2013年1月29日星期二
Pick.my ! Malaysia Online Shopping
Pick.my its provide the best online shopping in Malaysia!!!
Pick.my its service was loved by everyone~
Integrity! Approach! Efficiency!
The principle of Pick.my
2013年1月14日星期一
Sulpice Chocolat Goes to the GRAMMYs
The 53rd annual GRAMMY Awards are this Sunday, February 13, 2011 and I am especially excited this year because our hand-painted, gourmet chocolate bars will be featured in the official gift bags presented to the presenters and performers! As if this wasn't amazing enough news, we were also hand picked to feature our dark chocolate bars and milk chocolate bars in the artists' dressing rooms. I am such a huge fan of music in general and I can hardly contain my excitement surrounding the recent buzz that our premium chocolate is getting. I just hope that everyone truly appreciates good dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Among those receiving the gift bag will be Barbra Streisand, Mick Jagger, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Arcade Fire, Eminem, Cee Lo Green, and Miranda Lambert.
In the gift baskets that Sulpice Chocolat is presenting are four of our signature hand painted dark chocolate bars and milk chocolate bars along with a limited edition sipping chocolate with 23 karat gold. “I was looking for the newest, latest and greatest of products to put in front of the celebrities since they’ve seen it all and since you’re always trying to impress the ‘un-impressible,’” says Cybele Parsignault, the marketing and sales director at Distinctive Assets, the company responsible for assembling the official GRAMMY gift basket, “In an industry where there is so much [and] everything has been done I was trying to find something unique that tastes really goods,” she says. “Her chocolate definitely does both.”
In the gift baskets that Sulpice Chocolat is presenting are four of our signature hand painted dark chocolate bars and milk chocolate bars along with a limited edition sipping chocolate with 23 karat gold. “I was looking for the newest, latest and greatest of products to put in front of the celebrities since they’ve seen it all and since you’re always trying to impress the ‘un-impressible,’” says Cybele Parsignault, the marketing and sales director at Distinctive Assets, the company responsible for assembling the official GRAMMY gift basket, “In an industry where there is so much [and] everything has been done I was trying to find something unique that tastes really goods,” she says. “Her chocolate definitely does both.”
Chocolate Orange Souffle Recipe
Valentine's Day is all about doing something a little special for the one you love. So, if you have decided to create an amazing dinner then you really need to have a delicious dessert to end the meal on a high note. The following recipe is an adaptation from a Cooks Illustrated version that I found from the San Francisco Chronicle. What makes this recipe so special is that it simplifies the entire process by making it the day before and freezing it. This way you have extra time to spend with the one you love and less time preparing the meal. We at Sulpice Chocolat hope you really enjoy this decadent treat!
dark chocolate bars in a souffle
This recipe, adapted from "The Dessert Bible," by Christopher Kimball, can be made couple days ahead and frozen before baking. Key steps include beating the egg yolks with hot sugar syrup, cleaning the rim of the ramekins and baking the souffle straight from the freezer.
Softened butter and sugar, as needed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Large pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier work best)
8 teaspoons + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
Evenly spread the inside of six 4- to 5-ounce ramekins with softened butter; sprinkle on a coating of sugar and shake out any excess. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
Microwave the chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter, 15 seconds at a time, then stirring to help melt larger chunks, until just melted. Or melt in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth and fully combined. Remove from heat then stir in salt, vanilla and orange liqueur. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 tablespoon water and the 8 teaspoons sugar to a boil; remove from heat.
Beat the yolks rapidly by hand or with an electric hand mixer at medium speed, then slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the yolks, continuing to beat, until thickened and light yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate. The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated. Allow to come to room temperature before continuing.
With a scrupulously clean bowl and stand mixer using the whisk attachment, briefly whip the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy; add the cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add the 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, beating until the whites are glossy and hold tall, soft peaks.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and spoon about 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, rapidly stirring until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, but do not overwork.
Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins up to the rim, then smooth. Clean the rim with your finger or damp paper towel, creating a sharp line between mixture and ramekin, which will help the rise. Cover and freeze at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
To bake: Move the rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°. Meanwhile, if using whipped cream, sweeten the heavy cream with powdered sugar to taste, whip to soft peaks and fold in zest; refrigerate. Place ramekins directly from freezer into the oven. Bake until fully risen and centers rebound when lightly touched (top will be dry), about 20 minutes (if using collars, allow 6 to 8 minutes more baking time). Dust with powdered sugar. Use two spoons to open the middle of the souffles and spoon in the whipped cream, if using, or serve the whipped cream alongside. Serve immediately
dark chocolate bars in a souffle
This recipe, adapted from "The Dessert Bible," by Christopher Kimball, can be made couple days ahead and frozen before baking. Key steps include beating the egg yolks with hot sugar syrup, cleaning the rim of the ramekins and baking the souffle straight from the freezer.
Softened butter and sugar, as needed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Large pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier work best)
8 teaspoons + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
Evenly spread the inside of six 4- to 5-ounce ramekins with softened butter; sprinkle on a coating of sugar and shake out any excess. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
Microwave the chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter, 15 seconds at a time, then stirring to help melt larger chunks, until just melted. Or melt in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth and fully combined. Remove from heat then stir in salt, vanilla and orange liqueur. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 tablespoon water and the 8 teaspoons sugar to a boil; remove from heat.
Beat the yolks rapidly by hand or with an electric hand mixer at medium speed, then slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the yolks, continuing to beat, until thickened and light yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate. The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated. Allow to come to room temperature before continuing.
With a scrupulously clean bowl and stand mixer using the whisk attachment, briefly whip the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy; add the cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add the 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, beating until the whites are glossy and hold tall, soft peaks.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and spoon about 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, rapidly stirring until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, but do not overwork.
Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins up to the rim, then smooth. Clean the rim with your finger or damp paper towel, creating a sharp line between mixture and ramekin, which will help the rise. Cover and freeze at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
To bake: Move the rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°. Meanwhile, if using whipped cream, sweeten the heavy cream with powdered sugar to taste, whip to soft peaks and fold in zest; refrigerate. Place ramekins directly from freezer into the oven. Bake until fully risen and centers rebound when lightly touched (top will be dry), about 20 minutes (if using collars, allow 6 to 8 minutes more baking time). Dust with powdered sugar. Use two spoons to open the middle of the souffles and spoon in the whipped cream, if using, or serve the whipped cream alongside. Serve immediately
Make Your Own Shamrock Shake
I remember how excited I used to get each year waiting for St. Patrick’s Day to come around again so that I could get my hands on one of the famous McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. They were the perfect combination of cooling peppermint and vanilla ice cream. Now that I am older, I still get those cravings for the deliciousness of yesterday. However, I often want to try to make my own version of the classic favorites. This time I’ve decided to use the recipe that I posted a few months ago for mint chocolate ice cream and turn it into my own version of this festive St. Patrick’s Day necessity. Everyone at Sulpice Chocolat really enjoys it!
Ingredients
2 cups mint ice cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk, less for thicker milkshakes
Sulpice™ Chocolat Menthe bar, chopped (optional)
Green food coloring (optional)
Directions
Using a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Sprinkle with a few bits of chopped chocolate bar. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups mint ice cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk, less for thicker milkshakes
Sulpice™ Chocolat Menthe bar, chopped (optional)
Green food coloring (optional)
Directions
Using a blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Sprinkle with a few bits of chopped chocolate bar. Enjoy!
March Madness Snacks
Once the calendars turned over from February, many sports fans instantly turned their attention to college basketball and its annual March Madness. From the conference tournaments all the way through the Final Four, the attention of the nation's sports fan is attracted to the courts. What this also means is that March is a great snack month, in particular some good dark chocolate bars. Here at Sulpice Chocolat, we want you to enjoy your weekend afternoons with some of these delicious treats. So, why not try to wow your friends by whipping up a batch of some great March Madness inspired recipes.
dark chocolate bars in brownies recipe
Salted Chocolate Brownies – Salt is added to the classic fudge brownie to really bring a deep flavor to the traditional dessert. The salt also makes these the perfect snack to transition from savory to sweet treats.
Chocolate Chai Tea – Unfortunately, for some of us March means that the weather still has not warmed up. This tea recipe will warm up even the chilliest March evenings. The smells and tastes of this wonderful drink really do make it a sensory experience.
Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches – Sometimes you just want to pig out, and these sandwiches let you do just that. This Elvis favorite is sure to be a hit amongst all of your friends. It is also a versatile treat. Try adding some homemade chocolate sauce to make it a sumptuous dessert!
Decadent Chocolate Cake – Decadent is truly the word to describe this cake from the Ritz-Carlton. The moistness of the cake combined with the intensity of the flavors can really make this the pinnacle of your March Madness treats. Just remember to make enough to have seconds!
dark chocolate bars in chocolate cake recipe
These four recipes are simple but fantastic ways to treat your friends and family this month while enjoying the action on the hardwood. But no one would blame you if you made them all throughout the year as well. Enjoy the games everyone!
dark chocolate bars in brownies recipe
Salted Chocolate Brownies – Salt is added to the classic fudge brownie to really bring a deep flavor to the traditional dessert. The salt also makes these the perfect snack to transition from savory to sweet treats.
Chocolate Chai Tea – Unfortunately, for some of us March means that the weather still has not warmed up. This tea recipe will warm up even the chilliest March evenings. The smells and tastes of this wonderful drink really do make it a sensory experience.
Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches – Sometimes you just want to pig out, and these sandwiches let you do just that. This Elvis favorite is sure to be a hit amongst all of your friends. It is also a versatile treat. Try adding some homemade chocolate sauce to make it a sumptuous dessert!
Decadent Chocolate Cake – Decadent is truly the word to describe this cake from the Ritz-Carlton. The moistness of the cake combined with the intensity of the flavors can really make this the pinnacle of your March Madness treats. Just remember to make enough to have seconds!
dark chocolate bars in chocolate cake recipe
These four recipes are simple but fantastic ways to treat your friends and family this month while enjoying the action on the hardwood. But no one would blame you if you made them all throughout the year as well. Enjoy the games everyone!
Macaron Day NYC 2011
In celebration of Macaron Day, participating New York City locations are handing out complimentary samples of these tasty treats with a portion of their macaron sales going to benefit City Harvest (www.cityharvest.org). As is the world's first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city's hungry men, women, and children. This year, City-Harvest will collect 28 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City-Harvest helps over 300,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal.
For more information or to donate directly to City-Harvest please click here.
For more information or to donate directly to City-Harvest please click here.
Recipe for Prince William's Favorite Chocolate Cake to be Served at Royal Wedding
For the Royal Wedding, Prince William has asked McVitie's to create one of his favorite sweet treats: an unbaked chocolate biscuit cake, to be served along with the official wedding cake by Fiona Cairns at his upcoming wedding on April 29, 2011.
The confectionery delight is based on the following recipe McVite's received from Buckingham Palace kitchen chefs. However, as palace chef Paul Courtney confesses, "[the original recipe] has a couple of secret ingredients we can't tell you about but it will have dark chocolate, to give it a really nice flavour, and use rich tea biscuits that will be broken up. ...When Prince William was a young boy he would have it for tea and really enjoyed it."
Mr Courtney, who has worked for McVitie's for 12 years, said: "It will be decorated with chocolate display work which will be contemporary, modern and elegant." We at Sulpice Chocolat found the recipe and want to share it with you below.
Prince William's Royal Wedding Cake Recipe
Recipe
Royal Wedding Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Makes 10 servings
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
8 ounces rich tea biscuits (such as McVitie's Rich Tea Biscuits)
4 ounces (about ½ cup) sugar
12 ounces dark chocolate (divided)
1 pasteurized egg
1 ounce white chocolate
Directions
Lightly butter a 6-by-2 ½-inch cake ring (see note) and place on a baking sheet on a sheet of parchment paper.
Break each of the biscuits into almond-size pieces by hand.
In bowl, cream the ½ cup butter and the sugar until mixture starts to lighten.
Melt 4 ounces of the dark chocolate and add to butter mixture, stirring constantly. Beat egg into mixture.
Fold in biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.
Spoon mixture into prepared cake ring.
Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it's unmolded.
Chill cake in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
Remove cake from refrigerator and let it stand while you melt remaining 8 ounces of the dark chocolate.
Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a flat surface.
Pour melted chocolate over cake and smooth top and sides, using a flat spatula knife.
Allow chocolate to set at room temperature. Carefully run a knife under bottom of cake where chocolate has stuck to the flat surface and lift it onto a plate.
Melt white chocolate and use to decorate top of the cake as desired.
Note: A cake ring is a bottomless form often used for making cake tiers. If you don't have one, you can use the outer ring of a springform pan.
Fun Easter Activities for Kids
April is one of the months that everyone looks forward to. It brings hopes of warm weather and springtime fun outside. With April also comes Easter, a holiday filled with egg designing, treasure hunts, and outside festivities for the children. While many are struggling to think of new creative ways to celebrate the holiday, you have no need to worry. We, at Sulpice Chocolat, wanted to give you more to think about than what flavors of delicious chocolate bars to gift to your family and friends. So, we have scoured the Net to help make your spring holiday, easier and funnier with some creative, fresh ideas to celebrate the holiday. Below you find activities and crafts that are appropriate for all age groups. So reload your printer with paper and get ready to amaze your children with a fun-filled Easter.
All That Glitters
Materials
Toothpicks
2-1/2-inch foam egg (sold at craft stores)
Stiff paintbrush
Tacky glue
Glitter
Colorful plastic beads or jewels
6-inch pipe cleaners
Pencil
Instructions
1. To make each one, first stick 3 toothpicks into one end of a 2-1/2-inch foam egg to create a temporary stand.
2. Use a stiff paintbrush to spread a thin layer of tacky glue on the egg.
3. Then sprinkle on a coating of glitter. When the glitter has set securely, glue on colorful plastic beads or jewels in a pattern of your liking. (You can use another toothpick or a pin to pick up and set the beads in place.) Allow the egg to dry completely before removing the toothpicks.
4. To make a stand for your egg, first twist together the ends of a 6-inch length of pipe cleaner to form a 1-1/2-inch-diameter ring. Now make the stand's legs. One at a time, fold 3 more 6-inch pipe cleaner pieces in half around a pencil and twist together the 2 halves, leaving an inch or so of the ends free, as shown.
5. Remove the pencil and twist the free ends around the pipe cleaner ring. Finally, bend up the loops to create the stand's feet.
Treasure Hunt
This activity should be held separately from any other Easter hunt and must be prepared ahead of time. The person in charge of the hunt creates a series of hints that will lead the children from one site to another until the final prize is found. The hints are placed inside plastic Easter eggs, and the kids are given the first one to start off the fun. Write the clues in rhyme or make the clues a little bit hard to figure out. For example, for older children, one might clue an egg hidden in a grandfather clock by saying, "I'm a grandfather who might get 'ticked' at you." For younger children, you might say, "I'm a clock, taller than wide. Find the next clue, by looking inside." A special cache of candy or small toys can be the final prize.
Egg in Spoon Relay Race
This is a great game for the grown-ups to participate along with the kids. The players are divided into two teams. Each team is divided into two groups, one at Point A, one at Point B. The first player is given an egg in a spoon to carry from Point A to Point B. At that point the egg and spoon are handed off to the next competitor, who carries it back to Point A to the next competitor. A dropped egg means that the person carrying the egg must go back to where he or she started from. Use hard-boiled eggs unless you are willing to sacrifice a couple dozen eggs. If using raw eggs, the person who drops the egg has to go back to the starting point and get another egg. The first team to complete the relay wins.
Hot Boiled Egg
This game is a variation of Hot Potato, which is a variation of musical chairs. Fill a plastic egg with something to give it a little weight. Tape it closed very securely. Players sit or stand in a circle. When the music starts, the players pass the "hot boiled egg" around the circle. When the music stops, the person left holding the egg is out. Play continues until only one person is left, and that person is the winner.
Candy Egg Toss
Put three hula hoops on the ground in a triangle pattern. If you have six hoops, you can place them in a pyramid pattern. Tell the players the point value for each hoop. The one farthest away is worth the most points. Give each participant five candy eggs to throw from behind a designated line. Each time a player throws a piece of candy which lands in a hoop, he or she gets that point value. If players are old enough to keep a running total of their points, the game can go for several rounds. Younger players can be allowed to stand closer to the hoops to make their tosses.
Chocolatescapes on a Stick
Here’s a tasty, colorful recipe that will make a great addition to Easter baskets or it can be a great activity to do with the kids, however I would suggest an older child to ensure safety. Don’t forgot to visit Kaboose’s website for tips and tricks on how to make a successful Chocolatescapes.
Ingredients
Small eggs
Chopstick or skewer
Chocolate candy melts in various colors
Plastic zipper sandwich baggies
Lollipop sticks
Cardboard egg carton
Small bowl
Cooking Instructions
1. Pick up an egg; poke the bottom (largest end) with an ice pick or steak knife.
2. Use your fingertips to pinch off little bits of the egg around the hole. Make the hole almost the size of a dime. (Note: Yes this seems large, but you have to get the chocolate back inside!)
3. Hold the egg over the mixing bowl, stick the chopstick up inside the egg and break the yolk. Shake the egg into the mixing bowl. Set egg shell on plate.
4. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Use the eggs in mixing bowl in a recipe or cook up a batch of scrambled eggs. (Yum!)
6. Take egg shells over to the sink and rinse them out.
7. Fill each egg shell with warm water and place in pan.
8. Gently cover the eggs with warm water about an inch above the tops of the eggs.
9. Place pan on stove and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Note: This step was provided by our local County Extension Food Economist to eliminate salmonella.
10. Remove pan from heat.
11. Use slotted spoon to remove egg shells, one at a time, from water. Place egg shell in strainer or on cooling rack placed in sink. (If you do not have a rack that fits in your sink, place kitchen towels on countertop and place strainer or cooling rack on towels.) Carefully (they are hot!) tip the egg to drain the water out.
12. Repeat for all egg shells.
13. Be sure to wash thoroughly anything, including your hands, which may have come in contact with the raw eggs.
14. Let egg shells dry thoroughly (overnight).
15. Place the eggs in egg cartons with the open end facing up.
16. Place a handful of melts into a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for one minute. Continue for another 30 seconds (50% power) or until all pieces are melted.
17. Fill a zipper plastic bag halfway with one of the colors of melted chocolate.
18. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and push all the chocolate to one corner.
19. Twist the remaining areas of the bag around to form a mock pastry bag.
20. Snip the tip of the corner off with scissors.
21. Squeeze melted chocolate into the egg shells through the opening. Repeat with other colors to create layers.
22. Just when you think you are done you will need to firmly but carefully tap the egg carton on the table or counter to help get rid of any air pockets in the chocolate. Top off eggs with more chocolate.
23. Before the chocolate sets, be sure to stick in a lollipop stick.
24. Place the eggs into the refrigerator to set.
25. Once chocolate has set, remove the egg carton to the counter.
26. One egg at a time, carefully tap the sides of the egg on the counter.
27. Peel the egg shells off the chocolate.
28. Eat and enjoy!
All That Glitters
Materials
Toothpicks
2-1/2-inch foam egg (sold at craft stores)
Stiff paintbrush
Tacky glue
Glitter
Colorful plastic beads or jewels
6-inch pipe cleaners
Pencil
Instructions
1. To make each one, first stick 3 toothpicks into one end of a 2-1/2-inch foam egg to create a temporary stand.
2. Use a stiff paintbrush to spread a thin layer of tacky glue on the egg.
3. Then sprinkle on a coating of glitter. When the glitter has set securely, glue on colorful plastic beads or jewels in a pattern of your liking. (You can use another toothpick or a pin to pick up and set the beads in place.) Allow the egg to dry completely before removing the toothpicks.
4. To make a stand for your egg, first twist together the ends of a 6-inch length of pipe cleaner to form a 1-1/2-inch-diameter ring. Now make the stand's legs. One at a time, fold 3 more 6-inch pipe cleaner pieces in half around a pencil and twist together the 2 halves, leaving an inch or so of the ends free, as shown.
5. Remove the pencil and twist the free ends around the pipe cleaner ring. Finally, bend up the loops to create the stand's feet.
Treasure Hunt
This activity should be held separately from any other Easter hunt and must be prepared ahead of time. The person in charge of the hunt creates a series of hints that will lead the children from one site to another until the final prize is found. The hints are placed inside plastic Easter eggs, and the kids are given the first one to start off the fun. Write the clues in rhyme or make the clues a little bit hard to figure out. For example, for older children, one might clue an egg hidden in a grandfather clock by saying, "I'm a grandfather who might get 'ticked' at you." For younger children, you might say, "I'm a clock, taller than wide. Find the next clue, by looking inside." A special cache of candy or small toys can be the final prize.
Egg in Spoon Relay Race
This is a great game for the grown-ups to participate along with the kids. The players are divided into two teams. Each team is divided into two groups, one at Point A, one at Point B. The first player is given an egg in a spoon to carry from Point A to Point B. At that point the egg and spoon are handed off to the next competitor, who carries it back to Point A to the next competitor. A dropped egg means that the person carrying the egg must go back to where he or she started from. Use hard-boiled eggs unless you are willing to sacrifice a couple dozen eggs. If using raw eggs, the person who drops the egg has to go back to the starting point and get another egg. The first team to complete the relay wins.
Hot Boiled Egg
This game is a variation of Hot Potato, which is a variation of musical chairs. Fill a plastic egg with something to give it a little weight. Tape it closed very securely. Players sit or stand in a circle. When the music starts, the players pass the "hot boiled egg" around the circle. When the music stops, the person left holding the egg is out. Play continues until only one person is left, and that person is the winner.
Candy Egg Toss
Put three hula hoops on the ground in a triangle pattern. If you have six hoops, you can place them in a pyramid pattern. Tell the players the point value for each hoop. The one farthest away is worth the most points. Give each participant five candy eggs to throw from behind a designated line. Each time a player throws a piece of candy which lands in a hoop, he or she gets that point value. If players are old enough to keep a running total of their points, the game can go for several rounds. Younger players can be allowed to stand closer to the hoops to make their tosses.
Chocolatescapes on a Stick
Here’s a tasty, colorful recipe that will make a great addition to Easter baskets or it can be a great activity to do with the kids, however I would suggest an older child to ensure safety. Don’t forgot to visit Kaboose’s website for tips and tricks on how to make a successful Chocolatescapes.
Ingredients
Small eggs
Chopstick or skewer
Chocolate candy melts in various colors
Plastic zipper sandwich baggies
Lollipop sticks
Cardboard egg carton
Small bowl
Cooking Instructions
1. Pick up an egg; poke the bottom (largest end) with an ice pick or steak knife.
2. Use your fingertips to pinch off little bits of the egg around the hole. Make the hole almost the size of a dime. (Note: Yes this seems large, but you have to get the chocolate back inside!)
3. Hold the egg over the mixing bowl, stick the chopstick up inside the egg and break the yolk. Shake the egg into the mixing bowl. Set egg shell on plate.
4. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Use the eggs in mixing bowl in a recipe or cook up a batch of scrambled eggs. (Yum!)
6. Take egg shells over to the sink and rinse them out.
7. Fill each egg shell with warm water and place in pan.
8. Gently cover the eggs with warm water about an inch above the tops of the eggs.
9. Place pan on stove and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Note: This step was provided by our local County Extension Food Economist to eliminate salmonella.
10. Remove pan from heat.
11. Use slotted spoon to remove egg shells, one at a time, from water. Place egg shell in strainer or on cooling rack placed in sink. (If you do not have a rack that fits in your sink, place kitchen towels on countertop and place strainer or cooling rack on towels.) Carefully (they are hot!) tip the egg to drain the water out.
12. Repeat for all egg shells.
13. Be sure to wash thoroughly anything, including your hands, which may have come in contact with the raw eggs.
14. Let egg shells dry thoroughly (overnight).
15. Place the eggs in egg cartons with the open end facing up.
16. Place a handful of melts into a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for one minute. Continue for another 30 seconds (50% power) or until all pieces are melted.
17. Fill a zipper plastic bag halfway with one of the colors of melted chocolate.
18. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and push all the chocolate to one corner.
19. Twist the remaining areas of the bag around to form a mock pastry bag.
20. Snip the tip of the corner off with scissors.
21. Squeeze melted chocolate into the egg shells through the opening. Repeat with other colors to create layers.
22. Just when you think you are done you will need to firmly but carefully tap the egg carton on the table or counter to help get rid of any air pockets in the chocolate. Top off eggs with more chocolate.
23. Before the chocolate sets, be sure to stick in a lollipop stick.
24. Place the eggs into the refrigerator to set.
25. Once chocolate has set, remove the egg carton to the counter.
26. One egg at a time, carefully tap the sides of the egg on the counter.
27. Peel the egg shells off the chocolate.
28. Eat and enjoy!
Make Your Own Molded Easter Chocolates
Easter is a time for celebration with friends and loved ones, ushering in spring, and of course allowing the sweet tooth to indulge in its favorite treats, especially chocolate! Many people just pick up their Easter candy from the grocery store. This candy comes in fun shapes for the season and who doesn’t love Easter egg, bunny, or flower shaped chocolates? But as appealing as these chocolates look, they are often quite expensive or, if they are less expensive, made from low quality and unhealthy ingredients. Instead, we at Sulpice Chocolat, will show how to make your own fun shaped chocolate with better quality, better tasting chocolates for less.
milk chocolate candy
Why should I avoid lower quality chocolate?
Lower quality chocolate often contains unhealthy ingredients, especially trans fats marked as “partially (or fully) hydrogenated oils.” Trans fats have been linked to possible increased “risks for heart disease by increasing "bad" LDL cholesterol and decreasing "good" HDL cholesterol.” The maximum amount of trans fats per day a person should have is 2 grams. However, the FDA has ruled that if a product contains .49 grams or less of trans fats per serving the company can put 0 grams trans fat on the nutritional information, so even if a product says “0 grams trans fat” you could be unknowingly eating 25% of your maximum intake. To top it off, the Chocolate Manufacturer’s Association is trying to change the definition of chocolate to allow companies to use cheaper substitutes, such as oil, in place of cocoa butter, the primary ingredient that makes chocolate chocolate. All these are reasons to be concerned with the ingredients and quality of your chocolate.
Quality chocolate is made with cocoa butter and all natural, simple ingredients with no artificial additives, preservatives, or oils.
Personally, I feel a twinge of guilt when I give someone a gift made ingredients I would not eat myself for health reasons. Also, you can experiment with flavors, such as chocolate with orange peel or mint to fit the unique palettes and give a truly unique gift and experience to your loved ones. So this year instead of picking up that cheap trans fat laden chocolate, go for a bit higher quality and make something truly special.
Molding Chocolates:
What you will need:
Plastic candy molds
High quality pure chocolate (not chocolate mixed with nuts, fillings, fruits, etc… you may use flavored chocolate, such as chocolate with orange peel or mint as long as the bar is solid chocolate).
Candy thermometer (for tempering)
Double boiler or microwave for melting chocolate
Small glass bowl
Spoon for mixing and pouring chocolate into the molds
(Optional) Paintbrush or smaller-tipped utensils for detailing
(Optional) Oil-based chocolate coloring, if you are using white chocolate
Many people are intimidated by molding chocolates, treating it like a mysterious craft only the truly gifted can master. Actually, chocolate molding is quite easy. First, you must find chocolate molds. These molds typically come as plastic trays with 6 to 10 molds per tray. You can find these at most craft stores and candy supply stores for between $2-$4 dollars each. I also bought a soap mold, with frog and turtle shapes that I use for making larger chocolates. Craft stores also sell candy melting wafers, I recommend NOT buying these wafers because they contain the partially hydrogenated oils that you want to avoid.
Now, the wafers craft stores sell are already tempered, so if you use higher quality chocolate, you will have to temper it yourself before you put the chocolate in the molds. Tempering chocolate is the process of cooling melted chocolate to a certain temperature (depending of the cocoa percentage) before pouring it into the molds. Chocolates made with tempered chocolate will be shiny and snap when you break it. Untempered chocolate will remain soft, dull, and pliable. If you do not know how to temper chocolate you can learn how to in our post about tempering chocolate with the double boiler method or with this video that uses the microwave method.
If you want you can add color to white chocolate to add more spring to your Easter gifts. I found chocolate coloring at the craft store in the same aisle as the chocolate molds. You CANNOT use regular food coloring in chocolate because regular food coloring is water-based and will cause the chocolate to seize. Instead you must use coloring that is oil-based. Add the color to the chocolate right before you beginning tempering your melted chocolate.
After you have tempered (and colored your white chocolate, if you choose) your chocolate, you can begin filling your molds. This is where the real fun begins.
If you are using multiples colors or chocolate in a single mold, you must do it in layers. Fill all the spaces where a single color will be and then let that color dry completely before continuing with the next. If you are doing smaller detailing, you must use smaller tools than a spoon. You may use a small paintbrush or any utensils with a small tip. I used a chopstick to dab the yellow centers of my flowers onto the mold.
If you are using all one color, fill the mold completely making sure to remove as much excess chocolate around the edges as possible. Refrigerate the chocolate until it has completely dried. This may take between 5 and 20 minutes depending on the size of the mold. When the chocolate has completely set turn the mold upside down and gently tap it. The molded chocolate should come out easily. If the chocolate does not pop out with a gentle tap put the chocolate back in the refrigerator and let it set for a few more minutes.
That’s it! Pretty easy, huh?
All that’s left is to do is package it. You can put the chocolates in seasonal bags with twist ties, or in small decorated boxes, or even just in an Easter basket. Let your imagination run wild and just have fun with it! Send us pictures of your molded chocolates and we might put them on our blog!
Have a Happy Easter!
milk chocolate candy
Why should I avoid lower quality chocolate?
Lower quality chocolate often contains unhealthy ingredients, especially trans fats marked as “partially (or fully) hydrogenated oils.” Trans fats have been linked to possible increased “risks for heart disease by increasing "bad" LDL cholesterol and decreasing "good" HDL cholesterol.” The maximum amount of trans fats per day a person should have is 2 grams. However, the FDA has ruled that if a product contains .49 grams or less of trans fats per serving the company can put 0 grams trans fat on the nutritional information, so even if a product says “0 grams trans fat” you could be unknowingly eating 25% of your maximum intake. To top it off, the Chocolate Manufacturer’s Association is trying to change the definition of chocolate to allow companies to use cheaper substitutes, such as oil, in place of cocoa butter, the primary ingredient that makes chocolate chocolate. All these are reasons to be concerned with the ingredients and quality of your chocolate.
Quality chocolate is made with cocoa butter and all natural, simple ingredients with no artificial additives, preservatives, or oils.
Personally, I feel a twinge of guilt when I give someone a gift made ingredients I would not eat myself for health reasons. Also, you can experiment with flavors, such as chocolate with orange peel or mint to fit the unique palettes and give a truly unique gift and experience to your loved ones. So this year instead of picking up that cheap trans fat laden chocolate, go for a bit higher quality and make something truly special.
Molding Chocolates:
What you will need:
Plastic candy molds
High quality pure chocolate (not chocolate mixed with nuts, fillings, fruits, etc… you may use flavored chocolate, such as chocolate with orange peel or mint as long as the bar is solid chocolate).
Candy thermometer (for tempering)
Double boiler or microwave for melting chocolate
Small glass bowl
Spoon for mixing and pouring chocolate into the molds
(Optional) Paintbrush or smaller-tipped utensils for detailing
(Optional) Oil-based chocolate coloring, if you are using white chocolate
Many people are intimidated by molding chocolates, treating it like a mysterious craft only the truly gifted can master. Actually, chocolate molding is quite easy. First, you must find chocolate molds. These molds typically come as plastic trays with 6 to 10 molds per tray. You can find these at most craft stores and candy supply stores for between $2-$4 dollars each. I also bought a soap mold, with frog and turtle shapes that I use for making larger chocolates. Craft stores also sell candy melting wafers, I recommend NOT buying these wafers because they contain the partially hydrogenated oils that you want to avoid.
Now, the wafers craft stores sell are already tempered, so if you use higher quality chocolate, you will have to temper it yourself before you put the chocolate in the molds. Tempering chocolate is the process of cooling melted chocolate to a certain temperature (depending of the cocoa percentage) before pouring it into the molds. Chocolates made with tempered chocolate will be shiny and snap when you break it. Untempered chocolate will remain soft, dull, and pliable. If you do not know how to temper chocolate you can learn how to in our post about tempering chocolate with the double boiler method or with this video that uses the microwave method.
If you want you can add color to white chocolate to add more spring to your Easter gifts. I found chocolate coloring at the craft store in the same aisle as the chocolate molds. You CANNOT use regular food coloring in chocolate because regular food coloring is water-based and will cause the chocolate to seize. Instead you must use coloring that is oil-based. Add the color to the chocolate right before you beginning tempering your melted chocolate.
After you have tempered (and colored your white chocolate, if you choose) your chocolate, you can begin filling your molds. This is where the real fun begins.
If you are using multiples colors or chocolate in a single mold, you must do it in layers. Fill all the spaces where a single color will be and then let that color dry completely before continuing with the next. If you are doing smaller detailing, you must use smaller tools than a spoon. You may use a small paintbrush or any utensils with a small tip. I used a chopstick to dab the yellow centers of my flowers onto the mold.
If you are using all one color, fill the mold completely making sure to remove as much excess chocolate around the edges as possible. Refrigerate the chocolate until it has completely dried. This may take between 5 and 20 minutes depending on the size of the mold. When the chocolate has completely set turn the mold upside down and gently tap it. The molded chocolate should come out easily. If the chocolate does not pop out with a gentle tap put the chocolate back in the refrigerator and let it set for a few more minutes.
That’s it! Pretty easy, huh?
All that’s left is to do is package it. You can put the chocolates in seasonal bags with twist ties, or in small decorated boxes, or even just in an Easter basket. Let your imagination run wild and just have fun with it! Send us pictures of your molded chocolates and we might put them on our blog!
Have a Happy Easter!
Chocolate Spa Facial at Home For Mother's Day
This Mother’s Day one of the best gifts to a mom is a day of relaxation and pampering. What speaks pampering more than a luscious dark chocolate facial! Dark chocolate facials provide great benefits chocolate give the skin. Here at Sulpice Chocolat, we invite you to treat your mom (or yourself!) to a luxurious dark chocolate facial.
dark chocolate
Why Dark Chocolate Should Go on Your Skin:
Research shows that dark chocolate contains more antioxidants than blueberries or green tea. These antioxidants keep the skin healthy by fighting free radicals caused by environmental toxins like pollution. Free radicals can attack the collagen molecules which help the skin stay firm and supple. Antioxidants from dark chocolate and other sources help stabilize free radicals and prevent further damage to the body.
Dark chocolate is a rich source of moisturizing properties and magnesium, an important element in the body that helps with many chemical reactions. When used in facials, magnesium in dark chocolate can help dry skin.
Contrary to popular belief, dark chocolate doesn’t trigger acne so don’t worry about eating it or using it in a facial. High quality dark chocolate like that of Sulpice Chocolat don’t contain the fats or sugar that may cause or worsen existing acne.
Research also found that simply the scent of chocolate can increase relaxation, something moms will really enjoy.
Dark chocolate contain large amounts of flavonoids that absorb UV rays and prevent sunburn and skin cancer, according to German researchers from Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf. Flavonoids also improve blood circulation which researchers correlated with smoother and moisturized skin. After trying this dark chocolate facial, you can be sure to get a good dose of flavonoids (it’s edible!).
The Authentic Chocolate Facial Recipe:
5 tablespoons raw cacao (cocoa powder)
3 tablespoons organic honey (darker honey is better)
3 – 5 tablespoons natural organic yoghurt
A splash or two of oatmeal to bind
Instructions:
1. Mix the honey and cocoa together.
2. Add enough yogurt and oatmeal until mixture is thick yet smooth.
3. Apply on the skin and relax until you’re ready to wash the mask off. This dark chocolate treatment can also be used for the hair.
Beyond the Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for Summer
Chocolate covered strawberries are a staple in any chocolate recipe collection. But with summer coming up, more fruits are going to be in season and more fruits can be covered with dark chocolate for a refreshing and healthy dessert. Here at Sulpice Chocolat, we encourage you to mix the flavors of our dark chocolates with the best summer fruits for summer backyard parties or just an evening with the family.
Normally, fruits are dipped in milk chocolate but dark chocolate will add a deeper tone to the dessert’s taste. Its subtle bitterness plays well with the sweet and tart fruits that are in season for summer such as strawberries, blueberries, and apricots. Milk chocolate also have the potential of overpowering the sweetness ripe fruits already have. Using dark chocolate to coat fruits also keeps the health factor up by cutting out the milk that may hinder the absorption of antioxidants found in dark chocolate. Aesthetically, the rich color of dark chocolate also makes for a beautiful contrast with bright yellows, reds, and purples of the fruits in season this summer.
Here are some fruits you can substitute for strawberries this summer:
chocolate covered strawberries
Apricots
They are sweet with a hint of tart, a perfect match to a subtly bitter dark chocolate. Apricots are rich in Vitamin A and fiber so they’re not only good for the eyesight but they’re great for the digestive system as well. To pick the best apricots for dark chocolate dipping, pick fruits that are bright yellow and slightly soft, which means they weren’t picked from the tree before they ripened.
Berries
Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries work well with dark chocolate because of the sweet and tart combination packed in every small bite. Every small bite of berries also delivers a healthy dose of antioxidants to the body as well as flavonoids (also found in dark chocolate!) that can help combat some forms of cancers. Dark chocolate covered berries are great snacks during the summer because not only do they contain impressive amounts of vitamins, but they also contain little calories.
Tart Cherries
Perhaps you’re looking for an equally romantic alternative to the strawberry. Tart cherries also have the rich red color of strawberries and pack a lot of tartness in a small bite. They’re a good source of Vitamin C and have pain relief properties—helping reduce inflammation—that could heighten the relaxing effect of dark chocolate. For the best cherries, choose bright colored ones that are firm and preferably still have their stems on. Since cherries go bad very easily, refrigerate them soon after picking them up from the store.
Figs
For a unique and exotic dark chocolate covered fruit, figs offer sweetness, chewiness, smoothness, and crunch all in one bite. Although dried figs are available throughout the year, summer is the best time to try some fresh ones. A good alternative to bananas, figs are rich in potassium that help lower blood pressure. Figs are also diet-friendly as they are excellent sources of fiber. These fruits are very delicate and rare so plan to purchase them only a day or two before eating them. The best way to judge if a fig is ripe enough to enjoy is to smell it. Ripe figs should be mildly sweet and tender as well.
Experiment with different fruits this summer and enjoy them with a generous coating of dark chocolate for that luscious and healthy dessert. For the dark chocolate coating, simply follow this recipe for any fruit of your choice:
Dark Chocolate Coating Recipe
Ingredients:
6 ounces of dark chocolate (chopped or in chips)
Any fruit of your choice, wash and thoroughly dried
Parchment or waxed paper
Instructions:
1. Fill a saucepan with enough water so that when a heatproof bowl is placed on top, the bottom does not touch the water. Heat the water until simmering then turn off the heat. (Don't forget to read one of our previous posts for a step by step walk through of an easy chocolate tempering method)
2. Place a heat proof bowl with the dark chocolate on top of the saucepan and stir until smooth. Be patient.
3. You can also melt dark chocolate in the microwave by setting it on half power for 1 one minute, stirring it, and setting it for another minute until it melts completely.
4. Remove the dark chocolate from the heat when it’s smooth. Take your fruits, sliced or whole, and dip in the melted dark chocolate until you get the coverage you like. Twist the fruit or strain it with a slotted ladle (if you’re using small portions of fruits) to get rid of excess dark chocolate. Set the dark chocolate coated in parchment or wax paper.
5. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and enjoy a healthy, luscious summer snack!
Normally, fruits are dipped in milk chocolate but dark chocolate will add a deeper tone to the dessert’s taste. Its subtle bitterness plays well with the sweet and tart fruits that are in season for summer such as strawberries, blueberries, and apricots. Milk chocolate also have the potential of overpowering the sweetness ripe fruits already have. Using dark chocolate to coat fruits also keeps the health factor up by cutting out the milk that may hinder the absorption of antioxidants found in dark chocolate. Aesthetically, the rich color of dark chocolate also makes for a beautiful contrast with bright yellows, reds, and purples of the fruits in season this summer.
Here are some fruits you can substitute for strawberries this summer:
chocolate covered strawberries
Apricots
They are sweet with a hint of tart, a perfect match to a subtly bitter dark chocolate. Apricots are rich in Vitamin A and fiber so they’re not only good for the eyesight but they’re great for the digestive system as well. To pick the best apricots for dark chocolate dipping, pick fruits that are bright yellow and slightly soft, which means they weren’t picked from the tree before they ripened.
Berries
Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries work well with dark chocolate because of the sweet and tart combination packed in every small bite. Every small bite of berries also delivers a healthy dose of antioxidants to the body as well as flavonoids (also found in dark chocolate!) that can help combat some forms of cancers. Dark chocolate covered berries are great snacks during the summer because not only do they contain impressive amounts of vitamins, but they also contain little calories.
Tart Cherries
Perhaps you’re looking for an equally romantic alternative to the strawberry. Tart cherries also have the rich red color of strawberries and pack a lot of tartness in a small bite. They’re a good source of Vitamin C and have pain relief properties—helping reduce inflammation—that could heighten the relaxing effect of dark chocolate. For the best cherries, choose bright colored ones that are firm and preferably still have their stems on. Since cherries go bad very easily, refrigerate them soon after picking them up from the store.
Figs
For a unique and exotic dark chocolate covered fruit, figs offer sweetness, chewiness, smoothness, and crunch all in one bite. Although dried figs are available throughout the year, summer is the best time to try some fresh ones. A good alternative to bananas, figs are rich in potassium that help lower blood pressure. Figs are also diet-friendly as they are excellent sources of fiber. These fruits are very delicate and rare so plan to purchase them only a day or two before eating them. The best way to judge if a fig is ripe enough to enjoy is to smell it. Ripe figs should be mildly sweet and tender as well.
Experiment with different fruits this summer and enjoy them with a generous coating of dark chocolate for that luscious and healthy dessert. For the dark chocolate coating, simply follow this recipe for any fruit of your choice:
Dark Chocolate Coating Recipe
Ingredients:
6 ounces of dark chocolate (chopped or in chips)
Any fruit of your choice, wash and thoroughly dried
Parchment or waxed paper
Instructions:
1. Fill a saucepan with enough water so that when a heatproof bowl is placed on top, the bottom does not touch the water. Heat the water until simmering then turn off the heat. (Don't forget to read one of our previous posts for a step by step walk through of an easy chocolate tempering method)
2. Place a heat proof bowl with the dark chocolate on top of the saucepan and stir until smooth. Be patient.
3. You can also melt dark chocolate in the microwave by setting it on half power for 1 one minute, stirring it, and setting it for another minute until it melts completely.
4. Remove the dark chocolate from the heat when it’s smooth. Take your fruits, sliced or whole, and dip in the melted dark chocolate until you get the coverage you like. Twist the fruit or strain it with a slotted ladle (if you’re using small portions of fruits) to get rid of excess dark chocolate. Set the dark chocolate coated in parchment or wax paper.
5. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and enjoy a healthy, luscious summer snack!
Mother’s Day Foodie Ideas for Families with Kids
Hey, dads! Looking for some fun foodie ideas to make Mother’s Day special for the lady in your life, but you want to do something with the kids as well? Look no further. We at Sulpice Chocolat have compiled a list of a few ideas that are fun for the kids and will make May 8th a very special day for a lucky mom.
Cooking with Kids:
When I was a kid, I had my own cookbook filled with easy recipes made with common ingredients. My parents treated my personal pizzas made with English muffins and jarred pizza sauce like they were the most delectable treats on the planet. At the time I felt like a real chef, although my parents probably gritted their teeth through their smiles when I would walk out with a platter of burnt, soggy bread smothered in tomato sauce and told them they couldn’t leave the table without cleaning the plate. Kids love cooking, but sometimes Mom and Dad’s taste buds suffer. Instead, we combed the internet for easy, and most importantly tasty, kid friendly dishes.
Easy Kid Recipes provides a variety of easy recipes for common breakfast treats such as waffles and pancakes, as well as a few specialty treats such as banana crepes with Nutella (yum!) and homemade granola.
Healthy Crepes (for Kids to Make for Mother’s Day)
Oven-Baked French Toast
Breakfast Kid Recipes from That’s My Home. Recipes include Eggs in a Frame Mickey Mouse Pancakes, Peanut Butter and Jelly Waffle Bites, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Breakfast Tacos, Mini-Crescent Sausage Links
A huge collection of kid friendly recipes from Disney Family Fun
Breakfast: The Good Ol’ Breakfast in Bed
This one’s simple. Let mom sleep in while you and the kids make a delicious breakfast for her. When she wakes up everyone gathers in her room with the homemade breakfast on a tray and wishes her a Happy Mother’s Day!
A Twist on Breakfast in Bed: Kids Make Their Own Restaurant:
Once I decided to make the kitchen a restaurant and made a menu of all the things I could cook. I made my parents “order” their meal and sit at the table as I cooked it. Most of the menu items were something “fettuccini alfredo” out of the Lean Cuisine frozen meal box or “chicken nuggets and fries” made in the microwave.
The point is kids love to pretend to work in businesses they regularly encounter (this is why we have play cash registers, but not play cubicles). They will love pretending to have their own restaurant and work there as chefs and waiters or waitresses.
This project is great for families with multiple children who like doing different things and the project caters to individual interests. If one child doesn’t like cooking they can be in charge of making sure mom has enough juice and entertaining her while the other children cook. If one child is an artist, they can be put in charge of making and explaining the menu to mom and decorating the table (maybe with some flowers and a nice tablecloth). If one child likes to cook, they can be the dad’s head helper.
If each child does something unique they can proudly tell mom their specific contribution to the restaurant. To ensure that each child receives proper attention for their contributions, write each child’s specific task(s) at the bottom of the menu, so mom can thank each child for their individual contributions.
Pulling this off is a bit of a time-commitment, that requires planning, preparation, and above all else cooperation. However, you can turn this little restaurant into a weekend project if you are looking for something to do with the kids on Saturday. Send Mom to the spa or off with her friends for lunch Saturday afternoon. Since Mother’s Day is about spending time with Mom, Saturday could be a day for relieving Mom from her weekend-Mom duties. She’ll appreciate the extra free time.
Saturday should be the time for creating the menu and decorations for the restaurant. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild. Let them come up with a silly name for their restaurant and add any creative and ridiculous dishes to their menu. If they want to make a meal “bacon and ice cream” let them, but make sure to explain that Mom gets the final say in what she orders.
If you’re not set on surprising mom, talk to her the night before and find out what she “ordering” so you can have ingredients prepared the night before without limiting what the children put on the “menu.” This way the kids can be creative as they want and you will still have control over what the children cook and what ingredients you need.
This project should spark creativity as well as give mom a unique, memorable Mother’s Day experience. The kids also need to help get supplies for the project. If the kids feel like the project is their own, those dreaded trips to the grocery store filled with moans of boredom, will suddenly become an exciting and interesting adventure in young entrepreneurship.
Lunch
If it’s nice outside, take mom for a picnic! Take her to a park that is relaxing and picturesque. If you have children, you may want to find one that has a playground so that the children won’t take up all of mom’s attention and energy and give her space to enjoy the sun. If mom and the children enjoy hiking you may want to take them to a state park with trails for exploration. Or if they enjoy sports, take them to a park with a basketball hoop, tennis court, or trails for bike riding and rollerblading.
Packing for picnics can be challenging, especially trying to satisfy the taste buds of young children. Today should be about mom, so the picnic should include more than the typical PB & J with chips and juice that usually dominant the picnic menu. If your kids are picky (and let’s face it, most kids are) you can pack kid-friendly food for them and have a special gourmet lunch for mom and you.
I always recommend picnic lunches to be light and full of color, mom doesn’t want to be too full with hearty, heavy foods to play with the kids.
Here are some recipes for light lunches that will be perfect picnic foods, make sure to look at serving sizes because many of these recipes serve 6-8 and adjust accordingly:
Salads:
Wild Rice Salad from Simple Recipes
27 Pasta Salad Recipes from Better Home & Garden (Personally, I think the Greek Spinach with Beans and Feta, Italian Market Pasta Salad, Fruity Pasta Salad, and Asian Vegetable and Pasta Salad look the most delicious of the bunch)
Insalata Caprese (This is one of my favorite salads, however, I would not add the olive oil on until the salad is served because oil left too long makes the salad soggy)
Sandwiches:
Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches
Gourmet Chicken Sandwiches made with Rosemary Dijon Mayo
Barbeque Chicken Salad Sandwiches
More tasty sandwich recipes from Delish.com
If it’s rainy or cold out Mother’s Day crafts are a fun way to spend some time together. Here are some links to some activities that kids can do with or for mom:
Coloring Pages
Mother’s Day Crafts from Danielle’s Place
Mother’s Day Crafts, Recipes, Games, and More from DLTK Crafts for Kids
Dinner/Dessert
Dinner should be an easy meal. Since Mother’s Day is on a Sunday you don’t want to have too much to clean up in addition to getting the kids ready for bed and school the next day, but that doesn’t mean dinner shouldn’t be fun!
One of my mom’s favorite things to do on Mother’s Day is get take out and watch a movie together. It’s simple, it’s relaxing, and there’s barely anything to clean up. The hard part is finding a movie everyone (especially mom) will enjoy. Mom may want to introduce the kids to movies before their time, here’s a list of “10 Classic Movies Your Whole Family Can Enjoy Together” (“classic” here means made before 1990). Or for ideas for family friendly films check out IMDB’s top 50 family films.
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and want to introduce the kids to something new, try chocolate fondue for dessert. With a little supervision, chocolate fondue can be the delectable, perfect end to a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Cooking with Kids:
When I was a kid, I had my own cookbook filled with easy recipes made with common ingredients. My parents treated my personal pizzas made with English muffins and jarred pizza sauce like they were the most delectable treats on the planet. At the time I felt like a real chef, although my parents probably gritted their teeth through their smiles when I would walk out with a platter of burnt, soggy bread smothered in tomato sauce and told them they couldn’t leave the table without cleaning the plate. Kids love cooking, but sometimes Mom and Dad’s taste buds suffer. Instead, we combed the internet for easy, and most importantly tasty, kid friendly dishes.
Easy Kid Recipes provides a variety of easy recipes for common breakfast treats such as waffles and pancakes, as well as a few specialty treats such as banana crepes with Nutella (yum!) and homemade granola.
Healthy Crepes (for Kids to Make for Mother’s Day)
Oven-Baked French Toast
Breakfast Kid Recipes from That’s My Home. Recipes include Eggs in a Frame Mickey Mouse Pancakes, Peanut Butter and Jelly Waffle Bites, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Breakfast Tacos, Mini-Crescent Sausage Links
A huge collection of kid friendly recipes from Disney Family Fun
Breakfast: The Good Ol’ Breakfast in Bed
This one’s simple. Let mom sleep in while you and the kids make a delicious breakfast for her. When she wakes up everyone gathers in her room with the homemade breakfast on a tray and wishes her a Happy Mother’s Day!
A Twist on Breakfast in Bed: Kids Make Their Own Restaurant:
Once I decided to make the kitchen a restaurant and made a menu of all the things I could cook. I made my parents “order” their meal and sit at the table as I cooked it. Most of the menu items were something “fettuccini alfredo” out of the Lean Cuisine frozen meal box or “chicken nuggets and fries” made in the microwave.
The point is kids love to pretend to work in businesses they regularly encounter (this is why we have play cash registers, but not play cubicles). They will love pretending to have their own restaurant and work there as chefs and waiters or waitresses.
This project is great for families with multiple children who like doing different things and the project caters to individual interests. If one child doesn’t like cooking they can be in charge of making sure mom has enough juice and entertaining her while the other children cook. If one child is an artist, they can be put in charge of making and explaining the menu to mom and decorating the table (maybe with some flowers and a nice tablecloth). If one child likes to cook, they can be the dad’s head helper.
If each child does something unique they can proudly tell mom their specific contribution to the restaurant. To ensure that each child receives proper attention for their contributions, write each child’s specific task(s) at the bottom of the menu, so mom can thank each child for their individual contributions.
Pulling this off is a bit of a time-commitment, that requires planning, preparation, and above all else cooperation. However, you can turn this little restaurant into a weekend project if you are looking for something to do with the kids on Saturday. Send Mom to the spa or off with her friends for lunch Saturday afternoon. Since Mother’s Day is about spending time with Mom, Saturday could be a day for relieving Mom from her weekend-Mom duties. She’ll appreciate the extra free time.
Saturday should be the time for creating the menu and decorations for the restaurant. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild. Let them come up with a silly name for their restaurant and add any creative and ridiculous dishes to their menu. If they want to make a meal “bacon and ice cream” let them, but make sure to explain that Mom gets the final say in what she orders.
If you’re not set on surprising mom, talk to her the night before and find out what she “ordering” so you can have ingredients prepared the night before without limiting what the children put on the “menu.” This way the kids can be creative as they want and you will still have control over what the children cook and what ingredients you need.
This project should spark creativity as well as give mom a unique, memorable Mother’s Day experience. The kids also need to help get supplies for the project. If the kids feel like the project is their own, those dreaded trips to the grocery store filled with moans of boredom, will suddenly become an exciting and interesting adventure in young entrepreneurship.
Lunch
If it’s nice outside, take mom for a picnic! Take her to a park that is relaxing and picturesque. If you have children, you may want to find one that has a playground so that the children won’t take up all of mom’s attention and energy and give her space to enjoy the sun. If mom and the children enjoy hiking you may want to take them to a state park with trails for exploration. Or if they enjoy sports, take them to a park with a basketball hoop, tennis court, or trails for bike riding and rollerblading.
Packing for picnics can be challenging, especially trying to satisfy the taste buds of young children. Today should be about mom, so the picnic should include more than the typical PB & J with chips and juice that usually dominant the picnic menu. If your kids are picky (and let’s face it, most kids are) you can pack kid-friendly food for them and have a special gourmet lunch for mom and you.
I always recommend picnic lunches to be light and full of color, mom doesn’t want to be too full with hearty, heavy foods to play with the kids.
Here are some recipes for light lunches that will be perfect picnic foods, make sure to look at serving sizes because many of these recipes serve 6-8 and adjust accordingly:
Salads:
Wild Rice Salad from Simple Recipes
27 Pasta Salad Recipes from Better Home & Garden (Personally, I think the Greek Spinach with Beans and Feta, Italian Market Pasta Salad, Fruity Pasta Salad, and Asian Vegetable and Pasta Salad look the most delicious of the bunch)
Insalata Caprese (This is one of my favorite salads, however, I would not add the olive oil on until the salad is served because oil left too long makes the salad soggy)
Sandwiches:
Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches
Gourmet Chicken Sandwiches made with Rosemary Dijon Mayo
Barbeque Chicken Salad Sandwiches
More tasty sandwich recipes from Delish.com
If it’s rainy or cold out Mother’s Day crafts are a fun way to spend some time together. Here are some links to some activities that kids can do with or for mom:
Coloring Pages
Mother’s Day Crafts from Danielle’s Place
Mother’s Day Crafts, Recipes, Games, and More from DLTK Crafts for Kids
Dinner/Dessert
Dinner should be an easy meal. Since Mother’s Day is on a Sunday you don’t want to have too much to clean up in addition to getting the kids ready for bed and school the next day, but that doesn’t mean dinner shouldn’t be fun!
One of my mom’s favorite things to do on Mother’s Day is get take out and watch a movie together. It’s simple, it’s relaxing, and there’s barely anything to clean up. The hard part is finding a movie everyone (especially mom) will enjoy. Mom may want to introduce the kids to movies before their time, here’s a list of “10 Classic Movies Your Whole Family Can Enjoy Together” (“classic” here means made before 1990). Or for ideas for family friendly films check out IMDB’s top 50 family films.
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and want to introduce the kids to something new, try chocolate fondue for dessert. With a little supervision, chocolate fondue can be the delectable, perfect end to a wonderful Mother’s Day.
The Perfect Mint Julep for the Kentucky Derby
This Saturday is the Kentucky Derby which brings to mind thoughts of Southern Belles sipping on their favorite drinks wearing their derby best. The classic drink is made with gin, sugar and mint. However, it may have started off as a brandy cocktail. As William Grimes in Straight Up or On the Rocks states: “If the mark of a great cocktail is the number of arguments it can provoke and the number of unbreakable rules it generates, the Mint Julep may be America’s preeminent classic, edging out the Martini in a photo finish.” So, in honor of this deliciously controversial drink, we here at Sulpice Chocolat thought that we would share the recipe for the perfect mint julep. The following recipe is from Field Guide to Cocktails by Rob Chirico via Chow.
mint julep recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 ounces bourbon
INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle 2 mint sprigs, the water, and the sugar in a highball or collins glass or a silver julep cup.
Fill the glass with crushed ice, and pour in the bourbon.
Garnish with the remaining mint sprig.
Variation:
Brandy Julep: Omit the mint sprig garnish. Substitute brandy for the bourbon, and garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
mint julep recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 ounces bourbon
INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle 2 mint sprigs, the water, and the sugar in a highball or collins glass or a silver julep cup.
Fill the glass with crushed ice, and pour in the bourbon.
Garnish with the remaining mint sprig.
Variation:
Brandy Julep: Omit the mint sprig garnish. Substitute brandy for the bourbon, and garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Gwyneth Paltrow's Recipe for Healthy Brownies
When I saw that Gwyneth Paltrow came out with a new recipe book, My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness I was skeptical, but very excited and with good reason because she has several really delicious recipes. One of the most surprising is a deliciously healthy recipe for fudgey, chocolatey brownies! Sulpice Chocolat wants to let you know that the key here is not to forget to add the very strongly brewed coffee. Even if you are not a fan of coffee, it is very important not to leave it out because when used in moderation with chocolate coffee will bring out the richness of chocolate.
healthy dark chocolate brownies
INGREDIENTS
2cups white spelt flour (preferably King Arthur)
1cup cocoa powder
1 1/2tablespoons baking powder
1cup maple syrup
1/2cup vegetable oil
1/2cup brown rice syrup (or light agave nectar)
1/2cup strong brewed coffee
1/2cup soymilk
1tablespoon vanilla extract
2tablespoons oil
1cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
PREPARATION Heat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Whisk maple syrup, oil, brown rice syrup, coffee, soymilk and vanilla in another bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Pour half the batter into a greased 9" x 11" baking dish; top with half the chips. Pour remaining batter into dish and top with remaining chips. Bak
healthy dark chocolate brownies
INGREDIENTS
2cups white spelt flour (preferably King Arthur)
1cup cocoa powder
1 1/2tablespoons baking powder
1cup maple syrup
1/2cup vegetable oil
1/2cup brown rice syrup (or light agave nectar)
1/2cup strong brewed coffee
1/2cup soymilk
1tablespoon vanilla extract
2tablespoons oil
1cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
PREPARATION Heat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Whisk maple syrup, oil, brown rice syrup, coffee, soymilk and vanilla in another bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Pour half the batter into a greased 9" x 11" baking dish; top with half the chips. Pour remaining batter into dish and top with remaining chips. Bak
Memorial Day Remembrance: Chocolate Rations and WWII
Memorial Day is right around the corner and that gets us at Sulpice Chocolat thinking a lot about veterans and how much they have done for us. However, did you know chocolate was a major part of World War II? Yes, that sweet delectable treat is an oft-forgotten member in the most well-known event in recent world history. It served our country on the front lines boosting troop moral and providing quick energy. It was in the works as becoming a powerful weapon (seriously).
Chocolate was first recruited by Army Quartermaster Colonel Paul Logan who approached Hershey’s Chocolate in April of 1937 and commissioned an emergency meal, high energy, 4 gram bar that could withstand high temperatures and tastes “a little better than a boiled potato.”
Hershey developed a bar made of oat flour, cocoa fat, skim milk powder, and artificial flavoring. The bars had a melting point of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and were packed in specially designed packaging that was gas proof.
The bars were called “Logan Bars” or “D Ration.” While the bars tasted “a bit better than a boiled potato” they were universally despised by the army because of their bitter taste. During World War II, troops nicknamed the bars “Hitler’s Secret Weapon” for the war the chocolate raged on the soldiers’ intestinal tracks.
The D Ration bars were generally discarded (on the ground) when issued, but chocolate would not be discharge that easily. In 1943 Hershey was charged with the task of improving the taste of the bar while maintaining its temperature resistance and dietary sustenance.
The new bar was called the Tropical Bar. The bar was designed to taste more like regular chocolate but was difficult to chew. The bar became a type of currency traded with civilians and Allied troops not issued the bar, presumably under the assumption of “it says chocolate… it must be delicious.”
bombs disguised as dark chocolate barsThe Tropical Bar, however, was successful with the Burma Theater of War, the name given to Allied forces operating in Burma, China, and India, because the bar was the only rations tolerable by soldiers who had contracted dysentery. The Tropical Bar, however, did not retire after WWII. It was recruited again to provide sustenance to soldiers in Vietnam and Korea a few decades later.
Chocolate was not just tied to one side during the war. German sabotage agents planned on using chocolate bar wrapping as a disguise for a small bomb. Fortunately for chocolate’s good namesake, the plans were intercepted and never realized.
I realize this post has been fairly light-hearted and perhaps a bit amusing.
However, I do not want to downplay the seriousness of war. War is not just tough and bitter chocolate. This Memorial Day, regardless of your political view on war and the military, take the time to remember and appreciate those who have fought and do fight in the armed services.
Chocolate was first recruited by Army Quartermaster Colonel Paul Logan who approached Hershey’s Chocolate in April of 1937 and commissioned an emergency meal, high energy, 4 gram bar that could withstand high temperatures and tastes “a little better than a boiled potato.”
Hershey developed a bar made of oat flour, cocoa fat, skim milk powder, and artificial flavoring. The bars had a melting point of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and were packed in specially designed packaging that was gas proof.
The bars were called “Logan Bars” or “D Ration.” While the bars tasted “a bit better than a boiled potato” they were universally despised by the army because of their bitter taste. During World War II, troops nicknamed the bars “Hitler’s Secret Weapon” for the war the chocolate raged on the soldiers’ intestinal tracks.
The D Ration bars were generally discarded (on the ground) when issued, but chocolate would not be discharge that easily. In 1943 Hershey was charged with the task of improving the taste of the bar while maintaining its temperature resistance and dietary sustenance.
The new bar was called the Tropical Bar. The bar was designed to taste more like regular chocolate but was difficult to chew. The bar became a type of currency traded with civilians and Allied troops not issued the bar, presumably under the assumption of “it says chocolate… it must be delicious.”
bombs disguised as dark chocolate barsThe Tropical Bar, however, was successful with the Burma Theater of War, the name given to Allied forces operating in Burma, China, and India, because the bar was the only rations tolerable by soldiers who had contracted dysentery. The Tropical Bar, however, did not retire after WWII. It was recruited again to provide sustenance to soldiers in Vietnam and Korea a few decades later.
Chocolate was not just tied to one side during the war. German sabotage agents planned on using chocolate bar wrapping as a disguise for a small bomb. Fortunately for chocolate’s good namesake, the plans were intercepted and never realized.
I realize this post has been fairly light-hearted and perhaps a bit amusing.
However, I do not want to downplay the seriousness of war. War is not just tough and bitter chocolate. This Memorial Day, regardless of your political view on war and the military, take the time to remember and appreciate those who have fought and do fight in the armed services.
A Chocolate Memorial Day Celebration: ChocolateFest in Burlington, WI
Memorial Day honors the brave men and women who died in military service, protecting and fighting for the freedom we enjoy today. Americans all over the country commemorate this day through different activities such as visiting memorials, observing traditions, even car race events such as Indianapolis 500 and concerts such as The National Memorial Day Concert.
But even chocolate lovers in celebrate Memorial Day with their own chocolate festival that stays true to the aspiration of giving back to the community just as the U.S. soldiers honored on this holiday. Every year, on Memorial Day weekend, chocolatiers and chocolate lovers gather in Burlington, WI (dubbed as “Chocolate City USA”) to celebrate the annual ChocolateFest.
Much like the brave men and women who chose to protect this country and its people, participants of Burlington’s ChocolateFest are volunteers, coming together for a common cause: helping the community. ChocolateFest works with non-profit groups to host activities and sponsorships that generate money which goes back into the Burlington Community. Through the shared efforts of ChocolateFest, the non-profit groups, and their volunteers, about $1.7 million have been re-invested back into the community of Burlington, WI.
On Memorial Day weekend, chocolate lovers from the area comes to the ChocolateFest not only to volunteer for the sake of their community but also to enjoy the entertainment and activities offered. One of the most popular events during this weekend is the ChocolateFest chef demonstrations and a competition named “Chef Meltdown”: a competition fashioned after Food Network’s “Chopped”.
ChocolateFest caters to both young and old, offering the Chocolate Indulgence Wine Event where chocolate lovers can experience wine and chocolate pairings as well as beer tasting.
For the younger chocolate lovers, ChocolateFest holds the Kids Kanopy that hosts fun activities for kids such as chocolate Olympics for the family and chocolate eating contests.
Of course, ChocolateFest would not be complete with Burlington’s annual Memorial Day Parade that features military veterans, men and women who keep the community safe, as well as the various groups that participate in Burlington’s daily life.
All these festivities would not be made possible without the past and continued dedication of men and women from all parts of the country, giving their lives so that Americans, chocolate lovers or not, can enjoy the freedom that lets us celebrate these joyous occasions for many years to come.
But even chocolate lovers in celebrate Memorial Day with their own chocolate festival that stays true to the aspiration of giving back to the community just as the U.S. soldiers honored on this holiday. Every year, on Memorial Day weekend, chocolatiers and chocolate lovers gather in Burlington, WI (dubbed as “Chocolate City USA”) to celebrate the annual ChocolateFest.
Much like the brave men and women who chose to protect this country and its people, participants of Burlington’s ChocolateFest are volunteers, coming together for a common cause: helping the community. ChocolateFest works with non-profit groups to host activities and sponsorships that generate money which goes back into the Burlington Community. Through the shared efforts of ChocolateFest, the non-profit groups, and their volunteers, about $1.7 million have been re-invested back into the community of Burlington, WI.
On Memorial Day weekend, chocolate lovers from the area comes to the ChocolateFest not only to volunteer for the sake of their community but also to enjoy the entertainment and activities offered. One of the most popular events during this weekend is the ChocolateFest chef demonstrations and a competition named “Chef Meltdown”: a competition fashioned after Food Network’s “Chopped”.
ChocolateFest caters to both young and old, offering the Chocolate Indulgence Wine Event where chocolate lovers can experience wine and chocolate pairings as well as beer tasting.
For the younger chocolate lovers, ChocolateFest holds the Kids Kanopy that hosts fun activities for kids such as chocolate Olympics for the family and chocolate eating contests.
Of course, ChocolateFest would not be complete with Burlington’s annual Memorial Day Parade that features military veterans, men and women who keep the community safe, as well as the various groups that participate in Burlington’s daily life.
All these festivities would not be made possible without the past and continued dedication of men and women from all parts of the country, giving their lives so that Americans, chocolate lovers or not, can enjoy the freedom that lets us celebrate these joyous occasions for many years to come.
Chocolate Wedding Favors
Weddings are joyous occasions for two people to profess their love for each other. They’re also perfect moments for couples to share their love of chocolate with their loved ones and guests. Traditionally, wedding guests receive a small gift from the couple as a sign of appreciation. These wedding favors come in different forms such as personalized figurines, candles, or for the chocolate lover, chocolate!
buy chocolate online
Over a century ago, wedding favors were usually non-edible keepsakes to serves as reminders of the wedding ceremony. Interestingly though, the first wedding favor was edible in part. Bonbonnieres (also spelled as bomboniere) were common wedding favors for European aristocrats. These favors were small decorated trinket boxes filled with delicate sweets or sugar cubes, a symbol of wealth. Later, sugar cubes were replaced with almonds.
Wedding favors nowadays follow suit. For chocolate-loving couples, wedding favors let them try their hands at creativity in presenting this sweet treat to celebrate an even sweeter moment in their lives.
A popular choice for wedding favors is customized chocolate candies such as Hershey’s Kisses, mini chocolate bars, or even mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Couples can choose to personalize the candy wrappers to include the date of their wedding day, their names, a symbol that means something special to both of them, or anything else they fancy.
milk chocolate bars
For something even sweeter, chocolate lovers can personalize the chocolate itself. M&Ms allows couples to design the M&M itself and change not only the color but the imprint on the candy itself. Chocolate treats such as squares, bon bons, or truffles can also be individually decorated with the couple’s choice of them. Divine Chocolate, a Maine-based company, also offers solid milk, dark, and white chocolate shaped into little wedding cakes—perfect for commemorating that special day.
milk chocolate bars
But as there are many places and ways to celebrate a wedding, there are also many places and way to use chocolates as wedding favors. Why not try chocolate-dipped fortune cookies? These mouth-watering wedding favors can be placed inside translucent takeout cartons or tin cans with lid windows to please both sight and taste of wedding guests.
A classic symbol of the romance present in your wedding day is chocolate-covered strawberries. To go with the wedding theme, these Chocolate-dipped Tuxedo and Wedding Dress Strawberries will surely remind guests of that special day:
chocolate covered strawberries
Ingredients:
High quality strawberries, patted dry
6 oz. white chocolate
8 oz. dark chocolate
Parchment paper for piping
Instructions:
1. Melt the white chocolate on a double boiler. Do the same with the dark chocolate on a separate bowl.
2. Fully dip the strawberries in the melted white chocolate and set aside until the chocolate sets.
3. Fold the parchment papers into cones to act as piping bags. Fills one bag with white chocolate and the other with dark chocolate. Snip the ends to allow for a very small opening.
4. For the wedding dress strawberries, pipe lines of white chocolate on diagonal angles from both sides.
5. For the tuxedos, dip the milk chocolate-covered strawberry in dark chocolate at angle on both sides. Use the piping bag filled with dark chocolate to pipe a bowtie and buttons.
These are all fun and creative ways to remind guests of your special day one sweet bite at a time.
buy chocolate online
Over a century ago, wedding favors were usually non-edible keepsakes to serves as reminders of the wedding ceremony. Interestingly though, the first wedding favor was edible in part. Bonbonnieres (also spelled as bomboniere) were common wedding favors for European aristocrats. These favors were small decorated trinket boxes filled with delicate sweets or sugar cubes, a symbol of wealth. Later, sugar cubes were replaced with almonds.
Wedding favors nowadays follow suit. For chocolate-loving couples, wedding favors let them try their hands at creativity in presenting this sweet treat to celebrate an even sweeter moment in their lives.
A popular choice for wedding favors is customized chocolate candies such as Hershey’s Kisses, mini chocolate bars, or even mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Couples can choose to personalize the candy wrappers to include the date of their wedding day, their names, a symbol that means something special to both of them, or anything else they fancy.
milk chocolate bars
For something even sweeter, chocolate lovers can personalize the chocolate itself. M&Ms allows couples to design the M&M itself and change not only the color but the imprint on the candy itself. Chocolate treats such as squares, bon bons, or truffles can also be individually decorated with the couple’s choice of them. Divine Chocolate, a Maine-based company, also offers solid milk, dark, and white chocolate shaped into little wedding cakes—perfect for commemorating that special day.
milk chocolate bars
But as there are many places and ways to celebrate a wedding, there are also many places and way to use chocolates as wedding favors. Why not try chocolate-dipped fortune cookies? These mouth-watering wedding favors can be placed inside translucent takeout cartons or tin cans with lid windows to please both sight and taste of wedding guests.
A classic symbol of the romance present in your wedding day is chocolate-covered strawberries. To go with the wedding theme, these Chocolate-dipped Tuxedo and Wedding Dress Strawberries will surely remind guests of that special day:
chocolate covered strawberries
Ingredients:
High quality strawberries, patted dry
6 oz. white chocolate
8 oz. dark chocolate
Parchment paper for piping
Instructions:
1. Melt the white chocolate on a double boiler. Do the same with the dark chocolate on a separate bowl.
2. Fully dip the strawberries in the melted white chocolate and set aside until the chocolate sets.
3. Fold the parchment papers into cones to act as piping bags. Fills one bag with white chocolate and the other with dark chocolate. Snip the ends to allow for a very small opening.
4. For the wedding dress strawberries, pipe lines of white chocolate on diagonal angles from both sides.
5. For the tuxedos, dip the milk chocolate-covered strawberry in dark chocolate at angle on both sides. Use the piping bag filled with dark chocolate to pipe a bowtie and buttons.
These are all fun and creative ways to remind guests of your special day one sweet bite at a time.
Picking Out Fine Chocolate Bars
So you want to pick out some fine chocolate, for a gift or perhaps self-indulgence. The problem is so many bars claim to be “fine,” but these can be misleading. How can you distinguish between quality chocolate bars and lower quality chocolates and chocolate bars? The key is the ingredients, but sifting through the ingredients list can be a difficult task. We at Sulpice Chocolat will give you the tools to pick out high quality chocolate for yourself and your loved ones.
dark chocolate bars
Quality chocolate bars and chocolates are made with few, simple ingredients: real cocoa butter, sugar, and (if the bar is milk chocolate) real milk. Lower quality chocolate bars use oils, emulsifiers, artificial flavoring, and powdered milk to cut production costs. A quality chocolate bar should never contain substitutes for cocoa butter (oils) or any artificial ingredients.
Chocolate companies are required to list all ingredients used in the manufacturing of their chocolate bars; however, they are not required to list the amount of each ingredient used. Quality chocolate bars contain at least 40-70% cocoa and will list the cocoa percentage on the package. Sugar composes 30% or less in quality chocolate bars. Lower quality chocolate bars will contain around 10% cocoa, the legal amount of cocoa required for the bar to be called chocolate in the United States.
Many quality chocolate bars infuse oils and spices into their bars. The spices and oil should be natural extracts and spices. Companies are required to list if their oils are artificial or natural extracts and spices and higher quality chocolate bars will want to specify the quality of their flavorings.
Some bars contain fillings instead of oil flavorings. The inclusion of these fillings may make it difficult to distinguish quality fillings from cheaper fillings. The fillings should be as natural as the chocolate bar, so I will list the natural ingredients that should be used in a quality chocolate bar and the substitutes lower quality chocolate bar companies may use to cut costs:
Praline (e.g. Peanut Butter, Hazelnut): nuts (sugar and salt may be added). Many inexpensive nut butters are made with partially or fully hydrogenated oils,
Caramel: sugar, butter, cream, (possibly corn syrup*). Oils, especially hydrogenated oils, are used to replace butter and cream.
*Note: corn syrup should not be mistaken with high fructose corn syrup used as a sugar replacement. Corn syrup is used to help prevent sugar from crystallizing as the caramel cools. Not all companies use corn syrup, but do not dismiss the quality of the bar on this ingredient alone.
Buttercream: This one applies more to chocolates than chocolate bars, but for your information, buttercream is made of butter and sugar and is off-white in color. Cheaper buttercream is made with hydrogenated oils or shortening (also trans fat laden) to replace the butter and is bright white.
Fondant: Fondant is that smooth creamy flavored center inside bars and candies. Fondant, at its most basic, fondant is made with sugar and water. Flavorings and colorings may be added. Fondant may contain corn syrup
Ganache: Ganache is made by combining melted chocolate with cream until it reaches the softball stage. The quality of the ganache is based on the quality of chocolate used. Real cream is a must. Low quality ganache may be made with oils or shortening.
Now, with the knowledge of the components of quality chocolate and their fillings you should have no problem picking high quality delicious chocolate bars!
dark chocolate bars
Quality chocolate bars and chocolates are made with few, simple ingredients: real cocoa butter, sugar, and (if the bar is milk chocolate) real milk. Lower quality chocolate bars use oils, emulsifiers, artificial flavoring, and powdered milk to cut production costs. A quality chocolate bar should never contain substitutes for cocoa butter (oils) or any artificial ingredients.
Chocolate companies are required to list all ingredients used in the manufacturing of their chocolate bars; however, they are not required to list the amount of each ingredient used. Quality chocolate bars contain at least 40-70% cocoa and will list the cocoa percentage on the package. Sugar composes 30% or less in quality chocolate bars. Lower quality chocolate bars will contain around 10% cocoa, the legal amount of cocoa required for the bar to be called chocolate in the United States.
Many quality chocolate bars infuse oils and spices into their bars. The spices and oil should be natural extracts and spices. Companies are required to list if their oils are artificial or natural extracts and spices and higher quality chocolate bars will want to specify the quality of their flavorings.
Some bars contain fillings instead of oil flavorings. The inclusion of these fillings may make it difficult to distinguish quality fillings from cheaper fillings. The fillings should be as natural as the chocolate bar, so I will list the natural ingredients that should be used in a quality chocolate bar and the substitutes lower quality chocolate bar companies may use to cut costs:
Praline (e.g. Peanut Butter, Hazelnut): nuts (sugar and salt may be added). Many inexpensive nut butters are made with partially or fully hydrogenated oils,
Caramel: sugar, butter, cream, (possibly corn syrup*). Oils, especially hydrogenated oils, are used to replace butter and cream.
*Note: corn syrup should not be mistaken with high fructose corn syrup used as a sugar replacement. Corn syrup is used to help prevent sugar from crystallizing as the caramel cools. Not all companies use corn syrup, but do not dismiss the quality of the bar on this ingredient alone.
Buttercream: This one applies more to chocolates than chocolate bars, but for your information, buttercream is made of butter and sugar and is off-white in color. Cheaper buttercream is made with hydrogenated oils or shortening (also trans fat laden) to replace the butter and is bright white.
Fondant: Fondant is that smooth creamy flavored center inside bars and candies. Fondant, at its most basic, fondant is made with sugar and water. Flavorings and colorings may be added. Fondant may contain corn syrup
Ganache: Ganache is made by combining melted chocolate with cream until it reaches the softball stage. The quality of the ganache is based on the quality of chocolate used. Real cream is a must. Low quality ganache may be made with oils or shortening.
Now, with the knowledge of the components of quality chocolate and their fillings you should have no problem picking high quality delicious chocolate bars!
A Chocolate and Beer Pairing for a Romantic Night In
Our culture has specific ideas about romance and the food and drink associated with romance. Traditionally, wine has been seen as the drink of romance, couples share a bottle of champagne to celebrate their love in private moments or order wine with a fancy dinner.
But, what of beer? Beer is generally viewed as a social drink, shared among friends but unfamiliar with intimate moments between lovers.
beer, milk chocolate bars , and dark chocolate bars
Craft Beer Week is about celebrating unique beers as well as the special moments of which beer is a part. We at Sulpice Chocolat want to show that beer can have many complex faces through the exploration of an unexpectedly sweet and rich beer and a way it pairs perfectly with romance and our specialty, gourmet chocolate.
This decadent beer and chocolate pairing is Lindeman’s Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer and dark chocolate truffles. Lindeman’s Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer is a specialty beer from a brewery located in Brussels that brews their beer using wild yeast and raspberries.
The beer is a seductive deep red with a rose colored head. The flavor is rich and complex beginning with a dominance of sweet raspberry that becomes slightly sour as it moves to the back of the throat. At the final moment before the beer slips down the throat it becomes slightly dry.
While the beer is initially very sweet to the taste, it is in that final moment that the beer proclaims itself as beer and reaffirms its roots. The sweetness of the raspberries does not hide the taste of the beer, but rather adds a layer of complexity that shows that beer can have a variety of tastes while still remaining true to itself as beer.
The rich sweetness of dark chocolate barsthe beer pairs perfectly with chocolate truffles made with dark chocolate ganache and unsweetened cocoa. The bitterness of the dark chocolate counteracts the sweetness of the beer and the creaminess of the ganache compliments the rich raspberry.
This pairing just screams, or rather softly whispers, romance. The setting is a candlelight room, snuggled with your loved one on the couch, soft music playing in the background, staring deep into each other’s eyes. It is the perfect end to an elegant dinner and a romantic night in.
Dark Chocolate Truffle Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 ounces of bittersweet (70% cocoa) of high quality chocolate*
¼ cup heavy cream
High quality unsweetened cocoa powder for covering
*Tips for picking out high quality chocolate
Tools:
Double boiler for melting chocolate (make your own double boiler)
Spatula
Glass Bowl
Warm cream over medium-low heat in the double boiler and chop the chocolate into smaller pieces
Mix chocolate into heavy cream and stir constantly until all the chocolate is melted
Place the chocolate and cream mixture into a glass bowl and refrigerate for an hour
After an hour take the bowl out and let it set at room temperature for two hours
Put small amount of the cocoa powder into a small bowl. Use a spoon to scoop out a small portion of the ganache and roll into a 1-inch ball.
Dip the rolled ganache into the unsweetened cocoa powder
Serve at room temperature and refrigerate to store.
But, what of beer? Beer is generally viewed as a social drink, shared among friends but unfamiliar with intimate moments between lovers.
beer, milk chocolate bars , and dark chocolate bars
Craft Beer Week is about celebrating unique beers as well as the special moments of which beer is a part. We at Sulpice Chocolat want to show that beer can have many complex faces through the exploration of an unexpectedly sweet and rich beer and a way it pairs perfectly with romance and our specialty, gourmet chocolate.
This decadent beer and chocolate pairing is Lindeman’s Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer and dark chocolate truffles. Lindeman’s Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer is a specialty beer from a brewery located in Brussels that brews their beer using wild yeast and raspberries.
The beer is a seductive deep red with a rose colored head. The flavor is rich and complex beginning with a dominance of sweet raspberry that becomes slightly sour as it moves to the back of the throat. At the final moment before the beer slips down the throat it becomes slightly dry.
While the beer is initially very sweet to the taste, it is in that final moment that the beer proclaims itself as beer and reaffirms its roots. The sweetness of the raspberries does not hide the taste of the beer, but rather adds a layer of complexity that shows that beer can have a variety of tastes while still remaining true to itself as beer.
The rich sweetness of dark chocolate barsthe beer pairs perfectly with chocolate truffles made with dark chocolate ganache and unsweetened cocoa. The bitterness of the dark chocolate counteracts the sweetness of the beer and the creaminess of the ganache compliments the rich raspberry.
This pairing just screams, or rather softly whispers, romance. The setting is a candlelight room, snuggled with your loved one on the couch, soft music playing in the background, staring deep into each other’s eyes. It is the perfect end to an elegant dinner and a romantic night in.
Dark Chocolate Truffle Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 ounces of bittersweet (70% cocoa) of high quality chocolate*
¼ cup heavy cream
High quality unsweetened cocoa powder for covering
*Tips for picking out high quality chocolate
Tools:
Double boiler for melting chocolate (make your own double boiler)
Spatula
Glass Bowl
Warm cream over medium-low heat in the double boiler and chop the chocolate into smaller pieces
Mix chocolate into heavy cream and stir constantly until all the chocolate is melted
Place the chocolate and cream mixture into a glass bowl and refrigerate for an hour
After an hour take the bowl out and let it set at room temperature for two hours
Put small amount of the cocoa powder into a small bowl. Use a spoon to scoop out a small portion of the ganache and roll into a 1-inch ball.
Dip the rolled ganache into the unsweetened cocoa powder
Serve at room temperature and refrigerate to store.
Homemade Fudge for a Lucky Dad This Father's Day
My dad is a chocohalic. If there’s dessert, he has only one question, “does it have chocolate?” otherwise “it’s not worth the calories.” So if your dad is like my dad, make Father’s Day extra special this year and surprise him with a homemade chocolate dessert or perhaps a chocolate bar.
We at Sulpice Chocolat have a variety of recipes attuned to all different chocolate tastes for you to choose from: buy chocolate online
Orange Chocolate Soufflé for the Epicurean or world-traveled father
Salted Chocolate Brownies for those with a love of sweet and salty
Chocolate Covered Fruits for a rich, citrusy treat
Homemade Shamrock Shakes for dads who wish it was St. Patty’s all year long
Classic Hot Chocolate for dads in cooler lands
Black Forest Coffee a delectable treat for a coffee lover
Chocolate-Covered Bacon because some dads will love the salty but sweet combination
For my dad, I like to make homemade chocolate fudge. It’s smooth, rich, and the perfect combination of creaminess and chocolate. There are a lot of recipes for fudge out there, but I prefer the old-fashioned way made with basic ingredients, real cream, sugar, and chocolate, NO marshmallow or condensed milk. Old-Fashioned fudge is a bit more difficult to make, but it’s worth the time.
Fudge is a very special type of chocolate treat. Unlike most candy’s sugar crystallization in fudge is desirable. However, sugar crystals cannot form too early otherwise you’ll end up with a grainy mass of what looks like chocolate covered sand and sticks to the bottom of the pan like cement. The key is cooking the fudge to 234 ̊ (the soft ball stage) and allowing it to cool undisturbed until the mixture reaches 130 ̊.
The most success I’ve had is with Alton Brown’s Chocolate Fudge Recipe.
buy chocolate online
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups of sugar
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of half and half
1 tablespoon of corn syrup
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup roasted, chopped nuts (optional)
Tools:
Heavy bottom saucepan
Candy thermometer
Wooden spatula
8x8 greased pan
1. Chop chocolate into small pieces so that it dissolves easily.
2. Combine half and half, sugar, chocolate, corn syrup, and 1 ½ tablespoons of butter over medium heat, stirring with the wooden spatula until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Increase heat until mixture begins to boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and allow mixture to boil for 3 minutes.
5. Remove cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
6. Cook until candy thermometer reads 234 ̊(soft ball stage)
7. Remove from heat and add remaining butter, do NOT stir.
8. Let mixture cool until it reaches 130 ̊(about 10 minutes)
9. Add vanilla and chopped nuts (if desired).
10. Begin mixing until the glossy texture becomes dull and pour into greased pan. Be careful not to over mix the fudge or it will be difficult to pour into another pan.
11. Let sit in a cool dry area until firm.
Now, all that’s left is cutting and packaging. You may cut the fudge into 1-inch squares for single serving, bite sized treats; however, I prefer cutting the fudge in half into rectangles because it reminds me of the fudge my family used to buy at apple orchard and old country stores. I then wrap the fudge in saran wrap and place it in a small gift box with a ribbon tied to the top.
We at Sulpice Chocolat have a variety of recipes attuned to all different chocolate tastes for you to choose from: buy chocolate online
Orange Chocolate Soufflé for the Epicurean or world-traveled father
Salted Chocolate Brownies for those with a love of sweet and salty
Chocolate Covered Fruits for a rich, citrusy treat
Homemade Shamrock Shakes for dads who wish it was St. Patty’s all year long
Classic Hot Chocolate for dads in cooler lands
Black Forest Coffee a delectable treat for a coffee lover
Chocolate-Covered Bacon because some dads will love the salty but sweet combination
For my dad, I like to make homemade chocolate fudge. It’s smooth, rich, and the perfect combination of creaminess and chocolate. There are a lot of recipes for fudge out there, but I prefer the old-fashioned way made with basic ingredients, real cream, sugar, and chocolate, NO marshmallow or condensed milk. Old-Fashioned fudge is a bit more difficult to make, but it’s worth the time.
Fudge is a very special type of chocolate treat. Unlike most candy’s sugar crystallization in fudge is desirable. However, sugar crystals cannot form too early otherwise you’ll end up with a grainy mass of what looks like chocolate covered sand and sticks to the bottom of the pan like cement. The key is cooking the fudge to 234 ̊ (the soft ball stage) and allowing it to cool undisturbed until the mixture reaches 130 ̊.
The most success I’ve had is with Alton Brown’s Chocolate Fudge Recipe.
buy chocolate online
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups of sugar
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of half and half
1 tablespoon of corn syrup
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup roasted, chopped nuts (optional)
Tools:
Heavy bottom saucepan
Candy thermometer
Wooden spatula
8x8 greased pan
1. Chop chocolate into small pieces so that it dissolves easily.
2. Combine half and half, sugar, chocolate, corn syrup, and 1 ½ tablespoons of butter over medium heat, stirring with the wooden spatula until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Increase heat until mixture begins to boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and allow mixture to boil for 3 minutes.
5. Remove cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
6. Cook until candy thermometer reads 234 ̊(soft ball stage)
7. Remove from heat and add remaining butter, do NOT stir.
8. Let mixture cool until it reaches 130 ̊(about 10 minutes)
9. Add vanilla and chopped nuts (if desired).
10. Begin mixing until the glossy texture becomes dull and pour into greased pan. Be careful not to over mix the fudge or it will be difficult to pour into another pan.
11. Let sit in a cool dry area until firm.
Now, all that’s left is cutting and packaging. You may cut the fudge into 1-inch squares for single serving, bite sized treats; however, I prefer cutting the fudge in half into rectangles because it reminds me of the fudge my family used to buy at apple orchard and old country stores. I then wrap the fudge in saran wrap and place it in a small gift box with a ribbon tied to the top.
The Best German Chocolate Cake Recipe
The German chocolate cake unites the richness of chocolate, sweetness of coconut and caramel, and the buttery taste of pecans in one delectable dessert. Unlike other frosted cakes, the sides of this treat are bare—revealing its beauty and flavor right away.
milk chocolate barsContrary to its name, the German chocolate cake originated from the United States. “German” was derived from the employee at Walter Baker & Company who developed the sweet chocolate first used in this recipe. His name was Samuel Germany. The chocolate he developed was labeled German’s Sweet Chocolate™, still sold today by Baker’s Company. Described as a “creamy chocolate with a milder chocolate flavor”, this traditional ingredient plays well with the nutty sweetness of coconut and pecans.
The original German cake recipe calls specifically for Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. However, this ingredient can be replaced with any kind of high quality semi-sweet chocolate with at least 48% cacao. At Sulpice Chocolat we like to add a hint of coffee to the recipe to emphasize the rich notes of chocolate. As for the coconut pecan frosting, roasting the pecans in a 350-degree for 8 to 10 minutes will further bring out its flavor.
Recipe for German Chocolate Cake and Coconut Pecan Frosting (adapted from Joy of Baking and My Home Cooking)
Ingredients for German Chocolate Cake:
4 oz. of Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (not boiling)
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 eggs whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, melt combine the chocolate and hot coffee. Stir until the chocolate is melted and completely dissolved. Set aside an cool completely.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg yolks until thoroughly mixed.
Slowly add the chocolate and coffee mixture and vanilla until they are mixed well with the batter.
Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
Alternately mix the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the batter until the batter is smooth.
Beat the egg white with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Working quickly, gently fold in egg whites into the batter. Folding them in, instead of stirring or beating, will make the cake light and airy.
Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment or wax paper then divide the batter equally into the three pans.
Bake from 30 to 40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven before 30 minutes to prevent the cake from sinking in the middle.
Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before flipping it onto a cooling rack.
Ingredients for Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 ¼ cups of roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/8 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
½ vanilla or vanilla extract
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat.
Add the coconut flakes, pecans, and vanilla extract. Let cool until firm but spreadable.
To assemble:
Let the cakes and frosting completely cool. Divide the frosting into thirds.
Place one layer of the chocolate cake onto a plate and cover the top with frosting.
Place another layer of cake on top. Repeat two more times until the topmost layer is covered with frosting. Leave the sides bare, garnish with more pecans and coconut flakes. Enjoy!
milk chocolate barsContrary to its name, the German chocolate cake originated from the United States. “German” was derived from the employee at Walter Baker & Company who developed the sweet chocolate first used in this recipe. His name was Samuel Germany. The chocolate he developed was labeled German’s Sweet Chocolate™, still sold today by Baker’s Company. Described as a “creamy chocolate with a milder chocolate flavor”, this traditional ingredient plays well with the nutty sweetness of coconut and pecans.
The original German cake recipe calls specifically for Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. However, this ingredient can be replaced with any kind of high quality semi-sweet chocolate with at least 48% cacao. At Sulpice Chocolat we like to add a hint of coffee to the recipe to emphasize the rich notes of chocolate. As for the coconut pecan frosting, roasting the pecans in a 350-degree for 8 to 10 minutes will further bring out its flavor.
Recipe for German Chocolate Cake and Coconut Pecan Frosting (adapted from Joy of Baking and My Home Cooking)
Ingredients for German Chocolate Cake:
4 oz. of Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (not boiling)
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 eggs whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, melt combine the chocolate and hot coffee. Stir until the chocolate is melted and completely dissolved. Set aside an cool completely.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg yolks until thoroughly mixed.
Slowly add the chocolate and coffee mixture and vanilla until they are mixed well with the batter.
Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
Alternately mix the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the batter until the batter is smooth.
Beat the egg white with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Working quickly, gently fold in egg whites into the batter. Folding them in, instead of stirring or beating, will make the cake light and airy.
Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment or wax paper then divide the batter equally into the three pans.
Bake from 30 to 40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven before 30 minutes to prevent the cake from sinking in the middle.
Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before flipping it onto a cooling rack.
Ingredients for Coconut Pecan Frosting
1 ¼ cups of roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/8 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
½ vanilla or vanilla extract
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat.
Add the coconut flakes, pecans, and vanilla extract. Let cool until firm but spreadable.
To assemble:
Let the cakes and frosting completely cool. Divide the frosting into thirds.
Place one layer of the chocolate cake onto a plate and cover the top with frosting.
Place another layer of cake on top. Repeat two more times until the topmost layer is covered with frosting. Leave the sides bare, garnish with more pecans and coconut flakes. Enjoy!
Brownie S’mores
Nothing says summer more than making s'mores, but sometimes that craving hits you when you are nowhere near a campsite. What can you do? Well, Sulpice Chocolat has the perfect solution! Try making these amazing brownie s'mores. The inspiration for this recipe comes from Melanie Barnard at the Cooking Club of America. However, we used our tried and true recipe for chocolate brownies. Its so simple, yet this recipe will inspire and delight family and friends of all ages or you can keep them to yourself. We won't tell.
dark chocolate bar brownies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
9 whole cinnamon graham crackers, halved crosswise
35 marshmallows
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange graham crackers over bottom of pan, overlapping slightly or breaking to fit, if necessary.*
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix to combine being careful not to overmix.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.
Stir in the chocolate morsels.
Spoon and gently spread over graham crackers.
Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Do not over bake.
Heat broiler. Place marshmallows on their sides evenly over top of brownies. Broil 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
TIP *Depending on the shape of your pan, you may have part of a graham cracker left over.
dark chocolate bar brownies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
9 whole cinnamon graham crackers, halved crosswise
35 marshmallows
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange graham crackers over bottom of pan, overlapping slightly or breaking to fit, if necessary.*
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix to combine being careful not to overmix.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.
Stir in the chocolate morsels.
Spoon and gently spread over graham crackers.
Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Do not over bake.
Heat broiler. Place marshmallows on their sides evenly over top of brownies. Broil 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
TIP *Depending on the shape of your pan, you may have part of a graham cracker left over.
Chocolate Ice Cream
What better way to enjoy the hot summer days than with a bowl of cold and delicious ice cream? This popular dessert originated all the way back to the Roman Emperor Nero in 4th century B.C. He commanded to have ice brought down from mountain tops and combined it with honey and fruits to produce a refreshing treat. Centuries later, ice cream became the creamier dessert more similar to the modern day ice cream thanks to 7th century Chinese royals. When this cool dessertchocolate ice cream was brought over to Europe from China, it kept its affiliation with royalty as Italian and French royal courts enjoyed it as both a delicious and stylish dessert. Ice cream has come a long way from Emperor Nero’s version and, in the 20th century, ice cream flavors started booming and more exotic flavors came into being.
But many decide to stick to a classic flavor for this classic dessert: chocolate. It’s not surprising to find this popular flavor in such a popular dessert and there are numerous flavors out there that involve chocolate for a more complex and more unique ice cream:
Baskin Robbin™’s Chocolate Chip - a classic twist for the chocolate ice cream that originated in 1945
Häagen Dazs™’s Rocky Road – velvety swirls of marshmallow, roasted almonds, and their legendary chocolate ice cream
Ben & Jerry™’s Fossil Fuel – sweet ice cream with chocolate dough pieces, fudge dinosaurs, and fudge swirl
Penn State Creamery’s Bavarian Raspberry Crunch – chocolate ice cream with Swiss mocha chips and red raspberry swirl
dark chocolate ice creamFor a fun summer activity (next to enjoying a bowl of ice cream), we at Sulpice Chocolat have a great idea: make your own chocolate ice cream! Not only do you get to enjoy your own work but you can also make sure the ingredients in your dessert are the best that you want.
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (adapted from Alton Brown’s Chocolate Ice Cream recipe):
Ingredients:
· 1 1/2 ounces or approximately ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· 3 cups half-and-half
· 1 cup heavy cream
· 8 large egg yolks
· 9 oz. or 1 cup and 1/8 cups sugar
· 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Combine the cocoa powder and 1 cup of the half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until completely combined then add the rest of the half-and-half and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer while occasionally stirring then remove mixture from heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until light in color. Slowly whisk in the sugar.
3. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs. To do so, very slowly add the 1/3 of the cream mixture into the egg yolks. Then add the rest of the cream mixture. Place the egg and cream mixture into the saucepan and place over low heat.
4. Stir the mixture frequently until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F.
5. Pour the mixture into a separate container and let sit for 30 minutes. Gently stir in the vanilla extract. Cool the mixture the in the refrigerator until it’s cool enough not to form condensation on the lid. Cover the mixture and store for 4 to 8 hours.
6. Place the mixture into an ice cream makers and follow manufacturer’s instructions. This chocolate ice cream can also be enjoyed with a generous serving of chocolate sauce on top.
But many decide to stick to a classic flavor for this classic dessert: chocolate. It’s not surprising to find this popular flavor in such a popular dessert and there are numerous flavors out there that involve chocolate for a more complex and more unique ice cream:
Baskin Robbin™’s Chocolate Chip - a classic twist for the chocolate ice cream that originated in 1945
Häagen Dazs™’s Rocky Road – velvety swirls of marshmallow, roasted almonds, and their legendary chocolate ice cream
Ben & Jerry™’s Fossil Fuel – sweet ice cream with chocolate dough pieces, fudge dinosaurs, and fudge swirl
Penn State Creamery’s Bavarian Raspberry Crunch – chocolate ice cream with Swiss mocha chips and red raspberry swirl
dark chocolate ice creamFor a fun summer activity (next to enjoying a bowl of ice cream), we at Sulpice Chocolat have a great idea: make your own chocolate ice cream! Not only do you get to enjoy your own work but you can also make sure the ingredients in your dessert are the best that you want.
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (adapted from Alton Brown’s Chocolate Ice Cream recipe):
Ingredients:
· 1 1/2 ounces or approximately ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· 3 cups half-and-half
· 1 cup heavy cream
· 8 large egg yolks
· 9 oz. or 1 cup and 1/8 cups sugar
· 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Combine the cocoa powder and 1 cup of the half-and-half in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until completely combined then add the rest of the half-and-half and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer while occasionally stirring then remove mixture from heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until light in color. Slowly whisk in the sugar.
3. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs. To do so, very slowly add the 1/3 of the cream mixture into the egg yolks. Then add the rest of the cream mixture. Place the egg and cream mixture into the saucepan and place over low heat.
4. Stir the mixture frequently until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F.
5. Pour the mixture into a separate container and let sit for 30 minutes. Gently stir in the vanilla extract. Cool the mixture the in the refrigerator until it’s cool enough not to form condensation on the lid. Cover the mixture and store for 4 to 8 hours.
6. Place the mixture into an ice cream makers and follow manufacturer’s instructions. This chocolate ice cream can also be enjoyed with a generous serving of chocolate sauce on top.
The Great Willy Wonka Debate
Today, June 6th, 2011, is the anniversary of the opening of the first drive-in movie theater! So we wanted to write something about film. We at Sulpice Chocolat have decided to answer a question that's been debated for the last 5 years, which Willy Wonka film is better. Keep in mind this is a purely subjective piece and not based on which one portrayed the book better (I’ve read that it’s the 2005 version). I feel like there’s more to say and debate in this than I have written, so comment with your opinion and we can discuss!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Best Charlie:
Charlie is the films' bright-eyed protagonist, a young poor boy who wins the prize of a lifetime, one of 5 golden tickets for a visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious and magical factory that no one has entered for years. Charlie is honest and good-natured, while the other five children are selfish, bratty, gluttonous, lazy, and mean. In the end, Willy Wonka makes Charlie the heir to the chocolate factory. But which Charlie is the best, which Charlie best captures the overall spirit of the character, the kind-hearted, honest boy?
In our opinion, it is 2005's Freddie Highmore that takes the cake…well, chocolate bar. Freddie Highmore destroys Peter Ostrum in the downtrodden, yet bright-eyed and idealistic adorable department. Plus, he chooses family over chocolate at the end of the film.
Best Side Cast: Personally, I’m a fan of the side cast fellow tour members of the 2005 version. I feel like their faults are more exaggerated through their physical appearance and actions. Augustus’s make up makes him look like the spokes child ripped straight from the packaging of a candy roll you could find at IKEA. Violet embodies the overly-competitive child. Veruca I feel is pretty much the same in both films. I like that Mike TV is super smart and his flaw is being too sure of his knowledge, not that he just likes TV. I mean, without a love of TV and film, these movies wouldn’t exist.
buy chocolate online
Best Chocolate Portrayal: 2005 loses automatically because of the opening scene that uses CGI to show the chocolate making process. Not only does it not look interesting, it looks bland and like plastic. The opening sequence of the 1971 version shows real chocolate being mixed and prepared. Tim Burton, we know you’re the artist that likes to play with extreme colors and textures to make everything look whimsical, but using CGI to show chocolate destroys the magical feeling of chocolate that the original film captured so well.
Best Ooompa Loompahs: 1971. 2005’s Ooompah Loompah’s got danceable reboot, but lost what the original did so well. The 1971 Ooompah Loompahs’ song mocked the selfish children as the each fell victim to their own vices. The “Ooompa Loompa Doo Pa Dee Doo” was a sign that a harsh lesson was to be learned and the child and parents ridiculed for their shortcomings and failures.
buy chocolate bars onlineBest Willy Wonka: 2 votes for each, so the tie-breaker and most important aspect of either films, who was the best Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp. While Johnny Depp created a fascinating character with an interesting back story, the Willy Wonka that is the greatest representation of what Willy Wonka is suppose to be—a kooky, mysterious chocolatier who holds the contest with the goal of finding a child with a pure heart to become an heir to the factory—is Gene Wilder.
Perhaps it’s the unconcerned, bored way that Gene Wilder says “No…don’t do that” when one of the children is about to fall victim to one of his many traps, or the way that he tests the children by having someone pose as a competitor willing to pay top dollar for one of his creations that Gene Wilder seems in charge of the situation. The factory is a funhouse, albeit a weird and possibly scary funhouse, but beneath the guises of fear it seems harmless. Johnny Depp’s factory is terrifying. Maybe they don’t have the scary chocolate river cave, but he acts sincere about not knowing whether or not a child is in harm’s way. He chooses Charlie because he is the last one remaining, not because of some personal quality that makes him particularly suited to the job, just because he’s still there. Plus, Depp’s Wonka beats cows to make whipped cream. Which is just wrong.
Agree with me? Feel free to post your opinions in the comments.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Best Charlie:
Charlie is the films' bright-eyed protagonist, a young poor boy who wins the prize of a lifetime, one of 5 golden tickets for a visit to Willy Wonka's mysterious and magical factory that no one has entered for years. Charlie is honest and good-natured, while the other five children are selfish, bratty, gluttonous, lazy, and mean. In the end, Willy Wonka makes Charlie the heir to the chocolate factory. But which Charlie is the best, which Charlie best captures the overall spirit of the character, the kind-hearted, honest boy?
In our opinion, it is 2005's Freddie Highmore that takes the cake…well, chocolate bar. Freddie Highmore destroys Peter Ostrum in the downtrodden, yet bright-eyed and idealistic adorable department. Plus, he chooses family over chocolate at the end of the film.
Best Side Cast: Personally, I’m a fan of the side cast fellow tour members of the 2005 version. I feel like their faults are more exaggerated through their physical appearance and actions. Augustus’s make up makes him look like the spokes child ripped straight from the packaging of a candy roll you could find at IKEA. Violet embodies the overly-competitive child. Veruca I feel is pretty much the same in both films. I like that Mike TV is super smart and his flaw is being too sure of his knowledge, not that he just likes TV. I mean, without a love of TV and film, these movies wouldn’t exist.
buy chocolate online
Best Chocolate Portrayal: 2005 loses automatically because of the opening scene that uses CGI to show the chocolate making process. Not only does it not look interesting, it looks bland and like plastic. The opening sequence of the 1971 version shows real chocolate being mixed and prepared. Tim Burton, we know you’re the artist that likes to play with extreme colors and textures to make everything look whimsical, but using CGI to show chocolate destroys the magical feeling of chocolate that the original film captured so well.
Best Ooompa Loompahs: 1971. 2005’s Ooompah Loompah’s got danceable reboot, but lost what the original did so well. The 1971 Ooompah Loompahs’ song mocked the selfish children as the each fell victim to their own vices. The “Ooompa Loompa Doo Pa Dee Doo” was a sign that a harsh lesson was to be learned and the child and parents ridiculed for their shortcomings and failures.
buy chocolate bars onlineBest Willy Wonka: 2 votes for each, so the tie-breaker and most important aspect of either films, who was the best Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp. While Johnny Depp created a fascinating character with an interesting back story, the Willy Wonka that is the greatest representation of what Willy Wonka is suppose to be—a kooky, mysterious chocolatier who holds the contest with the goal of finding a child with a pure heart to become an heir to the factory—is Gene Wilder.
Perhaps it’s the unconcerned, bored way that Gene Wilder says “No…don’t do that” when one of the children is about to fall victim to one of his many traps, or the way that he tests the children by having someone pose as a competitor willing to pay top dollar for one of his creations that Gene Wilder seems in charge of the situation. The factory is a funhouse, albeit a weird and possibly scary funhouse, but beneath the guises of fear it seems harmless. Johnny Depp’s factory is terrifying. Maybe they don’t have the scary chocolate river cave, but he acts sincere about not knowing whether or not a child is in harm’s way. He chooses Charlie because he is the last one remaining, not because of some personal quality that makes him particularly suited to the job, just because he’s still there. Plus, Depp’s Wonka beats cows to make whipped cream. Which is just wrong.
Agree with me? Feel free to post your opinions in the comments.
Chocolate Dipped Beef Jerky
If you are anything like me than you are always looking to try new and exciting things. I recently decided to make my own homemade version of beef jerky and I couldn't believe the difference between my homemade version and the stuff you find in stores. This jerky was so rich with flavor and tempting that my family and I ate the entire batch the evening that I made it and trust me, we had no regrets about doing it either. However, the whole time I was eating it I couldn't help but think how delicious this version would be if it was dipped in chocolate! So, with a little tweaking I came up with the following recipe for chocolate dipped beef jerky. Can you think of a more incredible do-it-yourself idea for dad this Father's Day? The following recipe is compliments of Sulpice Chocolat.
buy chocolate bars online
photo credit: wikipedia
1 ½ cups amber ale or lager
1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ tbs coarsely ground black
½ pound tempered chocolate
1 pounds trimmed beef top round or bottom round, about 1 1/2 inches thick
In a large bowl, combine the beer, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and ground pepper.
Cut the beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices adding to marinade as you slice making sure each piece is completely coated with the marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Place a large wire rack over the top of a baking sheet. Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place marinated beef on the wire rack being careful not to allow beef pieces to touch. Bake for about 4 hours, until the jerky is almost completely dry, but still chewy. Let cool completely before dipping into tempered chocolate.
Once cool dip into tempered chocolate and allow to set at room temperature on parchment.
Enjoy!
buy chocolate bars online
photo credit: wikipedia
1 ½ cups amber ale or lager
1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ tbs coarsely ground black
½ pound tempered chocolate
1 pounds trimmed beef top round or bottom round, about 1 1/2 inches thick
In a large bowl, combine the beer, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and ground pepper.
Cut the beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices adding to marinade as you slice making sure each piece is completely coated with the marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Place a large wire rack over the top of a baking sheet. Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place marinated beef on the wire rack being careful not to allow beef pieces to touch. Bake for about 4 hours, until the jerky is almost completely dry, but still chewy. Let cool completely before dipping into tempered chocolate.
Once cool dip into tempered chocolate and allow to set at room temperature on parchment.
Enjoy!
The Perfect Chocolate Martini
I used to have a stigma against martinis. I always imagined that the liquid with the green olive suspended in the middle tasted like vodka and sea water. However, I’ve recently started drinking modern takes on martinis and now Wednesdays nights at Blue Line Lounge and Grill off of the Damen Blue Line in Chicago is a few friends and my regular martini night. They have 32 types of martinis ($5 on Wednesdays), including chocolate martinis, which I am happy to report, are the best drinks on earth. Ever.
buy dark chocolate bars onlineMy absolute favorite martini (for the moment) is made with vodka, Bailey’s, and Amaretto. I always thought that combining two things that delicious (Bailey’s and Amaretto) would defy some law of the universe and create a rip in the space time continuum. I had a sip of their German chocolate martini last night, and that may put it in serious competition next week.
Anyway, now that I’ve tasted the sweet, chocolatey nectar of the martini gods, I want to make my own. I’ve found a few chocolate martini recipes on the web that sound fantastic.
Martini Fun Fact:
There is a debate among martini connoisseurs and biochemists who study alcohol (presumably the best and least productive job ever) whether shaking or stirring affects the taste of the drink. However, most casual martini drinkers think martinis ought to be shaken not stirred, but not because any study has proven benefits to shaking, but because that’s the way James Bond ordered his martini.
buy milk chocolate bars online
Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Martini:
I’ve had Bailey’s in almost anything you could put it in: martinis, coffee, cakes, ice cream, bread pudding, etc... Bailey’s is the all spice of rich desserts (except fruit pies, that would be weird). Mint adds an extra special kick of taste bud ecstasy to an already delightful treat.
Ingredients
2 ounces Mint Bailey's Irish Cream
½ ounce Vanilla Vodka
2 sprigs of Fresh Mint
Chocolate Stick or Syrup
Coconut-Cherry Chocolate Martini
The triple C’s of dessert flavors. Yum
½ ounce chocolate liqueur
½ ounce coconut rum (suggestion: Parrot Bay Coconut Rum)
½ ounce cherry-flavored Vodka
¼ ounce of chocolate shavings
Chocolate Espresso Martini
1 ½ ounce Absolut Vanilla Vodka
¼ ounce Kahlua liqueur
½ ounce Crème de Cacao, Dark
1 ounce Espresso
More Martini Fun Facts:
Traditional martinis are made with gin and vermouth, garnished with lemon peel or an olive.
The stem of the martini glass was introduced so that the drinker’s hand wouldn’t touch the glass containing the liquid because the heat from the hand would make the drink go flat.
According to Brainy Quote George Clooney once bought a piano so he could play “As Time Goes By” while a girl leaned against it drinking a martini. I doubt this is true as George Clooney could go any place with a piano and say, “I want women with martinis to lean near this” and an army of women would appear at his command. Then again, buying a piano for George Clooney is an expense comparable to buying a value-size frosty from Wendy’s for the rest of us.
P.J. O’Rourke, an American political satirist and author, said “Zen martini: A martini with no vermouth at all. And no gin, either.” P.J O’Rourke has quickly become a drinker after my own heart.
Another American satirist, H.L Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." Eat your heart out, Shakespeare.
buy dark chocolate bars onlineMy absolute favorite martini (for the moment) is made with vodka, Bailey’s, and Amaretto. I always thought that combining two things that delicious (Bailey’s and Amaretto) would defy some law of the universe and create a rip in the space time continuum. I had a sip of their German chocolate martini last night, and that may put it in serious competition next week.
Anyway, now that I’ve tasted the sweet, chocolatey nectar of the martini gods, I want to make my own. I’ve found a few chocolate martini recipes on the web that sound fantastic.
Martini Fun Fact:
There is a debate among martini connoisseurs and biochemists who study alcohol (presumably the best and least productive job ever) whether shaking or stirring affects the taste of the drink. However, most casual martini drinkers think martinis ought to be shaken not stirred, but not because any study has proven benefits to shaking, but because that’s the way James Bond ordered his martini.
buy milk chocolate bars online
Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Martini:
I’ve had Bailey’s in almost anything you could put it in: martinis, coffee, cakes, ice cream, bread pudding, etc... Bailey’s is the all spice of rich desserts (except fruit pies, that would be weird). Mint adds an extra special kick of taste bud ecstasy to an already delightful treat.
Ingredients
2 ounces Mint Bailey's Irish Cream
½ ounce Vanilla Vodka
2 sprigs of Fresh Mint
Chocolate Stick or Syrup
Coconut-Cherry Chocolate Martini
The triple C’s of dessert flavors. Yum
½ ounce chocolate liqueur
½ ounce coconut rum (suggestion: Parrot Bay Coconut Rum)
½ ounce cherry-flavored Vodka
¼ ounce of chocolate shavings
Chocolate Espresso Martini
1 ½ ounce Absolut Vanilla Vodka
¼ ounce Kahlua liqueur
½ ounce Crème de Cacao, Dark
1 ounce Espresso
More Martini Fun Facts:
Traditional martinis are made with gin and vermouth, garnished with lemon peel or an olive.
The stem of the martini glass was introduced so that the drinker’s hand wouldn’t touch the glass containing the liquid because the heat from the hand would make the drink go flat.
According to Brainy Quote George Clooney once bought a piano so he could play “As Time Goes By” while a girl leaned against it drinking a martini. I doubt this is true as George Clooney could go any place with a piano and say, “I want women with martinis to lean near this” and an army of women would appear at his command. Then again, buying a piano for George Clooney is an expense comparable to buying a value-size frosty from Wendy’s for the rest of us.
P.J. O’Rourke, an American political satirist and author, said “Zen martini: A martini with no vermouth at all. And no gin, either.” P.J O’Rourke has quickly become a drinker after my own heart.
Another American satirist, H.L Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." Eat your heart out, Shakespeare.
A Fresh Twist on Chocolate Éclairs
When one thinks of French pastry, it’s impossible to think of éclairs. These log-shaped pastries filled with rich custard and topped with a decadent chocolate ganache have been around since the nineteenth century. Most of us know what an éclair looks and tastes like but it shrouded in mystery. First, no one knows for sure how these sweet pastries came about. However, historians speculate that a French pastry chef by the name of Marie-Antoine Carême first concocted éclairs.
Éclair is the French word for lightning. Again, the mystery builds on as no one can tell for sure why a log shaped pastry covered with rich, dark chocolate ganache will be named after something light and bright. Some believe that this treat is named lightning because it possesses a flashy glisten when coated with a glaze or ganache. Who knows?
dark chocolate bar eclairsWhat we do know for sure is that the traditional éclair has three components: the pâte à choux, the crème pâtissière, and the chocolate ganache.
The pâte à choux refers to the soft pastry dough that is the éclair’s body. It is baked until the outside is crisp and the inside is hollow: a perfect vessel for the crème pâtissière or vanilla pastry cream. Usually, the pastry cream is piped to the hollow inside of the éclair, but for convenience sake, some split the pastry in half and fills the éclair that way. And of course, this decadent dessert will not be as rich without the shiny chocolate ganache on top.
Much like any classic dessert, the éclair has come a long way from just being filled with vanilla pastry cream and coated with the chocolate ganache. Bakers from all over have put a twist on this classic. From matcha-flavored to Bourbon Vanilla with Wild Strawberries, these sweet and airy pastries can handle flavors of all kinds (very much like chocolate itself!).
The key to making an excellent éclair is mastering the pâte à choux. It is more than just a regular pastry and needs a little more love and attention than the average. The recipe for pâte à choux changes slightly depending on what it will be used in a savory or a sweet dish.
Éclair is the French word for lightning. Again, the mystery builds on as no one can tell for sure why a log shaped pastry covered with rich, dark chocolate ganache will be named after something light and bright. Some believe that this treat is named lightning because it possesses a flashy glisten when coated with a glaze or ganache. Who knows?
dark chocolate bar eclairsWhat we do know for sure is that the traditional éclair has three components: the pâte à choux, the crème pâtissière, and the chocolate ganache.
The pâte à choux refers to the soft pastry dough that is the éclair’s body. It is baked until the outside is crisp and the inside is hollow: a perfect vessel for the crème pâtissière or vanilla pastry cream. Usually, the pastry cream is piped to the hollow inside of the éclair, but for convenience sake, some split the pastry in half and fills the éclair that way. And of course, this decadent dessert will not be as rich without the shiny chocolate ganache on top.
Much like any classic dessert, the éclair has come a long way from just being filled with vanilla pastry cream and coated with the chocolate ganache. Bakers from all over have put a twist on this classic. From matcha-flavored to Bourbon Vanilla with Wild Strawberries, these sweet and airy pastries can handle flavors of all kinds (very much like chocolate itself!).
The key to making an excellent éclair is mastering the pâte à choux. It is more than just a regular pastry and needs a little more love and attention than the average. The recipe for pâte à choux changes slightly depending on what it will be used in a savory or a sweet dish.
Ganache: A Must-Have Recipe for Dessert Lovers
buy dark chocolate onlineGanache is a must-have in any chocolate-lover’s arsenal of delectable recipes. One of the most versatile ingredients in desserts, ganache is found on truffles, éclairs, cakes, cookies and almost anything you can think of putting chocolate in. The things you can do with ganache are endless; it truly is a platform for creativity. Surprisingly, the components of ganache remain the same regardless of its use: cream and premium quality chocolate. But how can one recipe become a smooth, liquid coating for cakes and a soft, spreadable core for a chocolate truffle?
The secret lies in the ratio of chocolate and cream in the recipe. According to Robert Linxe, owner of La Maison du Chocolat in Paris, a basic ganache recipe consists of two parts chocolate and one part cream in weight. This ratio makes the ganache perfect for piping into pastries such as éclairs or rolling into truffles when the mixture cools to room temperature. buy dark chocolate bars online
For a more liquid ganache that’s perfect for coating cakes, we at Sulpice Chocolat would love to share this recipe for a more fluid but equally rich chocolate ganache (inspired by Stephanie Jaworski from JoyofBaking.com and Mr. Robert Linxe):
Ingredients for Ganache
8 ounces (227 grams) high quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of any flavor of your choice (liqueurs, brandy, cognac, or extracts), optional
Instructions:
1. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces using a serrated knife so the chocolate bits don’t catapult off the chopping board.
2. In a saucepan, bring the cream and butter to a boil then remove from heat. Bring the cream to boil and remove from heat for two more times. This will get rid of the cream’s acidity. You can also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.
3. After removing from heat for the last time, wait 20 seconds before pouring the cream onto the chopped chocolate. Very gently stir the mixture with a spoon or whisk to avoid incorporating air into the ganache. Start stirring from the middle and work your way out.
4. Add the flavor of your choice at the end and stir until combined.buy dark chocolate bars online
5. To coat cakes, brush off any crumbs from the cake to ensure a smooth finish. Refrigerate the cake beforehand to also keep the coating’s shine later. When cooled, coat the cake with a thin layer of ganache then refrigerate for a few minutes. Place the coated cake on a wire rack (make sure there’s something underneath it to catch the excess ganache!) and pour a generous amount of ganache to the center of the cake. Using a metal spatula or knife, quickly spread the ganache evenly on top and on the sides of the cake. Let the ganache set.
6. This recipe can also be used to make truffles. Just cover the ganache and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight for best results. Roll the firm ganache into balls and coat with cocoa powder or whatever coating best suits your taste. Enjoy!
Chocolate Trend Monday: Aerated Chocolate Bars
We at Sulpice Chocolat want to dedicate each Monday to an interesting trend in chocolate and desserts. This is the first of the series, aerated chocolate bars.
This past month Sulpice Chocolat attended the Sweet & Snacks Expo. We met a ton of awesome people and tasted so many different treats. We also caught a glimpse of upcoming products in the chocolate world. One of the most talked about products was aerated chocolate bars. Aerated chocolate incorporates air into melted chocolate resulting in a bar that weighs about half as much as a regular chocolate bar and has small air bubbles in the center. The chocolate is softer and melts at a lower temperature. The texture is halfway between chocolate frosting and chocolate fudge.
The aerated chocolate fad may be the next big thing in the United States, but it has a long history internationally. The first aerated chocolate was called Aero bar and was manufactured by Rowntree. Aero hit the scene in 1935 in Northern England, but eventually made its way across the world, arriving in New York in 1936. However, aerated chocolate was never a huge hit in the United States. Besides the 1930s, Aero bar was brought to the United States one other time, the 1980’s, but it was never a commercial success.
Although the United States gave Aero the cold shoulder, Aero bars did find success in Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, Nicaragua, the Republic of Ireland, Kuwait, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Bahrain, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. .
Maybe 2011 will be the year for aerated chocolate in the United States. Personally, I prefer the snap and texture of traditional chocolate bar. Aerated chocolate is a bit too soft and melts too easily for me, but you may like to give it a whirl.
This past month Sulpice Chocolat attended the Sweet & Snacks Expo. We met a ton of awesome people and tasted so many different treats. We also caught a glimpse of upcoming products in the chocolate world. One of the most talked about products was aerated chocolate bars. Aerated chocolate incorporates air into melted chocolate resulting in a bar that weighs about half as much as a regular chocolate bar and has small air bubbles in the center. The chocolate is softer and melts at a lower temperature. The texture is halfway between chocolate frosting and chocolate fudge.
The aerated chocolate fad may be the next big thing in the United States, but it has a long history internationally. The first aerated chocolate was called Aero bar and was manufactured by Rowntree. Aero hit the scene in 1935 in Northern England, but eventually made its way across the world, arriving in New York in 1936. However, aerated chocolate was never a huge hit in the United States. Besides the 1930s, Aero bar was brought to the United States one other time, the 1980’s, but it was never a commercial success.
Although the United States gave Aero the cold shoulder, Aero bars did find success in Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, Nicaragua, the Republic of Ireland, Kuwait, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Bahrain, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. .
Maybe 2011 will be the year for aerated chocolate in the United States. Personally, I prefer the snap and texture of traditional chocolate bar. Aerated chocolate is a bit too soft and melts too easily for me, but you may like to give it a whirl.
Chocolate and Culture: Chocolate Website
We at Sulpice Chocolat lead two lives. On one hand we are the incarnation of Vianne Rocher from the 2000 movie Chocolat, handcrafting perfect chocolate treats day and night.
In our other lives, we are active members of the 20th century and our culture. So we decided to combine our passion with an exploration of our culture, by looking at other, interesting places chocolate has made its mark.
Drinking beer is a world-wide pastime, called by some the “oldest drink in the world”. Chocolate, as we know it, may have a shorter history, but it is a cultural staple. Both are as essential to American culture as baseball. Recent years have seen the marriage of chocolate and beer, a match made in cultural heaven.
Sagres beer of Portugal takes this marriage of beer and chocolate to a new aesthetic and cyber level, promoting their new chocolate beer with a chocolate website. Note, we said chocolate, not chocolate themed. The website was created from pictures of actual chocolates. Everything from the background to the wording is chocolate. The clickable chocolates also break as the pointer hovers above them. Needless to say, we are impressed. And hungry. Mid-day Moka bar break, methinks. buy chocolate bars online
Continue...
In our other lives, we are active members of the 20th century and our culture. So we decided to combine our passion with an exploration of our culture, by looking at other, interesting places chocolate has made its mark.
Drinking beer is a world-wide pastime, called by some the “oldest drink in the world”. Chocolate, as we know it, may have a shorter history, but it is a cultural staple. Both are as essential to American culture as baseball. Recent years have seen the marriage of chocolate and beer, a match made in cultural heaven.
Sagres beer of Portugal takes this marriage of beer and chocolate to a new aesthetic and cyber level, promoting their new chocolate beer with a chocolate website. Note, we said chocolate, not chocolate themed. The website was created from pictures of actual chocolates. Everything from the background to the wording is chocolate. The clickable chocolates also break as the pointer hovers above them. Needless to say, we are impressed. And hungry. Mid-day Moka bar break, methinks. buy chocolate bars online
Continue...
订阅：
博文 (Atom)