Chocolate Movement

Can you imagine any other food providing the kind of sensuous delight that chocolate can? Wine might come close to it but not quite the same. Scientists might try to find the reasons for the popularity of chocolate but the chocoholic doesn't need any reason for liking chocolate. He or she is just interested in eating it. It's this aroma and taste behind the chocolate movement.

The love of chocolate goes back a long time. In fact there are records that show that as early as the seventeenth century people in Mexico were fascinated by this delicious substance. According to a story the women of Mexico of those days were so fascinated by chocolate that they used to have their maids bring it in during sermons even at the cost of interrupting the sermon by a Bishop. When the Bishop threatened them with excommunication they preferred changing the church rather than leave their hot chocolate.

The chocolate movement is mainly due to the feel good factor that one gets on eating it or drinking it. Many people use it to lift their rather low levels of energy by eating chocolate confectionery. Chocolate is believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain, which have an uplifting effect. It also contains the stimulants theobromine and caffeine. Some people also eat chocolate because they associate it with the comfort of childhood. They find eating it very soothing.

Stories of chocolate bars helping people survive many accidents on high altitude areas etc. also increase the fascination with chocolate. It is no myth that chocolate is included in the daily K-rations of the US army when they are in the field. It is also a part of the diet of astronauts. The fascination of chocolate can be judged by the following statistic. In the year 1993 alone UK consumed a whopping £3 billion worth of chocolate.

Cocoa Liquor

Cocoa liquor is not alcoholic in nature. It is a matter of common knowledge that chocolate is made from cocoa. In fact for most people chocolate and cocoa are synonymous. Chocolate is made from the fruit of the cacao tree.

So, how do you get chocolate from the cocoa seeds? The cocoa beans undergo a lot of processing before they are in the form that we recognize as chocolate. Firstly they are fermented. Next, they are sun dried and bagged before being exported. To develop the distinctive flavor of chocolate, the cocoa beans are sorted, cleaned and roasted. These roasted beans are then shelled and grounded. The intense heat of the grinding process melts the fat in the cocoa beans resulting in a fatty material with a bitter taste called the chocolate liquor. From this liquor cocoa butter or yellow fat is separated leaving behind a solid cake. This is then ground and sifted to manufacture cocoa powder.

Cocoa liquor is rich in nutrients. Some of these are protein; fat of which about 50 per cent is saturated fat; vitamin E; calcium, phosphorus and magnesium; iron; caffeine and theobromine - nervous system stimulants; copper; antioxidant phytochemicals (such as flavonoids) - cocoa beans, a main ingredient of chocolate (more so in dark chocolate), contain more than 600 plant chemicals, including antioxidants, that may protect against heart disease and cancer. Dark chocolate contains more cocoa liquor than the other kinds of chocolate.

Blog Kog

Blog Kog

New Product from Hershey's chocolate factory...

Hershey's chocolate gourmet department unveiled a new line of premium all-natural chocolates and drinking cacao called Cacao Reserve. These are chocolate dark single-serve and take-home bars in flavors Premium Milk, Premium Dark with Hazelnuts, Extra Dark, Extra Dark with Nibs. The Extra Dark with Nibs contains the heart of the cacao bean that adds a crunch and extra flavor to the chocolate. Drinking cacao, a type of hot chocolate, is also available in flavors Classic Mayan and Mildly Spiced Aztec. Hershey's real milk chocolate and natural cocoa is used in the drinks, providing natural flavanol antioxidants. In December, the line will expand further to include four more chocolate bars made from cacao beans of a single origin -- Java, Indonesia; Arriba; Santo Domingo; and Sao Tome -- to allow consumers to discover the different nuisances of cacao beans from various areas. Also during that expansion, milk and dark chocolate truffles will be introduced in the line in premium tins. Prices range from $0.99 for instant consumables to $3.29 for take home bars. Online advertising, sampling, consumer promotions and print advertising will follow the release focusing on "Exploring a New World of Chocolate."


tags: chocolate gourmet chocolate hot chocolate dark chocolate factory dark chocolate truffles

Leslie's Chocolate Chip Cake

Leslie's Chocolate Chip Cake
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
· 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 4 eggs
· 1/2 cup hot water
· 1 cup sour cream
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1 cup mini semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

Chocolate Cavity Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur in a large bowl. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Cavity Cake

2 Layer Chocolate Cake

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet Chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F and grease pans. Grease paper. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper.
Chop chocolate finely and combine with hot coffee in a bowl. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, and mixture is smooth.

Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl usae an electric mixer to beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored. Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept. Wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Serves 12 to 14.


2 Layer Chocolate Cake