Farewell Original Hershey Chocolate Factory

The home of the Hershey's Kiss is closing it's doors after breaking ground in 1903.  Although chocolate production will continue at a newly built modern facility nearby, Milton Hershey's dreams came to life at this iconic location.

Sweet scientific discovery in the world of chocolate

DNA sequencing for healthier chocolate on CNN.com

Heavenly Hot Chocolate with Chef Christopher Brooks

Colonial Inspired Hot Chocolate

Transporting us back to our American chocolate roots, Mars, Inc. launched the American Heritage line of chocolate, coffee and tea. The colonial inspired beverages are served at the only 18th century coffeehouse in America, R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse. Constructed over 240 years ago in Williamsburg, Virginia, the coffeehouse was newly reconstructed on its original site. Founded in the early 1760’s by Richard Charlton, a local wigmaker, R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse was located just steps away from the state capital. Open for ten years, the coffeehouse was a gathering place among politicians, mostly notably our first president George Washington, conspirators and local patrons to dine and converse about the ever changing nation.

Paying homage to a long history of chocolate indulgences, the American Heritage Chocolate is based on an authentic colonial recipe. The handcrafted, all natural and preservative free chocolate product line consists of a Chocolate Block, Grated Chocolate Drink, Chocolate Sticks and Chocolate Sticks in a Muslin Bag. Indulge in hot chocolate the way our American founding fathers did.







If you are interested in learning more about the archaeological aspects of this coffeehouse, click here for more information about the reconstruction efforts of the Richard Charlton Coffeehouse provided by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Get your creative juices flowin'

It's that time of year again! Scharffen Berger just announced the return of The Chocolate Adventure Content. Last year, I tried to get my creative juices flowin' by creating a new recipe for the contest. However, I @#$ near made myself sick trying to be "exotic". Since I learned about the contest late in the game, I didn't have the opportunity to bounce back from my creative mishap. But this year, I will be ready!

And of course my inspiration will center around hot chocolate...

Puerto Cacao, Paris, France

Blast my mother for not teaching me French as a child! I just found this amazing website dedicated to cacao and chocolate and I cannot read a thing! Puerto Cacao is a socially conscious chocolate shop in Paris, France, founded by Guillaume Hermitte. You can gloss the pages of this wonderful site to see the true essence of Puerto Cacao.

Of course, I had to find what was recommended for making hot chocolate. Puerto Cacao has Poudre de Cacao made with 100% cacao. I can only imagine the intense cacao flavor of this powder. Ah!

Puerto Cacao

53, rue de Tocqueville - 75017 Paris
Tél. : 01 42 67 28 51

Puerto Cacao Blog

KCRW's Good Eats: Chocolate and Tabacco

The benefit of a lot of travel is catching up on listening to your favorite podcasts. On my trip to Chicago I had the chance to enjoy a much loved podcaster, Evan Klienman of KCRW's Good Eats. One of the standout podcasts during my plan ride was on the history of chocolate and tobacco with Marcy Norton, the author of Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures: A History of Tobacco and Chocolate in the Atlantic World. This 11 minute interview with Marcy Norton is mixed in with a story of an artist that creates cupcake art in northern California, Secret Supper Clubs and more.

Take a listen to this podcast:

Closing out a delicious cocoa inspired year, part II

I started the fondue with four (4) Luker Bitter Chocolate squares and two (2) SOL Chocolate with brown sugar squares. Since Luker is 100% pure cocoa chocolate, the SOL was added to sweeten the mix. Both chocolates were added to my double boiler along with one (1) teaspoon of Mexican Vanilla. Since the SOL chocolate has a grainy texture with visible brown sugar granules, the overall texture of the fondue was grainy as well. This definitely wouldn’t do!

Around a half cup of evaporated milk was added for smoothness along with two (2) more squares of SOL chocolate. The bitter chocolate is quite overwhelming and I didn’t want an extremely sweet fondue, but one that would balance the flavor of various fruits and cheeses. I decided to add a cinnamon orange sugar blend I purchased during one of my trips back to California. After multiple sugar additions, one (1) additional teaspoon of Mexican Vanilla and a desire to throw in two Vanilla Bean Marshmallows from Plush Puffs things started to look up. Ahhh…my creation was official.

When it came time to dine, my other half was quite pleased. Considering he was frowning at the sample I provided in the beginning of my fondue making experience, he truly enjoyed the final result.

So, here is how we welcomed the 2009 in our house!

Closing out a delicious cocoa inspired year

This year my husband and I will be celebrating New Years at home. We decided to organize a small celebration to welcome in the new year. Of course, the celebratory activities, mainly eating and drinking, must include some form of hot chocolate or cocoa.

Along with our cheese and crackers and crab stuffed oyster shells, we are adding a dessert fondue to the menu. Since I didn’t have whipped cream or evaporated milk to make fondue from scratch, I decided to make my “own” fondue with Luker Bitter Chocolate and Sol Chocolate de Mesa con Azucar Morena (a hot chocolate table chocolate with brown sugar), a cinnamon orange sugar blend, Mexican Vanilla, Evaporated Milk and Vanilla Bean Marshmallows by Plush Puffs. Both chocolates hail from Columbia.

I know this isn’t a very nutritious recipe in the making, but I rather work with what I have then be on the road with potential drunks. Here are a few pictures of my work in progress. Stay tuned for the outcome…

Cacao Beans = Brain Food

If you are in need of a little brain food, cacao beans are officially ranked as #2 by BrainReady.com as one of The Top 5 Brain Health Foods. Cacao beans, the foundation of chocolate and cocoa powder, are renowned for its mood enhancement, “antioxidants, flavonoids, catechins and other brain and body enhancing elements”.

As you look to chocolate for brain power, BrainReady.com recommends non-Dutched processed cocoa which removes many of the positive elements from the cocoa powder. Dutched-processed cocoa is processed with an alkalizing agent which refines the powder and decreases the cocoa’s acidity levels. Instead, look to indulge in high cacao contain chocolate bars with at least 75% cacao content, 100% organic non-alkalized chocolate products or chocolate/cocoa that is minimally processed.

Here is the complete list of The Top 5 Brain Health Foods from BrainReady.com :

1. Wild Salmon
2. Cacao Beans
3. Matcha (stone-ground Gyokuru green tea powder)
4. Acai Berries & Blueberries (tie)
5. Coffee Beans

Economy down, chocolate up

Although the global economy is struggling, chocolate sales are not. In Great Britain, sales for dark chocolate have double over the past two years. Chocolate sales in America’s chocolate mecca, Seattle, Washington, are extremely strong. Why? People wish to treat themselves with a little something sweet during these turbulent times.

Everyone knows when the cards are down people will either eat, drink, shop or participate in other unmentionable activities. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Candy sales hit the sweet spot, the increased demand for chocolate is “a way to get through malaise induced by high food and gas prices.” Purchasing a chocolate kills two of those vices with one stone: shopping and eating. If you ask me, eating or drinking chocolate is the best way to ride out the roller coast of this unsettling global economy.

All Natural Baking Line

Ghirardelli, one of America’s oldest chocolate confections manufacturer, broaden their product portfolio with the introduction of a premium All Natural Baking Line. With the holiday season coming upon us, Ghirardelli’s new gourmet baking line consists of:

58-percent Cacao Semisweet Baking Chocolate
72-percent Cacao Extra Bittersweet Baking Chocolate
100-percent Cacao Baking Chocolate

By focusing on the cacao bean’s origin and refining process, Ghirardelli’s sought to extract the flavor from the finest cacao beans to develop a product with smooth melting and creamy texture. Ghirardelli hopes home based and culinary bakers alike will enjoy professional grade products for their decadent desserts.