York Peppermint Pattie

Day two of The Twelve Days of Holiday Chocolate Candy…I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t liked peppermint patties.  In our house, there’s always a few York Peppermint Patties in both the refrigerator and the freezer, not to mention a few gallons of ice cream…but I digress.

You may think it’s had to make your own peppermint patties.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  The really nice thing is that if you have a recipe that calls for peppermint patties, you can use these and make your dessert that much more special!

Peppermint Patties

Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons light corn syrup (Whole Foods has a private label brand made with non GMO corn)
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil or extract
8 ounces 70% or higher cocoa content dark chocolate
extra powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Heart Shaped Peppermint Patties

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar. In a medium sized bowl, add corn syrup, water, and peppermint oil. Slowly add powdered sugar, stirring until it is mixed, then using your hands, knead it into a ball. It will be coming apart at first, but with some firm kneading, it will soften and turn into a minty ball.

Using a rolling pin that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar, place the ball on one of the sheets lined with sugar. Roll dough, making sure to add a sprinkle of sugar here and there so nothing sticks, until it is 1/4″ thin, or even thinner.

Heart Shaped Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties

Using a small round cutter dusted with powdered sugar so it does not stick, cut out rounds in the dough and place rounds on second baking sheet. (You can also use a “shaped” cookie cutter like a star, heart or other shape.)
Once all rounds have been cut, they need to air dry so the patties get a hard crust, about 4 hours. You could leave them over night as well.

To dip in the chocolate, set up a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler by placing small chopped pieces in a bowl over a pot of boiling water…or use your microwave in 20-30 second bursts, stirring frequently.

Using a fork, place a patty on top and dip in the chocolate, or use two clean fingers to wipe each side with chocolate, then place on the wire rack.
Place wire rack in refrigerator to let set, about 5 minutes.

Keep cool and well wrapped, we had the whole batch in our house for less than 2 days, they were that good!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties

How deliciously cool!

Annmarie Kostyk

I hope you all enjoyed The Twelve Days of Christmas Chocolate Cookies!  Today we start The Twelve Days Holiday Chocolate Candy!  But first,  Happy Hanukkah!

A Real Buckeye!

I’m never really sure if these are cookies or candy, all I know is that they are usually the first thing devoured.  It’s my sister’s favorite.  A few years back, I made her enough to freeze a few dozen and they lasted her a few months.  I know… you’re cringing that I froze chocolate.  You really shouldn’t freeze chocolate.  The thing is, these things are so good, you almost have to freeze some so that you won’t run out.  Of maybe to save some calories, you do want to run out!  What are these little gems called?  Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes.  Why?  Well, they look like a buckeye.

Here you go… Day one of The Twelve Days of Holiday Candy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup smooth peanut butter (Do NOT use crunchy!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or dark chocolate, your choice (I prefer dark, no surprise here.)

Directions:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

In a large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until very smooth and well combined. Using a teaspoon, form mixture into balls the size of a quarter. Place balls on cookie sheet covered with foil and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. While balls are chilling, melt the chocolate. (No need to temper, but you may.)

Once balls are firm, they can be dipped. Using a toothpick, skewer a ball and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate. You want to leave at least a dime-sized circle of un-dipped candy on top of the ball. Drag it along the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and place it back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls. Return balls to fridge to set the chocolate. Serve once candies are firm.

May be frozen. Will reamin fresh for about a month. Good to eat frozen too!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

To peanut butter and chocolate!  A timeless combination…

Annmarie Kostyk

Valrhona Chocolates Dark Chocolate Mendiant

Valrhona Chocolates has some great Halloween treats for all of the adults with a lot of kid still in them (such as myself).  How about a nice box of Valrhona Orangettes? Orangettes are strips of candied orange rinds covered with dark chocolate.  Quite tasty!   Perhaps fruit isn’t your thing.  How about some traditional Valrhona Mendiants?  For those of you who have never tried a Mendiant, they are disks of dark chocolate or milk chocolate with a piece of hazelnut, apricot and pistachio.  Other chocolate makers make these too.  The topping changes, but the concept is the same.  Varhona Chocolates is offering free shipping on orders over $65!  Go ahead!  Buy yourself some Halloween chocolates!

Here’s a great recipe for Bourbon Whiskey Truffles from Valrhona Chocolates.  I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I know Valrhona Chocolates tests their recipes thoroughly before they share them.  Looks like a lot of people will be getting boozy truffles from me this holiday season.  I’m sure there will be no complaints!

Bourbon Whiskey Truffles

Recipe created by: Derek Poirier Valrhona Pastry Chef North America

Ingredients:
4 ounces Whipping cream
7 ounces Valrhona Chocolates Le Noir 61%
1/2 ounce unsalted butter
1 ounces bourbon whiskey
Valrhona Chocolates cocoa powder

Directions:
Bring whipping cream just to boil.Pour slowly over the chocolate and mix rapidly to create an elastic and shiny mixture. Add butter and mix it again with the spatula.Let crystallize the ganache for 12 hours. Then shape and roll truffle in Valrhona Chocolates cocoa powder.

Valrhona Chocolates Bourbon Whiskey Truffles

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Almonds

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Nuts are back!  If you haven’t tried these babies…you have to hook yourself up!  I can’t do them justice in the description, so here is what they say about them… Me speechless?  It does happen on occasion! “Our Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Almonds and Triple Chocolate Hazelnuts are what chocolate covered nuts should be. Each California almond or Oregon hazelnut is roasted nice and dark, bringing out its full flavor and texture. Once they have cooled, we coat them with several layers of a unique blend of our 41% milk chocolate and our 65% bittersweet chocolate. The perfect amount of almond or hazelnut flavor combines with the rich chocolate coating to create a result that is sheer delight.”  I cannot tell you to buy one over the other,  I really can’t.  It depends on my mood.  My advice?  Buy two of each.  One of each for yourself and one of each for everyone else.  Hey, don’t forget the holidays are coming up.  Need hostess gifts or treats for people to snack on?  Charles Chocolates to the rescue.  The only problem?  People will keep inviting you back to get more of these little babies!

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Hazelnuts

Now, the good news is that Theo Chocolate has some really amazing treats for us this year.  The bad news?  You have to go their shop to get them.  Here’s what they have in store, literally, for you!

Full Moon Bar – Back by popular demand! Their special Halloween Full Moon bar is 100 % Theo organic & fair trade white chocolate. Rich, creamy smooth & thoroughly decadent. $4 each

Spooky Marshmallows – Spooky and yummy! Their marshmallows are made there in their kitchen, cut out by hand in fun Halloween shapes (ghost, cat or pumpkin), and then enrobed in their hauntingly delicious dark chocolate. They wait all year long to bite the heads off their spooky chocolate covered marshmallow! $6 each

Dia de los Muertos Chocolate Skulls – These solid dark chocolate skulls are always a frightening favorite! $2 each

Peanut Butter Buddies – Their Peanut Butter Buddies are dressed up in Halloween colors! $1.25 each

These Halloween treats are only available in their retail store NOW – thru October 31st.

Theo Chocolate Halloween Treats

Also, some upcoming events at Theo Chocolate…

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd 6:30pm-8:30pm

FAIR TRADE DISCUSSION WITH THEO FOUNDERS
Join Founder/CEO Joe Whinney and VP of Sales & Marketing Debra Music at Theo Chocolate for an evening talk and Q&A.  Learn how Theo Chocolate’s new IMO certification supports transparent business practice and allows the company to better support farmers at origin. Attendees will enjoy a bowl of groundnut stew. (West African Groundnut Stew is a  typical dish in African cocoa producing countries – I used to make this a lot from the vegetarian Moosewood Cookbook.  It’s fantastic.)

If you would like to come and experience the factory tour before the discussion please call and make a reservation for their 5 pm public tour before the event

COST: $10 per person | Reservations are required*

TheoChocolate’s  Confection Making Classes

NOVEMBER DATES: 13th or 20th
DECEMBER DATES: 4th or 11th
JANUARY DATES: 15th. 22nd or 29th
All classes are on a Saturday from 2:00pm-5:00pm.
Are you interested in making your own chocolate confections for holiday gifts or as a treat just for fun? Theo Chocolate invites you to spend an afternoon with a Theo Chocolate’s chocolatier participating in a hands on confection making class. You will learn “behind the scenes” techniques for making ganache, tempering chocolate, and putting the finishing touches on confections! Best of all, you will walk away with the fruits of your labor! All materials are included.

COST: $125 per person, Reservations are required.
Due to popular demand 7 days advance notice is required to cancel.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18th from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Join Theo Chocolate and Food Lifeline for the release of their highly anticipated Chef Session Confection Collection. Mingle with Theo Chocolate chocolatiers and their partners from Food Lifeline as they celebrate this extraordinary collaboration.

COST: $45 (Includes: special sweet and savory treats, beverages, $15 donation to Food Lifeline and a Chef Session Confection Collection Box to take home!)

Theo Chocolate Chef Session Confection Collection

Theo Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels

I also found something new on their the Theo Chocolate website that I simply have got to try!  Apple Cider Caramels!  Are you kidding me?  These have my name written all over them.  I think I’ll need three boxes just to get me through one sitting!  How autumnal is that?  I’m guessing they won’t have these at Whole Foods.  I just finished the last of my Theo Chocolate from there.  Adore the Jane Goddall bars!  When you order these, don’t forget to treat yourself to the Big Daddy Marshmallows.  I got a box at Whole Foods when I first tried them and I couldn’t stop talking about them for weeks.  You won’t believe how exceptional they are… Think grown-up, gourmet monster ‘mores!

Theo Chocolate Big Daddy Marshmallows

Have a chocolicious day!  Annmarie Kostyk

This is the last of the four part episode on the Swiss Chocolate Pioneers. The final installment is about Lindt & Sprungli Chocolate. The Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli was founded in 1899 when Chocolat Sprungli purchased Rodolphe Lindt & Fils. The Confiserie Sprungli is no longer partnered with Lindt & Sprungli Chocolate. The factory is located in Kilchberg where the air is filled with the smell of chocolate. They are one of the oldest and largest chocolate makers in the world. They employ 6,000 people in their company with 300 people in the Kilchberg head office and factory. The Kilchberg schoggi, schoggi means factory in German, serves as the standard for what happens at its other factories. The busiest seasons are during the winter and spring which sends all of the factories into full production mode.

Lindt Chocolate Factory

The factory includes a section dedicated to refining the chocolate liquor and a conch machine fashioned after Rodolphe Lindt’s original conch machine. Although Lindt is know primarily for their chocolate bars, they also produce chocolate confections. In 2004, the company produced a line called Petits Desserts which won Lindt Chocolate the Saveur de l’Annee (Flavor of the Year). Lindt Chocolate’s goal was to offer simple, old-fashioned recipes the company used from an earlier time. Nostalgia was the premise. The most popular flavors were crème brulee, macaroon, tarte citron, and tiramisu.

Lindt Chocolate Petits Desserts

Lindt Chocolate

The chocolate confection development department is always looking for new flavor ideas. They are made up of a group of innovative people who are both veterans and rookies. Some of the latest hires are a mere 16 years old. Their goal is to balance the old with the new. It takes anywhere from one to two years for a product to go from development to market.

Lindt Chocolate's Triangles

Lindt & Sprungli Chocolate manufactures all of its own chocolate. The beans come from seven different origins and are made into chocolate crumbs and chocolate liquor at the Olten factory. They are delivered to the Kilchberg factory fresh daily where they go through their refining process. Milk chocolate goes through the conch for two to four hours. The darker the chocolate, the longer it goes through the conch machine. The darkest chocolate may remain in the conch machine for up to twenty-four hours. The reason for the darker chocolate remaining in the conch machine is that the higher the cocoa content, the longer it takes for the flavors and texture of the dark chocolate to balance.

Lindt’s most well-known chocolates include the triangle (a mixture of hazelnut paste and milk chocolate) and the Lindor (a enrobed truffle). Rodolphe Lindt would be proud that not only do his recipes continue on to this day, but new machines and flavorful inventions are happening all the time.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix

Makes 32 servings (10 cups of mix)

Ingredients:
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content), coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder

Directions:
Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.

In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)  Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.  Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.

Serving:
For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows and a dusting of coarsely chopped dark chocolate or cocoa powder.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate

Corn Syrup-Free Homemade Marshmallows

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons  gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup cold water
Pinch salt
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar

Directions:
Soak gelatin in 1/2 c. cold water. Heat sugar in 3/4 c. water until dissolved. Add gelatin to syrup and bring to boil. Take off stove, let stand until partially cool. (To cool rapidly, put saucepan in cold water.) Add salt and flavoring. Beat with electric mixer until stiff. Dust pan with powdered sugar and pour in 1/2 inch deep. When set, cut into squares with a knife dipped into cold water.  Eat as they are or add to a steaming cup of hot chocolate!

Corn Syrup-Free Homemade Marshmallows

Chef Levana Kirschenbaum

Today’s guest blogger is Chef Levana Kirschenbaum of Levana Cooks and Levana Desserts.  Chef Levana has a catering business, a bakery and a restaurant in Manhattan, New York.  She believes in simple and healthy when it comes to cooking and baking.  You can buy Chef Levana’s Cookbooks on Amazon or at your local bookstore.  Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook and Twitter too! Think chocolate is just for dessert and snacks.  Think again!  She’s be kind enough to share her favorite chocolate recipes with us today, so get out your grocery list and get everything you need.  Have  a fantastic day!

Chocolate Anytime Menu:

Black Bean Chocolate Soup
Chicken Breast with Mole Sauce
Assorted Truffles
Chili Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Coconut Pie

Black Bean Chocolate Soup

Serves 12

Beans and chocolate? I recently teased my friend Sara into identifying the odd ingredient in this soup, which she loved. I enjoyed watching her racking her brains, and didn’t feel any guilt about it: After all, she was working for food, and was kept guessing through a second bowl. PS, she never did identify it, she said all she could tell is that this was like no other bean soup she ever had. That’s the magic of chocolate!
Canned beans will work here just fine, as the soup has lots of fabulous flavors going for it.

Ingredients:

Sofrito:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, quartered
4 large cloves garlic
4 ribs celery, peeled and cut in thirds
1 large red pepper, seeded and quartered
1 bunch flat parsley, stems and all
1/2 small bunch cilantro, stems cut off
6 pounds good quality canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
3 tablespoons bottled hot sauce
6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground
3 quarts (12 cups) water
2/3 cup grated semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Make the sofrito: In a food processor, coarsely grind the onion, garlic, celery, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Add ground mixture to the hot oil, and sauté until translucent (if you have sofrito in your freezer, skip this step; use 1 cup thawed sofrito and proceed with the recipe from this point). Add the beans, tomato paste, wine, hot sauce, bay leaves and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 30 minutes. Add the chocolate, cumin and oregano and cook for 15 minutes more. Adjust texture and seasonings. Serve hot.

Chocolate Black Bean Soup with Onion and Sour Cream Garnish

Chicken Breasts with Mole Sauce

I can’t tell you how many times I have knocked my guests’ socks off with this dish: Improbable ingredient combo, simple preparation, amazing dish!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped fine
8 chicken cutlets (do not pound thinner)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
Good pinch saffron
Good pinch cayenne
6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the cutlets, juice, saffron, cayenne and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Transfer the cutlets to a platter. Whisk in the tomato paste and chocolate chips and cook one more minute. Pour the sauce over the cutlets, and serve hot with rice.

Chicken Breasts in Mole Sauce

Chocolate Truffles

I think after sharing this recipe and all its variations with you, I am finally
satisfied that all of you chocolate lovers will think of me very kindly. For the
ultimate gift, multiply this recipe, then divide in 2-3 equal parts and add a
different flavor to each. I wish you this kind of danger everyday! They look
as professional and taste as delicious as if you had bought them in the best
boutique. A guest recently caused total consternation at my dinner table
when he declared he didn’t care for chocolate. A chocolate-addict friend of
mine seated near him looked at him in horror, as if he had admitted to being
a criminal of some sort, and proceeded to ignore him the rest of the meal.
Fortunately for him, the evening was just winding down! Could it be he had
just never tasted good chocolate before? Could he get rehab?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy or rice milk powder
1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk (oat, rice, grain, almond)
1/2 cup natural non-hydrogenated margarine (health-food stores)
2 cups semisweet real chocolate chips, only the best
1/4 cup pure cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup brandy, rum or bourbon

Directions:

Whisk the milk powder and the milk in a small saucepan until smooth. Turn
on the heat, set at a low flame, and add the margarine, chocolate chips,
cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk until the mixture is just melted. Turn off the
heat, add the egg yolk and brandy and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate
the mixture until set, a couple hours. Shape into little balls (do not smooth:
leave them a little bumpy, that is the trademark of truffles), and roll into
cocoa powder. Keep refrigerated and tightly covered in plastic wrap until
serving.

Variations:
Coffee truffles: Add 1 tablespoon instant coffee.
Peppermint truffles: Omit the rum, and add a few drops peppermint
extract (health food stores).
Nut truffles: Add 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or
pecans to the mixture. Or place a toasted hazelnut in the center of each
truffle.
Raspberry truffles: Omit the rum, and add 1/2 cup seedless raspberry
jam and 3 tablespoons Creme de Cassis to the mixture.
Peanut butter truffles: Replace the margarine with 1/2 cup smooth
peanut butter.
Roll the truffles in chocolate sauce or ground toasted nuts instead of
cocoa powder.

Chocolate Truffles

Chili Hot Chocolate

A friend recently brought me a box of insanely expensive hot chocolate mix. I couldn’t wait to try it, and….I was frankly underwhelmed. What’s the big deal, I thought? It certainly didn’t beat boiling some milk or dairy-free milk, with some good cocoa powder, a little sugar and maybe a little vanilla extract or other flavoring. Yes, that’s the whole story! No problem making your own natural mix the instant way, using milk powder, dairy or not, and mixing it with boiling water, making a delicious cup of hot cocoa in a jiffy. I still make it for my children, who now enjoy it with their children. Love of hot chocolate is forever: thank God for small blessings!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, best quality
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 cups milk, preferably whole, but low-fat is okay (dairy-free milk OK)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (get racy and try other real flavorings: chili powder, cinnamon, cloves etc….)
1 to 2 tablespoons coffee powder, optional, if you want mocha.

Directions:

In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients until smooth, and bring to just below boiling. Whisk again to make the mixture frothy. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings

Individual serving: combine 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 cup milk, into a large cup. Microwave about 2 minutes. Mix until smooth.

Chili Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Coconut Tart

For this fabulous tart, celebrating yet another great love match -chocolate and coconut – you are under no pressure whatsoever. Make the crust a couple days before dessert time, and make the filling even a few days before serving, then pour the filling over the crust the day you are serving the dessert. Of course there is no problem making both the crust and the filling on serving day, just as long as you allow the filling to set.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup natural margarine (health food stores)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups flour, any flour, a little more if needed

Filling:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup natural margarine (health food stores)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, only the best
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups unsweetened grated coconut (health food stores)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Make the crust: in a food processor, cream the margarine, sugar and egg yolks until fluffy. Add the cocoa and flour and pulse just 3-4 seconds, adding a little flour if needed to make a smooth-firm dough. Working quickly, starting from the center toward the sides, spread the crust evenly in a 12-inch spring form pie pan, coming up the sides, patting firmly.  Prick the crust with a fork all over. Bake about 30 minutes. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days before filling and serving.
Make the filling: In a saucepan, whisk the coconut milk and tapioca flour until smooth. Turn the flame on low, and add the margarine, chocolate chips, cocoa, rum and sugar. Whisk only until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Quickly whisk in the eggs one at a time, and whisk 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Turn off the flame, and fold in the coconut. Refrigerate the filling until firm, and pour over the baked crust. Serve at room temperature, alone or with coconut sorbet.

Chocolate Coconut Tart

CHOCOLATE SHOPPING:

NATURAL MARGARINE
CONF. SUGAR
EGGS
COCOA POWDER
FLOUR
CC
RUM
COCONUT MILK
SUGAR
TAPIOCA FLOUR
GRATED COCONUT
RICE MILK
VANILLA
COFFEE
SOY MILK POWDER
WASABI
CARAMEL EXTRACT
GREY SALT
CUTLETS
CRANBERRY SAUCE
OO
CAYENNE
SAFFRON
BAY LEAVES
WHITE WINE
TOMATO PASTE
ONIONS
PARSLEY
CILANTRO
GARLIC
RED PEPPER
CELERY
BLACK BEANS SOAKED
RED WINE
RED HOT
CUMIN
OREGANO

Chocri Bars Being Created

Good news!  I heard from Chocri and they DO deliver to the United States.  The website was incorrect!  Yippee!  Order away my curious friends!  Thank you for letting us know.  I was feeling quite sad for us on this side of the pond.  We don’t like to be left out of chocolate sensations!  Thank you Chocri!  Everyone has to let me know what kind of chocolate bar they design for themselves.

Gail Ambrosius Dark Chocolate Almond Bar

Well, my post is late today.  Went out to lunch with a friend of mine, first time I’ve gone out to lunch in literally months, and the lunch was sub-par at best.   How disappointing.  I can do much better at home.  The company was good though.  That always helps.  It’s another hot and humid day in Chicago.  We had a bit of rain and it pretty dreary out.  A good day for a nap.  Decided to have one of my Gail Ambrosius Almond Cherry Dark Chocolate bars instead.  Much better than a nap anyway. Gail’s chocolate never disappoints.  Not ever.

Chocolate Salami

Chocolate Salami!  You think I’ve gone mad, don’t you?  Well, all craziness aside, chocolate salami is a reality.  A fun reality.  I first heard of it when I was doing some research for the Turin Chocolate Festival.  The biggest chocolate festival in the world.  Chocolate salami is very popular in Italy where it is called Salame al Cioccolato. It’s also very popular in Portugal where it is called Salame de Chocolate.  So I’m going to give you two recipes to pick from or you can try both and see which country’s you prefer. These are great to make for gifts over the hoildays or even as hostess gifts through the summer!  It will leave people talking!

The Italian recipe comes from the kitchen of none other than Mario Batali.  I was excited the Food Network still had it on their website.  If you’re doing Italian, you really can’t go wrong following the master’s recipe.  I watched Batali make this on TV and I was mesmerized.  He made it look super easy.  Honestly, it was easy! My niece and nephew who were 4 and 6 at the time made miniature ones for themselves.  It was messy, but fun. Here’s Mario Batali’s recipe…

Salame al Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami)

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter
4 egg yolks*
1/2 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sassolino or other sweet liqueur
1/2 cup biscotti, broken into large pieces
1/2 cup whole toasted almonds

Directions:
Place the butter in a large bowl and soften it with the back of a spoon. Cream the butter, egg yolks and sugar, then blend in the cocoa, the vanilla extract, the liqueur, the biscotti and the almonds. Working quickly to avoid melting the butter, turn the mixture out and form it into the shape of a sausage. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it set in the freezer for 4 hours. Serve slightly thawed, sliced like a salami.

*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Mario Batali's Salame al Ciocolato (Photo Courtesy of the Food Network)

The next recipe is from the blog Algarve Buzz.  It’s a fantastic blog devoted to Algarve, Portugal, although it doesn’t seem as if they’ve posted for awhile.  They say that the semi-sweet chocolate, roasted almonds and Port help give this recipe a more balanced sweetness, but if you like your sweets really sweet you can substitute the semi-sweet chocolate with a sweeter dark chocolate. You know my feelings…the darker the better.  Why deal with the guilt?

Chocolate Salami (Salame de Chocolate)

Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 ½ cups good quality dark chocolate (semi-sweet)
4 Egg yolks
2 rolls of Tia Maria cookies
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup roasted sliced almonds
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp. Port wine

Instructions:

For the Mixture:
Break cookies in into large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 of Port wine, set aside.
Melt chocolate in microwave or medium bowl using Bain Marie method (Bain Marie: bowl over steam bath, do not let bottom of bowl touch water).

*Note remove chocolate from Bain Marie as soon as it melts, do not let chocolate over heat. If you test the melted chocolate with your finger it should just be warm to the touch. If too hot let cool until warm to the touch. If chocolate is too hot when adding following ingredients, egg yokes could cook producing something resembling chocolate scrambled eggs. So make certain chocolate is melted but just warm to the touch before moving to step 2.

When chocolate has melted, add butter, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and stir well to incorporate. Mixture will start to thicken into a dough like consistency and pull away from bowl.  Add chocolate mixture to broken cookies. Add vanilla, salt, rest of port wine and 1/2 of almonds, mix well until incorporated.

For Molding the Salami:
Lay out a long sheet of wax paper of 28in/70cm length. Roll the mixture onto the wax paper and shape into a salami shape length wise to the paper.
Mixture will be manageable by hand, now you can mold salami to the desired length and thickness. The length and thickness depends on taste, I would suggest somewhere between 7-10cm/3-4in – in diameter. This will enable nice size slices of approximately 3cm/1in, in thickness when done.
Sprinkle remaining almonds around salami and spread out as evenly as possible.

Bring salami to one side of paper and start to roll paper around log gently but firmly, once completely rolled, twist ends and refrigerate flat for at least 2 hours.

Note: Salami will be very firm when cutting slices, so its best to take it out of the refrigerator 20min before serving to facilitate cutting. Entire salami can be cut into slices and refrigerated to make it easier to serve later. Or if entertaining, salami can be presented whole and guests can cut their own slices, just like a real salami.

Chocolate Salami (Salame de Chocolate) (Photo Courtesy of Algarve Buzz)

I saw this recipe this morning in my email and had to share it with you.  It’s from Tasting Table.  They chocolate gods are definitely watching out for us today!  Here it is…word for word.

If Cleveland has become a distinguished dot on the country’s food map, The Greenhouse Tavern, helmed by chef Jonathon Sawyer, has a lot to do with it. Although he’s cooked to acclaim in Miami and New York, Sawyer chose to open his eco-minded restaurant in his hometown. One of the most popular starters on the menu is the chef’s revival of the British pub snack devils on horseback. He stuffs each date with dark chocolate, jalapeño and almonds before wrapping it in bacon and roasting it to the prefect sweet-salty-spicy bite. We’ll be damned if you can eat just one. (I’d eat all 24…)

Devils on Horseback

Makes 24

Ingredients:
12 strips of bacon, halved crosswise
24 dates, pitted
6 squares of bittersweet baker’s chocolate, broken into shards
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
12 marcona almonds, halved
½ jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for 15 seconds, then remove and let cool. Turn the oven up to 400°.
2. Stuff each date with a piece of chocolate, a few grains of fleur de sel, half a marcona almond and a piece of jalapeño. Wrap each date with a strip of bacon and place on a baking sheet, seam side down.
3. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Devils on Horseback (Photo Courtesy of Tasting Table & The Greenhouse Tavern)

I held my breath for a few seconds when I saw this recipe on A Canadian Foodie.  It looks that good.  It sounds that good.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous cookie bar, but it’s simple a marzipan bar’s tribute to Italy. Venice in particular.  Not really a cookie at all.

Marzipan Fruits and More!

I have a huge weakness for marzipan.  For those of you you new to marzipan, marzipan is actually an candy in itself.  It’s made from sugar and almond meal to form a paste. You may have seen it over the holidays in the forms of tiny fruit and vegetables.  If you have a fantastic confectionery or pastry shop by your house, they may have even made the figures for the gingerbread house out of marzipan.  You can also cover a cake with marzipan just as you would with fondant.  Marzipan is absolutely delicious!  If you’ve never tried it, might I suggest for your first time, you try it chocolate covered and then move on to the whimsical pieces.  For some reason, people seem to think the marzipan is going to taste like what it is shaped into.  Not so, but I understand the

Chocolate Covered Marzipan to Try

thinking behind it.  I think the brain gets confused when it’s expecting one taste and gets another.  Good quality marzipan, like good chocolate, is crucial.  To cut corners, a lot of candy makers have been substituting ground peach or apricot kernels.  Don’t buy those.  Pay the extra money and buy the real marzipan.  It’s like dark chocolate, you only need a little to be satisfied.  My favorite is the one on the far right in the photo.  It’s made by Niederegger.

This recipe is very time consuming. You want to make sure the day you make these is dry rather than humid outside or keep the air conditioner on.  It makes alot – 12 bars or 216 cookies.  Perfect for a wedding or baby shower, an anniversary party, or to give as gifts.  Give yourself a day in the kitchen with some nice music, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the experience.  The beauty you are about to create will astound you!  I have not touched this recipe at all.  It is in its original form.  Why mess with perfection?

Venetian Marzipan Rainbow Cookie Bars (Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Venetian Marzipan Rainbow Cookie Bars

Makes 12 bars, 18 cookies a bar, or 216 cookies

Ingredients for the Cookies:
750 g (24 oz) almond paste (not marzipan)
2 c sugar (do not add if making your own almond paste with the Thermomix)
2 c butter, softened
8 large eggs, separated
2 t pure vanilla extract
4 c sifted all-purpose flour (spooned in and leveled)
1 t salt
6-8 drops green food coloring, or to desired color
8-10 drops red food coloring, or to desired color
½ c seedless raspberry jam (I used red currant jelly)
1 c apricot jam
1 k semisweet dark chocolate (I used only 200g of 64% Valrhona Manjari)

Ingredients for the Almond Paste (if making your own with the Thermomix):
500g slivered almonds
500g granulated sugar
2 cups of sugar
2 t almond extract

Venetian Marzipan Rainbow Cookie Bars (Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Instructions for the Almond Paste:
1.Scale first 2 ingredients into the TM bowl; mill for one minute from 1-10 using the spatula to keep the mixture toward the blade
2.Mill for one more minute on 8; remove ½ of the mixture and add 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of almond extract; mill one minute 1-10; pulse a few more times, if necessar,y to get desired consistency
3.Empty the bowl, and add the other half of the mixture with the second cup of sugar and the second teaspoon of almond extract; repeat the above process until the desired consistency is reached
4.Add to other almond mixture; the mixture should hold its shape when squeezed, but will be crumbly
NOTE: If making this for the above recipe, do not add any more sugar; proceed with the recipe as if the 2 cups required in the recipe have already been added to the paste
Instructions for the Rainbow Cookies:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F and grease three 13 x 9 inch metal baking pans; line the  bottom of each with parchment paper, letting it extend at 2 opposite ends, and butter the paper and the sides of the pans
2.Break marzipan paste into small pieces and grind with sugar in food processor until no lumps remain; if it is too hard, shred it with a box grater and then grind with the sugar
3.Mix the butter in a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment on medium low speed just until smooth; add the almond and sugar mixture in a slow steady stream, and beat until lightened in colour, about 3 minutes
4.Add the egg yolks and vanilla, beating well to combine; scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed
5.Combine salt and flour and blend at low speed in three additions until just incorporated
6.Beat egg whites in a clean mixing bowl with the whip attachment on medium speed until frothy; increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until firm peaks form
7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten the mixture; fold in the remaining egg whites gently, in two more additions
8.Divide dough into thirds (about 3 1/3 cups each) and place in separate bowls; stir green food coloring into one third and red food coloring into another until well blended, leaving one third plain
9.Spread each dough separately into each pan, smoothing with an off set spatula; be sure the batter is evenly distributed, especially to the corners
10.Bake each individually 12 – 13 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch and very slightly browned; stand on wire racks until cool enough to handle
11.Invert each onto a rack pan and peel off the parchment

Venetian Marzipan Rainbow Cookie Bar Close Up (Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Instructions for Assembling the Rainbow Cookie:
(Have a large sheet of plastic wrap placed on a cookie sheet ready.)
1.Invert the green layer onto the plastic wrap top side down.
2.Using 4 tablespoons of the raspberry preserve and an offset spatula, spread the surface evenly with a thin layer of the jam
3.Place the plain layer, top side down, on top of the raspberry jam; align the two layers, and press them together
4.Using 4 tablespoons of the raspberry preserve and an offset spatula, spread the surface evenly with a thin layer of the jam
5.Now place the pink layer, top side up, on top of the raspberry preserves; be sure to align the three layers, then press them together, again
6.Wrap this layered stack tightly with plastic wrap, sealing the ends securely; place it on a clean cookie sheet, and place another cookie sheet on top of it and weigh it down with several cookbooks or bricks to compress the layers
7.Let this rest at room temperature for at least 24 hours, turning it over once or twice during the weighting period

(Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Instructions for Glazing the Layers:
1.Unwrap the stack, and set it on a cutting board
2.Trim ¼ inch from all sides using a large serrated knife; cut the stack into 12 equal strips each measuring about 1 ¼ inches wide
3.Separate the strips and place them over a large wire rack set over a cookie sheet
4.Place the apricot preserves and 4 tablespoons of water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, then simmer for one minute; pass through a fine strainer into a bowl and discard the pulp
5.Brush a thin layer of the warm glaze on all sides of each strip; let stand for 30 to 60 minutes to “dry”

(Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Instructions for Coating the Cookie Bars:
1.Place the chocolate in a double boiler over an inch or two of simmering water; melt it, watching carefully to insure it does not get too hot, or place it in the Thermomix and melt for 5 minutes at 37ºC at speed 1
2.Remove when almost melted, and sit to finish melting; when coating, if it becomes too thick, reheat it carefully
3.Set all of the bars on a wire rack over parchment paper
4.Cover one bar at a time spooning chocolate down the length of the strip, then use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate over the top and down the sides, taking care to smooth all surfaces
5.Leave the bar on a wire rack over parchment to set at room temperature until the coating hardens; this can take several hours
6.Wrap individually in plastic wrap, and freeze. When serving, cut into 5/8th inch slices; there will be 18 cookies per bar, not including the ends .

Venetian Marzipan Rainbow Cookie Bars (Photo Courtesy of a Canadian Foodie)

Happy National Fudge Day!  It has to be dark chocolate of course.  This is a super easy recipe to make fudge.  Please, I beg of you, don’t make fudge with corn syrup.  The stuff is so bad for you.  This recipe is for my cousin Angie who seems to love fudge…

Dark Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Ingredients:
6 ounces dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content)
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt

Directions:
In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat.  Stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into a parchment or wax paper lined 8″ square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board. Peel off paper and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Everything happens for a reason.  I was trying to figure out what to post today.  I have an inbox with ideas and recipes just waiting to be talked about.  A twist of fate, or perhaps a very tired mind, lead to the post today.  I was making my lunch of a grilled turkey and garbanzo burger with a side of grilled vegetable and quinoa salad for lunch.  Well, my timer went off and I thought it odd that the pot was still full of water.  Did I forget to turn on the gas?  It has happened.  Well, it turns out buying in the bulk section of Whole Foods has its drawbacks.  Especially when you use a cup of sesame seeds instead of quinoa! So only the burger and veggies for lunch.

What to do with a cup of boiled sesame seeds?  Well, there is a recipe in the Whole Foods cookbook that I mixed together with a recipe I saw on Zoom (PBS) in the 70s and came up with something I call “Protein Truffles”.  I started making them about 5 years ago and there are not only a great lifesaver, but they are good for you, tasty and keep you going.  The recipe is to follow, but keep in mind that I have never created the same version twice!  The recipe below is what I made today along with some suggestions and substitutions.

First, about chocolate, sports, weight and endurance.  Dark chocolate (70% cocoa content or higher) and cocoa possess huge health benefits.  People always ask me how I can write about chocolate, be in shape and still weigh 120 pounds.  You are not only what you eat, but how much you eat.  I do eat 2 ounces of dark chocolate every single day – missing only if I have run out of my stash.  Then I try for cocoa in something – it’s either hot cocoa or I use it in a savory dish.  How can I stay trim and eat like this?  Well, I don’t eat all of the fabulous baked goods that I share with you constantly.  Baked goods are meant to be enjoyed, not eaten everyday.  There are lots of empty calories in baked goods, not to mention unrefined sugar and simple carbs.  A sweet treat twice a week works for me.  The other thing?  You have to move!  You need to eat a clean diet.  I have a rule.  If  the food is in a package and I either cannot pronouce an ingredient or it has more than 6 ingredients, I try not to eat it.  I eat though!  I love to eat.  I eat at least 2,200 calories everyday.  You need to get some exercise daily which brings me to athletes eating chocolate.

Chocolate bars, including chocolate candy, have been used by endurance athletes we’ve seen recently on the news.  They have been part of the food stuffs of rower Katy Spotz’s trip across the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Oceans, sailor Abby Sunderland circumnavigating the globe and those making the ultimate endurance test by climbing Mount Everest.  A little side note here as I often like to do.  I recently interviewed Russell Brice who owns Himalayan Experience and has led hundreds of climbers up Mount Everest and if you watch the Discovery Channel or National Geographic you have also seen him there.  He says that they offer chocolate  and biscuits (cookies) to the gods prior to their ascent of Mount Everest.  They also have a huge selection of chocolate and chocolate candy in the mess tent.  Bad news for the Mars bar.  Thet are always the last to go… So you see, chocolate is known by athletes to be a premium, high quality food source not only because of its protein, fat and carbohydrate make up, but because there are scientific studies proving that chocolate decreases anxiety, improves concentration and gives you sustainable energy levels. Why do you need to lessen your anxiety and concentarte when you are an athlete?  Think  about being on a rowboat by yourself crossing a great ocean.  Think about climbing the highest peak in the world where people die every year and the top is called “the death zone”.  There are no peaks and valleys in your sugar levels when you eat dark chocolate.  When you eat chocolate candy there are, but if you are an athlete going the distance, there is no need to worry about this as you need to continually refuel anyway.

You can use dark chocolate and cocoa to keep you going throughout your day or your training.  I saw Lance Armstrong biking by my house a lot when I lived in Austin, Texas.  People said he carried chocolate bars with him.  Not sure if it’s really true, but it wouldn’t surprise me and it made me smile.

These little “Protein Truffles” are something that I pop into my mouth, usually two, before I go on my walk.  They are full of all kinds of good stuff and look eerily similar to a chocolate truffle, thus the name.  You can store them in the freezer since you use cocoa and not chocolate or in the refrigerator.  They should be kept in a tin or a sealed plastic bag.

Protein Truffles

Makes about 24

Ingredients: (They change regularly)
1 cup of nut butter (today I used almond butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar (you can use honey)
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (today I used raw coconut)
1/2 cup nuts or seeds (today I used sesame seeds!)

Optional: to roll the “truffles” – unsweetened cocoa powder, ground raw coconut, any ground nuts or seeds and my favorite…ground cocoa nibs

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the nut butter, agave nectar and cocoa powder. Stir in nuts and/or seeds.  Uisng a melon baller or two spoons, form into one inch balls.  If desired, roll into one of the optional coatings.  Put on a cookie tray lined with wax or parchment paper.  Put in the freezer for two hours or until set.  Put in an airtight container and store either in the freezer or refrigerator.

Chocolate Protein Truffles