Recently in Chocolate Candy Category
Since its debut at Chicago's Candy Expo in June 2006, bubble chocolate has become a favorite treat among American chocoholics. A star turn on The Today Show along the way certainly didn't hurt. A taste sensation in Europe since the 1940s, it's taken a while to jump the pond -- but rumor said it was worth the wait.
That being the case, we decided recently that it was about time for us to determine whether it is, in fact, extreme enough to become an X-Choc favorite. After extensive research, we decided that it is indeed; and in this article, we'll tell you why.
Caramel, fudge, and cherry crème are hardly unusual chocolate flavors. In fact, you find them in every box of Christmas candies, right alongside other standbys like mint, coconut, and orange crème. If you're dealing with a really adventurous company, you might find something like chilies or cereal crunch hidden in your chocolate delight. But that's not the end of the story when it comes to chocolate flavors!
Fusion cuisine, the newest trend in cooking, means blending flavors that don't traditionally go together and, well, seeing what happens. In the world of chocolate, that means some pretty interesting ideas, ranging from pop rocks buried in chocolate truffles to olive and balsamic vinegar laced treats.
We don't often think of Japanese chocolate. Belgian, Swiss, French -- sure. Or Japanese fish, for example. But Japanese chocolate?
The Japanese chocolate obsession has a slightly unusual origin. On this side of the Pacific, we're used to thinking of Valentine's Day as a time for men to lavish affection on women -- or, in the words of my brother, "This thing's a lot more important to girls than guys, huh?" In Japan, however, Valentine's Day is a time for women to give chocolate to men. Not necessarily significant others, either: coworkers, friends, employers, what have you. And it's ALWAYS chocolate -- not a flower in sight.
Because they're such good people, kindly chocolatiers have recently introduced excellent low calorie, low carb chocolate for the diabetics and Atkins dieters among us. Don't scoff -- your old pal Pete can testify that it's scrumptious. Yet it does have its perils, and that's what I'll tell you about in this particular article.
Chocolates, gourmet chocolate bars named for how they might change your personality, or at least affect your mood, with a simple bite.
Keep in mind that chocolate alone -- even without New Tree’s holistic infusion of natural extracts and chic flavors -- contains phenylethylamine, which secretes so-called “happiness hormones” into the chocolate-lover’s unsuspecting body and psyche. These hormones -- serotonin, endorphins and dopamine -- can improve your overall well-being.
Besides, chocolate tastes good, which makes me very happy.
Can a chocolate bar make you feel tranquil? Renewed? Sexy? Beautifully packaged little chocolate bars from New Tree Chocolates promise just that, so I recently conducted an unscientific taste test to determine if these chocolates could transport me into biologically-ignited moods, after a few delicious bites.
Delicious is the operative word here, because New Tree Chocolates are delicious. All of their dark chocolate bars boast 73 percent cocoa, so that could explain the high you feel after eating New Tree. The milk chocolate bars contain 33 percent cocoa.
Put the crowning touch on your baked goods by making delicious chocolate flowers and using them to decorate cupcakes, cakes and other desserts. You'll be the hit of any party or gathering.
Making chocolate flowers requires attention to detail and a bit of patience. But the recipe only uses two ingredients, so it's a cinch.
When the ghosts and goblins come knocking at your door on Halloween, don't forget to stock up on the traditional chocolate treats everyone loves in their trick or treating loot.
In case you're wondering, chocolate remains a favorite of most trick-or-treaters, according to a number of web surveys already appearing on sites like yelp.com and Yahoo! Answers. In an unscientific survey of websites I recently conducted, here are the top 7 Halloween chocolate treats mentioned over and over again by respondents:
When you bite into chocolate truffles these days, you can be greeted with some of the most intriguing and unexpected tastes infused with the chocolate, including curry, cayenne, pumpkin and even goat cheese!
For example, Serendipity Chocolates has come up with a way to provide fire along with your chocolate, in the form of its popular Hades Chocolate Truffles, which are made with fresh, dried and smoked peppers that are sure to send you searching for a glass of water to put out the fire. The Hades truffles come with a price though: $28 for a box of 12-14 truffles.
One of the more charming things about J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, beside its slam-bang action and realistic portrayal of young people, is its believability. It's a complete world: everything fits, down to the smallest of details. In fact, one of the details that sticks in most people's minds is one of the first magical things Harry encounters: the chocolate frog.
The whole concept is original and exciting, even if, in practice, magical chocolate frogs have a disappointing tendency to escape before you can eat them.
