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Archive for the ‘News and Information’ Category
Chocolate and Wine
Monday, October 26th, 2009I recently hosted a chocolate and wine evening for friends where, for a bit of fun, we matched wines to chocolate. The evening was a great success as you can imagine two favourite things going hand in hand. The chocolate recipes and wines are posted together on the Blog under “How To’s”. This is something you may want to try yourself, I think even if everything is n’t perfect you can’t fail to impress your guests. I was n’t prescriptive about the wines, in fact, I think it is all down to personal taste what you think goes with what. (more…)
What’s the difference between real chocolate and “cooking” chocolate
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009When I was young all chocolate used in baking was called “cooking chocolate”. It was different to eating chocolate in that it could be melted and would easily set leaving a glossy shine without involving too much skill. As time has moved on and the growth in available eating chocolate has increased more and more we are encouraged to use real chocolate in baking. The problem with this is that real chocolate becomes unstable when melted and on setting changes its glossy appearance to something which is dull and uneven.
How to melt real chocolate
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009Have you tried melting real chocolate to use in baking and found when it sets that it looks grey, streaky and/or speckley? This is because the molecules in the chocolate once melted have been disrupted and as the chocolate resets the molecules remain topsy turvy. Let’s see if we can help.
Pour some Hot Chocolates chocolate buttons  into a plastic or glass bowl. Put the bowl into the microwave and melt the chocolate at 800-1000 W. Take the bowl out of the microwave every 15 to 20 seconds and stir well to ensure that the temperature of the chocolate is evenly distributed and that it does not burn. Repeat this process until the chocolate has almost all melted. Some small pieces of unmelted chocolate should still be visible in the bowl, this is important because it is the unmelted chocolate which encourages the melted chocolate to stablise and be ready for use. (more…)
A Bit about the Bean
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
There are three main types of tree producing ‘cacao’ or cocoa beans as we know them – Forastero 80% of cocoa and chocolate production, Criollo, and Trinitario with 10% each. The Criollo tends to produce the more expensive chocolate as it tends to be inherently sweeter, gives unique flavours and aromas and is more difficult to cultivate. The Forastero cacao bean by far accounts for the largest share of production. The trees are hardier, less susceptible to parasite attack and consequently cheaper to cultivate lending itself therefore to mass production.. The Trinitario is a cross between the Criollo and Forastero. (more…)
Does Chocolate cause spots?
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause acne. This belief is not supported by scientific studies. Various studies point not to chocolate, but to the high glycemic nature of certain foods, like sugar, corn syrup and other simple carbohydrates, as a cause of acne. Chocolate itself has a low glycemic index.
German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special extra-flavonoid-enriched cocoa every day. After three months, the women’s skin was moister, smoother, and less scaly and red when exposed to ultraviolet light. The researchers think the flavonoids, which absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
What are the health benefits of Chocolate?
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009Chocolate contains flavonoids, powerful antioxidants, stearic acid, phenylethylamine, theobromine plus many essential minerals such as magnesium and iron.
Flavanoids or phenolic phytochemicals are compounds present in plant foods which have been recognized as having health benefits. In humans they have been found to fight against cancer and heart disease. They exist in a wide variety of foods and beverages such as apples, cranberries, peanuts, onions, red wine and tea. (more…)
Welcome to our blog!
Friday, April 17th, 2009
What we want to do with our Blog is to give you lots of useful and handy information about chocolate. There will be lots of recipes, details and helpful tips about the science, history and use of chocolate. We want to know what you think, your ideas, recipes, queries and discussion points about chocolate. We will try in every way we can to answer your questions and help you, whether you are having a problem with a recipe or want to know something specific – we are here to help.
Sharon and Chris Grimshaw
