The District Chocoholic

Scharffen Berger Milk Almond

2012-03-09T21:05:00.011-05:00

You’ve probably noticed that when my recipes call for bittersweet chocolate or cocoa powder, I suggest using Scharffen Berger. While there are better chocolate bars out there, most of them are too expensive for baking and difficult to find. And as far as cocoa powder goes, Scharffen Berger really is some of the best, save perhaps Valrhona, which is not as widely available in the U.S.

That all said, I was not a fan of their plain milkchocolate. Weird.

But then on a trip to San Francisco, I happened upon their shop and saw a bar of their milk chocolate with sea salted almonds.

Mmm…salt…worth a try.

The base of the bar is their 41% cacao milk chocolate; roasted almonds with a hint of sea salt are mixed in. As a bonus, those almonds are very nicely chopped and well distributed.

The bar has a smooth melt and a creamy flavor, with some caramel and hints of nuts in the flavor towards the end of the melt. The salt and a hint of banana hit right as the chocolate dissipates, and the nuts are well roasted and crunchy.

Perhaps the salt cuts some off the bizarre flavors that I found off-putting in the plain milk chocolate.

Perhaps the nuts add depth to the flavor.

Perhaps I’m just insane.

Either way, I like this bar.

Birthday Cake Brownies

2012-03-06T13:38:00.019-05:00

I love it when friends have birthdays. Because I get to hang out with them AND make baked goods to celebrate. Observe: my friend and fellow synchronized swimming coach Marsea, who turned 30 this weekend.

This was going to require a birthday-centric treat, of course. With sprinkles.

And chocolate.

Hmmmm…brownies?

Yup. Birthday Cake Brownies.

Birthday Cake Brownies (Inspired by Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies)

Brownie base

4 tablespoons butter
2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour

Line an 8”x8” square pan with parchment paper. Melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk egg, then whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, prepare birthday cake layer.

Birthday cake layer

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sprinkles

Beat butter and sugars until creamed, then add egg, vanilla and salt, beat until uniform. Fold in flour and sprinkles, being careful to not overstir. Drop dollops on top of brownie base, swirl a knife through batters to marbleize. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan in refrigerator, slice once cooled.

Share with somebody special on their birthday.

Brownie Batter Energy Balls

2012-03-02T13:27:00.006-05:00

In case you didn’t catch it, I recently started anotherblog – this one about swimming, running, triathlon training, and racing.

Notice that I did not specifically call out biking. It’s because I am terrible at biking.

Anyhow, go visit. I even posted a yummy recipe recently: a recipe for peanut butter cookie dough energy balls, to address the age-old question of “what do I eat before I train if I have to start training before 5 am?”

Today, I’m sharing another answer to this question with you: brownie batter energy balls.

Of course, you can eat these anytime, and there’s no requirement that you go swim/bike/run after. You are, however, required to use good cocoa powder, such as Scharffen Berger.

The cocoa powder is far too prominent to use an inferior product, since the main ingredients are simple and won’t cover up acidic cocoa powder.

Dates and Cashews. Good flavor enhancers, but not enough to carry bad cocoa powder. So get out your best cocoa powder, and get to work.

Brownie Batter Energy Balls

1 pound pitted dates

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Run dates through a food processor until a paste forms, add other ingredients and run food processor until all ingredients are uniformly mixed. Form into ½ inch diameter balls, chill on a flat plate or baking sheet until solidified, then pack in an airtight container for future consumption.

Assuming you don’t eat them all at once, you know.

Wheat-Free Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2012-02-28T13:41:00.002-05:00

Everybody loves peanut butter and chocolate together. Anybody who says they don’t is either 1. afflicted with a chocolate or peanut allergy or 2. lying.

But because it’s so universally loved, it sometimes gets overdone. And you need something different. Not drastic, but a little. Something like chocolate and cashews for a flavor twist - and to add variety to your diet, which is healthy.

In cookie form, of course. Because chocolate chunk cookies are good, and cashew chocolate chunk cookies are even better.

Wheat-Free* Cashew Chocolate Chunk Cookies

½ cup butter

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chickpea flour

¾ cup cornstarch

¾ cup almond flour

¼ teaspoon salt

6 ounces cashews, toasted and chopped

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

*If you prefer to make these with wheat flour, simply replace the chickpea flour, cornstarch, and almond flour with 2 ¼ cups of wheat flour.

Mix chickpea flour, cornstarch, almond flour, and salt, set aside. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy, then add egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, mix until combined and then mix in cashews and chocolate. Refrigerate dough, then roll into ¾” balls, refrigerate again until firm.

Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes, move to a cooling rack and cool before eating.

It’s like peanut butter and chocolate but fancier. Or at least different.

Patric: Rio Caribe Superior 70% Cacao

2012-02-24T13:18:00.004-05:00

That pungent cheese-filled chocolate bar I discussed on Tuesday scared me away from complex chocolate creations for a while. I needed the pure stuff. Just plain, high-quality chocolate. I sought this comfort in the Patric Rio Caribe Superior 70% cacao bar, made with cacao from the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela.

This cleanly molded bar has a subtle coffee aroma and a quick melt.

The melt quickly reveals a bitter, coffee-centric flavor, with just a tiny bit of sugar. Though I enjoyed the creamy melt, which is rare but wonderful in a dark chocolate, I found it to be just a tad bitter for my tastes. It was evident that this bar was made from well-handled cacao, so I will have to try another Patric bar to find a flavor profile that I enjoy more.

Xocolatl de David: Parmigiana-Reggiano (!?)

2012-02-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

I like to keep an open mind. Especially when it comes to chocolate. Things like pop rocks and curry can go much better with chocolate than you might think. I thought of those experiences when I bought this very strange sounding Xocolatl de David Parmigiana-Reggiano bar.

The base of the bar is a 72% cacao bittersweet bar of Ecuadorian origin, and parmesan-reggiano cheese is added, as is salt. The cheese is coarsely ground and well-distributed, as obvious from the first glance at the bar.

The bar has a promising aroma of caramel with just a hint of cheese, so I anticipated a subtle note of cheese.

Wrong. Halfway through, the overly salty and pungent cheese, which is gritty and irritating against the smooth texture of the chocolate itself, totally takes over the chocolate. There was perhaps a bit of mint flavor in the chocolate, but it was hard to tell with the overpowering and not very tasty cheese there.

Eating this bar is kind of like signing up torace an Ironman: It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Pralus: Venezuela Trinitario 75% Cacao

2012-02-17T12:37:00.004-05:00

So all that talk of chocolate treats for Valentine’s Day last week and this week…yeah. Let’s just say it was a good thing that the sneaky significant other decided to give me those caramels and champagnetruffles early, because on Valentine’s Day itself, I was traveling to San Antonio for a work meeting that day. And was in said meeting all day on the 15^th, so I didn’t even get to celebrate “National Chocolate Sale Day.”

But travel does mean one thing: selecting a bar, or bars, of chocolate to take along. I like to go with a smooth-textured, intensely-flavored dark chocolate, since the nice melt is soothing after a day of long meetings, and the intense flavor just completes the experience. I almost always travel with some Potomac Chocolate 82% Cacao Upala, but also like to bring along something else for variety.

This week, I towed along the Pralus Venezuela Trinitario 75% cacao bar, mostly because it boasts a superbly smooth, buttery melt that is nothing short of luscious.

The aroma of this bar is fruity, dominated by raisin and banana, with a hint of caramel as well.

The taste is vastly different from the aroma, however, as citrus and char, reminiscent of strongly-roasted coffee, are dominant. It could perhaps benefit from a little more sugar, but the flavor is enjoyable nonetheless.

And did I mention the amazing texture? It’s really like slowly melting butter, and provides a great escape during a work trip on any subject.

Dolcezza: Chocolate Gelato

2012-02-14T13:01:00.001-05:00

So. Valentine’s Day. You’ve got nothing. Nice work, trooper. You could have read my recommendations for gifts last week, but unless you can haul ass over to Cocova or a similar shop in your home city, you’re out of luck.

I can still help you. I’m all about being sneaky, so here’s how you can still stay on the good side of the important chocolate lover in your life.

Take him or her out for dessert. Spontaneously. Romantic, right? Now to find a spot.

Oh, oh! Frozen yogurt?

No. It’s not healthy and it’s icy. Try again.

Oh please. Don’t even start. If a guy got me something from that overhyped shack, it would be the last time he ever saw me.

Let’s get real: gelato. From Dolcezza, the shop that has you covered with storefronts in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, AND Bethesda.

You can’t go wrong. And look at this cozy little seating arrangement.

Romance at its finest.

Now I’ve already reviewed Dolcezza’s Valrhona Chocolate Amargo – but they have a more lightly-colored, less intense “plain” chocolate flavor, too.

This particular flavor has a creamy texture that has a hint of dryness – almost as if there are specks of leftover cocoa powder floating around. While not as complex or intense as the Valrhona flavor, it has a deep cocoa flavor, with hints of berry and coffee, that lingers nicely; these flavors are accented by a hint of sweat cream, which is more subtle than the sugary frozen desserts that abound.

Though delightful on its own, I’d suggest that this plain chocolate flavor from Dolcezza be paired with another flavor – such as their salted caramel – as this version won’t wash out other flavors like the Valrhona gelato does. For chocolate alone, the Valrhona just can’t be beat.

John&Kira's: Caramel, Honey, and Chocolate Bees

2012-02-10T13:03:00.001-05:00

Five days until all the chocolate goes on sale. Are you ready? It's much, much more exciting than Valentine’s Day. Whether or not you agree with me, today, I have a review of another potential Valentine’s gift/treat to get on the cheap on February 15 - the John&Kira’s caramel and honey chocolate bees, a piece showcasing 62% cacao Valrhona chocolate, filled with a blend of Pennsylvanian honey and salted caramel, and beautifully painted with colored cocoa butter.

There is, of course, a story behind how I came upon this box of bee chocolates. Evidently, when I was at Cocova a few weeks ago with my very sneaky significant other who bought me champagne truffles behind my back (THE HORROR), he made note when I said “aren’t those cute” as I walked past a display of these.

I mean, they are, aren’t they?

Apparently, he covertly got a box of these, with the intent of saving them as a Valentine’s Day gift.

Then he handed them over to me on January 29.

Fail, dude. Complete fail. Delicious fail, but still. Fail.

Anyway, when I opened this box more than two weeks before Valentine’s Day, I found that it was even cuter than I imagined.

Bee facts await you under each piece.

Alright, so we have cute covered. How about the actual chocolate? Each piece has a complex aroma of honey, fig, and coffee, and also had an adorable little face painted on the shell.

(Enough already. Give me my &*^&!@# chocolate.)

The chocolate shell has a smooth and moderate melt with a slightly creamy texture and standard vanilla and coffee flavors, with a subtle mint note at the end.

And then there is the filling. Oh, the filling. It’s a liquid-type caramel, which, while thick, is still runny and leaves you with a sticky mess after one bite. The flavor is delicious – it’s buttery with a clear salty edge and a hint of honey.

Summary: adorable and delicious. But a mess.

Recchiuti: Champagne Truffles

2012-02-07T12:08:00.000-05:00

Apparently there is some kind of holiday coming up next week…Valentine’s Day? Normally I’d be all about hating it, but some very nice chocolate comes out in recognition of it.

Even better, most of it will be deeply discounted next Wednesday. Patience, people, patience.

But, since I’m thinking of those of you who just might be in search of something to give to somebody special, I’ve gotten my hands on some Valentine’s Day special stuff in advance of the big day. Such as this specially-packaged box of Recchiuti champagne truffles.

I spied this minimalist box at Cocova a couple of weeks ago, and added it to my pile of intended purchases. The significant other saw this, and tried to say he was going to get this pretty little box for me. I said no. He protested. I gave him my best “angry synchronized swimming coach” glare and he gave up.

Then I put my pile down to look at some of the new Madre bars, looked back at the pile 10 seconds later to find that the box was gone and being purchased by somebody who was not me.

FINE.

Either way, I was up one box of truffles, so I looked inside and found some petite truffles coated with a generous portion of powdered sugar.

Each truffle has a sugary vanilla aroma, and a thin outer shell underneath that powdered sugar, which dissolves slowly over the course of about 10 seconds, at which point you can finally taste the chocolate itself.

The chocolate has cherry notes with subtle hints of banana and coffee, and is neither sweet nor bitter – just a perfect spot between the two.

The ganache center is thick and smooth with a slow, creamy melt. The champagne flavor only comes in at the end, and is subtle, without even a hint of a boozy bite. I’ll say they aren’t QUITE Teuscher level , but they are close, and I do like their smaller size.

I still can’t believe I got tricked like that. I know better.

Pralus Sao Tome & Principe 75% Cacao

2012-02-03T12:42:00.008-05:00

One difficulty in sharing fine dark chocolate with others is that milk chocolate lovers fear dark chocolate after being exposed to Hershey’s Special Dark and the like. They expect something dry, over-roasted, and bitter after such experiences. But when you show them truly good dark chocolate, some of them will turn around – just like my good friends did when I took them to the tasting at Cocova last weekend.

In addition to the exposure to high quality dark chocolate, I think another key to transitioning a milk chocolate lover into a milk AND dark chocolate lover is to start with a mild bar that features traditionally pleasant flavors. In other words, nutty is probably more palatable than earthy, sweet fruit notes are probably a better bet than sour citrus, and a smooth melt is a must.

Pralus has several bars that fulfill these criteria, which is probably why my friends fawned over it last Saturday despite their general aversion to dark chocolate. One particular bar, their Sao Tome & Principe Forastero 75% cacao, has sweet flavors without an overload of added sugar.

The aroma is fruity, with banana and cherry most pronounced, and also has a faint honey and cream character mixed in. The melt is slow and just a tad waxy at the beginning, but quickly becomes buttery and rich.

The bar does have an earthy undertone at first, but a stronger nutty flavor will keep dark chocolate skeptics interested. Caramel and coffee develop later, and the chocolate finishes with delicious honey and banana flavors at the end. An exceptionally smooth melt, along with these mild flavors, will turn around even the most staunch anti-dark chocolate people out there despite the lack of added sugar, as this bar is not at all bitter.

Perhaps a gateway dark chocolate bar of sorts for milk chocolate purists.

Cocova January Sample Day

2012-01-31T13:05:00.011-05:00

Weekends in DC are packed with events, most of which I skip in favor of swimming, biking, and running. But when my favorite chocolate store has a chocolate tasting event, I’m definitely there.

Especially when they are featuring their brand new sign, with their new name, Cocova, prominently featured.

I dragged along the peanut butter-loving significantother, along with Marsea, which gave us a nice, small group to discuss the chocolates with. First up, the white and milk chocolates.

We sampled the Askinosie white chocolate with pistachios in hopes of finding a nice mix of creamy, salty, and nutty, but instead found a grainy melt and an off-putting sour milk flavor. My companions were skeptical of what I’d taken them to, but fortunately, my beloved Eclat milk chocolate Pennsylvania Dutch pretzel bar appealed to them, and they trusted me when we then moved on to the Patric signature milk chocolate, which I found to have a smooth melt with a pleasing flowery flavor. The others with me, however, were less impressed.

Then, despite their general distaste for dark chocolate, I conned both of them into trying the Pralus Caracas, and they found it delightful and not bitter.

Score.

We wandered into the shop itself, and I was delighted to find a few new additions to the shelves. Notably, Potomac Chocolate’s new bars: a nib bar, a sea salt and nib bar, and the Bahia bar, featuring cacao from an entirely new origin for their operation.

And another fine addition, Madre Chocolate, which make me recall the trip to Hawaii last summer.

I, of course, grabbed several of the popped amaranth bar.

A nice way to top of a nice afternoon of group chocolate tasting.

Rococo Basil & Persian Lime

2012-01-27T10:16:00.014-05:00

All this recent talk of chocolate and fresh mint – first in the John&Kira’s Urban Garden Mint bar, and then in the Rococo Moroccan Mint bar – has me on a fresh herb kick. Thankfully, Rococo has a bar with BASIL in it.Yes, BASIL in a CHOCOLATE bar. It’s the Basil and Persian lime bar, which was also inspired by the founder’s early days in Tehran.

The 65% cacao bar has a clear basil aroma and a subtle lime aroma. I was still skeptical of this combination, but broke of a small piece and enjoyed a smooth buttery melt accented by a sweet creamy flavor.

A pleasingly tart lime flavor emerged soon after the creamy flavor, and was not remotely sour – it reminded me of lime oil more than lime juice. The basil eventually comes into play but remains subtle throughout. There is a very subdued coffee flavor from the chocolate in the background that blends well with the slight sweetness, the distinct lime, and subtle basil.

It’s an unusual but delightful flavor combination that doesn’t overemphasize any one flavor, and features a spot-on buttery texture to complement those flavors.

I rather like it. Somebody get me some more. It’s not available here in DC, perhaps I need another trip to San Francisco.

Rococo Moroccan Mint

2012-01-24T12:41:00.011-05:00

Yep, that ice sure hit us here in DC this weekend. You can check out my other blog for an accounting of what this meant for my weekend. But that’s just my weekend. What about everybody else’s? Was it cold and icy/snowy near you? If you are just about anywhere in the mid-Atlantic or northeastern U.S., it probably is. So you likely need to keep thinking of summer-like things. Such as real mint leaves. It’s too bad I already discussed the John&Kira’s UrbanGarden Mint bar on Friday.

Oh, but we’re lucky today. Because I have another bar with real mint leaves. This time, it’s Rococo’s Moroccan Mint, a bar that Rococo founder Chantal Coady designed with her birthplace, Tehran, in mind.

The mint for this bar is grown in a garden behind their flagship store in London, and the cacao is from the Grococo farm in Grenada. This 65% cacao bar has a very strong mint aroma that is more savory than sweet, and the mint flavor is present throughout, but is not dominant.

A bit of coffee and a hint of earthiness are evident in the flavor, as is a touch of vanilla. It’s a refreshing bar, with a cooling mint flavor and well-distributed whole leaves that are apparent but not distracting, as they are very finely chopped. The only mar in this creation is a slightly dry melt at the beginning, but redemption comes when the melt turns buttery at the end.

This bar is quite good, with a flavor of real mint and a balance between mint and chocolate. A nice introduction to Rococo that leaves me wanting more of their bars.

John&Kira's: Mighty Urban Garden Mint Bar

2012-01-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

Hey, guess what? Remember how I said it wasn't at all summery in DC on Tuesday? Yeah, well, it turns out that chocolate covered dried mango, even if well-executed by TCHO, won't change that. It's still not warm here. And we're supposed to get ice tonight? OK then.

You know what else can elicit summer memories? Fresh mint. Mostly because my mom let it grow out of control in our garden and by August, she was shoving it into everything (including lasagna, if I recall correctly). So a mint chocolate bar will also make me think of summer - especially one with fresh mint rather than mint extract or oil. Luckily, John&Kira's was obviously thinking of me when they put together the Mighty Urban Garden Mint bar, with dark chocolate, cocoa butter, sugar, and fresh mint leaves from a garden in Philadelphia.

A nice, simple ingredient list. The dark chocolate features an earthy aroma with a bit of cherry, and only a subtle mint aroma. This is unusual for a mint bar, as they usually need to be wrapped in an extra layer of plastic when stored near other bars to prevent flavor and aroma contamination in the other bars.

However, the mint is evident in the flavor, with an herby, rather than sweet, character, in a way reminiscent of basil. As this flavor builds throughout the melt, the chocolate flavors – a cooling vanilla with a bit of a caramel note – remain prominent and well balanced with the mint. The melt is generally smooth, though it turns a bit waxy in the middle. Overall, the bar is a delightful alternative to mint-oil laden bars, and does remind me of a summer herb garden.

A summer herb garden that would be taken out by tonight’s predicted ice.

TCHO: Mango Morsels

2012-01-17T11:18:00.008-05:00

It finally got a little cold here in DC. Not THAT cold, but cold enough that I actually had to pull out running tights this weekend and didn’t train in shorts. Wind chills in the teens will do that. Go figure. And while I like some nice, chilly winter weather, a small part of me longs for summer days.

Not a nasty, sticky, polluted DC summer day with 120 F heat index days. But a tropical summer day on the beach with mango-based drinks. So let’s get to the next big thing: Chocolate-covered mango. Specifically, TCHO’s mango morsels drenched in dark chocolate, described as “the best raisinets you ever tasted, but better.”

The pieces have a mild fruity aroma with a hint of citrus, and a coffee undertone.

The chocolate, with citrus, creamy, and nutty flavors, has a quick melt, revealing the tart mango below. This slightly sweet tart flavor is complemented by the ideal texture of the mango – not dry, and not sticky or chewy, but rather a bit soft and tender – so soft, in fact, that near the end, it nearly dissolves. The chocolate to fruit ratio is ideal, and the pieces are nice and small to allow for a prolonged enjoyment of these.

Sadly, TCHO is in San Francisco, and while you can find their bars in DC, I haven’t found these.

Also, it’s still not summer, and I am not at the beach. Tragic.

Hotel Chocolat: Praline Puddles

2012-01-13T11:32:00.002-05:00

Since it’s definitely not close to summer, I will be nice and not review citrus-inspired treats that could remind you of summer. But I will continue my review of Hotel Chocolat puddles, since they are just so adorable. Today’s treat is their praline puddle, a soft hazelnut praline in a 50% cacao milk chocolate.

The puddles have a nutty aroma that features a hint of cream, and the melt is thick and smooth.

A nutty flavor comes through immediately, with a coffee undertone featured as well. The earthy and coffee flavors of the chocolate are evident, and aren’t dwarfed by the hazelnut flavor, which is common in many praline-based creations. There’s a flavor in there that isn’t quite right, though – almost like poorly incorporated cream. It’s a shame, because the texture is divine.

Have you had any of Hotel Chocolat’s puddles? What is your favorite kind?

Hotel Chocolat: Citrus Puddles

2012-01-10T11:17:00.002-05:00

Did you miss me yesterday? Yeah, no Monday post. I posted about my training for last week over on my other blog instead. Go check it out. Or don't. Anyway, the current plan is to blog about chocolate here on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on the triathlon blog on Mondays and Thursdays.

So before I deserted you yesterday, I apparently scared a few people away from Brazil nuts after I mentioned that they are the most radioactive food on the planet in my review of Hotel Chocolat’s chocolate covered Bazil nuts.

People: radiation is everywhere. It’s fine. Really. Your orange juice has some sexy, radioactive Potassium 40 in it. Keep drinking it. And if you are still scared, read up on radiation hormesis; you’ll be joining me to down Brazil nuts and orange juice daily after you do.

Now onto less controversial Hotel Chocolat creations: Their citrus puddles, which have a 27% cacao white chocolate base, are lime scented and accented with tangerine pieces.

The puddles have a weak citrus aroma, and the most immediate flavors are vanilla and cream.

However, crunchy bits of citrus begin to dissolve as the chocolate melts, and a visual inspection of the puddles make it clear why the citrus flavor emerges a bit more slowly.

The chocolate has a rich melt which is quite creamy, and the combination of cream and citrus is delightful, even if the citrus is more generic than specific and the overall effect is a bit more sweet than tangy. They remind me of summer. Which it is not.

Do you like chocolate with tangerine? What kind of chocolate?

Hotel Chocolat: Brazil Nuts (or, Get Your Radium Here!)

2012-01-06T12:47:00.002-05:00

I don’t talk about work often here on this blog, but those of you who have been reading a while know that I work in the nuclear energy sector. So I know a thing or two about radiation, and I love to share these fun facts with friends, family, and strangers on the bus.

It’s a wonder that people find me slightly scary, isn’t it? The mysteries of the world are neverending.

One of my favorite radiation fun facts to share is that the Brazil nut is the most radioactive food on the planet. Really. The deep root systems of the trees result in incorporation of high levels of radium in the nuts.

Awesome. Now, what would be even more awesome? Chocolate covered Brazil nuts.

Why thank you, Hotel Chocolat, for reading my mind and taking these whole Brazil nuts, roasting them, and then covering them in 65% cacao dark chocolate.

Each piece has a strong coffee aroma with a subtle hint of vanilla, along with a slightly waxy coating that quickly dissolves to give way to a smooth, buttery melt. The flavor is nutty, with hints of coffee and vanilla, and just enough sugar to cut back on any bitter flavors.

The nuts appear to not be blanched, so there’s some skin to content with, but they are nice and fatty, just like they should be. The chocolate separates from the nut a bit, though if you chew these, the crunchy nut and smooth chocolate blend nicely. The flavors and textures blend nicely, and when I finished the package, I was left to ponder why chocolate covered Brazil nuts are so rare.

Do you like Brazil nuts? Did you know how radioactive they were?

Wheat-Free Chocolate Chunk Banana Mini-Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2012-01-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

I’ve hinted a couple of times on this blog about some guy who may or may not be tolerating me on a regular basis, but haven’t really gone into detail. However, today, I will confirm that there is some kind of THING or whatever going on with that very cute guy who worked the knots out of my calves after I ran a marathon.

And guess what? It’s his BIRTHDAY today. Which means I have to bake something for him. Something with chocolate and peanut butter, both favorites of his.

And really, can I do anything besides make mini cupcakes? No. I can’t. Because what else allows him to take leftovers to his coworkers and explain that his significant other is a nutcase but likes to make up for it by baking delicious things? Nothing, that’s what.

Well, maybe a cherpumple. But I don’t want to scare him away. Yet.

I was having a tough time figuring out exactly how to combine chocolate and peanut butter, and was leaning towards using bananas since this wonderful fellow happens to like those, too. Inspiration came from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, a book my grandmother kindly gave me for Christmas.

And from there, I pieced together a recipe for chocolate chunk banana mini cupcakes – with peanut butter frosting – that are not-to-sweet, a bit nutty, and flavorful with a delightful texture.

Wheat-free Chocolate Chunk Banana Mini Cupcakes (inspired by Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Berenbaum)

1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed

¼ cup sour cream

1 egg

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup chickpea flour

¼ cup almond flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking soda

3/8 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Mix chickpea flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Toss one tablespoon of mixture with chopped chocolate, set both mixtures aside. Blend banana and sour cream in a food processor, then add lemon zest, vanilla, and egg, blend until smooth. Transfer to a stand mixer, blend with sugars and melted butter. Add flour mixture, beat on low until well mixed, then add chopped chocolate mixture, beating until just combined. Pour batter into lined cavities of a mini muffin pan.

Bake at 350° F for 13-15 minutes, then remove and cool.

Peanut Buttercream (adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Berenbaum)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup cream cheese at room temperature

¼ cup butter at room temperature

¼ cup sour cream at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

Combine peanut butter, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, 1 cup of powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a food processor until smooth, then transfer to a stand mixer and beat with a whisk attachment, slowly incorporating remainder of powdered sugar until fluffy. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Find a very sweet guy with a birthday to give them to.

Or just eat them yourself. Whatever works for you.

Have you ever made mini cupcakes for somebody to celebrate their birthday? Were they as adorable and compulsive about sorting M&Ms as the guy in the picture above? (If you say yes about either of the parts in the last question, you are lying)

More Blog-tastic Fun

2012-01-03T21:43:00.003-05:00

Even though I only post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on this blog, I have a new swim-centric post today on my other blog, which is much newer than and much different from this blog.

Go check it out. You know, if you care.

Hotel Chocolat Raspberry Riot: There's Real Fruit

2012-01-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

I’m sure you all have some profound New Year’s resolution or something. Probably involving eating healthier or exercising more. Since I already write about running too much on this blog, I’m going to help you out in case your resolution is to eat more fruit.

See? Raspberry! The Hotel Chocolat Raspberry Riot bar, that is. A bar of40% cacao milk chocolate with raspberry white chocolate, which weighs in at an impressive 28% cacao, quite high for white chocolate. The bar also packs some cookie bits, meringue, and real raspberry pieces.

Real fruit, folks. Real fruit. It’s evident the moment you unwrap the bar, as the tangy aroma emerges immediately along with some creamy notes. And

Milk! Calcium! This bar belongs in your diet.

The base raspberry white chocolate has a creamy melt and a tangy raspberry flavor, which nicely contrasts with the sweet white chocolate. The raspberry pieces, which are freeze dried, are even more tart, the meringue pieces, however, nicely balance that tartness with their crisp sweetness dispersed throughout the bar.

The cookie pieces add even more crunch than the meringue, but don’t overwhelm the bar with additional sugar, and resemble a chocolate cracker more than a cookie. With all of these tart and sweet components, the milk chocolate is barely noticeable in most bites, though it does offer some caramel and cream flavors. The raspberry white chocolate certainly dominates the bar, which is fine. It gives the overall effect of a rich frozen custard with delicious raspberry sauce, some thick chocolate fudge, and crumbled bits of cookie and meringue on top.

But it’s healthy, you know. Fruit.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution? Or are you cynical and bitter like me?

Chuao Honeycomb Bar

2011-12-30T11:01:00.002-05:00

It’s still that dead zone between Christmas and New Year’s Day when nobody has to go to work except the lackeys. But today, I won’t need the loud popping of the Chuao Firecracker bar to break the dead silence of an office with no other occupants. Because today is the week that I get Friday off, since my generous employer allows us to put in extra hours other days in exchange for taking every other Friday off.

So instead, for my day off, I have another Chuao bar: the Honeycomb bar, a 60% cacao dark chocolate bar with caramelized honey.

The bar has a floral aroma with perhaps a bit of honey.

The bits of honey are nicely ground and crispy, adding a bit of sugar and some caramel-like flavor to the bar.

The chocolate itself is dominantly vanilla and not very complex, and the melt is also a bit dry. The crisp texture of the honeycomb and the mild honey flavor are, however, a nice enhancement. Perhaps a bit dominant over the chocolate, but a nice concept nonetheless.

Have you had honeycomb with chocolate?

Chuao Firecracker Bar

2011-12-28T10:44:00.003-05:00

One of the great things about being one of the lowly project managers here in my office is that I get to work right up until Christmas (yes, I was in the office on Friday) and get to come right back after Christmas.

Here I am today. More or less by myself. Which means I need extra noise to prevent myself from going crazy from the silence.

If only chocolate could provide extra noise.

Oh, but it can. When you add popping candy, like Chuao did in their Firecracker Bar.

This bar, with a 60% cacao dark chocolate base, features chipotle spice, salt, and popping candy. That, yes that, will keep me alert and focused on all my regulatory review work today.

The bar features a strong fruity aroma, as well as hints of coffee and spice; the popping candy is small and distributed nicely throughout the bar.

The chocolate is mild and creamy at first, with a smooth melt, and then the popping candy takes over the texture as it dissolves. While the popping candy takes over the experience, the chipotle becomes even more apparent, and the popping candy becomes louder and louder with each moment of the melt. A few extra nutty flavors emerge behind the chipotle, and the salt dissolves as the last of the chocolate is dissipating.

And once it’s gone, the candy keeps popping.

Popping to keep me on my toes all day today.

Are you at work today? Or hanging out in your pajamas until mid-afternoon?

Christmas as a Chocolate Blogger

2011-12-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

The cool thing about having a chocolate blog is that people can read it for ideas of what to get you for Christmas.

Alternatively, they can get you a stuffed squirrel with a lightsaber.

(Yes, a colleague really did send this to me for Christmas.)

But most people will just get you chocolate related stuff. Or…actual chocolate, including Domori (!), like some of my swimmers did.

Or a kickass chocolate cookbook, so that you can make chocolate treats yourself.

Also courtesy of my swimmers.

And maybe, just maybe, some guy who will work the knots out of your calves after a marathon will find your blog and decide that you need something ELSE to make you happy.

Yes, a card with a smiley face will work. Especially if attached to a gigantic box of chocolate.

Did you get any chocolate for Christmas? Or just a stuffed squirrel with a lightsaber?