very tastey. I melted milk chocolate, and poured it into a silicone ice cube tray, 1/3 full. Then I put a big chunk of granola in each “cube”. Then I put more granola into each cube. I pushed it into the chocolate with a spatula & let it harden. The result is a thick, deep, chunky, 3-bite nugget. I used Bar Naked brand granola. It [...]

Jasmine Marshmallow Truffles

I don’t really know what to call this experiment. I haven’t really tasted it yet, just licked the spatula at the end.  I ground up jasmine pearls into a fine powder and then mixed them into a dark enrobing chocolate. I cut marshmallows in half and dipped them into the melted mixture. Then I sprinkled finely diced walnuts and organic nibs on the top. I was disappointed that the chocolate got a little hazy white after it set up. I [...]