The perfect starter kit for any chocolate lover……. Hotel Chocolat have put together a splendid ‘Discovery’ Box
- 62% Rabot Estate milk chocolate bar
- 72% Rabot Estate dark chocolate bar
- Liquid Chocolat – authentic dark chocolate drink with chilli
- A bag of mousse au chocolat truffles
- Dark chocolate dipper to swirl in hot drinks and nibble
I can hardly believe this news story - I found myself checking the date to see if it was 1st April! Granted Ferrero Rocher are not my favourite but….
No interest, chocolate eating contest cancelled
Mar 14, 2008 01:25 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
STELLARTON, N.S.–It sounds hard to believe, but a chocolate eating contest at a Nova Scotia museum has been cancelled because of lack of interest.
The contest was supposed to be held tomorrow at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton, N.S., the New Glasgow News reported today.
But museum spokeswoman Denise Taylor says only three contestants signed up.
Contestants were to eat as many Ferrero Rocher chocolates as they could in one minute.
I have many recipes for Hot Chocolate, this is probably the most basic and is ideal when you want it NOW!
1 - 2 oz (25 - 50 gms) good quality chocolate, broken to pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) milk, cold
8 fl ozs (200 mls) hot, but not quite boiling, milk
A large spoonful of double (heavy) cream
Put the chocolate and cold milk into a heavy saucepan and warm over a gentle heat
When it starts to melt and before the liquid boils, remove from the heat and allow the chocolate to soften
Beat into a smooth paste with a small whisk
Slowly add one or two tablespoons of the hot milk to dilute the paste, then slowly add the rest of the milk, continuing to stir all the time
If necessary reheat just a little but do not allow it to boil or you will lose the lovely chocolate aroma!
Pour into a large cup and drizzle the cream across the top.
Curl up in your favourite armchair and drink slowly.
I’ve never thought of Nestlé as a Gourmet Chocolate manufacturer but it seems that all that is about to change.
Roland Decorvet, head of Nestlé in Switzerland announced that the company plans to open a research centre that will develop new chocolate products to meet the anticipated growth in demand for luxury and gourmet confectionary. The centre will apparently employ up to 30 Chocolatiers and will open in the first half of next year at the company’s factory in the Swiss town of Broc. Nestlé will be investing around 20 million Swiss francs ($19.6 million) in the project.
You just have to start with chocolate truffles - and these are so quick and simple to make… They will keep for quite a while and will freeze, if they last that long!
Ingredients:
8 oz (200 gms) Semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup (80ml) Milk
1/3 cup (80 gms) Unsalted butter
2 Egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling
Instructions:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the chocolate with the milk and butter over a low heat, stirring until smooth.
Remove from heat. Put the egg yolks into a medium sized bowl and stir 1/4 cup of the hot mixture, then whisk the yolk mix into the rest of chocolate mixture in the saucepan.
Add the vanilla essence and beat well.
Pour into small bowl, cover and refrigerate until firm.
You can store in refrigerator for up to 2 days at this point
Form small teaspoonful sized amounts into balls, roll in the cocoa powder and shake off any excess.
I thought I would start this homage to chocolate blog with some good news - apparently the increasing demand for gourmet chocolate is bringing about a revival in fortunes for the Cocoa Farmers of Central America.
According to a recent article by Brian Harris which I came across on Reuters the local population are once again planting cocoa because of the increased prices that can be obtained for high quality cocoa. The added benefit that most people are happy to pay a premium for Fair Trade supplies makes it even more woth while for the farmers, who have long been taken advantage of by some of the bulk chocolate manufacturers. If the chocolate is also grown organically then there is an even higher premium which gives the farmer a fair return for his labour.
Most of the chocolate we eat comes from Africa but I have to confess to a personal fondness for the South American chocolate, the partial fermentation of the beans seems to give it an extra richness, so this is good news.
If you would like to read Brian Harris’ article, you will find it here.
