Chocolate originally a native of South America was first domesticated during the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Today chocolate is enjoyed by people the world over, with some 2.5 billion pounds of chocolate consumed in the US alone each and every year. That amounts to almost 11lbs/ person.

Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. Cocoa butter and chocolate liquor are two of the components that are processed in various ways to produce everything from baking or cooking chocolate to cocoa powder.

Big names that have shaped chocolate from it’s infancy to what we know chocolate to be today are Conrad Van Houten, Henri Nestlé, Rudolph Lindt, Milton Hershey and James Baker.

That short history lesson brings me to something I read last week in a magazine at the dentist office. These studies they referred to were conducted over the past few years and the results have found that chocolate with a 65-75 % cocoa content protects against heart disease and boosts energy.

This good news for chocolate lovers and the health-conscious has set a new trend. It has brought dark chocolate to the top of the ‘kind-of-good-for-you’ snacks.

Milk chocolate, the up to now favorite is higher in butterfat, dairy and sugar so it is harder for the body to break down. Semi-sweet has about 45% cocoa content and the dark clocks in at roughly 60%. The popular because of its health benefits, and the newer trendy stronger flavored treats come with an approximate 70+% cocoa content.

Not only is this good health news upping the chocolate purchases but this has also added to the upswing of specialty flavored treats. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to the herbs and spices that appear on the market. Red pepper truffles, crushed chilies are added to the chocolate or the chili garlic peanut butter filled pralines are becoming quite the norm.

One more trend that needs to be mentioned is that now chocolate connoisseurs are using jargon that up till now belonged to the world of wine only. Such as ‘bold upfront notes of chocolate with underlying coffee notes that linger” or “ rich dark chocolate with spicy red wine top notes”  …subtle woodsy herbal notes …hint of nuts……… etc.

With that you might as well take it one step further and try pairing it with wine also.  A savory  wine goes well with the milk chocolate flavors, where as a dark-semi-bitter chocolate pairs just perfectly with a fruity flavored wine according to the Pelee Island Winery. They also say that Ice wines (for which Canadian wineries have a name for) make great partners for most chocolates.

So why not try a wine /chocolate tasting party at your home. Invite your guests to bring a bottle or two and find out which treat will go good with what type of wine. First taste  the wine on its own then melt a small piece of chocolate in your mouth then try the wine again. In between clear your palate with fresh fruit; naturally strawberries, also grapes and cantaloupes are perfect.

I’m not what you would call a dedicated chocolate lover, 3-4 times a year is probably my limit. I can vouch for it right now though that on those rare occasions my choice will always be dark chocolate with almonds and it will never have a chili garlic peanut butter filling. However, that wine and chocolate pairing sounds promising, I might just check that out.

I’ve added a couple of my recipes that my family and friends go “gaga” over. Hope you get a chance to try and enjoy them too.

The Perfect Cup Of Hot Cocoa Yield: 2 cups

3 tablespoons real cocoa powder                    

3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

2 cups 2% or whole milk (whole milk makes for a creamier taste)

·          Put 1 ¾ cups of milk to heat in a small saucepan on stove or in microwave.

·          Combine ¼ cup of cold milk, cocoa and sugar stirring to make a smooth paste or syrup.

·          Whisk the chocolate “syrup” into the hot milk.

·          Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook about 30 seconds to the desired serving temperature.

·          Pour into cups and serve.

·          Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Tip: Heating chocolate over 165-170 degrees will affect both flavor and texture.

Chocolate Ganache (Sauce)

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or thickly shaved with a knife

8 ounces fresh, heavy cream

1 tablespoon corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of Brandy, Rum or Orange Liqueur

·          Using a double boiler slowly bring cream, salt and corn syrup to a full boil and then let it simmer 1 minute.

·          Transfer cream mix into a metal round bottomed bowl and let cool for 2-3 minutes.

·          Pour in the chocolate chunks and wait for it to begin to melt around the edges before using a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate into cream mix until it’s all a uniform smooth and glossy textured sauce.

·          Stir in flavoring.

Top 6 uses for chocolate ganache or sauce

1.       As a topping for ice cream (warm slightly in microwave, do not over heat)

2.       In a fondue with fresh cut-up fruit (keep fondue heat source at low as not to burn chocolate sauce)

3.       As cake icing (room temperature then let cake cool in fridge for an hour for easier slicing)

4.       As dip for strawberries or other fresh fruit (use at room temperature dip strawberries first in ganache then into either small peanut chunks or blanched almond slices. To harden chocolate cool in fridge for a couple of hours before serving)

5.       As truffle or praline centers (pipe cold ganache into prepared chocolate ‘shells’ let sit for a couple of minutes in fridge before covering)

6.       As cookie centers (pipe cold ganache in between two cookie layers add nuts optional let harden in fridge for one hour or two)

The mixture will firm up as it is chilled. In a just right sized (so it has very little air space) tight sealing container ganache will stay fresh about a week in the fridge, and about 2 months in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Tags: baking, cake, cakes, chocolate, Coffee, Cooking, fruit, fruits, herbs, microwave, orange, pepper, recipe, Recipes, spices, strawberries, sugar, truffles, Wine

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