Chocolate University Online Blog
I can’t imagine getting bored with chocolate. There has never been a time in chocolate history as full of imagination and creativity with chocolate as there is now.
One of the leaders successfully bringing new and innovative flavor combinations to chocolate is Montezuma’s.
You may already know that I am a huge fan of dark chocolate and orange. Chocolate and orange is so yesterday! My new favorite is Dark chocolate with Orange and Geranium.
I think Montezuma’s co-founder Helen Pattinson sums it up when she says, “If you try only one bar from our range, I would recommend this best selling little number.”
The Dark Chocolate with Orange and Geranium has a rich, intense 73% minimum chocolate, adding citrus and floral notes in perfect harmony. I was skeptical at first about having such a strong floral flavor, but since I enjoy other floral flavors with chocolate as lavender and chamomile, I thought I’d give it an open mind.
Thank goodness I did!
Speaking of having an open mind, there are other glorious chocolate discoveries at their website www.montezumas.co.uk.
 For the milk chocolate lover, you must try the Milk Chocolate Chilli & Lime. It is as incredible as it is unlikely. Just right amount of heat from the chili lingers at the back of throat after the chocolate and lime have melted away.
No, ordinary is not part of Montezuma’s world. Go and enjoy something extra-ordinary!
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: candy bars, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, world chocolate
 Chocolate and balsamic vinegar doesn’t sound like it would make a good couple, but I recently had a reason to try it. My sister gave me a bottle of Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar by Oro di Oliva for my birthday.
This unique vinegar makes an outstanding marinade for chicken or pork or pour it over fresh berries. On the Oro di Oliva label, it is suggested I drizzle it on ice cream – strange, but I’ll try it!
Tasting the chocolate balsamic vinegar straight, I detect a rich but basic chocolate flavor mixed with lots complex balsamic flavors. I am surprised by how well all these flavors work together.
Of course, the true test is making something and feeding it to the family. And the result?
I got compliments galore with this recipe!
Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar Truffles
8.5 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cream
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cocoa powder, to coat truffles
(Instead of regular balsamic vinegar, I used the Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar by Oro di Oliva.)
Directions
In a small sauce pan, heat the cream over low heat until hot but not boiling. Put chopped chocolate into a small bowl, and pour hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit two minutes. Stir until chocolate is smooth and melted. Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
Cool the chocolate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm but can still be easily formed into balls. It is critical to get the firmness correct and it will depend on the temperature of your refrigerator. Recheck every 15 to 30 minutes.
Place cocoa powder in a small shallow dish, like a pie dish. Use a teaspoon to scoop chocolate from bowl. Use your fingertips to shape into balls. Your body temperature will melt the chocolate and make it a little sticky, but do the best you can.
Roll the truffles around in the cocoa powder to coat, and set the chocolate balls on wax paper on a baking sheet. Serve the truffles right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. |
Categories: chocolate recipes, chocolate review
Tags: chocolate truffles, dark chocolate, flavors
In Devon England, Willie’s World Class Chocolate makes their chocolate the old fashioned way – the one hundred year-old way.
According to their website, www.williescacao.com, the equipment used to make their chocolate bars are antiques from the early 1900’s.
 Each package of their Delectable bars claims that antique machinery brings out the subtle and unique flavors of cocoa beans better than modern equipment which is designed to be fast and efficient.
To find out if the age of a roaster really makes a discernable difference, I bought two of Willie’s chocolate bars.
First I tasted the 69% Java Dark Chocolate. I enjoyed the soft caramel notes and delicate chocolate impact. Unfortunately, the chocolate was course which diminished my enjoyment a bit.
 Next, the Peruvian San Martin 70% Dark Chocolate. It was very good, with fruity notes and a bold chocolate aftertaste.
At the end of day, I still don’t know if the antiques contributed all that much to the flavor development of the chocolates. Without making the same recipe twice, once with the antiques and once with modern equipment, there’s really no way to know for sure.
But it doesn’t really matter. Good chocolate rarely has to be questioned.
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: candy bars, chocolate bars, dark chocolate
I have friends who are often reluctant to spend 10 dollars or more for a 100 gram chocolate bar. I can understand that. They wonder if it is worth it.
Here’s the thing; in the chocolate world, you get what you pay for!
There is an obvious taste and quality difference between a $0.79 chocolate bar and one that costs $1.99. All my friends get that. Also, there is a significant distinction between one priced at $1.99 and one for $7.99. Most of my friends get that. Where I lose almost all of them is anything above the magic $8 mark. Are the flavor differences that occur in this price range really worth the extra dough, they ask?
I say yes, but they remain skeptical. Well, if they want proof, I think I found it.
La Maison du Chocolat
Prices: $10.00 – $12.00
 I have not had the pleasure of tasting all that La Maison du Chocolat has to offer, but the Akosombo Bar is wonderful. Akosombo is 68% dark Ghana (Africa) chocolate with intense, robust chocolate notes, hints of roasted coffee, and a smooth, subtle tobacco finish.
The chocolate artists from La Maison du Chocolat believe in blending different varieties and origins of cocoa beans to create well balanced flavor profiles.
On their website they explain what matters most in flavor development: the provenance and the manner in which the beans have been roasted and then processed.
They go on to discuss that while a single origin chocolate will be of good general flavor and quality, a specific flavor profile can vary from one harvest to the next. This is why they prefer to precisely blend a variety of beans so the flavors can remain consistent from year to year.
I could not agree more! It is a science as well as an art to make an exceptional chocolate. It is clear that La Maison du Chocolat has perfected both.
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate bars, dark chocolate
Happy Earth Day!
Just in case you haven’t guessed the obvious… I enjoy eating chocolate, and I want chocolate to continue to be part of my world!
According to the International Cocoa Organization, 2.5 million farmers produce almost 90 percent of the world’s cocoa on about 5-10 acres. Most of the world’s cacao is grown on the small family owned farm. The best chocolate comes from shade grown cacao managed by farmers using small-scale, low-impact techniques.
There are still large, old style cocoa plantations in business. Cacao trees grow best in shade, but on a plantation they grow row upon row in full sun like an orchard. This practice results in the trees becoming stressed, more susceptible to disease and the soil more quickly depleted of nutrients. It is a large-scale, chemically intensive operation.
On this Earth Day, I am reminded to support the protection of our agricultural ecosystems as well as our fair trade economic system s.
I recently enjoyed a Divine Dark Chocolate 70%. Check out the Divine Dark Delights Gift Box at www.divinechocolateusa.com. Divine dark chocolate has a robust cocoa flavor with hints of fruit and earth and a smooth non-bitter aftertaste. That is heavenly!
Sweeter still was the warm fuzzy feeling I got from supporting the farmer-owned cooperative, Kuapa Kokoo, and their commitment to keeping chocolate around for a good long time.
Categories: chocolate education, chocolate review
Tags: cacao farms, chocolate bars, chocolate holidays
My little niece was baptized on Valentines Day, Feb. 14, 2010 in a small church near Covent Garden in London.
Previously I had been told the English didn’t celebrate Valentines Day much, but that’s not what I experienced. The chocolate shops and patisseries surrounding the church fully embraced the holiday with window displays decked out in red hearts, flower bouquets, and lots and lots of chocolate!
Most of the time I don’t buy chocolate truffles by the box and off the shelf because I don’t know how long ago those truffles were made. I prefer a really fresh, handmade truffle at the corner shop.
 But this day I could not resist the trimmings and trappings so I purchased a box of Thorntons Premium Collection of Truffles, Pralines and light Mousses in Milk, Dark, and White chocolate.
The verdict? Pretty good, and better than I expected! I couldn’t decide if my favorite in the lineup was the dark chocolate covered raspberry truffle or the milk chocolate covered champagne mousse. Both very different, yet both delicious.
According to Thorntons’ website, they have been in the chocolate-making business for nearly 100 years, with their first shop opened in Sheffield by Joseph William Thornton. They go on to say they made a name for themselves by creating “a uniquely rich and chewy ‘special’ toffee.” Later, after World War II, their product line was expanded to include European style soft-centered chocolates.
You can purchase Thorntons chocolates in stores and online. Shipping is from the U.K. If you’re in a different country, international shipping charges are quite high. For example, shipping to the U.S. starts at £26.75. That’ll be above $40 at today’s exchange rate. So put in a big order to make it worthwhile. 
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate shop, chocolate truffles, dark chocolate, holidays, milk chocolate, white chocolate
Cocoa (or Cacao) Nibs are made from cocoa beans after they get separated from their thin shells and roasted. The bulk of nibs produced are ground into chocolate liquor, either used as unsweetened baking chocolate or as the main ingredient of chocolate bars and candies.
Roasted cocoa nibs are not for everyone. They taste rather bitter because they are not sweetened. If you can get past the bitterness, you’ll find they do taste rich and chocolaty and have a crunch similar to nuts. In fact, nibs are often used to replace nuts in cookies and granola recipes.
 Why would a person even eat cocoa nibs? Well, nibs are one of nature’s superfoods. They come packed with generous amounts of anti-oxidants, flavanoids and vitamin E. I can tolerate nibs by themselves, but would rather enjoy them coated in chocolate – DARK chocolate.
Trader Joe’s brand Dark Chocolate Nibs are enrobed in a 65% cacao dark chocolate. I find them delicious and addicting. The first flavor that comes off is an intense chocolate, as you would expect. Then nutty, and subtle fruity notes follow. The finish is a long lasting cocoa taste with a hint of coffee.
The nibs come in a 1 oz. tin. Tiny bits of yum!
Categories: chocolate education, chocolate review
Tags: cocoa beans, dark chocolate, grocery product, nibs
“Could you go for a chocolate digestive and tea?” – my sister asked me shortly after arriving at her flat in London. There is nothing more refreshing than a digestive and tea after a long flight.
 Digestive biscuits are extremely popular in the UK. They are a cross between a cookie and a cracker, slightly on the sweet side. The term ‘digestive’ probably came from the belief that the significant levels of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) used in the recipe aided in digestion.
Although I can choose from different brands of Digestive Biscuits, I do love the number one selling brand of McVitie’s. According to their website, McVities was the first to coat the digestive in chocolate in 1925.
Over 71 million packages of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives are eaten in the UK each year! 52 biscuits eaten each second. I know I put a significant number away myself!
Chocolate digestive biscuits come coated on one side with milk or dark chocolate. My favorite is dark but I am seldom picky when it comes to digestives. I would never refuse a milk chocolate one.
Since I have to go out of my way to find McVitie Chocolate Digestives back home (I have to travel quite a distance to an import store), I decided to stock up as long as I am in the land of Digestive plenty.
I bought everything they had at my sister’s local Tesco. The clerk was amused and asked me if these were all for me. Yes, I answered, with the exception of maybe one I could give as a gift to someone who would have to really deserve it. Did that sound a bit selfish?
Hey, you try a chocolate digestive and then try to share! Bet you can’t!
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate cookies, grocery product
Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate. Have you seen these chocolate bars in the stores and pharmacies of your neighborhood? Green and Black’s is definitely all over London! G&B is an English chocolate company started in 1991. The founders “set out to bring to the masses the world’s first organic chocolate.” You can visit them at www.greenandblacks.com.
 The Green and Black’s 70% Organic Dark Chocolate was the first on the scene. Since then, the product line has expanded to include more varieties of chocolate bars, baking chocolate, hot chocolate, and ice cream.
Yes – Ice Cream!
I just finished a bowl of Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate Ice Cream with bittersweet dark chocolate made with fresh cream. They do not use cocoa powder, they use real dark chocolate. The intense chocolate flavor notes come off at the beginning and last through out the entire mouthful.
There is a short melt in the mouth and that means the chocolate is quick to finish. I wish it wouldn’t. The texture is fluffy and light and perhaps that is what slightly disappoints me. The airiness of the chocolate makes the flavor dissipate too quickly. Overall the flavor is simply delicious and decadent, but over too fast.
I learned that the name Green and Black’s comes from the company’s commitment to both the tradition of great chocolate and the support of responsible farming, thus Green for the environment and Black (or almost black) for the rich color of chocolate.
If you can’t find the ice cream, indulge yourself with a Green and Black’s chocolate bar. You’ll be doing yourself and the planet a favor.
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate bars, dark chocolate, grocery product, ice cream, organic chocolate
Tonight I find myself sitting in my sister’s flat in London, England eating Jaffa Cakes and sipping Frangelico flavored coffee. I am visiting my sister and my brand new niece, only 2 days old.
What is Jaffa Cake?
The Jaffa Cake is a British favorite. The cake is a three layered treat about the size of a cookie. It is made with a bottom layer of sponge cake, a middle layer of orange flavored jelly, and a top layer of rich milk chocolate coating.
I am a fan of orange and chocolate pairings so it is easy to fall in love with Jaffa Cakes.
 There are many different brands of Jaffa Cakes. Tonight I am enjoying Cadbury brand. I expected the coating to stand out since Cadbury IS chocolate around here! I am not disappointed.
At first, the chocolate has a low impact and the orange completely dominates in flavor. By the time everything blends and mixes in my mouth, the two flavors of orange and chocolate are balanced out and provide a nice combination. The finish is lingering with a milky aftertaste from the chocolate. The sponge cake is simply a flavor delivery mechanism and rather neutral in the whole experience.
Oh so Good!
The Jaffa Cake was introduced in 1927 by McVitie and Price and named after the Jaffa Orange. The Jaffa Orange, originally grown in the Jaffa region of Palestine, before Isreal became a state, is similar to Valencia oranges in taste, only sweeter.
Finding Jaffa Cakes in the states may not be as easy as finding it here in the UK, but it can be done. Once, I came across a box at my local US Aldi store.
Go ahead and give Jaffa Cakes a try! Finding them is worth the effort.
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: chocolate covered fruit, grocery product, milk chocolate
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