Chocolates Catalog

Mighty Leaf Tea Orange Dulce, Tea Bags, 15-Count Box, Biodegradable Whole Leaf Pouches (Pack of 3)

2010-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Mighty Leaf Tea Orange Dulce, Tea Bags, 15-Count Box, Biodegradable Whole Leaf Pouches (Pack of 3) Feature

Case of three boxes, each containing 15 bags of Orange Dulce tea (total of 45 tea bags)
Made with premium black tea leaves from Ceylon and China, vanilla, orange and jasmine blossoms
All-natural; uses whole tea leaves
Brews a fragrant, sweet and full-bodied tea
Packaged in handcrafted silken pouches

Mighty Leaf Tea Orange Dulce, Tea Bags, 15-Count Box, Biodegradable Whole Leaf Pouches (Pack of 3) Overview

Orange slices, jasmine blossoms, and other fruits blended with Ceylon and China black teas make this a rich fragrant memorable cup.

Customer Reviews

I first tasted this tea at the Corner Bakery and fell in love. The whole leaf tea comes in hand sewn mesh pouches! It is full of flavor. You can taste the subtle hints of orange and vanilla and you can see the little jasmine flowers inside the pouch. Very cute and it makes for a very enjoyable tea drinking experience!

OREO, ABC & CHOC BAR MOULDS

2010-05-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

ALL AT RM15.00 PER MOULD

BAR MOULD

OREO MOULD- BALL SHAPES

PLAIN

FLOWERS PATTERN

LOVE/HEART PATTERNS

ABC MOULD ( A-Z )

LIMITED UNITS ONLY!! EMAIL UR ORDERS TO chocolatbakerytools@gmail.com OR SMS/CALL US 017 - 7333758 :)

GRADUATION CHOCOLATE COVERED OREOS

2010-05-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Belgian Dark y/o milk Chocolate Covered Oreos!

Price by Unit $1.75 each, if you will like personalized with a tag with a message will be an extra charge of

$ 0.25 for each chocolate!

You can choose the colors of the cap, according to the color's of the School.

Everyone Loves Chocolate!

2010-05-27T04:09:00.001-07:00

Chocolate Lovers Package
This package for two includes: Champagne in keepsake St. Francis Inn Champagne Flutes Tasty Sampling of Claude's Chocolates Chocolate-dipped Strawberries served with your Breakfast in our Dining Room $10 Gift Certificate to Claude's Chocolate shop to spend as you please Map of St. Augustine with all the tasty treat places marked just for you! Indulge yourselves in the morning with a full buffet breakfast - it's included! Enjoy cookies & ice tea & herbal teas available all day. Relax around the pool. Take part in the Evening Social Hour with complementary beer, wine, and appetizers. And don't forget to top off your day with our homemade dessert! All of these extras are included with our free guest amenities.
RATE: $59 in addition to room charges. Stay for any length of time, and simply add-on the package cost to your normal room charges.
This package is priced for two persons; each additional person (in the same suite or Cottage) is $30.00. Lodging, tax and gratuities not included.

Everyone Loves Chocolate!

2010-05-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Lovers Package
This package for two includes: Champagne in keepsake St. Francis Inn Champagne Flutes Tasty Sampling of Claude's Chocolates Chocolate-dipped Strawberries served with your Breakfast in our Dining Room $10 Gift Certificate to Claude's Chocolate shop to spend as you please Map of St. Augustine with all the tasty treat places marked just for you! Indulge yourselves in the morning with a full buffet breakfast - it's included! Enjoy cookies & ice tea & herbal teas available all day. Relax around the pool. Take part in the Evening Social Hour with complementary beer, wine, and appetizers. And don't forget to top off your day with our homemade dessert! All of these extras are included with our free guest amenities.
RATE: $59 in addition to room charges. Stay for any length of time, and simply add-on the package cost to your normal room charges.
This package is priced for two persons; each additional person (in the same suite or Cottage) is $30.00. Lodging, tax and gratuities not included.

Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats

2010-05-27T01:44:00.000-07:00

Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats Feature

All natural healthy dog treats
All USA ingredients
Only 3 calories each
Perfect size for training

Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats Overview

Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats are made with real turkey liver (an excellent source of protein) combined with a burst of cranberry for a taste dogs cannot resist. Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats are made exclusively with all natural ingredients. With only three calories per treat, you can reward your pooch often without the worry of Fido gaining excess weight. Charlee Bear Turkey Liver & Cranberry Flavored Dog Treats are recommended and used by professional trainers. These crunchy, delicious, good-for-your-dog biscuits fit in your pocket so you can take 'em anywhere.

Customer Reviews

We love all of the Charlee bear dog treats, but I think this is the new favorite flavor. My pups try every trick they know to get these!. They are small, so I don't feel bad applying them liberally to a training problem. Overall great product, and Thanksgiving festive to boot!

Quick Candy Expo Update

2010-05-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Gang! Just a quick post - I am totally smoked after a LONG day at the Expo (we started at 7:30 am and I got back to the Hilton at 6:00 pm). I'll give you more details, but today I:

tried Le Whif - the chocolate you inhale
tasted cocoa butter and cocoa liquor - outside of chocolate - very cool (not good, but cool)
participated in a chocolate tasting
dipped chocolate covered cookie dough in an enrober
ate a Peanut Butter Snickers (OMG!)
saw my buddies from Walkers Shortbread - what a great company!
saw the Turtles mascot, Garfield, the Jelly Belly mascot and a weird French candy company mascot. Oui!
ate whole wheat Pringles
met the publisher of Dessert Professional Magazine, a writer for the LA Times, and Mr. Tom Joyce (a Vice President at Hershey) gave me a Reese's Mini!

I LOVE NCA and Candy Expo!!!

Chocolate Barbecue Sauce: Memorial Day

2010-05-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Planning a Memorial Day barbecue? Why not a Chocolate Barbecue Sauce? The following barbecue sauce is great on chicken. I usually dredge the chicken in dark cocoa (unsweetened) first. You can also make your own dark chocolate syrup using organic premium chocolate. The taste will vary with the chocolate. Experiment. You can triple this recipe depending on how many people are coming to your barbecue!

To add more chocolate to your Holiday Barbecue, make Smores on the Grill or Banana Boats.
Have a great holiday!

EASY CHOCOLATE BARBECUE SAUCE

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Guittard dark chocolate syrup (or make your own dark chocolate syrup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp hot sauce (use the very best; experiment with degrees of heat of the hot sauce)

Instructions:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, until tender. Stir in lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and hot sauce. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes and reduce heat. Stir in ketchup, vinegar and Chocolate Syrup. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Cereal, 13.25-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

2010-05-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Cereal, 13.25-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6) Feature

Case of six, 13.25-ounce boxes (total of 79.5 ounces)
Certified organic, Kosher ingredients; including whole wheat flour; wheat bran; and raisins; 100% wheat free
Only 1.5 grams of fat and 190 grams of sodium ; 7 grams of dietary fiber, and 4 grams of protein
Fiber-rich cereal may reduce the risk of some types of cancer
Made in the USA without GMOs

Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Cereal, 13.25-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6) Overview

There's nothing flakey about us! Our top selling multi-bran blend boasts 7 grams of fiber and contains Omega-3 fatty acids.

Customer Reviews

When I first saw the rating here on Amazon for this cereal, I knew immediately I had to get. I went to my local store, ran straight to the organic section, and looked at the content in it - the ingredients are good, and the content (such as fats, sugars, carbs, exc.) are excellent. I follow the 5-5 rule - which is that a breakfast cereal should have more than 5 grams of fiber per serving, but less than 5 grams of sugar per serving, and this fits right into that bill. I took one bite of this cereal after putting a few blueberries in it, and I have to say, it is incredible and instantly tasty.

I've had my share of processed junk food in my time, including the typical crap shoot breakfast cereals like Fruity Pebbles, Frosted Flakes, Golden Crisps, and all that sugary stuff, but this cereal far surprises it in my opinion. By the way, did you know that just one cup of Frosted Flakes, has 15 grams of sugar, less than a gram of fiber, and only 1.5 grams of protein in it?! Plus it has HFCS, as well as corn syrup, added to its already long list of processed garbage ingredients. However, Nature's Path Flax Plus cereal has only 4 grams of sugar in it per serving (3/4 of a cup), and an awesome 5 grams of fiber. Even when you double your serving (which I do), or even triple it, it is still 10x healthier than a cup of Frosted Flakes, which in reality, the average American who eats that cereal, eats about 3-4 servings in one sitting without realizing it. Hence, probably about 50+ grams of sugar per serving and an awful start to your day.

All in all, this cereal is addicting and I seriously can't seem to go one day without it. I have to force myself sometimes not to eat this for breakfast so I can have some versatility in my meals, but it is so dang good that it can stand on its own. Will be buying this cereal for years to come, as long as the recipe and ingredients aren't changed to where it becomes unhealthy (such as Cascadian Farm's Purely O's cereal.)

Sweets and Snack Expo 2010 Begins!

2010-05-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Gang! I'm back from the whole bus incident and ready to rumble!!! Look at the load of candy I got today (this is my bed at the Hilton COVERED in candy!):

I took a bunch of pictures so you all could get a feel for what the Expo looks like:

It's so bright and vibrant and amazing - these really don't do it justice.

There were some new products I got to try, but they didn't have takeaway samples. So no autopsy or other photos. These are new - coming out in the fall:

Milk chocolate covered blueberries by the maker of those crazy Queen Anne Cherries. These are pretty darn good - I really liked the tartness of the blueberries. They are still pretty sweet, but well worth trying!

Ghirardelli didn't have anything new, but how cool is this display? This would be a cool sculpture for my house!

Asher's debuted their new dark and milk sea salt caramels. Very, very good. Not too soft and not too chewy - perfect consistency:

Peeps is going full bore with the chocolate covered goodies:

There are going to be milk and dark chocolate covered pumpkins, chocolate covered mint flavored trees, and chocolate covered raspberry flavored hearts. Mark Summers from the Food Network (he did a late session just for us media folks today) loves the dark chocolate Peeps just like I do! Yay!!

I didn't get to sample any of these, so I can only refer you to my review of the chocolate covered Peeps for Easter. (YUM!)

Okay - how damn amazing and cool is this???

The Mona Lisa out of Jelly Bellies. I would like this to go with my Ghirardelli sculpture please.

The Hershey's booth is impressive:

But no samples of the new candies - Hershey's Drops and Reese's Minis. I have to say, I thought Hershey could have done way more in the samples department. No samples of the new dark Kit Kat either. Teases.

Good grief, does Ed Hardy have NO shame?

On more popcorn? Puleeze! I'd say he's gone from cool to tool.

These were an interesting idea - a marshmallow with some dark chocolate drizzle:

I wanted to like these - the guys in the booth were really nice. But these just didn't work. There wasn't enough chocolate to really taste. Maybe if they were completely coated?

This is Bubble Chocolate (http://www.bubblechocolate.com/) it's aerated chocolate (basically chocolate with a bunch of bubbles in it):

It comes in dark and milk, and quite honestly, I didn't like it. Maybe if the chocolate were better? I dunno - it just didn't work for me. The people in the booth said it's really popular in other countries. Nevertheless, I didn't like it.

I got to see a great opening session this morning with Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi. He showed some fantastic ads and his big message is stop planning, start acting. The world today is all about speed. Of course, if you're not careful, that kind of thinking can get you hit by a bus.

Father's Day Chocolate Bar-B-Que!

2010-05-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is upon us and the first thing that comes to my mind is all of the delicious glory of a roaring bar-b-que. And what's better than that... Why, a chocolate bar-b-que, of course! In case your mind skipped a beat, trust me when I say this is among my favorite times of year to be experimental with my cocoa-companion. This will be the third year in a row that we have served up a chocolate bar-b-que dinner, and on Father's Day Weekend, nonetheless, and the vittles will once again be tasty! Last year, we amused our guests with the Chocolate-Caramel Cheeseburger and this year I have racked my mind as best I could to come up with the next greatest summertime treat apropos for all the Dads out there.

So you heard it here first, kids... anyone and everyone joining us this time will be mawing down on an Open-faced Beef Sloppy Joe nestled atop a slab of Grilled Rosemary Brioche, complete with our house-made Bourbon-Chocolate Bar-b-que Sauce. Make your RSVPs early to get the best seats! Here are all the details:

Saturday June 19th, with seatings at 4, 6, & 8pm, guests may join us for $25 each and enjoy:

Smoked Gouda-stuffed Brautwurst with Champagne-Garlic Mustard (optional appetizer)

Chile-lime Grilled Cord on the Cobb with Cocoa Nib-infused Butter

Open-faced Beef Sloppy Joe -or- Blue Cheese-Stuffed Quinoa Veggie Burger

both served with Bourbon-Chocolate Bar-b-que Sauce and Twice-baked Potato with Caramelized Shallot & Crunchy Panko-Chive Crust

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with White Chocolate Lemon-Thyme Sauce

This dinner is not to miss! Personally, I think this is among one of my best menus yet! Call the cafe direct at 619.578.2984 to make an RSVP.

Until then, here are pics from our last dinner, courtesy of Nino Camilo, guest photographer and Musubi aficionado (that's Hawaiian for yumminess). Check out his blog here!

Appetizer- Chocolate-glazed Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts

First Course- Wakame Seaweed Salad with Green Apple, Enoki, and Candied Cocoa nibs

Entree- Coconut-Fried Shrimp with Miso-Buckwheat Noodles and Chile Burnt Caramel Peanut Sauce

Dessert-Grilled Pineapple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Milk Chocolate Curry Sauce

Dingo Mini Hand-Tied Rawhide Bones, White, 7 Bones

2010-05-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dingo Mini Hand-Tied Rawhide Bones, White, 7 Bones Feature

Premium pet snack with real chicken in the middle for a big taste
Real chicken breast jerky wrapped in high-quality rawhide
Ideal for small breeds
Helps promote healthy teeth
Please read all label information on delivery

Dingo Mini Hand-Tied Rawhide Bones, White, 7 Bones Overview

Dingo Mini 7 Pk (White 2.5", 85G) , 3-Ounce

Customer Reviews

We have two miniature dachshunds who just love these. Every morning they
get one and are so excited! I think that keeping them chewing these
prevents them from chewing things they shouldn't! They are wonderful, the dogs and the treats!!

I Fought the Bus and the Bus Won

2010-05-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today started off great! Everything went well, I got to Chicago - was even able to check into my room at the Chicago Hilton EARLY - around noon. I dumped my luggage and headed off to the French Market. Can I just tell you it's really hot and humid here? I was determined to walk the 3 miles or so because I knew I would be eating candy all week, but I was really hot by the time I got there. I also realized I couldn't buy much chocolate because it would melt before I could get it back to the hotel.

So I bought five macaroons at Vanille Patisserie - in some great flavors - chocolate, peanut and honey, white chocolate and lychee, chocolate hazelnut, and red velvet. Then I went to Michael Canady Le Chocolatier and bought what I thought I could eat on the spot. How cool do these look? (now keep in mind that I have neither my usual photo set up nor my autopsy suite this week, so the pics might be kind of crappy. Please bear with me):

The one with the dancing couple on it is a blueberry cream with dark chocolate. It was VERY tart and good, although the blueberry overwhelmed the chocolate. It was too fragile to autopsy. Plus I was in public and it's weird enough to be photographing your food - much less taking it out of your mouth half eaten and photographing it.

This was a milk chocolate truffle - I couldn't get over its crazy red, metallic appearance and had to get it. It was very creamy and very good, but there wasn't much to it. It looks fabulous, but tastes only slightly better than average.

This is peanut butter and dark chocolate and is shown (unbitten) at the bottom center of the first picture. I did pull this out of my mouth half eaten (so classy!). The base of chocolate was so thick I had to see what was going on. And was surprised to see more layers of dark chocolate in the peanut butter. With this one, the chocolate overwhelms the peanut butter. The dark chocolate was good, but I wanted more peanut butter! Don't I always?

This one I had to buy because it looked so, well, implausible. It's a pistachio pyramid:

The pistachio flavor was very strong and I have to admit, the metallic color was kind of unappetizing. It didn't have any flavor, it was just, well, weird. But what creativity and novelty! So cool!

I left the French Market and decided to go to Macy's. I was standing on the street corner and when the signal changed, I stepped out - and that's when the bus hit me. I'm not kidding. The driver ran the red light.

No head on (I'd be dead) - it grazed me, moving fast and at first I didn't even know what happened. Thank God for Jean Bass, a retired nurse who was right beside me when this happened. She was kind enough to ask if I was okay - it happened so fast we were both shocked. The bus didn't even slow. I thought I was okay, but she walked me across the street and noticed my arm was really swelling. She took me into a restaurant to get ice and that's when I passed out - she caught me before I hit the floor and told the people in the restaurant to call an ambulance. Thank God for Jean Bass!! I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't been there. Thank God for the kindness of strangers.

And thank God I didn't get any further out in the street. I am really, really lucky to be okay right now.

The ambulance guys got there VERY quickly and were the best - so nice! Chicago Fire and EMS ROCK!!! The ER was packed and, the truth is, I wasn't dying. So they weren't taking me anywhere right away. At this point, I just wanted to make sure my arm wasn't broken (I've got an Expo to work, damn it!). We'd been icing it and the swelling had gone down, but this is what it looked like at this point:

This is what the back of my arm looked like:

I was in the ER for about 4 hours - the bus hit me at 1:50 pm and I didn't get a cab back to the hotel until 7:00 pm. So much for the great first day I had planned! But I have to say that everyone I dealt with was very, very nice. The cops that came by to take my report (after all, a city bus ran a red light and hit me - and God knows how much this whole fiasco is going to cost) were hilarious. One of the young men on the hospital security crew even managed to come up with a square of Ghirardelli chocolate for me! These folks were great.

That's me, back at the Hilton all patched up. But you know the worst part? I don't know what the hell happened to my macaroons!

Dark Chocolate Orange Cake: Under 250 calories per slice

2010-05-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

So many people think that chocolate means lots of calories, and it certainly can if you combine it with lots of sugar and eat a lot of it at one sitting. Cooking Light offers several chocolate recipes that are under 250 calories. Remember that's per serving, and your idea of a serving may be different. How big a slice do you cut? The following recipe will divide into 6 servings, each serving about 250 calories.

Here's a recipe at myrecipes from Cooking Light for Dark Chocolate Orange Cake. Use an eight-inch springform pan for this rich and fudgy dessert. Dark chocolate and orange are a classic flavor combination.

DARK CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
1 tablespoon hot water
Dash of salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Powdered sugar (optional)
Orange rind strips (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 350°
1. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with parchment or wax paper. Wrap outside of pan with aluminum foil.
2. Place 3/4 cup sugar and eggs in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 7 minutes.
3. Combine cornstarch and cocoa in a small bowl; set aside. Place juice, liqueur, water, salt, and chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave at high 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk until smooth.
4. Gently stir one-fourth of egg mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold into remaining egg mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Place pan in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes or until top is set. Remove cake pan from water; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Garnish with powdered sugar and rind just before serving, if desired.

Photo: MyRecipes

Duro Bag Popcorn Bags - 500/1.5oz

2010-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Duro Bag Popcorn Bags - 500/1.5oz Feature

Package of five hundred, 1.5-ounce bags(total of 750-ounces)
Ideal for concessions and C-store

Duro Bag Popcorn Bags - 500/1.5oz Overview

Overview

Paper popcorn bags with a 1.5 ounce capacity.

Specifications

500 bags

Ideal for concessions and C-store

As food products are perishable goods, please note that this item cannot be returned.

Midterm Chocolate: A Crib Sheet

2010-05-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

So far in my "Literature and History of Chocolate" class this summer term, we've discussed cacao's botanical origins and pre-Columbian chocolate. Today, we'll discuss European and colonial chocolate. Next, we'll talk about industrial chocolate and contemporary American artisan chocolate, but we have a two-week hiatus for Memorial Day first. If we had a midterm exam, now would be the time to study for it. Of course, this is a non-credit, recreational class without exams or other tests of loyalty. But my students from the Osher Institute at Pitt are so focused and conscientious that I prepared a midterm crib sheet for them, just in case they're planning to study over the break.

Anyone else who's interested is welcome to follow along.

Midterm Crib Sheet

Comprehensive chocolate chronologies:

Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe, The True History of Chocolate. Second edition (nonfiction)

James Runcie, The Discovery of Chocolate (fiction)

Elaborations of the chocolate-making process:

The Grenada Chocolate Company flow chart

Valrhona’s bean-to-bar slide show

Mapping cacao’s history and origins:

AllChocolate.com’s interactive world map

Close readings of cacao botany:

Allen Young, The Chocolate Tree

The International Cocoa Organization’s video of a developing cacao pod

Sorting out the chemical and medicinal properties of cacao and chocolate:

Emily Stone, “Health by Chocolate”

Bittersweet Café’s survey of “Health and Chocolate”

Biographies of American chocolate industrialists:

Joël Glenn Brenner, The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Michael D’Antonio, Hershey: Milton S. Hershey’s Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams

“Chocolate Adventure Narratives”:

Bill Buford, “Extreme Chocolate” (in the New Yorker)

Mort Rosenblum, Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

Paul Richardson: Indulgence: One Man’s Selfless Search for the Best Chocolate in the World

Peter Kaminsky, “Magic Beans”

Anthologies of scholarly articles on chocolate:

Cameron L. McNeil, ed., Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao

Louis E. Grivetti and Howard-Yana Shapiro, eds., Chocolate: History, Culture, and Heritage

Investigations of the global politics of chocolate:

Carol Off: Bitter Chocolate: The Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet

Further reading on the geopolitics of single ingredients:

Mark Pendergrast, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

Mark Kurlansky, Salt: A World History

Jack Turner, Spice: The History of a Temptation

Tim Ecott, Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid

Patricia Rain, Vanilla: The Cultural History of the World’s Favorite Flavor and Fragrance

John McPhee, Oranges

Dan Koeppel, Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World

To learn more about the intersection of food and politics in Guatemala specifically, see Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala (expanded edition), by Stephen E. Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer, and Broccoli and Desire: Global Connections and Maya Struggles in Postwar Guatemala, by Edward F. Fischer and Peter Benson.

Discussions of modern food distribution as a product of colonialism and empire:

Alfred W. Crosby, Jr., The Columbian Exchange

Alfred W. Crosby, Jr., “Columbian exchange: plants, animals, and disease between the Old and New World”

Chocolate cookbooks that consider the food’s global, political, economic, and historical contexts:

Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger, Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate

Maricel Presilla, The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes. Revised edition.

Guides for the connoisseurs:

Chloé Doutre-Roussel, The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone with a Passion for Chocolate

Clay Gordon, Discover Chocolate: The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting, and Enjoying Fine Chocolate

Places to meet other chocolate enthusiasts:

Seventy Percent

The Chocolate Life

Resources for renegade home chocolate makers, working from bean to bar:

Chocolate Alchemy

Bean-to-bar chocolate makers we’ve discussed so far:

Valrhona

Scharffen Berger

Hershey

El Rey

Askinosie

The Grenada Chocolate Company

Theo

Claudio Corallo

Pralus

Taza

Michel Cluizel

White Chocolate - the NonChocolate

2010-05-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

White chocolate is the red headed step child of the chocolate family. It's really not chocolate at all, (no cacao) but I still like it and I think we should keep an open mind.

Can you believe I still have some Easter candy to review? I know, I know - time gets away from me! So much chocolate, so little time!

Lindt made a white chocolate Lindor truffle egg:

I can't say anything negative about this - sweet, delicious with that creamy truffle center. Wow!

Neuhaus also did a white chocolate egg and this one is a solid "chocolate" egg:

This is also a great white chocolate egg - it's not as light and fluffy - not a truffle, but it's delicious. It's hard to compare the two - both have great flavor, but are in such different consistencies I can't make a choice!

Now you all know I love Hershey's Kisses, but this white chocolate can't hold a candle to the Lindt or the Neuhaus - it has a waxier quality. Nowhere near as good. And the orange flavor is soooooo not my fav. I could never eat another one of these again and be happy as a clam.

This is Lindt's Straccitella truffle egg:

It's the white chocolate truffle egg with some cocoa nibs on the outer layer. The sad thing is, you can hardly taste the nibs at all. Maybe if they were mixed all the way through? I dunno - seems like they need more...something...maybe CHOCOLATE?

I found these at Harry and David:

They have a white chocolate outer layer, a dark chocolate layer and then the malt ball. These didn't do anything for me. The malt flavor seemed to offset everything else - kind of yucky.

These beauties are anything but yucky. They are by one of favorite chocolatiers - Knipschildt. And at $10.00 for five little eggs, they are not cheap. But DAMN, they are delicious!

They are about the size of a robin's egg and are filled with a milk chocolate hazelnut paste that is amazing. These are some of the best of the chocolates I had this Easter.

These cuties are from L.A. Burdick and are the most adorable little white chocolate bunnies:

Each has an almond and a delicious chocolate and hazelnut truffle filling. They also have a dark chocolate base:

L.A. Burdick makes the most gorgeous and delicious chocolates. They also made this egg:

This delicious guy has our new friend white chocolate, then a layer of corn flakes (very crispy, very delicious!) and then a Gianduja filling (a sweet chocolate paste containing about 30% hazelnuts). Not only is it totally cute, the combination of flavors and textures is wonderful.

So what did we learn? White chocolate may not technically be chocolate, but it adds a lot to the family. (Let's all join hands and sing "We are the World.") It's mighty sweet, but it makes a great coating and has a lighter taste than milk chocolate.

Also - sometimes really great chocolate is completely worth the money. There are artists who work in chocolate.

And finally, no chocolate is too cute to eat.

Have a great week - I'll be reporting from Candy Expo!!

Oreo Cookie Bundt Cake

2010-05-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

I often find that Dairy Councils have wonderful recipes. This one is adapted from the Dairy Farmers of Utah for Oreo Cookie Bundt Cake. Easy and delicious.

Oreo Cookie Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely crushed Oreo cookies (about 12)
1/4 cup sugar
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, divided
1 package (18.25 oz) Duncan Heinz Devil's Food cake mix
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup water
About 12 oz 60-75% chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, optional garnish

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Spray a non-stick 12-cup Bundt pan with non-stick spray. Sprinkle bottom and partially up sides of pan with 1/2 the crushed cookies, set aside.
2. Soften cream cheese, add sugar and 1 egg; beat until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Combine cake mix, sour cream, 4 eggs, and water; beat for ten minutes.
4. Stir in chips and remaining crushed cookies.
5. Spoon approximately 1/2 the cake batter into bottom of prepared Bundt pan.
6. Using the back of a spoon, create a hollow in the center of batter to hold cream cheese.
7. Spoon cream cheese mixture into hollow, being careful cream cheese does not touch sides of pan.
8. Spread remaining batter over cream cheese, carefully sealing cream cheese away from the sides of the pan.
9. Bake 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (do not stick toothpick into cream filling).
10. Allow cake to cool 5-10 minutes, then invert on serving plate.
11. Sprinkle lightly with powder sugar and serve slightly warm.

Chocolate Moulds Pt.6

2010-05-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

READY STOCK BUT LIMITED UNITS ONLY!!!
CHOCOLATE POUR BOXES:
1- CK1304 , MEDIUM HEART BOX AT RM15.00

TTC149 (same as CK1304) RM15.00

2- LARGE SQUARE BOX WITH RIBBON AT RM30.00 PER SET
SOLD OUT, NO MORE STOCK!

3- LARGE FLORAL BOX AT RM15.00 -OUT OF STOCK

4- TTC148 AT RM15.00

SOLD OUT-NO MORE STOCK!

5-TTC106 (SMALL) AT RM15.00

6- HEARTS AT RM15.00

7-ABC (A-Z & ) MOULD AT RM15.00

SOLD OUT-NO MORE STOCK

SEA SHELLS MOULDS

8. TYPE 1 : TTC3K AT RM15.00

9. SEA SHELLS MOULD TYPE 2: RM16.00

SOLD OUT -NO MORE STOCK

10. TTC84-HEARTS WITH BOW RM15.00

11. TTC138 - ROSES AT RM15.00

12. PRESENT MOULDS WITH RIBBON RM15.00

SOLD OUT-NO MORE STOCK!

LOLLYPOP STICKS, COLOR 50 PCS AT RM7.00 PER PACK - LEFT 100 PCS

LOLLYPOP STICKS, WHITE 100 PCS AT RM13.00 PER PACK

LOLLYPOP PLASTIC, 100 PCS AT RM15.00 PER PACK.

TO ORDER PLS EMAIL ME AT chocolatbakerytools@gmail.com

SMS ME AT 014- 7333758 WITH CODE OR PRODUCT NAME & COURIER LOCATION AS WELL.

I'm Not Dead Yet!

2010-05-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry, gang! I had six speaking engagements this week and have been CRAZY busy!! And I've been trying to get enough work done so I can be out of the office next week for CANDY EXPO!!!! Okay, officially the Sweets and Snacks Expo.

I'm going to take as many pics as they'll let me and here are some of the new things I'll get to see (and share with you all):

Tabasco Truffles
Bubble Chocolate
Chococones
York Peppermint Pretzel Sandwich Dips
Clark Bar Dark
Reese's Minis
Pop Rocks Chocolate (GLAACK!)
Butterfingers Snackrz
Campfire Marshmallow Zebras
Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Peeps (oh dear God)
And a whole lot more!!

I'm also going to several keynote sessions - one that discusses all the latest products, one that talks about the psyche of the candy shopper, one on chocolate (yay!), and one featuring Marc Summers from Food Network's Unwrapped. You'll get all the details.

There are almost 500 exhibitors! The show is as big as 10 football fields! OMG! What a beautiful dream!

So hang in there - it will be worth it!!

Bob's Red Mill Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder, 26-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)

2010-05-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Bob's Red Mill Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder, 26-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4) Feature

Case of four 26-ounce packages (104 total ounces)
Made from 100% all-natural nonfat milk
An excellent source of protein and calcium
Mix with warm water to make liquid milk for baking or cooking
Packaged in Milwaukie, Oregon

Bob's Red Mill Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder, 26-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4) Overview

Bob's Red Mill non-fat dry milk is made naturally from pure dairy milk without any added hormones. It is easily mixed with regular water to make liquid milk. Dry milk can be stored for up to two years without refrigeration.

Customer Reviews

This is the first time I can remember buying Dry Non-Fat Milk Powder but I thought I'd give it a try considering that a gallon of milk at the grocery store is nearing 4.00. So after reading the reviews on this one I figured I'd try it. It mixed well in the blender, I added 1.5 cups of water to 0.5 cup of milk powder, blended it for a little, and then added 2 more cups of water to blend. It came out fine, but at the bottom was lumps of foam. Not really a con but I guess it all foams up down there where you add the powder. I will try mixing it different ways to see if I can get rid of the foam or something, but it's not a huge deal. It smells like that fresh milk you get from the farm, it doesn't smell like the over processed store milk you buy. I really don't mind it because I am sure it will just taste fine with my cereal and other things. For the price of this milk, you get a good deal. I made a quart and it doesn't even look like I put a dent in the one 26-ounce package. This stuff can last about 2 years on the shelf. If this continues to work out, I will never buy expensive milk at the store, this stuff is probably better for me anyways. So all in all, I gave it a 4 out of 5, because of the foam and because I thought it would taste exactly like the store milk that other people said, but it is a little different. I am pretty picky when it comes to taste and everything. I think non-fat and skim milk are two totally different kinds of milk. I used to think they are the same but I could be wrong. Skim milk is my favorite.

EDIT: The foam has gone done once refrigerated as I expected so that is good. Finally took a taste of the milk and it's not at all what I expected. I guess I just don't like the taste of Fresh Milk but if YOU do then this is the stuff to get. I guess I can use it for baking or something else or maybe even as cereal milk. We will see.

EDIT(2): I had the quart of milk in the fridge for a little over 4 hours now. I added ice cubes to it, about a tablespoon of vanilla extract, and just a couple pours of regular skim milk. The taste is sooooo much better and tastes like a Vanilla milkshake. I am so happy with this taste and I suggest you do the same thing if you want it to taste good. I really think just adding the ice and let it get really cold helped the taste the most though, and the Vanilla was just icing on the cake. I don't think I needed to add the couple pours of regular milk but I thought I'd give it a try because of what some websites said. But overall I am now happy I bought this stuff because it's gonna save me so much money than buying a Gallon of milk for 3.75 a gallon and have 1/4 of that be spoiled, etc. Now I can just make milk whenever I need it and not worry about it. I suggest you do the steps I have as well. Don't judge it by how it tastes right after you mix it because if you did, you'd give it a 1 star rating like I was going to.

Chocolate Black Gold Cookies

2010-05-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Although I've posted lots of recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies, I really haven't had very many Chocolate Chocolate Cookies. Here to make up for that deficiency :-) is a fabulous recipe from
Marcel Desaulniers, chef of The Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, VA, and cookbook author. Black Gold Cookies' recipe is from Desaulniers cookbook Death By Chocolate Cookies. I've used different types of chocolate, and you may want to experiment, too.

Chocolate Black Gold Cookies

6 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a sifter combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Sift onto a large piece of wax paper (or bowl) and set aside until needed.

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. With the heat on, place 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, the unsweetened chocolate, and butter in the top half of the double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and butter until completely melted and smooth, about 6 minutes. Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a 1-quart bowl and set aside until needed. (You’re not a true chocophile if you haven’t swiped at least one finger of melted chocolate.)

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium 4 minutes until soft. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to beat on medium for 2 more minutes. Stop the mixer, then add the melted chocolate and beat on medium for 1 minute until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients and the remaining 4 ounces semisweet chocolate and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough until thoroughly combined.

Using a heaping tablespoon (or a small icecream scoop) of dough for each cookie (approximately 3/4 oz.), portion 12 cookies, evenly spaced, onto each of 3 nonstick baking sheets (or parchment lined baking sheets). Place the baking sheets on the top and center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center about halfway through the baking time (at this time also turn each sheet 180°F.).

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes. Store the cooled cookies in a tightly sealed plastic container until ready to serve.

LorAnn Extracts, Natural Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, 4-Ounce Bottle (Pack of 3)

2010-05-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

LorAnn Extracts, Natural Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, 4-Ounce Bottle (Pack of 3) Feature

Pack of 3, 4-ounce bottle
Bean paste
Madagascar vanilla

LorAnn Extracts, Natural Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, 4-Ounce Bottle (Pack of 3) Overview

LorAnn’s finest Pure Vanilla Extract uses only the best vanilla beans grown on the islands of Madagascar. Also known as "bourbon vanilla" these beans are aged to perfection on the vine to produce a rich, creamy, smooth flavor that blends beautifully with a variety of food. Lorann's Pure Vanilla Extract contains no other additives such as sugar, corn syrup or other natural flavors.

Customer Reviews

In all honesty, this is similar in potency to vanilla extracts I have tried. There are benefits to using the paste, however.

There is not much alcohol in the paste, so it's great to use for a true vanilla flavor without the bitter aftertaste (keep in mind it does contain some extract so I'm guessing there is a minimal amount of alcohol in this). This is certified kosher and is gluten free for anyone who might be interested in this info. Also, the vanilla specks create visual flavor...after all, people taste first with their eyes. I'll admit that I tend to overdo vanilla in my recipes, which is why the paste is so much better for recipes where the amount of liquid does matter (whipping creams, ice creams, creme brulee, etc.).

Be aware that the paste isn't really a paste. It's more like a syrup. I've tried other Lorann products before (mostly their emulsions), so I'm glad that this product meets expectations. It's comparable in price and potency to vanilla extracts, but I'll be using this paste almost exclusively for the reasons mentioned above.

Fabulous Chocolate Brownies in a Jar

2010-05-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I want to take a gift rather than bake one.
Here's a great 'recipe' for Chocolate Brownies in a Jar. It's a real pleaser.

Chocolate Brownies in a Jar! the perfect gift.

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts/but they don't keep as well)
3/4 cup dark organic fair-trade chocolate (broken up) or chocolate chips

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Layer ingredients in order listed in 1-quart jar. Sugar on bottom, then cocoa, then flour mixture (flour, baking powder, salt), then pecans, then broken chocolate bits or chocolate chips. Press firmly after each ingredient, and be sure and wipe out the inside of the jar with paper towel after each layer. Seal jar and add fabric and ribbon or raffia.

Attach these baking instructions to the jar: Fabulous Brownies in a Jar from x (you!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 13 x 9 inch pan. Pour contents of jar into large mixing bowl and stir well. Add 3/4 cup butter, 3 large eggs, 2 tbsp water & 2 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes 2 dozen fabulous brownies.

Follow Baking Instructions before Eating!

Taylors of Harrogate Pure Assam Tea, 50-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 6)

2010-05-20T04:04:00.000-07:00

Taylors of Harrogate Pure Assam Tea, 50-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 6) Feature

Case of six 50-teabag boxes (300 total tea bags)
Made with 100% natural Assam tea
High in antioxidants; each English-style (tagless) teabag contains 2.5 grams of tea
Rich and full-bodied with a distinct, slightly malty flavor
Tea grown in the Brahmaputra valley in northeast India; blended and packed in England

Taylors of Harrogate Pure Assam Tea, 50-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 6) Overview

A rich refreshing Indian tea from the Brahmaputra Valley. Our finest Assam is grown in the Brahmaputra valley, in north east India and has been specially selected for its superior quality. It is a powerful, malty tea and its brisk and invigorating nature makes it ideal for breakfast and throughout the day. Blended and packed in England.

Customer Reviews

This tea is expensive. Let us be honest. But it is worth EVERY PENNY.

WOW...and backwards...WOW.

The flavor is amazing. My wife and I search for a tea that tastes like the Lipton Yellow Label Tea that you get in Pakistan. That just has such a great flavor...epsecially with Nestle Everyday (couldn't live without that creamer). Until now, my wife usually buys Tetly, which we thought was pretty good. For some reason, it just seemed better than the Lipton Yellow Label tea that you can purchase at international stores here in the U.S.

But then I ordered this, and again, WOW. There is NO comparison. We make tea the typical Pakistani way, but for comparison purposes, we just took two cups of boiling water and put a Tetly bag in one and one of these on the other cup. The color and smell of the Tetly seemed fine...UNTIL you look at this one, and then smell it. This is just spot on. I can't say enough about it. It is more than I'd like to pay for tea, but until there's another option, this is what we'll be getting.

Give it a shot...but make sure you get Nestle Everday, that is, if you can find it anywhere. At best, it will be available in some International/Pakistani grocery stores. Good luck.

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I'm Not Dead Yet!

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