bringing 'The World of Chocolate to you'

The World of Chocolate is complex, with political unrest in the Ivory Coast, sustainable agriculture an issue in the Rainforest region and people struggling to support their families all over the world, it's cacao that's a common link to them all. I hope we see that there's choices we can make and things we can learn to support best practices and ways for us to enjoy our chocolate at the same time. Happy and Healthy New Year to all and I look forward to connecting by bringing 'The World of Chocolate to you' on April 30, 2011 with the Bucks County Chocolate Show.

Raw morning and raw cacoa

Energy...just give me the energy to deal with the cold and a crazy work day. The smoothie for the family is done...frozen berries, vanilla yogurt, almond milk, superfood and raw cacao and they're ready to go. I just went for the quick fix and added it to my coffee! Yes it's good for me yet it has to taste good and it does. Ready to go. Have a good day.

Channukah cookies...It's almost a miracle
It seemed like it to me when my daughter baked these cookies. She doesn't usually bake, appear in the kitchen or ask to many questions when I bake, so it was one of the best presents I could have asked for. I did too! That's what I asked for as my Channukah present. Having her get a snippet into my world of baking and 'The World of Chocolate' felt important to me. Yes she helps at the annual Show and that's big, yet this is different. There's something calming and curious about baking and definitely the rewards of smelling chocolate as it infuses the air in your kitchen that inspires energy. I wanted to share it before she goes to college. It was one of the best presents ever and the pride she felt, the joy I experienced, connected us through all the stuff that can get in the way. They came out very tasty too so I wanted to share the recipe she found online.

Chocolate Cookies with a minty layer
3/4 c butter 1 1/2 c packed brown sugar 2 T water 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 2 eggs 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 36 chocolate mint wafer candies (we used peppermint patties cut into half or quarters)
1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar, and water until tbutter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hr.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking, unwrap mints and divide into half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted and then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Done!

Brownie Torte and coffee to go please

On a crisp morning with the sun making it look warmer than it really was, the invitation of Aromas Coffeehouse was welcoming. The brownie torte and a cup of coffee was just what I needed to warm up before taking one of the Williamsburg historic tours.
The flavor was rich, almost fudgy and the crust was on the buttery side yet still flaky. The nuts broke up the brownie in a way that made it feel like you were getting a treat in addition to what you ordered. Now I'm ready to get my dose of history-the Freedom Tour following the paths of slavery in the times of the settlers.

Welcome to The World of Chocolate

It's everywhere...even one of my favorite shows is talking about Theobroma...Bones is a Thursday night t.v. show and the whole show has references to making chocolate, history of chocolate and the innate qualities through time...very cool