Recently in Chocolate and Dessert Recipes Category

Ever had one of those amazing dreams where everything was made out of chocolate, and you just ate your way through it all? Actually, I haven't either, but with these recipes for a complete chocolate meal, dreaming is unnecessary.

The origins of chocolate mousse are relatively unknown. After being introduced to chocolate by the Spanish, French chefs have been cooking with chocolate since the early 17th century. Mousse, which means "foam", originated in France in the 18th century. It was only a matter of time until cooking with chocolate and making dishes with foamy textures came together for "mousse au chocolat."

It's tempting to think of chocolate syrup as little more than liquefied chocolate, but even a casual acquaintance with the stuff will reveal that it isn't, really. Sure, it's similar, and it may contain some cocoa; but so do Ovaltine and Yoo-hoo, and no ever accused them of being chocolate (not really, anyhow).

While any well-educated choco-extremo is quite aware that solid chocolate as we know it wasn't invented until the 19th century, the real, pure liquid version isn't nearly as fluid or as sweet as the syrup, and the texture's not quite the same. So what's the dealio? Read on, and learn the syrup's sweet secrets.

There are probably a few chocolate recipes you clearly remember but haven't made in years, either because they're too difficult or because they seem outdated. One of the latter has to be baked alaska -- not necessarily a purely chocolate recipe, but often made with chocolate. It was a staple in the seventies, but these days the very words conjure up images of tacky dinner parties and go-go boots.

But remember, there was a reason baked alaska stayed so popular for so long, and that's because it was so good! Maybe it's time to introduce a new generation to the wonders of baking America's coldest state.

While some may consider it a sin to flavor chocolate to taste other than it naturally does, people have been doing it from the very beginning. The Aztecs used chile peppers to flavor their cacao. Today, we mostly use sugar. You won't ask why if you've ever tasted unsweetened chocolate -- it's so bitter it makes your eyes water. And who wants that?

The good points of chocolate really come out when that bitterness is masked, and the natural flavor is brought out by other tasty things. Sugar is just one of many flavorings possible -- there are a legion of other flavors. In this article, we'll provide some tips on how to jazz up your chocolates with the most common flavorings.

I'm always on the search for fudge recipes. There's nothing quite as delectable as a slab of creamy, rich chocolate fudge. Who can resist? But what exactly is fudge? What separates it from, say, a truffle, and how can you make sure you have the best fudge recipes around?

Chocolate jam was probably inevitable, considering the average chocolate extremo's willingness to experiment. But what's truly amazing is all the things people are willing to put in it as it jells. Some of this stuff is right up there with fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches, a la Elvis.

Given that trying to make jam with chocolate alone would probably result in a jar of thick chocolate syrup, of course it's obvious that you have to put something else in there; and of course it has to include fruit in order to be considered a true jam. But bananas? C'mon, now. Who makes a banana-based jam?

For many Latin Americans, the first thing that comes to mind when you mention the name "Popo" is either the famous volcano Popocatepetl in Mexico, or the equally famous Brazilian soccer player Popo -- but there's a chocolate Popo, too.
It's a refreshing energy drink native to the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Popo the drink is often manufactured by local beverage producers as an alternative to the energy drinks offered by big multinationals -- Monster, Red Bull, Powerade, yadda yadda yadda. The big difference here is that a) Popo includes the world's most perfect food, chocolate; and b) you can make it yourself!

Looking for some yummy chocolate spider recipes? We've got 'em here. Now, please note that we're talking about spiders made of chocolate -- you know, the kind of thing the kiddies might like for Halloween. It's kind of like putting chocolate nibs in a caviar tin and calling it chocolate caviar. That's the kind of chocolate spiders we'll be talking about.

While someone has no doubt experimented with real spiders covered with chocolate, that's too extreme even for us. There's only one word for something like that, and it's "eeeewwwww!" We don't care what it tastes like, because we're never gonna know, okay?

If you've ever enjoyed the gooey crunchiness of potato chip brownies (as featured here, a few weeks back), you'll understand the attraction of chocolate potato sticks. The potato itself is a fairly bland addition that goes well enough with chocolate, but the real treat is the salty tang they impart.

Clearly, the lesson is that potato chips and chocolate go well together, even if Reese's isn't likely to market Potato Butter Cups anytime soon. Nevertheless, let's take another cruise on the good ship Crunchewy, and look at what it has to offer the discerning chocolate extremist this time. Shall we?