Double-Choc Slab

Ingredients
16 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 oz milk chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Line base and sides of a shallow baking pan with baking paper. Melt chocolates separately in heatproof bowls over pans of simmering water (don't let bowls touch water). Stir until melted. Pour dark chocolate into pan, then drizzle over milk chocolate. Use a skewer to swirl in a decorative pattern. Cool for 10 minutes, then chill for 30 minutes to set. Serve in chunks as an Easter treat.

White Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients
14 oz butter, chopped
17 oz white chocolate, chopped
2 cups caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups plain flour, sifted
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
fresh roses, to decorate

White chocolate ganache
21 oz white chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup thickened cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease and line an 3 inch deep, 9 inch (base) square cake pan.
Combine butter, chocolate and 400ml water in a large heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until smooth.
Add caster sugar and vanilla to chocolate mixture. Stir to combine. Add egg. Mix well. Sift flours together over chocolate mixture. Stir until well combined.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Allow to cool completely in pan. Carefully turn cake out. Wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 14 days.
Make white chocolate ganache:
One day before serving, combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon, or until thickened to a spreadable consistency.
Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half. Place base on serving platter. Spread one-third of ganache over base. Sandwich together with cake top. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Set aside for 24 hours to set. Decorate with fresh roses. To serve, cut cake with a warm knife to prevent ganache from cracking.

Caramel Mud Chocolate Boxes

Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
3.5 oz butter, chopped
2 oz white chocolate
1/2 cup, firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tbs golden syrup
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self-raising flour
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 x 13 oz pkt white chocolate melts
Yellow ribbons, to decorate
Fresh flowers, to decorate
White chocolate ganache
13 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream
Directions:
To make the mud cakes, preheat oven to 300 F. Brush two square 4 inches (base measurement) cake pans with melted butter to grease. Line the bases and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing sides to rise 1 inch above the pan.
Combine the butter, chocolate, sugar, golden syrup and milk in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
Sift the combined flours over the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the egg and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture evenly among the prepared pans. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Set aside in pans to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the ganache, combine the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Place in the fridge, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick and spreadable.
Place the cakes on serving platters. Spread the white chocolate ganache over the top and sides of each cake.
To decorate, use a pencil to draw eight 3 x 4 inch rectangles on a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Draw two 14.5 inch squares and eight 3/4 x 4.5 inch rectangles on a second sheet of baking paper.
Place chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Reserve one-eighth of the chocolate. Ensuring the prepared paper is pencil-side up, spread the remaining chocolate, about 1/4 inch thick, over the shapes. Set aside for 15 minutes to set.
Remove the baking paper from the chocolate. Use a hot sharp knife to trim along the faint pencil marks left by the templates. Press the 3 x 4 inches rectangles onto the sides of each cake. Place the 4 3/4 inch chocolate squares on baking paper.
To make the lids, place the reserved chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and cut a small hole in 1 corner. Pipe the chocolate along the edges of one 4 3/4 inch square. Press a 3/4 x 4 3/4 inch rectangle along 1 edge, using a glass to support it. Continue with remaining melted chocolate and chocolate pieces to make 2 lids. Set aside for 15 minutes or until set.
Gently place the chocolate lids on top of each cake. Decorate with ribbons and fresh flowers.

Choc-Chip Pudding with Jam and Creme Fraiche

4 oz unsalted butter, softened
4 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 oz plain flour
2 oz cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup raspberry jam, warmed
Creme fraiche or mascarpone, to serve
Method
Grease a 2 pint pudding basin.
Cream butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer, add vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until just combined. Sift flour, cocoa and powder and add to mixture with enough water (about 1-2 tablespoons) to make a dropping consistency. Stir in chocolate, then spoon mixture into basin. Make a pleat in the centre of a sheet of baking paper (to allow for expansion) and use to cover pudding. Secure with string, then cover with foil.
Place basin in a saucepan and add enough water to come halfway up the sides, then bring to the boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and steam for 2 hours. Remove basin from pan and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn out, cut into slices and serve with warmed jam and creme fraiche.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients
1 11-1/2-ounce package milk chocolate pieces
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
Milk
Assorted fruits (such as star fruit or carambola slices, orange sections, whole strawberries, pear slices, banana slices, apple slices)
Angel-food cake or pound cake cubes
Marshmallows
Directions
1. In the top of a double boiler placed over gently simmering water, or in heavy small saucepan, combine the chocolate pieces and 1/4 cup milk. Heat, stirring constantly, over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter. Cook and stir till heated through. Stir in additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
2. Pour mixture into a fondue pot; place over fondue burner set on low. With fondue forks or long skewers, dip fruit dippers, cake cubes and/or marshmallows into chocolate mixture. (Will hold up to 1 hour on low. If mixture gets too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.) Makes 5 (1/4-cup) servings.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups white sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS:
Butter one 9x9 inch pan.
Combine the sugar, evaporated milk and cocoa in saucepan. Stir over high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking to a soft ball stage.
Remove from heat, add peanut butter and margarine. Beat by hand until creamy; pour into prepared pan. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Mice

Ingredients:
8 oz dark chocolate
8 oz white chocolate
Directions:
Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (don't let bowl touch water), then set aside to cool slightly. Repeat with white chocolate.
Spoon dark chocolate into half the moulds and white chocolate into the others. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until set before removing from moulds. Decorate as desired, then serve.

Chocolate Lava Puddings

Ingredients:
4.5 oz butter
12.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3/4 cup almond meal
4 eggwhites
2 x 100g block of soft-centred dark chocolate
cocoa powder, to serve
thick cream or ice-cream, to serve
Method
Grease a 12 x 3/4-cup capacity muffin or friand pan.
Melt butter with chocolate over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Cool.
Beat egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale. Add warm chocolate mixture and almond meal. Gently fold with a large metal spoon.
Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until combined. Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 batches, using a metal spoon.
Half-fill muffin pan with mixture. Top each with 2 pieces of soft-centred chocolate and remaining batter. Cover with plastic. Freeze for 1 hour or until is solid.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove plastic from moulds and place into hot oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is firm. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with cocoa and serve immediately with cream or ice-cream.

Chocolate Chip Sensation

Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding or white chocolate mix
1 pint whipping cream
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 Hershey chocolate bar, shaved
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll cookie dough into a 13-inch circle on a 15- inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned. Let cool 10 minutes remove to your serving platter. Cool completely.
Combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat and set aside.
Combine pudding mix and whipping cream; beat and let set until firm (about 5 minutes). Spread cream cheese mix over cookie; then layer pudding mixture on top. Top with layer of whipped topping, nuts and shaved chocolate. Chill.

Paula Deen’s Creme De Menthe Brownies

Brownies:
1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 (10-ounce) package Creme de Menthe baking chips (recommended: Andes)
Shaved Creme de Menthe thins (recommended: Andes)
Chocolate frosting
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Using an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Gradually stir into butter mixture. Fold in mint chips. Spoon into greased pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

While brownies are baking, prepare frosting. Combine butter, cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed until spreading consistency.
Remove pan from the oven and allow brownies to cool in pan on wire rack. Spread with chocolate frosting. Top with shaved mint thins.

Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?

Since white chocolate contains neither cocoa solids nor chocolate liquor (cocoa mass), it does not meet the standard to be marketed as chocolate in many countries. Regulations also govern what may be marketed as "white chocolate": In the United States, since 2004, white chocolate must be at least 20% cocoa butter (by weight), at least 14% total milk solids, at least 3.5% milk fat, and less than 55% sugar or other sweeteners. Before this date, U.S. firms required temporary marketing permits to sell white chocolate. The European Union has adopted the same standards, except that there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners.
Some "white chocolate", known as confectioner's coating or summer coating, is made from inexpensive solid or hydrogenated vegetable fats, and as such, is not at all derived from cocoa. These preparations may actually be white in color (in contrast to white chocolate's ivory shade) and will lack cocoa butter's flavor.
Because it does not contain any cocoa solids, one benefit of white chocolate is that it also does not contain any caffeine, which means it can be consumed by individuals who must avoid caffeine for medical or religious reasons. Caffeine is only found in the cocoa solids and other ingredients of chocolate that give it the characteristic brown color. In contrast to white chocolate, dark chocolate contains the largest amount of caffeine, because it contains the largest amount of cocoa solids. The caffeine content of milk chocolate falls somewhere between white and dark chocolate.

Great Chocolate Facts

1. The average American eats 10-12 pounds (4.5 kg) of chocolate a year. The average Swiss eats 21 pounds a year.
2. Chocolate is the food most commonly craved by women, but can contribute significantly to bulimia, obesity, and binge eating.
3. Several medical studies show that eating chocolate in moderation can actually prolong your life by reducing risk of blood clots and fighting bad cholestorol.
4. Chocolate is not physically addictive and does not cause acne, as shown in several medical studies.
5. Chocolate is not high in caffeine. A 1oz bar of milk chocolate contains only 5-6mg of caffeine. This is significantly less than in coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
6. Chocolates can absorb other flavors and scents, and should be kept away from other household chemicals.
7. Chocolate can be frozen for up to six months. It is best to seal chocolate in a zip lock bag before freezing.
8. In genearl, the shelf life for chocolate is a year. Chocolate that is refrigerated may not melt as readily. Thus it is best to store chocolate in cool dry areas 55-60 degrees F.
9. U.S. chocolate manufacturers use 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.
10. The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed over 5,000 pounds and was made in Italy in 2000. The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada.
11. Children are more likely to prefer chocolate when they reach 10-11 years old than when they are younger.
12. Chocolate is America's favorite flavor, according to recent surveys with a little over 50% of adults preferring chocolate to other flavors.

Max Brenner's Chocolate

Max Brenner's chocolate store is my way of celebrating Valentines day. This place is a chocolate lovers dream. They have many chocolate concoctions. Max Brenner is an entrepreneur from Israel who started selling chocolate with a single boutique store in Israel. Years later Max sold out to a larger company called Straus, and they plan to roll this concept out all over America.

The Chocolate is very rich and smooth its all imported from Israel. The waiter told us to enjoy the chocolate with all of our senses, we had no idea what he was talking about until he served us, and then we realized the smell was amazing, it looked great, and then we ate it. And it all made sense.

When you go there you have to try their hot chocolate. It tastes as if they took a bar of chocolate and melted it into a mug. They serve the hot chocolate in a special mug call a sipping mug, this is a specially designed mug, which allows you to savor the really rich hot chocolate.

This place is really a lot of fun, I defiantly recommend it.

They are located in downtown Manhattan.

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate truffles are a group of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate or cocoa powder, usually in a spherical, conical or curved shape. Other fillings may replace the ganache: cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, almonds, berries or other assorted sweet fruits, nougat, fudge or toffee, mint, chocolate chips, marshmallow and popularly liquor. They are named for their resemblance to the truffle fungus.
There are three main types of chocolate truffles:

American, European, and Swiss:
The "American truffle" is a half-egg shaped chocolate-coated truffle, a mixture of dark or milk chocolates with butterfat and, in some cases, hardened coconut oil. Joseph Schmidt, a San Francisco chocolatier, and founder of Joseph Schmidt Confections, is credited with its creation in the mid-1980s.

A Canadian variation of this, known as the Harvey truffle, includes the addition of graham cracker crumbs, and peanut butter.
The "European truffle" is made with syrup and a base made up of cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other such ingredients to create an oil-in-water type emulsion.
The "Swiss truffle" is made by combining melted chocolate into a boiling mixture of dairy cream and butter, which is poured into molds to set before sprinkling with cocoa powder. Unlike the previous two kinds of truffles, these have a very short shelf-life and must be consumed within a few days of making.

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn

1 cup popcorn, for popping

For the caramel:
1 cup plus
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup plus
2 tablespoons corn syrup
Scant 1/4 cup water
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, tempered
Pop the popcorn.
I like to use a hot-air popper but you can pop it any way you like.
To make the caramel: Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until light golden brown. We use a large pan so that there will be room to add the popcorn. Use a wooden spoon to stir the popcorn into the caramel until it is evenly coated. Pour the caramelized popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When cool, use your hands to break up any clumps.
Place the cool popcorn in a large bowl. Use a ladle to drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn, stirring with a wooden spoon as you go. Keep adding chocolate until the popcorn is evenly coated. Pour the chocolate-coated popcorn onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it to cool. When it is cool, place it in decorative bags to give as gifts.

Tip: You can also use milk chocolate and/or white chocolate to coat the popcorn. The process is always the same. Be careful when you work with the caramel. It is very hot and can burn! As always, when working with caramel, have a bowl of ice-cold water next to you in case you get caramel on your hands.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

Ingredients:
12 ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
Pinch salt
1 cup shelled pistachios
Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on a low heat. Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces.
Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top.
Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. You can then cut into small pieces approximately 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches or cutting 8 by 8 lines in the tin to give 64 pieces.
Once cut you can keep it in the freezer, no need to thaw just eat straight away.

History of Chocolate

The story of chocolate, as far back as we know it, begins with the discovery of America. Until 1492, the Old World knew nothing at all about the delicious and stimulating flavor that was to become the favorite of millions.

The Court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella got its first look at the principal ingredient of chocolate when Columbus returned in triumph from America and laid before the Spanish throne a treasure trove of many strange and wonderful things. Among these were a few dark brown beans that looked like almonds and seemed most unpromising. There were cocoa beans, today's source of all our chocolate and cocoa.

The King and Queen never dreamed how important cocoa beans could be, and it remained for Hernando Cortez, the great Spanish explorer, to grasp the commercial possibilities of the New World offerings.

Food of the Gods
During his conquest of Mexico, Cortez found the Aztec Indians using cocoa beans in the preparation of the royal drink of the realm, "chocolatl", meaning warm liquid. In 1519, Emperor Montezuma, who reportedly drank 50 or more portions daily, served chocolatl to his Spanish guests in great golden goblets, treating it like a food for the gods.

For all its regal importance, however, Montezuma's chocolatl was very bitter, and the Spaniards did not find it to their taste. To make the concoction more agreeable to Europeans, Cortez and his countrymen conceived of the idea of sweetening it with cane sugar.

While they took chocolatl back to Spain, the idea found favor and the drink underwent several more changes with newly discovered spices, such as cinnamon and vanilla. Ultimately, someone decided the drink would taste better if served hot.

The new drink won friends, especially among the Spanish aristocracy. Spain wisely proceeded to plant cocoa in its overseas colonies, which gave birth to a very profitable business. Remarkably enough, the Spanish succeeded in keeping the art of the cocoa industry a secret from the rest of Europe for nearly a hundred years.