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There have been a plethora of great chocolate shows on all the direct tv channels lately but that doesn’t mean the layman still has a clue what makes great cocoa. Here are a few tips for talking about chocolate and looking like you know what’s up
Mexican Hot Chocolate: All true aficionados of the stuff know what Mexican hot chocolate is. If you haven’t tried this thick, spicy combination of cocoa and chili peppers you’re missing out and in the dark.
Percentage of Cocoa: You really know your stuff if you choose your chocolate bars based on their percentage of cocoa, not the pretty wrapper. Generally, the higher the percentage the better but the higher also means more bitter taste – ease in slowly if you’re used to milk chocolate only.
Cocoa Nibs: A great new treat in urban areas, cocoa nibs are tiny coffee bean textured bits of chocolate that tastewellit’s hard to describe. You can keep a tin in your desk to get a jolt of that dark chocolate flavor from time to time and can even find them at stores like Trader Joes.

Dark chocolate is the new “little black dress” of the baking world. However, many home cooks are accustomed to using milk or semi-sweet chocolate. Most of the time honored recipes that we use call for those specific ingredients and not dark chocolate. Many are afraid to try it. Fear not! You can use dark chocolate in Grandma’s Famous Cookies and they will still taste delicious!

Dark chocolate is claimed to actually be good for you and there are claims that it can help fight heart disease, high blood pressure and other ailments. So, now [...]

This article will explain the best way to store chocolate that will prevent the candy from melting or becoming soft. Chocolate that is not properly stored can also crystallize, causing a dusty gray residue to form on the surface. This leaves the candy with an unpleasant and unappetizing appearance. To insure that the candy remains fresh tasting, the conditions must be just right for proper storage. Listed below are three steps to storing chocolate.

1. If the chocolate has been opened, wrap the candy in aluminum foil before storing.

2. Store the chocolate in a cool, dark place, such as on the shelf of a storage pantry or in a wine cellar. Keep the humidity below 50 percent and the room temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Chocolate can absorb unpleasant odors. Never store chocolate candy near onions or other strong smelling foods.

The amount of storage time differs for each type of chocolate candy. To insure the candy retains its freshness, never leave stored past the recommended amount of time. The desired storage time for filled chocolate candy is two weeks. Solid dark chocolate can be stored for one year and sold milk chocolate for 18 months.

For children, chocolate has long been a favorite candy, but chocolate has also been many parents’ worst nightmare due to the common misconception that chocolate causes hyperactivity in kids. The thought behind this myth is that many people associate sugar, caffeine and hyperactivity since chocolate has both traces of caffeine and high amounts of sugar then it must cause hyperactivity in children. This is especially true with parents that have kids with ADHD since they have personally had to deal with hyperactivity and do not want to give their children anything that can worsen the symptoms that cause [...]

Chocolate is the sweet elixir that soothes not only our sweet tooth, but sometimes the mood and soul. Its rich, warm, inviting color, texture, aroma and, most certainly, its taste are part of chocolate’s allure — as if any one of those qualities wouldn’t be more than enough to satisfy the desire for rich sweetness, but chocolate gives us a chance to elevate our mood.

Containing phenylethylamine, a mood-regulator chemical that is found in the brain, chocolate may spark the brain’s production of serotonin, which is the body’s own antidepressant. By eating chocolate, we trigger our own internal sense of well-being and serenity. Chocolate’s ability to reduce anxiety and increase a happier mood may be the very reasons that we have the sometimes ravenous chocolate cravings that we do since our body’s chemistry is telling us what will indeed make it happy. Our body is telling us to stoke its fire with serotonin, endorphins and phenylethylamine.

In addition to the presence of phenylethylamine, chocolate also contains caffeine, a stimulant, which works as a stimulant. Our body craves that extra bit of get up and go that caffeine offers, helping spur on the mood lifting benefits of chocolate.

Focusing on macronutrients that our body needs helps us to understand another reason that chocolate works as a mood elevator. Sugar, which is a carbohydrate, acts as a catalyst to release the serotonin into our body, and the fat in chocolate helps to bolster the carbohydrates and gives us a sense of satiety.

Other contributing factors for chocolate’s mood enhancing properties are the presence of vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium and magnesium.

The only time chocolate doesn’t serve to increase the quality of our moods is when we indulge in too much of it, so finding moderation will give the most benefits.

So many times when you hear about a certain food being good for you it’s something that will cause you or your family to put up a wall of resistance. One exception to that might be chocolate. Chocolate has numerous health benefits and can be enjoyed in so many ways that getting the beneficial amount of it is a delightful experience.

Chocolate contains antioxidants that protect the body against aging. It protects against heart disease. It is beneficial in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Dark chocolate is the most beneficial. Just because chocolate is good for you doesn’t mean [...]

Decorating deserts with Chocolate shavings and curls can be fun and creative. Curls of chocolate add a lot of style and creativity to deserts. A simple chocolate cake can be transformed into a deco tent creation. Through the use of chocolate shavings a cake can be covered with white or dark chocolate and look beautiful. It is also helpful for covering slight imperfections in the cake. When your cake doesn’t turn out just right and the frosting isn’t the way [...]

Melting chocolate correctly takes a little time but the result makes it worthwhile. Some simple guidelines to follow include:

• chop the chocolate into uniform pieces, this guarantees even melting

• do not let water contact the chocolate, it could cause it to seize and become unusable

• melt it slowly to prevent lumping and stir frequently using a rubber spatula

Depending on your preference and the recipe, you could use one of three methods to melt your chocolate. The different methods include:

• Microwaving: You must select a [...]

For anyone who has lived and baked in Europe, this is an important question. What does one use to replace semi-sweet chocolate in typical recipes? When a European recipe calls for chocolate or couverture, what should one use? Milk? Dark? Chocolate bars? Is there a difference?

First, it helps to understand the technical side of chocolate. Milk chocolate is called thus because it has a higher level of milk solids, which gives it a milder, sweeter taste and a creamier consistency. White chocolate doesn’t have any cacao solids, but should have at least 30 cacoa fat thus [...]