Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

FINALLY! After waiting about 16 months, it is now my turn to host Tuesdays With Dorie. Pictures really sell me on a recipe. Although there are many great recipes without pictures, I tend to pick a recipe based on the picture. I've had my eye on Dorie's Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart for ages. The caramel is what really sold me. I love the combination of caramel and salted peanuts, not to mention the chocolate ganache. I used semisweet instead of bittersweet chocolate and salted peanuts.

I feel like such a bad hostess because I couldn't get a decent picture of the tart. For starters, the crust doesn't look like a tart crust. Seems like even though I used frozen butter and froze the crust before baking, the edges melt. Do I not press the crust in thick enough? Is it because I mix by hand and not with a food processor? Taste wise it's delicious.

I made this recipe twice. The first time I used my 11 inch tart pan. Mixing the peanuts into the caramel made it really hard to spread, so the caramel didn't make it to the edges. That and the tart is 2 inches bigger than what Dorie made. The peanut halves were also too big.

The second time I used baby tart pans, so I cut the recipe in half. This was my first time using the pans. The crust shrank like usual, and that really frustrates me. Shrunken crust makes it harder to remove from the pan. With the caramal layer, I decided to use baby food processor to chop the peanut halves and sprinkle on top of the caramel instead of mixing it in.

I really do love this recipe, but I still have ways to go before I can get the crust perfect. Hope all you TwDers enjoyed dessert this week.

Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

Caramel

Scant 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon corn syrup

2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature

Ganache

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, room temperature

3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 9-inch tart shell made with Dorie's Sweet Tart Dough (p.444), fully baked and cooled

Getting Ready: Because you have to work quickly once the sugar caramelizes, you should have all the ingredients for the caramel measured out and at hand before you start. Also have a medium heatproof bowl at hand to hold the hot caramel.

To Make the Caramel: Bring the heavy cream to a boil.

Meanwhile, put a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat and sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of the sugar. When it melts, stir it with a wooden spatula or fork and sprinkle over another 3 tablespoons. When that sugar is melted, add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar - the sugar in the pan may already have started to color, and that's fine. Stir in the corn syrup and boil the syrup until it reaches a deep caramel color - it will probably begin to smoke, and that's normal.

Stand back and stir in the butter. The caramel will bubble furiously and may spatter, so make sure you're away from the action. When the butter is in, add the warm cream - the caramel will bubble furiously again. Lower the temperature just a tad and let the caramel boil for just 2 minutes (226F on candy thermometer). Pour the seething caramel into the heatproof bowl and set aside while you make the ganache.

To Make the Ganache: Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and have a whisk or a rubber spatula at hand.

Bring the cream to a boil. Then pour half of it over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Working with the whisk/spatula, very gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles. Pour in the remainder of the cream and blend it into the chocolate. When the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter piece by piece. Don't stir any more than you must to blend the ingredients - the less you work it, the darker, smoother and shinier it will be.

Cover the ganache with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface to create an airtight seal. Set aside at room temperature for the moment.

To Assemble the Tart: Stir the peanuts into the caramel. If the caramel has cooled and is too thick to spread easily, gently warm in the microwave in 3-second spurts. Spread the caramel over the bottom of the tart shell; you'll have a thin layer. Refrigerate the tart for 15 minutes to set the caramel.

Check the ganache. If it has thickened, warm it in 3-second spurts. Rap the bowl to break any surface bubbles, pour the ganache over the caramel and jiggle the pan to even it.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes - no longer - then keep it at room temperature until serving time.

Split Level Pudding

I work 5 days a week at Target, usually evening, so when I have a day off, I'm usually not home. I am cheating this week because I made the split-level pudding last year although I don't think the ganache layer settled properly. Probably because I was too impatient or something. I would have loved to make this again, but I'm just trying to get my life together right now. I'm going to hopefully start zumba classes again to get my motivation back.

 

The Lazy Baker Cookie Mix Review

First off, I would like to thank The Lazy Baker for letting me try their product for free. Second, I want to apologize for being incompetent when making chocolate chip cookies. You see, it wasn't until a few months ago that I finally realized I was using diet margarine (35%) instead of regular margarine (60%). Before this mistake, my cookies never came out right. Just scraps of really thin CCC.

Now, an amauteur baker would blame the product for not working. Actually, I partially blame my cookie scoop. DO NOT BUY YOUR COOKIE SCOOP FROM TARGET! I'm a horrible employee, I know! I bought a (plastic) cookie scoop from Target, which was new for the holiday season. The "metal" (aluminum?) part that pushes out your dough somehow shifted after three cookies and stopped working. Fixed it, then three more cookies later, it shifted again. Argh. Now I know why they are usually $10.

ANYWAY, I'm blaming my cookie scoop because it makes 1 1/2 inch balls. The Lazy Baker says it makes 2 dozen. I got 2 1/2 dozen. Sweet, I thought. Turns out the first two dozen spread too thin and had a horrible time keeping them in one piece, even with using a silcone mat. So my last six I made them 2 inches, and they were fine.

Now for my review of the actual product. The purpose of this mix is to provide all natural ingredients for those who are too lazy to bake or don't want to make from scratch. One thing I would change about the instructions is to specify 2 inch balls rather than saying small balls. When I made small balls, they spread too thin. Also, my dough was probably warm, but I wanted to follow the instructions because chances are, the audience intended wouldn't know that chilling the dough helps prevent spreading. Maybe state, chill dough for 10 minutes (or whatever). Or chilling dough will prevent overspreading and leaving it as an option.

Tastewise, they were yummy. A little weird to cream the butter and egg together as opposed to butter and sugar. Also, I didn't read the add dry mix gradually part, so that took a little extra time bc I dumped the whole thing in at once. Whoops.

So despite a few instruction changes, this product has some potential. No unknown preservatives. Just your flour, sugar, baking powder, etc. Great to have on hand when you are working and too tired to measure. Or you have kids and don't trust their measuring skills and don't feel like monitoring them. All you do is add butter, egg, and vanilla.

Chocolate Chip Cut-Out Cookies

Look at my new toy! It's a three-layer storage container that snaps together that I'm using for my cookie cutter collection. Top layer is everyday, middle is Halloween, and bottom is Christmas. Because the layers snap apart, I can take only what I need to a friend's house, which I did last night. Guess this is one of the benefits of working at Target. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have gotten the idea.

Halloween is closing in, so I wanted to use my cookie cutters a few times before the holiday is over. I saw a recipe in one of my books awhile ago for chocolate chip cut-out cookies. Who says it always has to be plain sugar cookies? The only bad thing about this recipe is it uses two sticks of margarine, which gives it almost a shortbread undertone. Really don't know how else to describe it.

The frosting was amazing too. Actually, I don't remember where I got the frosting recipe. I found a bunch on Recipe Zaar, which also somehow led me to someone's blog. I have three different recipes written down, so I don't remember. Not only does it stay white, it hardens after a bit so you can stack the cookies. Definitely a keeper since I haven't had such good luck before.

Chocolate Mini Chip Holiday Cookies

2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2-3 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat butter, both sugars, vanilla, and salt in large bowl until creamy. Beat in yolk. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for about an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out half of dough. Cut into shapes and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. If the dough gets too soft, place back into freezer and take out the other half. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
3. Frosting: Beat together butter and sugar. Add 2 Tbsp of milk and extract. Add more milk if frosting is too thick. Use immediately. If it hardens, beat it with a knife or spoon to soften it up again.

Chocolate Candy Bar Pie - Anyone Want a Slice of Chocolate Candy Bar Pie?

I'm sure every one of us has experienced the situation where unexpected company drops by right around suppertime. You welcome your guests, but in the back of your mind you're thinking, "okay, what will I serve for dinner?" A great hostess will be able to pull something together in no time, right? So, dinner? No problem, because you always make more than enough. Dessert

? Well if you have a Chocolate Candy Bar Pie sitting in your freezer, then you've got that covered, too!

My mother is from Germany and has taught me from little on that a meal isn't complete unless you have something sweet to finish it off. Not too great for the waistline but my taste buds say thank you every time.

In order to be prepared for impromptu guests or coffee with the girls, I try to keep this great tasting pie in the freezer at all times:

Chocolate Candy Bar Pie:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 (4-ounce) chocolate bar with almonds
18 large marshmallows
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

In the top of a double boiler (a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water can be used if you do not have a double boiler) melt the chocolate bar, milk and marshmallows.

Whip the whipping cream in a bowl until stiff and fold this into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the crust and refrigerate until cool. When cool, store in freezer until time to serve. At the start of dinner remove the pie from the freezer and set on counter top. The pie should be thawed by the time the meal is over and its time for dessert.

Another great thing about this pie recipe

is that it only requires 4 ingredients plus the pie crust and if stored in a freezer container, can be kept frozen indefinitely.

Delicious Chocolate Drumstick Dessert - A Great Chocolate Treat Anytime

When I eat this chocolate drumstick dessert it brings back memories of the ice cream truck driving through town, playing hypnotic music, like that of the pied piper, enticing the kids to come running for a frozen treat. And run we did, with coins in our hands and excitement written all over our faces, as we contemplated which treat would be ours that day.

Sadly, the ice cream truck experience is almost a thing of the past. This past summer I did, however, see just such a truck. I spoke with the driver and he said he's having a great time. That was the only one I've seen in a very long time. And yes, I know I'm dating myself by admitting that. Those of you that remember this experience, though, know it was one of the best things a kid looked forward to during summer break.

This luscious chocolate drumstick dessert now has to be bought at the store. Why not, instead, mix up this yummy homemade version for your next party? Better yet, make a pan full for your family and friends just because!

Delicious Chocolate Drumstick Dessert
Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla wafers (crushed)
1 cup crushed peanuts
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 cups whipped topping
2 small packages instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk
1 small chocolate candy bar

Directions:

Mix crushed vanilla wafers, 2/3 cup of the crushed peanuts and margarine together. With the back of a spoon, spread this "crust" mixture in a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping and spread over the cooled crust layer. Refrigerate.

In the meantime, mix pudding and milk together. Pour on top of the cream cheese layer and refrigerate until set.

Spread remaining 2 cups whipped topping over the pudding layer and top with the last of the crushed peanuts. Grate the chocolate bar and sprinkle over the top. Cover and freeze. This may be served right from the freezer or can be served after sitting at room temperature, approximately 10-15 minutes.

This dessert can even be prepared ahead of time and frozen until its time to enjoy. The chocolate and peanut combination will make your taste buds sing for more.

Chocolate candy is the most common in the United States

The word candy comes from the Arabic word qandi, meaning a crystallized sugar. The idea of having a sweet treat has been around for more than 3,000 years, with the Egyptians using honey from bees to satisfy their sweet tooth. There are thousands of kinds of candy in the world, but the central ingredient in all of them is sugar, and lots of it. The sugar is dissolved in water or milk making a syrup concoction as the formula liquefies and then hardens again.

Candy can be chewy, soft, or hard. This is determined by the temperature at which the sugar and water or milk are liquefied. Use very high temperatures to make hard candy, medium heat for soft candy, and cool temperatures to make chewy candy. Candy can also be creamy with chocolate flavoring, sweet, or tart.

Chocolate candy is the most common in the United States. More than 50 million boxes of chocolate are consumed every year, with the majority of it being sold and consumed around the holidays of Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is made from Cacao. It was discovered in Mexico by explorers in 1519. One of the most famous chocolate candies is the Tootsie Roll. It has been around since 1896 and continues to be a top selling favorite for people of all ages. The Tootsie Pop came out in 1931.

The 1900’s were a time of candy we know very well today being introduced. The Hershey chocolate bar was introduced in 1900 with the famous Hershey kiss coming in 1907. The Lifesaver was introduced in 1912 and continues to be a popular favorite today. The famous gummy bears hit the market in 1922. They are chewy, and delicious. People also love the colorful shapes of the bears.

Who can resist “they melt in your mouth not in your hand” slogan? M&M’s have been a favorite candy treat since the were introduced in 1923. You can choose from peanut or plain. Each comes with the M&M logo on them. You can also choose from M&M minis.

Smarties sweet tarts were a nice change when they hit the market in 1949. Children loved the taste and had a great time wearing the edible candy necklace and bracelets. Older children and adults enjoyed the round treat rolls into a little package.

Candy has been around for thousands of years, and will continue to be for thousands more. The sweet taste of candy is something most everyone enjoys. With so many varieties it is very easy to find something that suits your taste.

Chocolates... Everybody's Weakness

We all are aware of the fact, that everybody loves chocolates. Chocolate

is the voice of passion and love, whether it is the love of chocolate itself or as an expression of love for another person. The way its quality feels in your mouth as it melts is very satisfying and its richness takes this pleasure to a whole new level. Some people believe that chocolate brings a lot of pleasure. Valentine's Day or Saturday, chocolate is the perfect gift for those we care about or just want to impress, it's right that chocolate is very delicious, and some chocolates are more enjoyable than others.

There are chocolates available to fulfill any chocolate lover’s hole. However, you can give luxury chocolates if you ever wanted to make friends with someone. Sofiaraj chocolates really blow me away. There are different from others, they are so rich, so sweet, so complex and flavorful, and so lingering in texture and taste.

There are many different kinds of chocolate such as dark chocolate unpolluted by other flavors is enough to satisfy the craving. Occasionally it is nice to have a good ochocolate truffle or something like that. Truffles of all kinds are also available for those with an additional sweet tooth, whether you love dark, milk or white chocolate it is all available. The truffle as a entire is more delicious than any of its parts. In addition, there are also boxes of chocolate to suit anyone. Some people really enjoy coffee filled chocolate or cherry filled chocolates. In a box of chocolate, all these are possible and even things you never thought imaginable will be waiting for you when you open the lid. And if you want a plain chocolate bar than those are available too, all but everywhere. Dark, milk or white chocolates are available for chocolate bars so you will get your chocolate fix.

This is my Brain on Marshmallow

Happy Valentine! I hope you all had a great in Year's Eve! I was out dancing to a great rock band AND was wearing three inch heels. Hip replacement? What hip replacement?

Anyway, my Sorbet Sistah, Sassy and I were out till three last night and as a result, my brain is somewhat marshmallowey today. Thus our theme - holiday marshmallow.

I went by Crate and Barrel a couple of days ago and all their holiday candy is on sale - so you might want to check it out. I have several of their treats - let's start with their S'mores:

These are nothing to rave about. The marshmallow is not evenly distributed (as you can see in the picture) - it sits in a blob roughly in the middle. The chocolate is okay. Real s'mores are better. Hell, Goldfish S'mores (reviewed months back) are better. There are much better treats out there.

They also have these mini mighty marshmallows - and the tag line reads - "drenched in milk chocolate - perfect for dunking in hot chocolate or for eating right out of the bag."

,

These would probably kick butt in hot chocolate - what a great idea! And as far as chocolate covered marshmallows go, they are good. Exciting? Nope. I just can't get really excited about the chocolate covered marshmallow. Unless......

Do you see that? It's peanut butter!!! Let's just check these bad boys by Harry and David out. There are three kinds in the box - dark chocolate and marshmallow:

Eh. Okay.

Let's do milk chocolate caramel next:

Looks good!! I have some high hopes!! Okay, NOW we're talking. These have delicious and not skimpy caramel which makes them awesome! The only ones worth eating yet. Very, very good - awesome chewy caramel, good milk chocolate, and the marshmallow really works - outstanding!

And the one I've been waiting for (drum roll please).....milk chocolate and PEANUT BUTTER!

Hmmm......while these are not bad, I don't think the marshmallow brings anything to the peanut butter. In fact, I think it takes away. Booo!!! I hate marshmallow. Now I want a Reese's Tree.

Harry and David also has these caramel marshmallow bars billed as "fluffy clouds of yum, wrapped in caramel":

These remind me of Modjeskas (blogged about in another post) and I won't lie to you, these are pretty darn good. But I prefer the Modjeskas I had that were completely covered in caramel. If you like marshmallow, you will do back flips for these. If you don't, pass and just get some caramel. These are super sweet, but somewhat light due to the marshmallow. Wow.

Look at these crazy things I found in World Market:

These are made by Tunnock's, a Scottish company established in 1890. And they are god-awful. They are covered in coconut and are filled with that whipped marshmallow - kind of like Fluff - that stuff some people put on sandwiches. They are very rich, yet at the same time have very little taste. They have a thin layer of something that tastes vaguely like coco and holds the thing together. Awful in a weird fascinating way, like when you can't help but look at a car wreck.

And now I have marshmallow fluff on my keyboard. Great.

You all are very familiar with how much I despise Russell Stover. But I can't seem to walk away. (Sounds a little like my love life - I keep going back to the same guys thinking they are going to be different). Anyway let's move to the world of festive marshmallow shapes:

Well, at least it looks like a snowman, pretty amazing for RS, King of Blobs. But when I performed the autopsy, look at that:

Chocolate marshmallow! Any good? Well, better than white marshmallow, but still not really worth anything. Caramel still way better. Crate and Barrel Mini marshmallows have better chocolate. RS just never really makes the grade. I wonder how much longer they are going to be around.

Speaking of blobs, check out this "Santa" by Georgia Nut company:

Are you kidding me? What the hell is that?

The Christmas Blob is filled with something with the same consistency of marshmallow fluff, but they call it "whipped vanilla cream". It's sinful. It's totally sweet and if you bite into it, you will eat the whole thing, even if you don't want to. I can't explain it. It's good, but it's also so sickeningly sweet that after you eat it, you immediately want to eat green vegetables. It's over-the-top.

The next one is chocolate covered marshmallow Santa's made by Brach's:

This Santa is just plain weird. I don't know how they make it, but you can see that it's kind of detailed, but the chocolate coating is so thin the white shows through and the whole thing looks weird. The taste is not horrible, just boring. At least these are cheap. I am reminded that I still don't like marshmallow and again want a Reese's Tree.

Before we go, look at these chocolate covered cherry cordial flavored marshmallow reindeer treats by a company called Melster Candies:

Okay - these are actually reindeer, not reindeer treats. But, what the hell. Again the weird detail, the thin chocolate, and this time, pink marshmallow peeks through. If you like cherry, you may like these, but it was too much for me. Cheap marshmallow, cheap chocolate, and overpowering cherry. Well, at least we have a different shape and some wildly colored marshmallow.

The take away?

What a celebration of marshmallow creativity! We had different shapes, and coatings, and flavors and fillings. Are you this creative with how you view yourself? Are you someone with a bad hip or a dancing queen? Are you too old to do what you want? Too fat to wear that? Or are you someone who does what makes them happy, convention be damned? You get to decide who you are - only you and no one else. Who will you be this year?

Your life is as sweet as you decide to make it. Happy Valentine 2010 - make it your year.

We always want the optimum Chocolates!

Hmm chocolate's! I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t enjoy this delicious chocolate treat. The optimum chocolates are made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, but most of us don’t care where it comes from or how it’s made, because we just love it for its taste.We all love a bit of chocolate just as we enjoy a slice of our favorite cake, but some of the optimum chocolates around are known to have some very useful medical properties according to scientists. The key ingredient, ‘theobromine’, is actually a third more effective at stopping a persistent cough than drugs containing codeine and it won’t make your drowsy either.

We’re lucky enough, we have a specialist chocolate store in our town and the selections here are absolutely unbelievable. It’s not all is in fancy boxes either and there are a lot of options to try by the piece. Every Christmas we make our own chocolate gift baskets using world chocolates and we know everyone loves to receive these as presents.

The varieties in chocolate vary enormously from chocolate covered almonds, assorted bars, dark and white mix, caramels, whirls, eggs, nuggets, creams, oh the list is endless as are the shapes, sizes, designs, and tastes.

I love optimum chocolates so much that I savor the taste as long as possible by freezing all but the soft centers. There’s no greater way to reward your taste buds than sucking on cold chocolate. Hmm! So, what are you waiting for? There’s bound to be a shop near you with loads of chocolate treats just waiting to be tried.

Health Benefits of Raw Organic Chocolate

The health benefits of chocolate were discovered by the Aztecs, a Mexican empire that flourished in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Organic Raw Chocolate is a healthy superfood that is chock-full of vitamins, minerals

, and antioxidants. Raw chocolate means that the cacao has not been heated or processed allowing it to preserve all of its rich nutrients. Organic chocolate means that there have been no chemicals, fillers, and preservatives used in the production of the chocolate.

Processed chocolate that includes dairy, sugar, and chemicals, results in blocking the antioxidant and health benefits. Processed chocolate also contains fat, wax, fillers, and preservatives. When pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones from the processed chocolate ingredients are added to its production, processed chocolate becomes a food with no health benefits.

Over 300 Healthy Properties

More than 300 minerals and properties have been identified in raw organic chocolate. Cacao contains copper, manganese, zinc, sulphur, and is rich in B -vitamins that includes niacin. Because there is no sugar, raw organic chocolate is a great treat for children.

“Cornell University discovered that Cocoa has twice the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times those found in green tea.”

Health benefits of raw organic chocolate include:

• Lower blood pressure
• Increases energy, alertness, creativity, and improves mood.
• Containing very little caffeine, raw organic chocolate is a major source of magnesium which helps your heart.
• Rich in Flavonoids which has a cancer-fighting antioxidant result
• Promotes healthy blood flow thereby reducing the risk of strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks
• Rich in Antioxidants thereby decreasing damaging free radicals

• Increased Longevity: Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that those who eat chocolate up to three times each month live almost a year longer than those who overindulge or eat junk food.
• Cocoa is reported to help brain function. The magnesium is essential for maintaining brain function. Raw chocolate is also composed of brain functioning elements such as tryptophan and anandamide
• Recently, the Theobromine in cocoa has been noted as calming the coughing reflex thereby helping to stop coughing.
• Can reduce cholesterol by 5-10 percent
• Decreases menopause and PMS symptoms
• Helps control appetite and supports weight loss

Eating chocolate is a pleasure that almost everyone loves. The availability of raw organic chocolate and fair trade chocolate is steadily increasing. Due to popular demand, supermarket chains, specialty stores, health food stores, and online health companies are now providing raw organic chocolate. Consumers now have the ability to enjoy the health benefits of this delicious treat.

Make sure you use a double boiler to melt the chocolate

Making candy is very simple. It can be done in your own kitchen area with a variety of ingredients and supplies. You can purchase great candy making supplies on the internet or at hobby shops. The most popular types of candy to make are chocolates, suckers, and hard candy. You will find candy molds, sucker sticks, plastic covers for your suckers, flavorings for hard candy, wrappers, and anything else you can imagine to make candy.

You can make chocolates by mixing your own recipes or a delicious one you have found else where. Make sure you use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. You can use chocolate candy molds to make seasonal treats. You can also make delicious chocolate covered cherries or other goodies.

Suckers are very simple to make. You can use hard candy materials or you can make chocolate suckers. You can use molds of different shapes to make them however you would like. The molds come with a holder for your stick to rest on as well so that when the mixture solidifies, it is well in place.

To make the best candy, start with a very clean area. Make sure you have all the ingredients handy that you will use. Don’t rush or your candy won’t have that smooth taste. Always use a double boiler for melting chocolate and other ingredients. A candy thermometer will help you get it to the right temperature. This is important because having the temperature off will affect the results and the texture of your candy.

Making your own candy is very economical. It is also a great way to spend time with your family. Children of all ages can help make various types of candy. You can also turn this hobby into a great way to earn some extra money. Once people taste your delicious candy, you will likely get more orders than you know what to do with!

Candy making is known to be a precise science, so follow the instructions, especially when it comes to the temperature of the ingredients. Don’t try to rush the cooling period as it will affect the crystallization process of the ingredients. The art of making candy is very simple, and you will adjust your set up and your recipes to meet your needs. Practice will ensure everything turns out perfectly. Your family will enjoy the various batches of candy you whip up for them to try.

Chocolate Dipped Apricots

Who doesn't love chocolate dipped fruit? This is so simple and the chocolate dipped apricots will look and taste fabulous!

Chocolate Dipped Apricots



1/2 cup broken pieces of a good dark chocolate (65% cacao or more)
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Dried apricots

Combine chocolate and brandy in top of double boiler and heat until melted and smooth.

Dip half of each apricot into chocolate and place on wax paper lined pan. Refrigerate one to two hours until chocolate is firm. Keep in a cool place.

A Guide to Chocolate Candy

Chocolate candy is the most loved, sweetest, and favorite candy. This is one of the sweet endless delights that can be enjoyed to the fullest. Chocolate can be presented in so many ways, shapes, sizes, and with so many additions. Chocolate is also used to coat other delectable desserts such as ice cream and cakes. Given this, it can be expected that chocolate would become more popular among children and adults in the generations to come.

Getting chocolate

There are hundreds of chocolate brands, which are normal for a widely liked candy. Just take a trip to your local supermarket and get bombarded with chocolate candy choices. However, in recent times, chocolate is big business online and offline we all should be cashing in on making chocolate candy.

Making chocolate candy

Now making chocolate candy is far from hard, quite easy actually even with adding decorations. So now you can enjoy chocolate you have made yourself. It has also allowed people to give personalized gifts in the form of the chocolate candies that they have made. Now online you can have a profitable business simply taken orders, collecting money, and shipping chocolate.

The ways of enjoying making chocolate candy have developed a long way since the ancient days of brewing coca. Nowadays, there are countless ways by which chocolate can be prepared and enjoyed as seen in the numerous flavors and shapes of chocolate that are available in the market. However, a health business opportunity is also offered by chocolate along with being a delicious treat. Stop waiting around drum up some recipes and goodies and start selling.

German Chocolate Cake - Introducing the Best Chocolate Recipe You've Ever Tasted

Congratulations, you've just stumbled upon the most amazing, easy German chocolate cake recipe ever baked. I'm not kidding.

Let's face it, most people don't go crazy when they hear this recipe uses German chocolates as the base. But that quickly subsides when they sink their teeth into this amazing concoction.

I got this recipe from my mom. Everyone who's tried it LOVES it. (Not liked it, but loved it.) Not a single person dislikes it. It's THAT good.

Most of this German chocolate cake is super easy to make (except for grating the German chocolate). And it has a billion calories - but it's so worth it. You've been warned.

Your friends and family are going to love you for making this:

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1/2 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding (small)
4 ounces of Baker's German chocolate
12 ounce bag of milk chocolate chocolate chips
dusting of wheat flour
dusting of powdered sugar

Grate Baker's German chocolate. This is the hard part. I use a food processor to turn the german chocolate into tiny pieces. You can use a hand grater, but it takes a L O N G time this way.

Combine the water, oil, eggs, cake mix, pudding and grated German chocolate until smooth with your standard mixer (any speed will do). Finally, fold in the milk chocolate chips with a spatula. (Tip: don't over stir or the chocolate chips are going to sink to the bottom.)

Grease pan with vegetable shortening and dust with whole wheat flour -- this gives the cake a crunchy exterior. If you don't have whole wheat flour, don't fret -- just stick with the vegetable shortening.

Bake in 5"-high pan (Angel food pan) at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a fork and pull it out... if it comes out clean, awesomeness is ready for your taste buds.

Finally, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to the top of the cake (a flour sifter works great) and dust the top after it cools (about 15 minutes).

Note: This German chocolate cake rocks as cupcakes... just spoon a tablespoon of batter into 24 Reynolds Baking Cups and cook for 25 minutes. Yum!

Chocolate gold coins – yummy, I’m rich!

Having a party at home or going for a party? If you’re wondering what to give away as a favor, nothing can beat chocolate gold coins. A bag full of glittering chocolate gold coins looks attractive and they convey a certain message that is hard to define.

These days, chocolate gold coins may be simple chocolate coins or chocolate casino chips. They may be ready-made or custom made. They may be made of milk chocolate or bitter chocolate. Because of their flexibility, they are just right for parties, weddings, bridal showers, christening and corporate events.

The earliest evidence of chocolate gold coins can be seen in the Jewish Hanukkah celebrations where young children were given chocolate gold coins to play. At that time, these were called ‘gelt’. In the past, a Hebrew letter was printed on the chocolate gold coin. These coins were a means to teach Jewish children the alphabets at a time when the Romans prevented the study of Torah. Roman soldiers naturally assumed that anyone playing with these coins was gambling. Truth was, these games were educative.

Chocolate gold coins have come a long way since then. These days, they are made to look like currency coins. These may be current or antiquated. They may denote any denomination and may be small or big. The great thing about chocolate gold coins is that they are irresistible. Any body who loves chocolate will find it hard to pass up a gold coin made of chocolate. Seeing a small bag full of glittering gold coins, minted to sinful perfection, can delight the receiver no end.

Here are some tips to help you give the best chocolate coins:

Personalize: Ready-made chocolate coins are passé. If you really want to win people over, go for personalized chocolate gold coins. It is not difficult to personalize these gold coins. Many companies have an online system whereby you can send in the name of the company or person. You may even be allowed to incorporate your logo or choose a particular picture. Thus, it is easy to customize your chocolate gold coins to a charity or cause of your liking. The only thing to remember in case of personalization is the time it takes for the confectioner to make the product and ship it to you. If you order in advance, this is not a problem.

High quality: The success of your chocolate gold coin depends on the quality of chocolate. This is where so many people go wrong. Choose premium quality chocolate so that people who bite into the chocolate feel delighted by your gift. Remember, quality is apparent in the craftsmanship too. You want your gold coins to be elegantly wrapped in the design of your choice. The design must be of good quality and the chocolate must be professionally foiled. There is no point in buying cheap and compromising the beauty of your gift.

Delivery service: Choose a service that makes prompt deliveries. Many companies offer to transport your favors with the greatest care, ensuring that the product is not damaged due to transportation or heat. This is important if you want your chocolate gold coins to appear in all their glorious finesse when you hand them over.

National Spaghetti Day: Make it Chocolate

Today is National Spaghetti Day, and what can be better than Chocolate Spaghetti? For National Pasta Day, I posted a very Easy Recipe for making Chocolate Pasta. I also posted a Pasta with Sage and Chocolate recipe in November. That recipe can be done with plain spaghetti but with cheese and chocolate in the sauce, so it's a savory dish.

So today for National Spaghetti Day, I have two different recipes. One is easier than the other, but they're both worth the effort.

Emeril Lagasse has a great recipe for Chocolate Spaghetti. It's a bit more involved than my original one, but has a completely different taste.

Chocolate Spaghetti with Whipped Cream, Sliced Strawberies and Chocolate Nibs from Emeril Lagasse (Food Network)

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Pinch salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (Madagascar)
2 teaspoons walnut oil or vegetable oil (go with the Walnut Oil)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon Nocello or brandy
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup chocolate nibs or finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions
Into a large bowl or on a work surface, sift together the flour, cocoa, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs a bit at a time, working them into the dry ingredients using a circular motion with your hands. Continue working in the eggs, and add the vanilla and oil, until a sticky dough is formed. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic, and is no longer sticky. (Alternatively, place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, add the eggs, vanilla and oil and pulse to form a ball of dough. Turn out onto a work surface and work to a smooth dough.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 fist-sized pieces and flatten into disks. One at a time, roll out each dough piece through the widest setting of a pasta machine, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove, fold into thirds and repeat. Continue rolling through the machine on 4 times, dusting lightly with flour to keep from sticking. Decrease the roller size down 1 notch, and roll through once, passing the dough through each setting twice until the desired thickness is reached and cut into spaghetti strands. Let dry briefly while assembling the "sauce."

In a medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer at medium speed until it becomes thick and frothy. Beating, add the sugar and Nocello, and beat until soft peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Set aside until ready to serve.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until just al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander. Place the drained pasta in a large pasta bowl and toss with the whipped cream, strawberries and nibs. Serve immediately.

And a second easier recipe.

Chocolate Spaghetti and White Chocolate "Cream" Sauce

Spaghetti
2 oz dark chocolate (60% cacao +), melted, cooled
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour

White Chocolate Cream Sauce
2 oz white chocolate (Guittard or another 'real' white chocolate)
2/3 cup whipping cream

Add melted chocolate to eggs. Make pasta using chocolate-egg mixture and flour. Let rest for 30 minutes

Roll out pasta. Roll pasta sheets through a spaghetti cutter. Let spaghetti dry for 30 minutes.

In a large pan of boiling water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain spaghetti. Make sauce. Serve spaghetti with sauce.

Sauce
Blend white chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

For more information on spaghetti, its history, culture, recipes, go to that remarkable blog Months of Edible Celebrations!

A delightful story about Chocolate

On listening a word ‘chocolate’, we all enter into a world of fantasy. The taste fills our mouth with water and we just desire to have that brown colored, sweet and milky flavored stuff. Chocolate is actually not sweet in raw form. The sweet chocolate we get is a mixture of chocolate and sugar. The other form of chocolate is a white chocolate which is generally not considered as chocolate. It is a mixture of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk.

For health, Chocolate can be beneficial as well as harmful. Chocolate has many positive effects on health. It helps in the circulation of blood and reduces the risk of heart attack. Moderate consumption of chocolate helps in muscles recovery and brain functioning. The negative effects are obesity risk, acne risk and increase blood sugar which is harmful for diabetic patients. Whatever the positive or negative effects are, chocolate maintain its place in everyone’s heart.

Now let’s discuss about some of the types of chocolate. Chocolate liquor is a pure form of chocolate containing 54% cocoa butter. Another form of chocolate is milk chocolate which has large amount of milk in it. It is light, fluffy and has a unique taste. Bitter-sweet chocolate is a chocolate which is not completely sweet. It contains chocolate liquor and sweeteners and generally used for making cookies. The other form of chocolate is dark chocolate. It contains 15% chocolate liquor and is available in unsweetened, bittersweet, semisweet form.

Chocolate is popular in India too. Although India has several other popular deserts and sweets, chocolate has its place in the heart of children and youngsters. Now day’s chocolate is preferred as a diwali sweet because of its low fat quality. Also certain brands have launched sugar free chocolates which are very famous among diabetic patients. Indian restaurant are also seeking way to attract chocolate loving customers by introducing chocolate drinks, chocolate ice cream and chocolate desserts in their food menu.

The Best Chocolate Bars in the World

Whether you are planning a winter survival kit or are simply looking to snack on something that is sweet and delicious, you should always have your favorite chocolate at your side. But there are so many different types and kinds of chocolate bars on the market that it could be a dangerous idea to just pick up any old random item. These are some of the best tasting chocolate bars on the market. Be sure to steer clear of anything that isn’t one of these.

1. Ritter Sport. These chocolate bars come from the great land of Germany and are some of the most delicious and awe inspiring chocolate bars on the market. They come in three different sizes depending on how you feel at the time. For example, there is a 250 gram size for those really long trips, a 100 gram size for your everyday needs and then a mini bar for when you need a quick pick-me-up. One of the great things about the Ritter chocolate bars is that they feature natural ingredients and not that many of them. The less ingredients something has, the better it is. That is the opinion of the makers of Ritter chocolates because they take the care necessary to ensure that every piece of chocolate they sell is the best it can be. And if you are choosy about the type of chocolate you like to eat, they have over 20 different flavors to choose from. Everything from regular milk chocolate to intense Peppermint and even Rum Raisin Hazelnut is available. Finding a chocolate bar for your individual taste is simple when you choose Ritter.
2. Lindt. These makers of fine chocolate truffles have been crafting and perfecting their art since 1845. They are Swiss as well, so you can count on them knowing how to make a quality piece of chocolate. Although Lindt is known best for their truffles, they also have a variety of chocolate bars as well. These can be found in many stores in gift wrapped boxes for the holiday season and they even have their own retail stores as well. The Master Chocolatiers make an impressive number of flavors as well. These flavors start with milk, dark or white chocolate and feature flavors like mint, hazelnut and raspberry. They also make these truffles and chocolates in bite sized pieces so that you can always have a little piece of Swiss chocolate heaven wherever you go.

Obviously, there are many more chocolates out there that are great for every season and that taste spectacular, but these are definitely the top two that are widely available. Just like how you can individualize your car with different body kits, you can individualize your chocolate tastes thanks to the many varieties that these two makers have on offer.