Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I bet you need some ideas of what to get for mom. All moms love chocolate. When you place a box of chocolates in front of her, her eyes will light up with joy. I guarantee it.

Most of the time I’m writing about chocolate bars, primarily dark chocolate bars., but today I’m going to share three of my favorite U.S. chocolatiers to shop for a selection of boxed chocolate this Mother’s Day. All of the chocolates are made by artisan chocolatiers. Everything is made by hand from the finest quality ingredients and may be ordered online.

Alma Chocolate is located in Portland, Oregon. Alma means “soul” or “to nourish”, so how perfect is that when thinking of mom? Alma Chocolate is known for their hand-poured, 23K gold leaf molded chocolate ($15-$45). You can’t go wrong with any of those items. If you can afford it, I would do that and also pick from either the Super Sampler Box ($22.50) which includes a traditional truffle, salted lavender caramel, bourbon bon bon, habanero caramel, salted peanut butter cup, deux pistaches, Mexican truffle, Thai peanut butter cup, and 2 of their rotating seasonal flavors.  If you really want to specialize, you can put your own box together (BYOBBB – Build Your Own Bon Bon Box), ah technology, on line. They make it easy for you with a drop down menu ($4.50-$22.50). Nourish your mom with a selection of chocolates from Alma Chocolates. You may buy Alma Chocolates online at http://almachocolate.com/store/

Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier is super popular since she was featured on the Food Network’s “America’s Best.” Alton Brown called her “the Holy Grail of chocolate.” Something interesting about Gail is that she used to be a map mapper which is pretty cool since she uses flavors from all over the world to create her chocolates. Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier put a special Mother’s Day box together for you already. It’s a six piece truffle selection in a pretty butterfly box ($11.75). My particular favorite is the Chocolatier’s Choice ($4.25 – $80). It’s a surprise across the board.  Gail will choose the finest collection for you from her wide variety of classic, adventurous, tea-inspired and seasonal truffles. It will not disappoint! Shop Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier at http://gailambrosius.com/store/

Where can you find edible mice and penguins, why at L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolate, of course. L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolate has an entire page devoted to Mother’s Day.  What would I pick? You can’t go wrong with the little chocolate mice (ears are almond slivers, tails are ribbons) or penguins (wings are almond slivers). They make everyone smile. They come in a colorful box or a lovely wooden crate with ribbon, depending on the size you order ($32-$48).  Burdick also offers a chocolate assortment in a wooden box. It comes in sizes ranging from petite to large ($14-$65) and you’ll get one or two mice in the box. The box also features anywhere from 10-64 hand-crafted chocolates made by the chocolatiers at L.A. Burdick (depending on the size you order). Buy from L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolate at http://www.burdickchocolate.com/mothers-day-gifts.aspx

In today’s day of technology, make sure you get mom something sweet to show her how sweet you think she is this Mother’s Day. If she receives handmade, artisan chocolates from Alma Chocolate, Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, or L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolate, she won’t bit in the least bit disappointed. You’ll be her favorite child.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms all out there!

Annmarie Kostyk, the Chocolate Expert

Valrhona has quite a few baking chocolates that are lovely to work with when you are in the kitchen. They are available in 2.2 pound bags and range in cocoa content from 40-70%. The shape of the chocolate is in “feves” which are small, oval coin shapes. Personally, I think they look like a coffee bean.

Valrhona Jivara is 40% cocoa content, a milk chocolate. It has rich malt and vanilla notes and pronounced cocoa taste. Valrhona Caraibe is 66% cocoa content.  Valrhona Caraibe is made with the finest Trinitario beans, which are recognized for their superb quality and for producing a chocolate whose, aroma, texture, and taste work together in remarkable harmony lingering particularly long on the palate. Finally, the Valrhona Guanaja is 70% dark chocolate with bitter notes. All of the baking chocolates cost $39.99 for the 2.2 pound bag.

This is by no means all of the baking chocolate that Valrhona offers, these are simply my favorites. Check more chocolate products by Valrhona at https://valrhona-chocolate.3dcartstores.com/

Have a great day and remember to eat your daily chocolate! It’s good for you!

Annmarie Kostyk, The Chocolate Expert

My dear chocolate readers. It’s been 9 months since I have last written.  Besides a huge project, I have no excuse except laziness. I apologize. Promise to make it up to you!

For four of those months, I attended L’Art du Gateau at the French Pastry School in Chicago. I met lots of wonderful people, who like myself, only wanted to talk cake, dessert, and food. I introduced a few of them to the dark side of chocolate. I even converted a confirmed non-chocolate (gasp!) eater. I learned taste combinations, the making of cakes, fillings, icings, filling, sugar, chocolate, fondant, sugar flowers, pastillage, and so much more I honestly can’t even remember.  I was taught by the winners of the 2011 National Pastry Team (my chefs were the two on the right – Chef Scott and Chef Josh – aren’t they cute ladies?) and the famous Chef Nicholas Lodge! They also offer a program in pastry, bread, and continuing education if you’re interested. Come one, come all.

For my first post back, I have ventured over to the United Kingdom!  You may remember me writing about Willie Court-Cooze participating in Chocolate Unwrapped as part of the Real Food Festival in London. If you missed it, click here.

I was lucky enough to receive two samples of Venezuelan Black chocolate – Indonesian 69. First, you should know that the wonderful Willie Court-Cooze, also goes by Organic Willie.  The chocolate bar also has yet another brand – Willie’s Delectable cacao. They are all one in the same, confusing…but I’m sure they have their reasons.  Hopefully, they will pick one and go with it. Organic Willie is the only small producer of Theobroma cacao in the United Kingdom. For over ten years, Organic Willie has been farming at Hacienda El Tesoro which is his farm overlooking Henri Pittier National Park, one of the oldest national parks in Venezuela.

All of the cacao trees on the farm are not only grown without pesticides, but they are irrigated by water that runs all the way down from the mountains. Once the beans are harvested and fermented, they head to Organic Willie’s factory in Devon in Southwest England where they will be turned into Venezuelan Black goodness!

Willie’s Delectable Cacao Indonesian 69 is not made from Organic Willie’s organic chocolate. These beans come from Java. I believe the beans are a blend. One of the nice things about this packaging is that there are two separately wrapped bars in one box so you can enjoy one now and enjoy one later. Freshness and chocolate are always nice. I liked this bar. I was a bit surprised at that though. Upon opening the bar was quite dark, but not at all shiny or smooth. The aroma, however, was amazing! My nose was tempted with scents of caramel and strawberries. Not a hard snap either, which again, worried me a bit. Once popped in my mouth, I forgot about the”standards” which I look for in chocolate, because taste and mouth feel are what it’s really about in my mind. Caramel was the first taste, followed by a spice I couldn’t quite put my finger on, a quick woodsy taste, followed by the strawberries. Delightful. The chocolate completely covered my mouth and my taste buds were dancing. Downside, I had a bit of a metallic taste in my mouth afterwards which lasted quite awhile. Needed to drink some water. It felt thick.

Now for the Venezuelan Black 100% Rio-Caribe-Superior . It was awesome! First, you have to remember that this is all cocoa mass. No sugar, no nothing. It is bitter, which is to be expected, but full of fruity fruity aroma and taste. The label says citrus, but I wasn’t getting the citrus. It was more like red fruits. The color was a nice dark brown with just a hint of purple. Still not that shiny either, but we’re going to cook with it. Yes, cook with it. I made chili with this. The tomatoes from the chili and the fruitiness from the chocolate melding together to make for a great dinner experience!

You should give Organic Willie’s a try. You can check out their website Venezuelan Black and find great sweet recipes featuring chocolate on their site under recipes, or click here.

Enjoy your daily chocolate and I’ll see you soon! Annmarie Kostyk

I’m catching up on some of my chocolate reviews from the past few months since I’ve been computerless.  Lots to talk about!  A few months back, I was lucky enough to meet up with Sarah Hart, owner of Alma Chocolate in Portland, Oregon while she was visiting Chicago. Turns out we were long lost soul sisters.  Imagine an entire night of talking about chocolate and food!

We had a lovely dinner at The Purple Pig.  Lots of great conversation and lots of pig products that were to die for!  I always appreciate a great waitstaff and our lovely lady treated us to a delicious complimentary dessert.  Not sure what it was called, but she knew we were chocolate people and we weren’t disappointed.  It was a brioche stuffed with chocolate and then fried.  I would have taken a dozen to go, but I didn’t want them to look at me funny…

Sarah was kind enough to bring me a wonderful selection of chocolates from her shop called Alma Chocolate located in Portland, Oregon.  I first found out about Alma Chocolate two years ago when I was working on my Chocolate Travel book.  To me, food is on a spiritual, intellectual and emotional level.  Alma Chocolates drew me in right from the start.  I felt the love and passion brought into the beautiful work coming out of this shop. Ironically, according to Alma Chocolate’s website, Alma means “soul” in Spanish and “to nourish” in Latin.  What makes the name even more special?  Sarah’s grandmother’s name is Alma.  How incredibly wonderful is that?

Alma Chocolate Swallow

Alma Chocolate uses single-origin chocolate and organic ingredients to create their masterpieces. They create iconic solid chocolate works, bon bons, truffles, toffees, barks, sauces and caramels.  Sarah brought me a Swallow made from 100% Venezuelan, single-origin chocolate covered with 23 karat edible gold leaf. I almost couldn’t eat her.  She was so beautiful.  I had visons of a Christmas tree covered in Alma Chocolate icons.  How incredibly would that be?  Perhaps at a holiday party, you can cover your tree in Alma Chocolate icons and guests can bring an ornament to replace the icon your guest decides to take home and enjoy… I digress, as usual.

Alma Chocolate Candied Fruit and Nut Bar

You won’t find any typical English toffees at Alma Chocolate.  Alma’s toffees are as distinct and original as Sara herself.  Her selection includes Pistachio, Ginger Almond, and Oregon Hazelnut and Dried Cherry. The Ginger Almond is deliciously full of contrast with the spiciness of the ginger, the buttery sweetness of the toffee and the delicate crunch of the almonds.

Alma Chocolate Bark

Alma Chocolate’s  barks include Mocha Almond Nibbly Bar and PMS (for the gentlemen too!).  The nibby in the nibby bar?  It’s cocoa nibs!  A nice special treat.  PMS?  Yep.  Over the top and everything you need… candied peanut, milk chocolate (sometimes you just need the sugar) and a bit of salt.  It all balances the flavors out.

The mini bars?  Little bars of heaven!  Pistachio Hazelnut Bar, Salty Nutty Toffee, and Candied Fruit and Nut Bar.  I love pistachios.  They are by far my favorite nut.  I’ve never had pistachio and hazelnuts in the same chocolate bar before and it was an outstanding combination!  Four stars!

Alma Chocolate Bon Bons

Alma Chocolate will blow your mind in the bon bon department!  The flavors are innovative and over-the-top.  How about a Habanero Caramel Crown?  Sabrina (marzipan and fig)? Thai Peanut Butter Cup (ginger, lime, Thai chile and red volcanic sea salt)? Smoky Joe Truffle ( smoked paprika)?  See what I mean?  To see a fulll ist of what Alma offer in the way of bon bons and truffles… click here.

Alma Chocolate Caramel Sauces

Don’t care for chocolate?  Gasp!  Alma makes a fabulous caramel to top your ice cream or pies off.  I’d like to try it on some buttered toast myself.  Something for everyone – lavender, habanero or rosewater.

Thanks for coming to visit me Sarah!  My taste buds and tummy thank you for your gift bag full of chocolatey goodness.  I’m still smiling… You may purchase Alma Chocolate at their store, online, or at any of their other stockists including Cork – A Bottle Shop on 2901 NE Alberta Street and 1715 NW Lovejoy Street, and at the Portland Farmer’s Market.

Have a great day and don’t forget your daily dark chocolate!

Annmarie Kostyk

Well, I finally bit the bullet and purchased myself a new laptop since my last computer went to the big computer heaven in the sky a few months back.  I have to say that the computer’s blank page has been staring at me and laughing.  I seem to have something called writers block, but I wanted to let you know that I’m still here consuming mass quantities of chocolate.  Lots of reviews will be flowing onto my pages in no time.

The biggest form of flattery is pulling ideas from someone’s work, or in the following case, someone’s work in its entirety…which I do do on occasion noting them, of course.  I found this article on Facebook today and I couldn’t believe it.  I knew, had heard rumors, that there were those that were not fond of chocolate, but not of any that couldn’t stand chocolate.  It’s a great, honest, short read that I think you’ll love.  I’ll be back later on this week with some recipes, reviews and a few other tidbits.  I missed you all!

Annmarie Kostyk

Until my new graphics are done…ignore the caption.

Confessions of a Chocolate Hater

I know it’s weird, but it’s more socially awkward than you realize

by Lila Byock May 14, 2011 (from Gilt Taste)

It was widely known among the students of Paxson Elementary that you could get free ice cream by walking half a block to the Dairy Queen and requesting a “mistake”—the bungled orders set aside for cheapskates. Beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying goes, and given that my allowance was earmarked for Belinda Carlisle tapes and jelly shoes, I didn’t flinch at those misshapen Dilly Bars, with their soft-serve goiters and brittle exoskeletons of chocolate. Looking back, I can only conclude that the cacao content of DQ’s chocolate coating is roughly equivalent to the scotch content of their butterscotch dip. You see, there is no easy way to say this: I hate chocolate.

I wish I had some easy explanation—a fingernail once unearthed inside a Fudgsicle, say—but the truth is I’ve always been like this. My sister (the beneficiary of my trick-or-treating bounty) used to introduce me to friends by saying, “This is Lila. She doesn’t like chocolate. She’s weird.” (Ingrate.) I was already something of an oddity, growing up in Montana, by virtue of my unpronounceable name, my Jewish/Hispanic ancestry, my freckles. But I never felt more isolated than I did on those afternoons when I was the only kid without a cupcake at a classmate’s birthday party. I possessed an invisible deficiency, like colorblindness, and it seemed to symbolize all the ways I failed to fit in.

It’s heresy, I know. A dislike of chocolate is strange to the point of suspicion (as I’ve been informed on many, many occasions). Fro-yo may boom and cupcakes may bust, but chocolate is the gold standard of the dessert economy. It’s the Type O of confections, the universal pleasure donor, ubiquitous at Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Easter, birthday parties, weddings and wakes. It lounges seductively on your hotel pillow when you turn in for the night. According to a Hofstra University survey, only two percent of respondents acknowledged disliking chocolate, and among women that figure was zero. Zero percent of women dislike chocolate. Apparently I don’t even count. But I can count, and, for example, I recently counted 1,048 Facebook groups called, simply, “Chocolate.” That does not include “People Who Hate Chocolate Are Obviously Aliens” (35 members) and “Don’t You Hate People Who Hate Chocolate?!?!” (446 members).

So you can see why I try to keep my condition to myself, locked away in the same mind-vault where I store my revulsion toward earthworms, and Ray Liotta. I worry that people will think it’s an affectation, or just an obnoxious fat-phobia. But chocolate’s omnipresence means I can hardly get through a week without stumbling into the Chocolate Discussion. When I’m forced to confess my aversion, often at the close of some lovely dinner party where the host has toiled over a complicated soufflé or torte, the disclosure is inevitably tainted with rejection.

“That looks incredible, but I couldn’t possibly,” I’ll say, waving off the dish and the accompanying chocolate odor. When the host insists, or offers a disbelieving stare, I sigh, knowing I’m about to steer the conversation right off the rails. “The truth is, I’m really not a chocolate person.” And then I shrug, like, Weird, right? Better to be thought aberrant than impolite. By now, though, there’s no avoiding the Discussion:

Are you allergic? Nope, just don’t like the taste.

Just dark chocolate or milk too?  Categorically, I can’t stand the stuff.*

You must not have much of a sweet tooth. On the contrary, I could subsist happily on a diet of strawberry shortcake and apple pandowdy.

Then you don’t like things that are bitter? The bitterer the betterer. My favorite beers are ultra-hoppy IPAs and my preferred comic mode is acerbic.

Wait, really? How can you not like chocolate? You know those times when everyone’s really excited about some band and then you listen to the album and even though you’re hearing the same thing as everyone else you Just Don’t Get It? (Cough, Radiohead.) I think I taste all the flavors in chocolate that you taste, but to me they don’t add up to a harmonious sum. It’s just sort of… brown. With an aftertaste of alienation.

Are you an American, even? I get this one a lot. Given that chocolate was discovered by Mayans, perfected (so I hear) by Europeans, and is generally imported from Africa, I have never understood the logic. But if you must know, my long-form birth certificate is on file with the State of California.

Next time the topic arises, though, I’ll have a new line of defense. Not long ago, I read a 2007 paper in the Journal of Proteome Research (yep, that’s how I roll) that may explain the existence of freaks like me.

Swiss and British scientists from, um, the Nestlé Research Center conducted a study of men who identified as “chocolate-desiring” and men who identified as “chocolate-indifferent.” (Women were excluded “to avoid the confounding effects of hormonal fluctuations.”) After a week’s worth of blood and urine tests, the researchers determined that the two groups exhibited distinctly different “metabonomes” and “gut microflora,” regardless of whether they had eaten chocolate or a placebo** during the study—the scientists could theoretically determine who was or wasn’t a chocoholic just by examining things like lipid, niacin and citrate levels. What this means, according to the researcher who led the study, is that it’s not my fault; a love of chocolate (or lack thereof) is “imprinted into our metabolic system.” Palate is just the con game your intestinal bacteria pull on your taste buds. Evidently you can account for taste, so long as you’re willing to submit your bodily fluids to the scrutiny of a bunch of Europeans in lab coats.

Nearly two hundred years ago, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin observed that habitual chocolate users are “least liable to a multitude of illnesses which spoil the enjoyment of life.” If that’s a fact, then perhaps one day some Nestlé scientist will invent a pill to treat my malfunctioning metabonomes and microflora. (And perhaps we’ll have universal health care to pay for it.) Until then, thank you so much for dinner. Your ganache looks spectacular, but I couldn’t possibly.

* Let’s all just agree, once and for all, that white chocolate is no more a cousin to chocolate than David Lee Roth is to Philip.

** What’s a placebo for chocolate, you ask? The answer, apparently, is bread.

Happy first day of spring!  A lovely day of March showers is cleansing the Earth today here in Chicago.  Nothing to do but sit around, watch movies, read and eat chocolate!  With spring comes farmer’s markets and the freshest foods of the season, so I thought I’d take some time to tell you about the Chicago French Market.  And yes, they do sell chocolate created by Canady Le Chocolatier! Canady Le Chocolatier also has an original location at824 S. Wabash in Chicago.

The Chicago French Market is located in the Olgilvie Transportation Center  in the West Loop of Chicago.   The market has been open a little over a year.  What’s in Chicago’s West Loop?  Primarily businesses employing about a half million people.  Not a bad place to set up shop.   After all, we like to eat in Chicago.  Top it off with the 40,000 people who live in the West Loop and you have yourself a success story.    The Chicago French Market is home to 26 vendors offering anything from cheese, to air-dried pasta, pastries, hand-smoked meats, lunch, produce and chocolates.

I have to be honest with you.  I wasn’t impressed the first time I entered the Chicago French Market.  Something seemed off to me.  Perhaps it’s the lighting, the layout, the height of the ceiling.  I’m not quite sure.  Once you become engrossed in what’s actually happening there, you will soon forget the short comings.  (If you can figure out what exactly it is that’s disturbing about the place, let me know.)  The fact is, people are proud of what they’re selling here.  This is their livelihood and they want to share with you how their artisan products got from them to you.

Chicago French Market

Now for Canady Le Chocolatier… Let’s start off with the not so nice first.  Being a perfectionist and a foodie with lots of sales, marketing and retail in my background, you never leave just one of something in the case.  Put it out for samples, throw it away, but get it out of there.  There were seven items that were only represented by one chocolate.  The other thing that bothered me, and my friends that were accompanying me, was that the sales girl was too mousy  and timid for a market situation.  She barely spoke to us, didn’t share anything with us about the Canady Le Chocolatier, nor knew answers to any of questions that we were asking her.  There weren’t any boxes either.  You could only get your chocolates in a bag which wasn’t kind to getting them home safely on the train.  If I worked there, I could easily double their money within a few months, but I digress.

Canady Le Chocolatier

What was still available in large amounts for sale was breathtakingly beautiful and came in a variety of tastes for everyone. We each purchased six chocolates.  My favorites were the sea salts caramels and a dark chocolate Buddha that I believe had a passion fruit ganache inside.  The flavors were smooth and complimented each other nicely.  Have to go down there again soon and get one of each so I can tell you a bit more about them!

Canady Le Chocolatier

So head on down to the Chicago French Market, have a Vietnamese sandwich, you will not be disappointed!, at Saigon Sisters.  Then head over the Canady Le Chocolatier and get yourself a few chocolates.  Canady Le Chocolatier produces some fabulous artisan chocolates!

Annmarie Kostyk

When you think of chocolate, you usually don’t think of the Irish.  Ireland is not famous for it’s chocolatiers, but that’s changing. Here are  some chocolatiers you should know about…

Butler's Chocolate

Butler’s Chocolates were established in Georgian Dublin in 1932.  They still have the same standards today as they did then.  The really fun thing is that you can tour the factory next time you are in Dublin!  Tours run daily at 11am and 2.30pm and you must book your reservations in  advance.

Mary Ann O’Brien started her chocolate business in Kildare in 1992 after recovering

Lily O'Brien's Chocolates

from a debilitating illness. Her daughter, Lily, acts as her production manager for what is now known as Lily O’Brien Chocolates.  Lily O’Brien Chocolates is now becoming a well known name throughout the world producing some of the finest artisan chocolates around. They create some really spectacular chocolates for favors for any event.

Wilde Irish Chocolate Triple Chocolate Chip Fudge

Wilde Irish Chocolates produce some brilliant chocolates including organic chocolate bars, sugar free chocolate, chocolate spreads, chocolate gift boxes, fun molded chocolate and some over the top fudge.  I have to tell you about the fudge!  Here are the offerings… Cranberry & White Chocolate,  Irish Porter, Orange Dark Chocolate, Orange Dark Chocolate,  Peppermint White Chocolate,  Peppermint White Chocolate,  Toasted Hazelnut Milk Chocolate, Triple Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Pod.

For this St. Patrick’s Day, whip up a lovely chocolate dessert with an Irish twist.  Try the Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake or Chocolate Whiskey and Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Icing.  Maybe you should go crazy just this once and make them all… The first recipe comes from Closet Cooking.

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake

Serves 6 generously

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Guinness

Directions:
1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
2. Melt the chocolate in the cream in a double boiler.
3. Cream the cream cheese.
4. Mix in the sugar, chocolate, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and Guinness.
5. Pour the mixture into the spring form pans.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 60 minutes.
7. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 60 minutes.
8. Let it cool completely.
9. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes stuffed with Whiskey Ganache and topped with Bailey’s Irish Cream Icing adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting:
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons Baileys (you can substitute heavy cream, if you like)

Directions:

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer (I used the open end of one of my piping tips) and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the Filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

For the Frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

[Note from Smitten Kitchen:  "This is a fantastic trick I picked up while working on the cupcakes article for Martha Stewart Living; the test kitchen chefs had found that when they added the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frostings got less grainy, and tended to require less sugar to thicken them up." Thanks, SK!]

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or cream) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar. Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

Chocolate Whiskey and Guinness Cupcakes

Eat, drink and be merry on St. Patrick’s Day!  And please be safe!

Annmarie Kostyk

John Robbins

For years now, I have been preaching about the health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa.  Sometimes I do not feel that anyone out there is listening.  You probably know that I eat about 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily.  I have even been known to add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to my oatmeal in the morning.  Here’s a great article by John Robbins of the Huffington Post who shares the same views as me.

The food police may find this hard to take, but chocolate has gotten a bad rap. People say it causes acne, that you should eat carob instead, that it’s junk food. But these accusations are not only undeserved and inaccurate, they falsely incriminate a delicious food that turns out to have profoundly important healing powers.

Healthy Heart

There is in fact a growing body of credible scientific evidence that chocolate contains a host of heart-healthy and mood-enhancing phytochemicals, with benefits to both body and mind.

For one, chocolate is a plentiful source of antioxidants. These are substances that reduce the ongoing cellular and arterial damage caused by oxidative reactions.

You may have heard of a type of antioxidants called polyphenols. These are protective chemicals found in plant foods such as red wine and green tea. Chocolate, it turns out, is particularly rich in polyphenols. According to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the same antioxidant properties found in red wine that protect against heart disease are also found in comparable quantities in chocolate.

Dark Chocolate

How does chocolate help to prevent heart disease? The oxidation of LDL cholesterol is considered a major factor in the promotion of coronary disease. When this waxy substance oxidizes, it tends to stick to artery walls, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. But chocolate to the rescue! The polyphenols in chocolate inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

And there’s more. One of the causes of atherosclerosis is blood platelets clumping together, a process called aggregation. The polyphenols in chocolate inhibit this clumping, reducing the risks of atherosclerosis.

High blood pressure is a well known risk factor for heart disease. It is also one of the most common causes of kidney failure, and a significant contributor to many kinds of dementia and cognitive impairment. Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension.

Aspirin

Why are people with risk factors for heart disease sometimes told to take a baby aspirin every day? The reason is that aspirin thins the blood and reduces the likelihood of clots forming (clots play a key role in many heart attacks and strokes). Research performed at the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, found that chocolate thins the blood and performs the same anti-clotting activity as aspirin. “Our work supports the concept that the chronic consumption of cocoa may be associated with improved cardiovascular health,” said UC Davis researcher Carl Keen. (Read more about this study in my book Chocolate is Healthy!)

Chocolate is Healthy! by Annmarie Kostyk

How much chocolate would you have to eat to obtain these benefits? Less than you might think. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adding only half an ounce of dark chocolate to an average American diet is enough to increase total antioxidant capacity 4 percent, and lessen oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Why, then, has chocolate gotten such a bum reputation? It’s the ingredients we add to it. Nearly all of the calories in a typical chocolate bar are sugar and fat.

As far as fats go, it’s the added fats that are the difficulty, not the natural fat (called cocoa butter) found in chocolate. Cocoa butter is high in saturated fat, so many people assume that it’s not good for your cardiovascular system. But most of the saturated fat content in cocoa butter is stearic acid, which numerous studies have shown does not raise blood cholesterol levels. In the human body, it acts much like the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.

Cocoa Butter

Milk chocolate, on the other hand, contains added butterfat which can raise blood cholesterol levels. And it has less antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals than dark chocolate.

Does chocolate contribute to acne? Milk chocolate has been shown to do so, but I’ve never heard of any evidence incriminating dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is also healthier because it has less added sugar. I’m sure you don’t need another lecture on the dangers of excess sugar consumption. But if you want to become obese and dramatically raise your odds of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, foods high in sugar (including high fructose corn syrup) are just the ticket.

Are chocolate’s benefits limited to the health of the body? Hardly. Chocolate has long been renown for its remarkable effects on human mood. We are now beginning to understand why.

Theobroma cacao

Chocolate is the richest known source of a little-known substance called theobromine, a close chemical relative of caffeine. Theobromine, like caffeine, and also like the asthma drug theophylline, belong to the chemical group known as xanthine alkaloids. Chocolate products contain small amounts of caffeine, but not nearly enough to explain the attractions, fascinations, addictions, and effects of chocolate. The mood enhancement produced by chocolate may be primarily due to theobromine.

Chocolate also contains other substances with mood elevating effects. One is phenethylamine, which triggers the release of pleasurable endorphins and potentates the action of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. Phenethylamine is released in the brain when people become infatuated or fall in love.

Another substance found in chocolate is anandamide (from the Sanskrit word “ananda,” which means peaceful bliss). A fatty substance that is naturally produced in the brain, anandamide has been isolated from chocolate by pharmacologists at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego. It binds to the same receptor sites in the brain as cannabinoids — the psychoactive constituents in marijuana — and produces feelings of elation and exhilaration. (If this becomes more widely known, will they make chocolate illegal?) (FYI – Dr. Andrew Weil talks about this in his book From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs)

If that weren’t enough, chocolate also boosts brain levels of serotonin. Women typically have lower serotonin levels during PMS and menstruation, which may be one reason women typically experience stronger cravings for chocolate at these times in their cycles. People suffering from depression so characteristically have lower serotonin levels that an entire class of anti-depressive medications called serotonin uptake inhibitors (including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) have been developed that raise brain levels of serotonin.

Green and Black's Organic, Fair-Trade Dark Chocolate

Since I am known as an advocate of healthy eating, I’m often asked about my food indulgences. One of my favorite desserts is a piece of dark organic chocolate, along with a glass of a fine red wine.

I do have a policy, though, to eat only organic and/or fair trade chocolate. This is because of what I have learned about child slavery in the cocoa trade. (BBC produced a great documentary on the subject.)

May your life be full of healthy pleasures.

John Robbins is the author of many bestsellers including “The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World”, the classic “Diet For A New America,” and “The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less.” He is the recipient of the Rachel Carson Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, the Peace Abbey’s Courage of Conscience Award, and Green America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. To learn more about his work, visit www.johnrobbins.info

The perfect quote on Facebook today… “For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can achieve the same effect.”

Dark chocolate is a super power food. The problem is that most people still think milk chocolate and chocolate candy when they think about chocolate. Hopefully, with the proper education from us, people will finally get it! Grab some dark chocolate to munch on while you read!  Enjoy

Annmarie Kostyk

Cocoa Beans

We all know about chocolate and cocoa powder, but there is another product from Theobroma cacao’s cocoa bean that not many people know about.  It is called the cocoa nib. Theobroma cacao produces a pod which contains cocoa beans.  The cocoa nibs come from a cocoa bean that has been roasted and separated from the husks of the cocoa bean.

Cocoa Nibs

Cocoa nibs may be added to oatmeal, used as topping on an ice cream sundae, adding the chocolate chip cookies instead of or in addition to nuts, added to homemade granola… really the possibilities are endless!  Cocoa nibs have the same health benefits of both chocolate and cocoa powder, but possess the added surprise of crunch and texture.

Askinosie Chocolate's Cocoa Nibs

Kopali's Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs

You may purchase cocoa nibs for a variety of chocolate makers in their naked form (try Askinosie Chocolate’s cocoa nibs of Scharffen Berger’s Cocoa Nibs!) and they are exceptional tasty covered in dark chocolate (try Kopali’s Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Cocoa Nibs!).

Cocoa Nib Tassies

Serves 24

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1 large egg white
3/4 cup packed light brown
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup cocoa nibs, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
generous pinch sea salt

Directions:

Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the pastry:

Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and press each half into a flattened 4-inch square. Cut each square into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place one dough ball in each muffin cup and press it evenly over the bottom and all the way up the sides of the cup, forming a neat rim. Set aside.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the egg white until foamy. Stir in the brown sugar, melted butter, cocoa nibs, vanilla, and salt. Divide the filling evenly among the tartlet shells, using about 1 teaspoon for each.

Bake the tassies for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F. and bake for 20 minutes more, or until the pastry is well browned on the edges and underneath (life one out with the point of a knife to check). Let cool in the pans on a rack.

(Stored in an airtight container, these remain delicious for about 3 days, with the chocolate flavor intensifying from day to day).

Cocoa Nib Tassies

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate!  Yes, I love flowers, nice dinners, quiet time together, even jewelry, but give me chocolate and it’s all over. You’ve won my heart.  I feel like I’m repeating myself, but some things are worth repeating… $14 billion will be spent on chocolate for Valentine’s Day this year.  If you don’t receive chocolate for Valentine’s Day, you might as well buy it for yourself.

Valentine’s Day is the best season of the year for any business involving chocolate.  Here’s some info from an article on MSNBC:

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon and cliché gift ideas are in the air. Or at least that’s the pattern we’re seeing in some recent Google search statistics. Based on those numbers, your odds of receiving chocolate appear to be great.

The statistics below were provided to us by Google and they show some of the Valentine’s Day related search queries which have been entered more frequently than usual recently.

• Searches for ‘chocolate strawberries’ are up by 120%
• Searches for ‘chocolate covered strawberries’ are up by 90%
• Searches for ‘chocolate ganache’ are up by 60%
• Searches for ‘chocolate fondue’ are up by 50%
• Searches for ‘chocolate truffles’ are up by 50%
• Searches for ‘chocolate hearts’ are up by 65%
• Searches for ‘heart shaped cookies’ are up by 64%
• Searches for ‘valentines day dessert’ are up by 35%
• Searches for ‘cookie bouquets’ are up by 66%

Those numbers translate into a lot of people searching for chocolate, but it gets better!

It turns out that folks may have been planning ahead for this Valentine’s Day as a peek at the last 30 days of search activity shows dramatic increases in sweet searches:

• Searches for ‘valentines chocolate’ are up by 1,450%
• Searches for ‘valentines day chocolate’ are up by 1,400%
• Searches for ‘chocolate delivery’ are up by 100%
• Searches for ‘chocolate covered oreos’ are up by 41%
• Searches for ‘heart shaped chocolate’ are up by 76%

Of course, it’s worth noting that chocolate wasn’t the only thing people have been searching for when it comes to romantic gifts and Valentine’s Day ideas. After all, even searches ”for ‘red lipstick’ have risen by 24% in the past 7 days.”

Chocolate has even been seen on the financial channels.  After all, cocoa is a commodity and some of the biggest chocolate companies in the world are on some stock exchange.  Maria Bartiromo of CNBC interviews famous US chocolatier Jacques Torres, Jacques Torres Chocolates, CEO on the topic of Valentine’s Day.   A sweet spin on the economy, a look at the commodity cost of love with Mr. Chocolate, aka Jacques Torres.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1789285478&play=1

Want to make a big impression on the love of your life?  Surprise him/her with chocolates on a day that they are not expecting it.  It makes it so much better!  Annmarie Kostyk