Author Archive: Bryn Kirk
Dogs and Chocolate Don’t Mix!
September 23, 2010
If you take a bite of chocolate, you’ll want more because it tastes so good. Your dog will do the same thing. Dogs love the taste of chocolate. But here’s the thing, chocolate doesn’t love dogs. The problem is, if your dog eats too much chocolate, he/she could be ingesting a lethal dose of poison.
Why is chocolate lethal for dogs?
Theobromine is a naturally occurring stimulant, similar to caffeine, found in chocolate. It is the theobromine that is so dangerous. It attacks a dog’s nervous system and heart.
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Strawberry (or Raspberry!) Chocolate Shortcake
September 22, 2010
Instead of the usual birthday cake, I made something different this year for my husband’s birthday treat. The only thing I did was change out the strawberry topping for raspberry – his preferred fruit.
Turned out to be a big hit. Maybe I started a new tradition???
Enjoy this awesome recipe!
| Strawberry (or Raspberry!) Chocolate Shortcake • 1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced or 1/2 pint raspberries, rinsed • 1 cup sugar (reserve ¼ cup for fruit topping) • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and chilled • 1/2 cup milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 cup heavy cream or whipped cream • Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish • Bottled hot fudge sauce (optional) Read more |
Cacao DNA Revealed!
September 21, 2010
Here’s some chocolate trivia few people know since its only recently been discovered: The cacao plant has about 35,000 genes.
I looked it up and humans have about 30,000 genes. Umm, should I be concerned?
11 years ago, the Cacao Genome Database Project was founded to sequence the genome of Theobroma cacao. 3 years ahead of schedule, the genome sequence was released on September 15, 2010!
The goal of the genome project is to provide as much genetic information as possible and as fast as possible. A cacao tree takes up to 5 years to mature and start producing. It is more beneficial to the farmer to find out if the tree has any weaknesses, such as vulnerability to disease, at the seedling stage.
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Breyers All Natural Chocolate Ice Cream
September 20, 2010
I noticed something interested the other day while grocery shopping. Breyers has changed its chocolate ice cream. It says so right there on the package, “Now with 33% more real Dutch Cocoa!”
I was intrigued. My scientific self pondered what kind of formulation adjustments had to be made to compensate for the increase in pH from the cocoa (“dutch” means processed with alkali). Don’t laugh, my brain works differently.
I have mentioned in past blog posts why it is necessary to add a Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Processed cocoa powder to dairy products like ice cream and milk. Dutch cocoa is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Acidity has a negative effect on diary – it causes it to curdle.
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Liquor and Cordial Filled Chocolates
September 19, 2010
Here is a question that was sent to me recently...
“How should I make chocolates with liquor filling? What other various fillings can I choose from?”
If you bite into a chocolate-covered cherry, chances are you will drip sugary fluid down your chin and onto your shirt. There is a secret to making chocolates with liquid fillings, with or without alcohol.
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Steak, Malbec, and Chocolate!
September 18, 2010
I live in Wisconsin and, believe it or not, we have wineries and vineyards here! We are not as well known as California or Virginia but we do all right. If you haven’t had a Wisconsin wine recently, try a selection from Parallel 44 in Kewaunee, WI.
I have fallen in love with their Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon blend called “44”. It is dry, bold, and intensely fruity up front. I am a fan of Malbec for many reasons, but the main reason is that it pairs so well with chocolate.
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Ending Child Labor on Cocoa Farms
September 17, 2010
It’s sad but true... Sometimes children are sold or tricked into forced labor on cocoa farms.
In 2001, stories about the lives of children forced to work on farms instead of going to school started to emerge from West African countries. Investigations into this problem drew the attention of Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, and Rep. Eliot Engel of N.Y.
After much time and effort, Harkin and Engel announced on Sept. 13, 2010, the U.S. government and the chocolate industry pledged $17 million to help see an end to child labor.
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Chocolate Label – What Does It Mean?
September 16, 2010
I am a label reader. In fact, I judiciously read labels because it is a matter of life or death for my daughter who has serious food allergies. But just because I read labels doesn’t mean I understand everything on them!
Luckily, I have experience understanding what’s on a chocolate label. When I was developing product for a large chocolate manufacturer, part of my job was to create the labels that went on our chocolates.
So, what exactly are things like “chocolate liquor,” “cocoa butter,” “soya lecithin,” or “butter fat” (by the way, isn’t butter fat a bit redundant)?
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Chocolate Jimmy Cake
September 15, 2010
What on earth are jimmies?
Jimmies are small confectionery candies used mainly as decorations on top of cakes, cup cakes, doughnuts, and ice cream. Some popular alternative names are sprinkles, hundreds and thousands, or ants.
I grew up understanding that “sprinkles” are a multi-colored version of the candy, while “jimmies” specifically meant chocolate sprinkles.
Chocolate sprinkles were invented by a Dutch company in 1936. Many Dutch children will put chocolate sprinkles on top of buttered bread for a tasty after school snack.
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