First, let me tell you not to be bummed out that this recipe calls for marshmallow creme. Yes, this is marshmallow fluff. There are some good alternatives to this chemical laden fluff. Whole Foods Markets always has a good substitute. Try Toonie Moonie Organics Marshmallow Creme or the vegan alternative called Suzanne’s Ricemallow Creme. For those of you who are not vegan, don’t be afraid to try the vegan option. I promise you that it is nice and sticky, sweet and gooey.
White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge with Pecans
Day eleven, we are almost done, of The Twelve Days of Holiday Chocolate Candy brings White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge. You can make it with or without nuts. I like to use nuts because it adds more texture and interest. Honestly, it tastes great either way!
White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup eggnog
2 cups sugar
10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme (see note at end of recipe)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon rum or rum extract
Directions:
In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, eggnog and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium, and continue to boil, stirring frequently, 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 234°F (soft ball stage).
Remove from heat; add chocolate and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Add marshmallow creme, pecans and rum; mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9-inch square pan lined with buttered foil. Cool completely; cut into 1½-inch squares. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge
Sit back with a small plate of White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge and watch a classic holiday movie!
For the eighth day of The Twelve Days of Holiday Chocolate candy we will be making another bark. This is a fantastic peppermint bark that sparkles with crushed candy canes, and has both white and dark chocolate. I really don’t think you can get more festive looking than this!
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients:
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped (I used 70% cocoa content.)
1 pound white chocolate, chopped
12 peppermint candy canes, crushed (about 1 cup)
Directions:
Crushed Candy Canes
Melt the dark chocolate and pour onto a jelly roll pan lined with aluminum foil or a silpat. Spread evenly to desired thickness. Place in refrigerator to harden. Sift peppermint candy to separate the large chunks from the peppermint sand. Melt the white chocolate. When cooled, fold the peppermint sand into the white chocolate taking care not to over-mix (and getting pink chocolate instead). Remove dark chocolate from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate on top. Sprinkle the peppermint chunks evenly over the white chocolate and gently press the pieces into the layer. It’s best to use gloved hands or even a spatula so you don’t leave finger marks on the bark. Refrigerate until hardened. Leave it in the refrigerator the shortest amount of time to set. Break the bark into pieces. Store at room temperature. Do not store in the refrigerator or the chocolate will sweat and bloom.
I beg you to buy blocks of baking chocolate or chocolate bars, but I understand if you used white chocolate chips and chocolate chips.
Peppermint Bark
Some of this peppermint bark is great pushed into the side of a few scoops of ice cream – especially peppermint stick or eggnog!
The holidays are a time to give. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are and take what we have for granted. Try to make a point to tithe on a regular basis. 10% of what you gross is what you should be giving. Make sure you remember those less fortunate than you during the holidays. Need some ideas on where to donate?
Time to brush up on our chocolate basics! Today we are going to discuss the different types of chocolate available. These parameters are always changing and actually vary from country to country. Just recently the European Union court ruled that there is no such thing as pure chocolate. I, myself, am a bit confused as to why a 100% cocoa content chocolate bar cannot be considered pure chocolate. That’s like saying an egg isn’t an egg once it is out of its shell.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is what chocolate lovers dream about. It is the god of chocolate. This is where the true chocolate connoisseur begins his or her experience. In the past, chocolate containing at least 30% cocoa solids was considered to be of high quality. The norm is now 35%, although dark chocolate in France must contain at least 43% cocoa solids to qualify as dark chocolate. In most cases, the higher the percent of cocoa solids in chocolate is equated with the higher quality of the chocolate and the point where chocolate is no longer considered chocolate candy. Most chocolatiers are creating chocolate bars and bonbons with dark chocolate containing over 60% or more cocoa solids since the demand for high quality chocolates has become apparent. The true chocolate connoisseur looks for chocolate bars containing over 70% cocoa solids.
The average highest quality chocolate is composed of 56-70% cocoa solids which includes on average 31% cocoa butter, 29-43% sugar, and the remaining 1% made up of vanilla and often soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is not always present in dark chocolate or any other chocolate. When it is added, the soy lecithin acts as an emulsifier and creates smoothness to the chocolate and a luxurious mouth-feel. Although there is nothing wrong with adding soy lecithin to chocolate, most purist avoid the use of it. The sugar is primarily added to the chocolate to enhance the flavors of the chocolate, but not to detract from it. Someone once said that adding sugar to chocolate is like adding salt to food. You need a little bit, but too much can ruin it. It adds only the slightest amount of sweetness to the chocolate and in most cases is not even noticeable. The vanilla found in chocolate is listed as vanilla or Bourbon vanilla. Avoid any chocolate containing vanillin. Vanillin comes from pine tree resin and shows the chocolate maker is substituting a low cost flavoring for a high cost enhancement. This not only results in a lower quality chocolate bar, but it also detracts from the natural taste of the chocolate sometimes resulting in an odd aftertaste.
Milk Chocolate
The most famous and most widely consumed chocolate in the world is milk chocolate. For all intense purposes, milk chocolate is chocolate candy, although with the surge of interest in the world of chocolate, good quality milk chocolate is now readily available. The chocolate that most of us are familiar with is that of commercial, (think the grocery store check out lane) mass produced milk chocolate which contains only a minimum of 10% cocoa solids and at least 12% milk powder, milk or condensed milk. European law states milk chocolate should possess at least 25% cocoa solids. The better chocolatiers produce milk chocolate containing on average 40% cocoa solids which is really what one should look for when purchasing a milk chocolate. Up to 50% of the content of a milk chocolate bar is composed of sugar. Most of the lesser quality milk chocolate bars also substitute vegetable fat for cocoa butter which lessens the cost for production and they often use natural and artificial flavorings. Remember, darker is always better. Even if you must have milk chocolate, try to buy the chocolate with the highest cocoa content. Something that has been showing up in the chocolate market lately is dark milk chocolate. This is still considered milk chocolate, but it does contain a higher, and probably the highest, amount of cocoa solids before legally being called dark chocolate.
White Chocolate
White chocolate isn’t really chocolate at all and it is probably the least consumed chocolate in the world. In fact, white chocolate is made up of cocoa butter, sugar, milk, an emulsifier (usually soy lecithin) and vanilla. It contains no cocoa solids and produces only the faintest cocoa flavor. White chocolate is generally used in cooking and as accent to show pieces, they occasionally show up in a box of bonbons or bunnies during the Easter holiday. Many white chocolate bars are produced with vegetable oils and other tropical fats rather than using cocoa butter to cut down on production costs. When buying a white chocolate bar, always be sure that cocoa butter is present and that there are no artificial colorings, flavorings or oils. More and more chocolatiers are starting to make some fantastic white chocolate bars with some wonderful infusions and fruit and nut mixes. Don’t be afraid to give them a try as you evolve in your chocolate tasting.
This is a great video with Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate himself, on how to temper chocolate. Everyone can learn how to temper chocolate after watching this video! My favorite quote by Chef Torres is “I get so excited when working with chocolate that I lose track of the time!”
Click here to watch the video of Jacques Torres tempering chocolate.
There’s still time to sign up for the Annmarie Kostyk Chocolate Newsletter! Sign up and receive information and a recipe that no one else will see. It won’t be posted on the website as I want those dedicated readers to get something special for coming back time and time again.
Divine Chocolate's White Chocolate Bar
The dogs days of summer have once again set their paws upon the city of Chicago. It is really hot and humid. I’m really enjoying it, because if you know Chicago weather, it can change at the drop of a hat. One day int he 70s and the next day we can see snow flurries. I kid you not. When I went to the farmer’s market on Sunday, there were still lots of goods to be had by all. I stocked up on berries as I’m going to start freezing them for the winter. Once I got them home, I remembered that I had some Divine Chocolate fair Trade White Chocolate stored away for a rainy day. Hmmm…how about a hot, humid day? Same emergency! This recipes is one of my favorites. I adore mousse. Not a white chocolate fan? You will be. This recipe can be made in a matter of minutes. I suggest topping this White Chocolate Mousse with any kind of berries. I like to mix it up to add even more color and dimension. My niece proclaimed the dessert looked like Christmas. So it did… Enjoy, stay cool and enjoy the weather.
White Chocolate Mousse
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
1 pound white chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Combine sugar and water. Stir until dissolved. Cook unstirred to hard ball stage (255 degrees). Whip egg whites, then slowly add sugar water. Beat in chocolate. It will partially melt. Cool to lukewarm and fold in whipped cream. Put in one medium serving bowl or 8-10 glass cups depending on size. Chill at least 4 hours.
Serve top with lots of berries and a shake of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream if you’d like.
Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Good song, but enough already! I think it actually went down into the high 70s last night. It’s too hot to enjoy the summer. The oven has only been on once in the past month to figure out was was going wrong with the chocolate lasagna recipe. Being near the city and having three airports with a half hour from me is causing tremendously bad air to top it off. Lots of mold floating around too from all that rain. Ick, ick, ick. Earthquakes in California are sounding better and better everyday.
When the weather is like this, dessert and treats need to be cold. This crust does need to be baked for 6 minutes, so it won’t warm your home up terribly. I also contemplated not baking it, but haven’t tried it. If you do, you’re on your own. I did, however, make it without the crust and in little individual springform pans. They were cute. Check it out below. Since this dessert is light, it uses white chocolate. If you use the chips, buy the Ghirardelli brand. When I made this last summer, I used Lindt white chocolate bars. I don’t recommend using Nestle’s white chocolate chips. I think they taste medicinal. Remember my friends, the best ingredients that you can afford…
Frozen White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake
Serves 12
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Crumb Crust:
1/2 cup sugar
9 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large egg whites, room temperature
For the Mousse:
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 pints baskets raspberries, washed and dried
9 ounces white chocolate, chopped (use the good stuff)
2 tablespoon creme de cacao liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
For the Chocolate Crumb Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 9 inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides. Mix cookie crumbs with butter. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes. Cool on rack.
For the Mousse:
Bring 1/2 cup whipping cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour white chocolate mixture into large bowl; mix in creme de cacao liqueur and vanilla extract. Cool white chocolate mixture completely.
Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup reaches 238 degrees tilting pan to submerge thermometer tip, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat 4 egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat boiling syrup into egg whites. Continue beating until stiff peaks form and meringue is cool. Fold egg whites into white chocolate mixture in 2 additions.
Beat 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream in large bowl to soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust.
Cover cake tightly and freeze until firm, at least 5 hours. Cake can be prepared one week ahead. Store in freezer.
Remove cake from freezer. Using small sharp knife, cut around sides of springform pan to loosen cake.
Release pan sides. Cover top of cake with raspberries, pressing to adhere.
Individual Frozen White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake (Made without the crust.)
This recipe comes from a beautiful site called Everything Coastal. The beach, any beach so far, is my favorite place in the world. There’s something so calming about the smell of the air, the sand between your toes, the little treasures you find on your walk…Ah…I love the beach. Which brings me to something this website seldom does…they posted a recipe. This one is for Island Cookies. It was excited to find this recipe because my white chocolate recipe pile is rather small. White chocolate, coconut and macadamia nuts all together in one place. I thought it would be fun to add chopped up dried pineapple too! Enjoy!
Island Cookie Dough (Photo Courtesy of Everything Coastal)
Island Cookies
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups white chips or 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 cup coconut flakes – toasted if you would like
3/4 cup macadamia nuts or walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Mix butter and sugars, until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients and add them to sugar mixture. Then blend in coconut, chips, and nuts. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Island Cookies (Photo Courtesy of Everything Coastal)
Chocolate Bars (Photo Courtesy of Madame Chocolat)
Today we continue Chocolate 101! On the agenda today are Types of Chocolate which include information about dark, milk and white chocolate and Storing Chocolate – She is a sensitive one! We will also be looking at a video of another bean to bar maker in the United States called Olive and Sinclair Chocolate. Hope you enjoy all of the information! Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to comment or email me. Asking questions is the only way to learn and there are no stupid questions!
Types of Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Bar
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is what chocolate lovers dream about. It is the “chocolate of the gods”. This is where the true chocolate connoisseur begins his or her experience. In the past, chocolate containing at least 30% cocoa solids was considered to be of high quality. The norm is now 35%, although dark chocolate in France must contain at least 43% cocoa solids to qualify as dark chocolate. In most cases, the higher the percentage of cocoa solids in chocolate is equated with the quality of the chocolate bar. Most chocolatiers are creating chocolate bars and bonbons with dark chocolate containing over 60% or more cocoa solids since the demand for high quality chocolates has become apparent. The true chocolate connoisseur looks for chocolate bars containing over 70% cocoa solids.
The average highest quality dark chocolate is composed of 56-70% cocoa solids which includes on average 31% cocoa butter, 29-43% sugar, and the remaining 1% made up of vanilla and often soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is not always present in dark chocolate or any other chocolate. When it is added, the soy lecithin acts as an emulsifier and creates smoothness in the chocolate and a luxurious mouth-feel. Although there is nothing wrong with adding soy lecithin to chocolate, most purist avoid the use of it. The sugar is primarily added to the chocolate to enhance the flavors, not to detract from it. Someone once said that adding sugar to chocolate is like adding salt to food. You need a little bit, but too much can ruin it. It adds only the slightest amount of sweetness to the chocolate and in most cases is not even noticeable. The vanilla found in chocolate is listed as vanilla or Bourbon vanilla. Avoid any chocolate containing vanillin. Vanillin comes from pine tree resin and shows the chocolatier is substituting a low cost flavoring. This not only results in a lower quality chocolate bar, but it also detracts from the natural taste of the chocolate sometimes resulting in an odd aftertaste.
Milk Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
The most famous and most widely consumed chocolate in the world is milk chocolate. For all intense purposes, milk chocolate is chocolate candy, although with the surge of interest in the world of chocolate, good quality milk chocolate is now readily available. The chocolate that most of us are familiar with is that of commercial, (think the grocery store check out lane) mass produced milk chocolate which contains only a minimum of 10% cocoa solids and at least 12% milk powder, milk or condensed milk. For our purposes, I consider that chocolate candy and I pretty much avoid it. European law shows higher standards stating milk chocolate should possess at least 25% cocoa solids. The better chocolatiers produce milk chocolate containing on average 40% or higher cocoa solids which is really what one should look for when purchasing a milk chocolate. Up to 50% of the content of a milk chocolate bar is composed of sugar. Most of the lesser quality milk chocolate bars also substitute vegetable fat for cocoa butter which lessens the cost for production and they often use natural and artificial flavorings. Remember, darker is always better. Even if you must have milk chocolate, try to buy the chocolate with the highest cocoa content. Something that has been showing up in the chocolate market lately is dark milk chocolate. This is still considered milk chocolate, but it does contain a higher, and probably the highest, amount of cocoa solids before legally being called dark chocolate.
White Chocolate
White Chocolate
White chocolate isn’t really chocolate at all and it is probably the least consumed chocolate in the world. In fact, white chocolate is made up of cocoa butter, sugar, milk, an emulsifier (usually soy) and vanilla. It contains no cocoa solids and produces only the faintest cocoa flavor. Some chocolatiers are now arguing that white chocolate is chocolate since it does contain cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The jury is still out. White chocolate is generally used in cooking and as accent to show pieces, they occasionally show up in a box of bonbons or bunnies during the Easter holiday. Many white chocolate bars are produced with vegetable oils and other tropical fats rather than using cocoa butter to cut down on production costs. This is what give white chocolate that funny feeling in your mouth and odd aftertaste. When buying a white chocolate bar, always be sure that cocoa butter is present and that there are no artificial colorings, flavorings or oils. More and more chocolatiers are starting to make some fantastic white chocolate bars with some wonderful infusions and fruit and nut mixes. Don’t be afraid to give them a try as you evolve in your chocolate tasting. You don’t want to miss out on anything new!
Storing Chocolate
60-70 degrees F
Chocolate is a very tempermental and demanding friend. Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dry place in its original packaging. The temperature should range between 60 and 70 degrees and less than 50% humidity. Any higher or lower temperature will cause the chocolate to bloom. Bloom is a grayish white film on the surface of the chocolate bar. This means that the cocoa butter has separated. It will still taste okay, but for our purposes of tasting, the bar should be in pristine condition. A higher temperature will also cause melting.
No Refrigerator or Freezer
Once the chocolate melts and then hardens, the chocolate will look like nothing but a blob. No shine. No snap. We want to take care of our chocolate’s beautiful color, texture, shine and taste. If you do open a chocolate bar and only eat part of it, wrap foil around the bar to keep it fresh. Never store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer. Many people do, but chocolate just doesn’t like it. Chocolate should never be stored near items with a strong odor. A chocolate bar place next to an onion will take on the aroma and smell of the onion. Dark chocolate will keep for up to three to five years if stored properly, milk chocolate for up to eighteen months and white chocolate for up to five years.
This recipe is great for a quick dessert if someone stops by unexpectedly over the weekend or to have on hand just for yourself and the family. It’s quick, easy and full of chocolate. You can experiment with this a bit. I’ve used milk chocolate or white chocolate instead of dark chocolate. I’ve also mixed white chocolate and dark chocolate together to get a bit of a marbelized look. You can change the type of nuts. I have also made these for the holidays and used white chocolate, toasted pepitas and dried cranberries for a fun look – and taste. Use your imagination!
Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Squares
Serves 16
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
10 ounces dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content), chopped
3/4 cup slivered almonds, roasted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter with sugars. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour. Spread in greased 13″ x 9″ pan. Bake 20 minutes until light golden color. Remove from oven and immediately place chopped chocolate on crust. Spread chocolate evenly as it melts. Sprinkle almonds on top. Cut into bars while warm, but leave in pan until cooled.
Now you have a better understanding of what white chocolate is all about. You don’t have to just nibble on it! You can used it in cooking and baking too. I have two fantastic recipes below, Lobster Tails in White Chocolate sauce and White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Try one of the white chocolate bars that’s flavored or has something added to it for the bread pudding. That will put it over the top.
Lobsters
Lobster Tails in White Chocolate Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 lobster tails
1 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T fresh Italian parsley, minced
4 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
1½ oz. white chocolate, chopped
¼ t nutmeg, fresh grated
½ t sea salt
½ t pepper
¼ c. olive oil
2 c. dry white wine
Combine the onion, garlic and parsley in a small bowl. Add the cheddar cheese, chocolate, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil, add the lobsters and cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat. Arrange the lobster tails with the convex, outer side facing up. Sprinkle onion and cheese mixture evenly over them. Add the wine to the pan, returning the pan to the stove. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Immediately cover, reducing the heat to medium. Cook the lobster thoroughly, about 3 minutes. Serve lobsters with sauce over rice. For a less formal meal, serve with warm flour tortillas.
White Chocolate & Banana Bread Pudding
White Chocolate Bread Pudding
Serves 8
For the pudding:
Ingredients:
3 cups whipping cream
10 ounces white chocolate
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
8 egg yolks
1 loaf French bread, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces and dried in the oven
2 tablespoons chocolate shavings for garnish
Directions:
Heat the cream in a double boiler and add the white chocolate; when the chocolate is melted, remove from heat.
In a double boiler, heat the milk, sugar, eggs and egg yolks until warm. Blend the egg mixture into the cream and chocolate mixture.
Place the bread slices in a baking pan. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the bread and let settle for a while, making sure the bread soaks up all the mixture. Top with the rest of the mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Drizzle with the white chocolate sauce below.
For the white chocolate sauce:
Ingredients
8 ounces white chocolate
3 ounces heavy cream
Directions:
Gently melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and mix in heavy cream. Spoon over bread pudding. (The photo also has sliced bananas added to the recipe, but you can add any fruit.)
Askinosie Soconusco White Chocolate Bar with Pistachios
White chocolate constantly gets a bad name in the world of chocolate and there are a variety of reasons for this. Let us, however, take a look at white chocolate for what it is, not chocolate at all. White chocolate is a confection. A candy if you will. In this way, we may be able to appreciate the really good white chocolate in the world and it may become more acceptable to our palates.
Marcolini White Chocolate Bar
Let us first start with how white chocolate is made. The first processes are the same for all chocolate. The dried cocoa beans arrive to the chocolate manufacturer and they are brushed, cleaned and roasted. The roasting enhances the cocoa beans’ aroma and also loosens their husks for removal. The next process is to crush the cocoa beans to remove their husks. This crushing exposes the inside of the cocoa beans which is called the nib. The nibs are where the cocoa butter comes from. The beans are then ground together to form a paste. The paste is then put into a press which extracts most of the cocoa butter. This product is called chocolate liquor (no alcohol content) and can be used to make cocoa powder. It may also be combined with cocoa butter and other ingredients to produce other forms of chocolate. Then to make the white chocolate, cocoa butter is combined with sugar, milk solids, and sometimes vanilla and/or lecithin.
Rococo Gigabite Fruitti de Bosco White Chocolate Bar
Historically, white chocolate was first introduced after World War I in Switzerland. It was used more in confections and molded chocolates than in bars, which is changing. In Europe, white chocolate is often called “Blancor” or “Ivoire”. Prior to the year 2004 in the United States, there were no standards for white chocolate. It was actually illegal to call white chocolate chocolate. It had to be labeled “white coating” or “white confection”. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration calls for the definition of white chocolate as being, at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat. As I said, white chocolate is not really chocolate at all. As you can see, there are no cocoa solids in white chocolate. True white chocolate should be ivory in color from the color of the cocoa butter, but not white. Real white chocolate doesn’t have any vegetable fat. The white chocolate that you may remember tasting as a child had an awful oily feel with an odd after taste which was due to the addition of vegetable fats.
Venchi White Chocolate Bar
White chocolate is different than milk and dark chocolates in that white chocolate will not melt at room temperature. It does, however, melt in your mouth at body temperature just like its chocolate relatives. White chocolate has only trace amounts of theobromine and caffeine, and no health benefits. It will, however, give you a rush because of the sugar content and when done properly, tastes magnificent! White chocolate should be enjoyed for what it is…a lovely, creamy confection.
Recently, more companies have been increasing the amount of cocoa butter in their white chocolate. This addition of cocoa butter makes it more pleasing to the eye as well as increasing its taste, texture and creaminess. The days of waxy, thick white chocolate are almost behind us. The next time you find yourself at a local chocolatier’s shop, give the white chocolate bar a try. I promise that you will be delighted with their work.
Now for some white chocolate bars for you to try to re-introduce yourself to white chocolate. Some of my favorites are Amedei Cioccolato al Latte Bianco (White Chocolate Bar), Amedei Cioccolato al Latte Bianco con Pistacchi (White With Pistachios Chocolate Bar), Askinosie White Chocolate Bar, Café Tasse Blanc White Chocolate Bar, Chocovic Jaina White Chocolate Bar, Divine White Chocolate Bar, Divine White Chocolate Bar with Strawberries, El Rey Icoa Chocolate Bar, Green & Black’s White Chocolate Bar, Pierre Marcolini Blanc White Chocolate Bar, Rococo Cardamom Organic White Chocolate Bar, Rococo Gigabite Frutti de Bosco White Chocolate Bar, Slitti Bianco White Chocolate Bar, Venchi Bianco White Chocolate Bar.
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About
Annmarie Kostyk Chocolate is a haven for all of the chocolate lover's out there to learn more about the world of chocolate including both sweet and savory recipes, health benefits, history, bar and book reviews, shows and festivals, classes, bean to bar makers, chocolatiers, confectioners, sustainability, tasting and more. Immerse yourself in the world of chocolate, the one affordable luxury.
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