Chocolate University Online Blog
 No one knows for sure how St. Valentines Day became synonymous with romantic love. There are a number of theories, but that is not really important. Once the tradition got started, all kinds of things naturally presented themselves as part of the language of love…
Like chocolate, for instance.
Chocolate and romance go together.
Throughout history, people have believed chocolate to be an aphrodisiac. It is said that Montezuma drank chocolate to increase his amorous energy and stamina. From ancient Mexico to Europe and then to America, this legend spread across the globe and survived the centuries as a powerful love potion.
Chocolate is a complex food and scientists try to unlock its secrets. When eaten, it changes human behavior, especially in women. Chocolate contains two substances called Phenylethylamine and Seratonin. These are responsible for lifting one’s mood and making us experience feelings of well being, love and happiness.
When Phenylethylamine and Seratonin are released into the body, they can produce arousing effects and give us instant energy. No wonder chocolate has gained a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Women are more susceptible to the effects of Phenylethylamine and Seratonin than men.
Still, the debate continues as to whether or not there is scientific evidence proving chocolate as an aphrodisiac. Sure, there are chemicals in chocolate that makes us “feel good” but so does the act of eating the chocolate because it TASTES good. And I, for one, feel good when I receive chocolate as a gift. It gives me feelings of being loved.
There is no doubt about one thing – chocolate and romance do go together.
Enjoy some chocolate this Valentines Day!
Categories: chocolate education, fun chocolate facts
Tags: chocolate facts, chocolate history, holidays
The bright purple wrapper of Trader Joe’s Organic Super Dark Chocolate and the equally bright pink packaging of Trader Joe’s Swiss Milk Chocolate certainly catch the attention of shoppers lining up in the check out lane. But what really got MY attention were the claims on the label.
The organic, 73% super dark chocolate bar reads “this bar is not for the faint of heart.” The Swiss milk says “incomparable flavor!”
Hmmm. Sounds like challenges I can’t ignore!
In order to collect as much data as possible, I took the bars to the office and shared the tasting experience with my work mates.
In a unanimous outcome, 4 out of 4 agreed that the organic dark was DELICIOUS. I tasted a good percentage of Ecuadorian in the formula and since that is one my favorite flavor profiles I gave the thumbs up as well. This chocolate starts out with strong roasted cocoa and fruity notes and finishes with a small bitter kick. It leaves a lasting impression of overall smoothness and well-balanced character.
3 out of 4 voted the milk chocolate was GOOD but on the edge of being too intensely milky and creamy. It should taste milky and creamy because it has 23% milk solids. This is almost double the amount of milk that would be required to call it milk chocolate in the United States.
One person did not favor the lingering milky aftertaste stating that it left her with “unpleasant milk breath.”
I would have appreciated more toffee-like notes instead of milky notes. The longer a milk chocolate is cooked and mixed (a process called “conched”) the more caramel or toffee flavor comes out.
We enjoyed both chocolate bars but the 73% dark won the day. I guess we are not faint of heart afterall!
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate bars, dark chocolate, grocery product, milk chocolate, organic chocolate
Have you ever cut corners while cooking? Ever used short cuts that the original recipe had you make from scratch?
 I have. And why not? Most often those “changes” don’t affect the final product and it saves lots of time. Yes, sometimes I even buy frosting in a can (shhh, don’t tell my kids!).
One thing I have learned from my experience working with chocolate is that there are some short cuts that work and some that don’t.
Let’s consider the making of chocolate-covered strawberries. Can you cheat at making chocolate covered strawberries without anyone noticing?
Yes, but………
The real timesaver when making chocolate-covered strawberries would be to figure out how to quickly temper, or harden, the chocolate coating. Normally, the tempering process takes time and certain amount of skill gained by practice. Although there are ways to speed up the solidification of chocolate, there is no good way to fake a tempered chocolate.
There are many recipes you can get your hands on that tell you how to make chocolate-covered strawberries. And almost all of those tell you to melt the chocolate, dip the strawberries, and then put into them in the refrigerator to harden. Voila, done!
That method is indeed fast and easy but it only works if you eat the strawberries within seconds of taking them out of the fridge. If you want to put those remarkably delicious works of art out on a plate for your guests to admire before eating, the quality of the experience will certainly be diminished if you took the easy way out.
The chocolate coating should be tempered. This is not a step I recommend you skip. An un-tempered coating will start to melt in your hand almost immediately. It will bend when you bite it – giving you a soft and pasty feel in the mouth. The chocolate will melt quickly on your tongue and the flavor will be gone before you can savor it.
A tempered chocolate will give a crisp snap when you bite and won’t get all gooey on your fingers while you hold it. The chocolate will melt slowly in your mouth and allow a full blast of chocolate flavor to come through.
If the strawberries with un-tempered chocolate sit long enough, they may start to bloom. This means they will develop a white dust over the surface and look very unappetizing.
Try dipping strawberries in tempered chocolate and notice the difference. If needed, refer to my earlier blogs on how to temper chocolate. It will be worth the effort.
Categories: chocolate education
Tags: chocolate covered fruit, chocolate lessons, working with chocolate
According to the USDA website, www.usda.gov, chocolate and cocoa powder contain “hefty quantities of natural antioxidants called flavonoids…..antioxidants are thought to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke.”
How do anti-oxidants help us? “Anti”-oxidants counteract the negative effects of oxidation on our bodies. Oxidation damages cells and tissues. What is oxidation, you ask?
 Here’s a simple example that you’re familiar with. Think of a slice of apple turning brown shortly after you cut it. This is discoloring demonstrates the damage that oxidation causes on the cells of the apple. If instead of leaving the slice out in the open air, you dip immediately in some lemon juice, the brown oxidative damage slows w-a-y down. In this case the lemon juice is the antioxidant.
Our bodies are naturally good at fighting oxidation but it becomes more difficult as we grow older. Eating foods high in antioxidants can give our aging bodies a boost. Research has shown that red and purple colored fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, but chocolate and cocoa are among the highest in antioxidant power!
Researchers measure the effectiveness of foods containing antioxidants. Here is a handy chart of the top five foods packing a punch.
| Foods High in Antioxidants |
ORAC Score* |
| Unprocessed Cacao Bean |
26,000 |
| Goji Berries |
25,300 |
| Acai Berries |
18,000 |
| Dark Chocolate |
13,120 |
| Black Raspberries |
7,700 |
* Note that numbers will vary based on sample and other factors, but generally the order remains the same.
By the way, milk chocolate comes in a little lower, with an ORAC score of 6,740.
Some studies suggest that we should eat between 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units a day, while the average person only takes in about 1,200 ORAC units per day.
You know what that means, don’t you? EAT MORE CHOCOLATE. You don’t have to tell me twice!
Categories: chocolate education
Tags: antioxidants, cocoa, dark chocolate, healthy chocolate, milk chocolate, research
 I was recently introduced to of Seattle Reign a coffee from North Star Fine Coffees. This morning I sipped a delicious brew of the coffee and quietly ate my chocolate donut, trying to get some work done.
At one point I was rolling the two around my mouth at the same time, coffee and chocolate, chocolate and coffee… Then I experienced a new flavor emerge as I swallowed.
This got me thinking about chocolate and coffee pairings!
I grabbed the first chocolate I could find in my drawer (we all have a secret stash of chocolate nearby, right?) and pulled out a mostly Ecuadorian blend of 73% cacao dark chocolate. I let my coffee cool down just a bit so that I could better taste its subtle flavors.
First, I enjoyed the aroma of the chocolate, identified some familiar flavors and then took a bite. I allowed the chocolate to coat my mouth and took in the smooth texture.
As the chocolate melted, the flavors really exploded. Ecuadorian chocolate has one of my favorite flavor profiles. It is fruity, with a hint of nut, and the finish is intensely chocolate and astringent on the tongue.
Next, I smelled the coffee and identified as many flavors as I could just before taking a sip. Seattle Reign is a gem of a coffee with rich flavors of roasted chocolate, mixed with mild earthy and nutty notes.
The chocolate and coffee blended very well and introduced me to a new level of flavor complexity. I really enjoyed this pairing.
Since I am not as familiar with the flavor profiles of coffees as I am with chocolates, I will need to do some more research and some more pairings. That means spending more mornings drinking coffee and eating chocolate.
Oh darn. 
Categories: chocolate pairings, fine foods & beverages
Tags: chocolate and coffee, coffee, dark chocolate, tasting
It has been a while since I had Cheerios for breakfast. For me, Cheerios was the cereal I fed my toddler to keep him quiet in church, not something I was interested in eating for breakfast. What got my attention recently is the new Chocolate Cheerios.
 According to the Cheerios website, Chocolate Cheerios is “a perfect balance of whole grain goodness and a delicious touch of chocolate taste in every bite.”
I am a fan of whole grain goodness, but I am even more a fan of chocolate!
Chocolate cheerios is delicious. I prefer it in milk as the chocolate flavor is more pronounced, but a handful of the dry cereal makes a great snack at the office. In addition to the chocolaty flavor, there are only 9 grams of sugar per serving.
The cheerios are coated in cocoa processed with alkali. What does that mean?
Cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor (made from ground up cocoa beans) is pressed to remove most of the cocoa butter. The cocoa solids that remain are processed to make a fine unsweetened powder. There are two types of cocoa powder: natural and processed with alkali, also called Dutched cocoa.
Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Processed Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. The result of this process turns the cocoa powder a deeper, darker color and provides a more well- rounded, less bitter chocolate flavor.
Dutched cocoa has many applications. And, now with Chocolate Cheerios, there’s another.
Categories: chocolate education, chocolate review
Tags: chocolate cereal, cocoa, dutched cocoa, grocery product
 Back in 1909 Walter Baker & Co., Ltd. published a little book called Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes By Miss Parloa and Home Made Candy Recipes By Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill.
The staff here at Chocolate University Online have created a special 100th anniversary edition of this book and released it in a PDF download format.
In addition to the original text and 138 recipes, the book contains an all new introduction by CUO staff. We also took each of the pictures and moved them to the same page as their corresponding recipes. It’s much more convenient to see the picture right there rather than looking at various photo pages to get an idea of the finished product.
Furthermore, we added a great new alphabetical index. Now if you know the name of the recipe you’ll be able to find it quickly. That makes the book much friendlier than the original which, quite uselessly, listed all recipes in page number order.
The new version is for sale and immediate download at our Chocolate Store page. Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate recipes, fun chocolate facts, shameless self promotion
Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate candy, chocolate dessert, chocolate history, hot chocolate, nostalgia
I dislike grocery shopping. Yet, once in a while, I do have brief feelings of enjoyment when I discover something unexpected.
During my most recent trip to the store I found myself downright giddy. My thrill came from a new addition in the candy/chocolate aisle – a line of chocolate bars from Valrhona. It was like finding gemstones among rocks.
Valrhona is known as a top leader in the world of chocolate, Le Grand Chocolat. They were founded in 1922 in France. They have a reputation for supplying the finest chocolate ingredients to restaurants, bakeries, and chocolate shops.
Their retail chocolate bars are made exclusively from Grand Cru chocolates. Grand Cru, usually used in reference to wine, is a term in the chocolate industry which means the cacao beans come from specific plantations famous for their distinctive flavor characteristics.
The bar I especially enjoy is the Grand Cru Manjari with Orange. This chocolate originates in Madagascar and offers “a fresh, acidic, sharp bouquet with red fruit notes.” The natural terroir, another adopted wine term, of this chocolate (fruity and tangy notes) blends nicely with the “citrus sweetness of orange comfit.”
Yes, it does taste as good as it sounds! I bought mine for $4.49 at the nearby Pick ‘N Save grocery store. The price is twice as much compared to the surrounding chocolate bars, but a bargain in my eyes. This is top of line deliciousness!
Shopping for groceries may not be so bad after all. Next time I go, I will reward myself with a Grand Cru Caraïbe with hazelnuts!
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate bars, chocolate companies, favorite chocolate, flavors, grocery product
I recently taught a chocolate and wine tasting seminar. We tasted delicious, hand-made chocolates from local chocolate shops. Afterward, one of the attendees took me aside and made a confession…
She said I did a great job pointing out the reasons to fall in love with gourmet chocolate, but that sometimes she just wants a big handful of M&Ms. She wondered if something was wrong with her.
Perhaps there are many things wrong with her, but I don’t think craving M&M’s is one of them! A large part of enjoying chocolate involves memories of our early chocolate experiences. Children as young as age 9-11 start to prefer chocolate over other candy.
(Some of my early chocolate memories don’t involve Hershey bars or M&M’s so maybe that is why I don’t reach for them when I have a chocolate craving. My Dad introduced me to Marshall Field’s Frango™ Mints and Dark Chocolate Covered Orange Peel at an early age. Thank you, Dad!)
If you crave mass-produced candy bars you are not alone. The top ten most popular chocolate bars in the U.S. (based on sales in US Dollars) are:
1. Snickers
2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
3. Kit Kat
4. Butterfinger
5. Milky Way
6. 3 Musketeers
7. Baby Ruth
8. M&Ms Plain Chocolate Candies
9. Oh Henry
10. Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar
Snickers tops the list with over 2 BILLION dollars in global annual sales!
Sometimes our past favorites are not made anymore. Do you remember any of these candy bars?
- Bar None
- Caravelle Bar
- Chocolate Babies
- Chocolate Cow
- Chocolite
- Forever Yours
- Rally Bar
- Marathon
- Mars Bar
- Milkshake Candy Bar
- Nestle Alpine White Bar
- PBMax Candy Bar
- Peanut Butter No Jelly Bar
- Seven-Up Bar
- Willie Wonka Oompas
I will always recommend you choose fine premium chocolate over the vending machine candy bar. But, if you need a trip down memory lane, I say go for it. And after you have satisfied that urge, promise me you’ll take a moment and enjoy a fresh chocolate truffle or a rich butter cream.
Categories: fun chocolate facts
Tags: candy bars, chocolate bars, favorite chocolate, grocery product, nostalgia
I recently took a cruise to the eastern Caribbean with Royal Caribbean International. Although I loved the sun, fun, and sea, what I really enjoyed were some of the most memorable desserts I have ever been eaten.
 One those desserts that will forever stand out for me was the Molten Chocolate Cake.
Wow…
Yum…
Sorry for the pause. I might have lost consciousness just now thinking about it.
Molten chocolate cake is a popular and luxurious dessert. It is a combination of flourless chocolate and soufflé.
Sometimes it is called Chocolate Lava Cake (or even Molten Chocolate Lava Cake).
There is some dispute as to the inventor of the molten chocolate cake. On the one hand, a U.S chef takes credit by exclaiming that he accidentally took a chocolate sponge cake out of the oven before it was done. On the other, a French chef argues that such a dessert already existed in France.
In my opinion, it does not matter who invented it. The most important thing is that it was invented!
Butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate are the four main ingredients of a molten chocolate cake. Typically, the eggs are whisked together with sugar to form a dense, thick paste while the butter and chocolate are melted together. There is a lighter version that separates the egg whites so they can be whipped into a foam to create more lift when baked.
Have you ever heard the saying: “A little too much chocolate is just about right?” After eating a Molten Chocolate Cake, you’ll know what that means.
I should have purchased the recipe book from Royal Caribbean so that I could make their actual version. But, alas, I did not. Here’s another version that I hope you enjoy…
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
6 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate
6 oz. Butter, sliced (at room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler or slowly in a microwave oven. Stir in the butter until melted. Beat the eggs with the sugar until fully mixed and the color lightens. Stir the melted chocolate mix into the egg mix. Stir in the flour.
Preheat the over to 350°F. Pour the batter into 4 buttered ramekins. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove ramekins from ovre and tip upside down onto dessert plates. Serve while still warm. |
Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate dessert
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