tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164544917027557182024-03-18T08:27:03.827-07:00The Ultimate Chocolate BlogLisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-35503726123967747172020-05-16T14:46:00.000-07:002020-05-16T17:29:30.024-07:00Meet Finnia Chocolate & CacaoNow that the Covid crisis seems to be settling in to some kind of 'new normal' and I have a little more time to finally sit down and write a blog post (sorry for the year-long hiatus, it's been a busy one), I thought it was time I introduced you to my own business, and told you about the changes that have taken place over the last several years.<br />
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For nearly 11 years, I've run a small little chocolate business way up here on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. It was called <i>Ultimately Chocolate</i>, because when I started out I made a mixed bag of goodies: chocolate, cakes & cupcakes, and pastry. I quickly chose a name to let everyone know that <i>ultimately</i>, I am all about <b>chocolate</b>. So don't be ordering date squares and lemon squares and cookies from me. That wasn't my thing and it never would be (although I do make a mean lemon buttercream). I make chocolate. And when I make a cake, it is chocolate, or at least <i>mostly </i>chocolate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesUaj3C1qXWYtN5_5lhusy0ZqiAaZ0rvjI6MMoYCO0zDGnTrLnfHsnZuqo5mNw4ap_r2JewLvJpd_NkNm5KrVb6eMSLI40DyRa24K5qpkPD0UxkBLeafPIm_1Wc66VkuQxaK2dgvH6-M/s1600/Chocolate+Cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesUaj3C1qXWYtN5_5lhusy0ZqiAaZ0rvjI6MMoYCO0zDGnTrLnfHsnZuqo5mNw4ap_r2JewLvJpd_NkNm5KrVb6eMSLI40DyRa24K5qpkPD0UxkBLeafPIm_1Wc66VkuQxaK2dgvH6-M/s320/Chocolate+Cake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But as I delved deeper into the business, I discovered the world of chocolate can go much deeper and darker than double-chocolate cheesecakes and dark chocolate truffles. I fell in <i>love</i> with bean to bar chocolate more than 10 years ago, and slowly it took over my business and my life.<br />
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So now I've been making bean to bar chocolate in one form or another for at least five years, although I was making a gritty form of bean to bar for a few years prior in my coffee grinder (that's right, you can grind up cocoa beans in your coffee grinder with sugar!). It came naturally since I'd been tasting every bean to bar chocolate that I could get my hands on for the five years prior to that. I knew what kind I wanted to make, and what textures I loved (very smooth and creamy, although I often love the gritty stuff too).<br />
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So the business has grown and I finally made my way off this literal island I live on, and also beyond my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario as well. My chocolate can be found in stores around Ontario and as far as British Colombia. Some awards have been won the last two years at the Northwest Chocolate Festival and in the International Chocolate Awards. So the business has certainly grown.<br />
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And with all that growth came change. I now have an amazing business partner (Trish) who has helped me to propel the business forward in ways that I never considered or had time for. We've moved the business out of a small commercial kitchen that was in my home to a small production studio in downtown Gore Bay. There is a small staff (well, <i>was</i> prior to the pandemic and hopefully will be back at work soon) and much larger equipment. And we are planning a move to a larger space to not only increase our capacity, but have a storefront finally to serve local customers and tourists.<br />
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So all that said, meet <i><a href="http://www.finniachocolate.com/">Finnia</a></i>. That's right, we outgrew our name and decided to re-brand Ultimately Chocolate to something simpler, and something more meaningful to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zJxUfcCatzhYfgBWTch8_Ig4W-hWuHoj5KUBZ14GsFQk8eEf7e6e06xMFYEr4jqY5ZT_7ahg912Z_UI_RmYWDkqr02sw4mihnDUE6J1GkiZuvBaqBohGePVqbuWnLNhPQBqoBSeKEKQ/s1600/Finnia+chocolate+bars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zJxUfcCatzhYfgBWTch8_Ig4W-hWuHoj5KUBZ14GsFQk8eEf7e6e06xMFYEr4jqY5ZT_7ahg912Z_UI_RmYWDkqr02sw4mihnDUE6J1GkiZuvBaqBohGePVqbuWnLNhPQBqoBSeKEKQ/s320/Finnia+chocolate+bars.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I grew this business with my children in tow, who watched it grow every step of the way. With a home-based business, I was able to let my kids come home after school several days a week, and only go to daycare part-time. So they have been right there with me the whole time. And now at 11 and 8, the new name reflects these two little inspirations in my life. My son, Finn, loves all kids of chocolate, but in particular shares my love of dark chocolate. My daughter Fia prefers white chocolate to all other kinds of chocolate, but will sometimes indulge in milk chocolate too. So these two have been my tasters for many years, and my inspiration.<br />
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Too often I can take the chocolate a little too dark. I like my 'darks' <i>very</i> bitter and my 'milks' also on the darker side. Finn and Fia bring me back down to earth, and help me see what the general population would enjoy, while balancing my preference for low-sugar chocolate. Fia reminds me that white chocolate is delicious too, so inspires me to explore it further. Finn is an inspiration for a lot of the dark chocolates I make. All the while, I explore the cocoa beans and seek to highlight the flavours of each bean in any new creation.<br />
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So there you have it, <a href="http://www.finniachocolate.com/">Finnia </a>is the new name of the business. Fia and Finn are the reason I moved to this Island (Manitoulin Island), and had I not moved here, I may never have left the marketing career I was building in Ottawa. And I might still be stuck in a cubicle in some office sitting down all day (I hate sitting down!). So I am thankful for them, and for the love of chocolate which I have had all my life. I am also thankful for a year in France that showed me chocolate can be dark and pure and not at all sugary. And I am thankful to all the other bean-to-bar makers out there who have inspired me over the years. I will never copy your recipes, but will always enjoy learning from your path, your techniques and your tasty treats.<br />
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So here's to the next chapter. It may seem a little stuck right now during this time of Covid and business closures, but we are so far managing to pay the bills and keep the chocolate 'flowing' to our existing wholesale customers, including grocers, cafes and bean-to-bar specialty shops. If we can continue to weather this storm, the future will be much brighter for <a href="http://www.finniachocolate.com/">Finnia</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4av2u18yXOdIwAzLyd3LVRRoIDgkiI8SIZBcj4ijeCw9vlx40lcyME8k9MlVL4vLSX4RfJU4kWTIPl8a-CCq0Z3bGVrjOGu-5tGphtzAJJD2WujIJiso7T9LymyNHn25dQ3KU0m6wikA/s1600/Harvest+Wagon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4av2u18yXOdIwAzLyd3LVRRoIDgkiI8SIZBcj4ijeCw9vlx40lcyME8k9MlVL4vLSX4RfJU4kWTIPl8a-CCq0Z3bGVrjOGu-5tGphtzAJJD2WujIJiso7T9LymyNHn25dQ3KU0m6wikA/s320/Harvest+Wagon.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finnia Chocolate can be found at Harvest Wagon, <br />
a high-end, specialty grocer in Toronto.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_b30UExsbK57PS-PNadrs6pTW2P9hCfpFveGYwUC1b-vbZnlCQ0auccete2-xJkBH5x70lQA4XdMYdOyL1ZvgnJVHhoz8B0cX-byOxBKUUnsoDEO-SB2coMHlZ8aW5ptW2zkNAYyqgI/s1600/Belle%2527s+Bakery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_b30UExsbK57PS-PNadrs6pTW2P9hCfpFveGYwUC1b-vbZnlCQ0auccete2-xJkBH5x70lQA4XdMYdOyL1ZvgnJVHhoz8B0cX-byOxBKUUnsoDEO-SB2coMHlZ8aW5ptW2zkNAYyqgI/s320/Belle%2527s+Bakery.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finnia can also be found at Belle's Bakery in Toronto.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So cheers for a love of craft chocolate! And cheers to a brighter future (even if it is a little unknown and unpredictable at the moment).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kblNVXO4FXdyyqSitTPdPbNL9XXPSQllIJ06IHj3Nj4bjO2Y62fJKPRMRbifygmpS6gP8G5BR-ixbWN04ew9Dc8z_HevjenqGSoBD_TBUm-lcQhCOeIo5jgSjyq66k9J6SDccaQXXMU/s1600/Lisabeth+with+Wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kblNVXO4FXdyyqSitTPdPbNL9XXPSQllIJ06IHj3Nj4bjO2Y62fJKPRMRbifygmpS6gP8G5BR-ixbWN04ew9Dc8z_HevjenqGSoBD_TBUm-lcQhCOeIo5jgSjyq66k9J6SDccaQXXMU/s320/Lisabeth+with+Wine.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers to a brighter future!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD2YXPqxdvDDXcHhnx4ASc4Dcwj3sOxZDm_CJYyL7bLMOzS0TdxIAZ5TsPxUKgHgR4Inw_hRlWJFm2AqpZqEc2nK4t5xHqXRym12nm95bJlcGmpbPxTsu6GPDbUKL1ItK_B0jm0cP6ig/s1600/New+Normal+Lisabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="1136" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD2YXPqxdvDDXcHhnx4ASc4Dcwj3sOxZDm_CJYyL7bLMOzS0TdxIAZ5TsPxUKgHgR4Inw_hRlWJFm2AqpZqEc2nK4t5xHqXRym12nm95bJlcGmpbPxTsu6GPDbUKL1ItK_B0jm0cP6ig/s320/New+Normal+Lisabeth.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And cheers to the 'new normal' :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-42941389734529340882019-04-09T07:57:00.000-07:002019-04-10T06:35:00.842-07:00Bean to Bar Chocolate....at Costco? ChocXO Almond Butter Cups now on the shelves of Costco storesI was spending a little time "off island" the other day, and made my way to Sudbury, Ontario, the nearest city to Manitoulin Island. I made my way into Costco for a few business supplies. As soon as I passed the snack aisle, I was surprised to see - not only a new product on the shelves, but a <a href="http://chocxo.com/">ChocXO</a> product. ChocXO has been actively promoting themselves as a bean-to-bar chocolatier (they write 'chocolatier' rather than 'maker' I guess because they focus more on the treat market rather than just single origin bars like many other bean to bar chocolate makers).<br />
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I have always found ChocXO to be a bit confusing. I heard and read that they were a bean to bar maker, but in Canada or the US I could not figure out. They have a Delta, BC (Canada) address on their website, but I thought they started in California, or have a production facility there and one in Canada? Plus, the website uses the words 'color' and 'flavor' without the 'u', leaving me to believe it is American-based. The website no longer gives any indication verbally of the origin of the company, likely to let people believe it can be made in their local country no matter which side of the border they may be on.<br />
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What worries me for the craft, bean-to-bar chocolate community, is that clearly to achieve a price of $12.49 at Costco, there must be some large equipment and mass-production capabilities in place. This low price makes it hard for the average small bean-to-bar chocolate maker to explain why their price is <i>six times</i> the amount of ChocXO's. I calculated what <i>my</i> bean-to-confection price would be (based on weight) and this bag would retail at $60 for a small maker like me. Below that and I could not cover labour cost or overhead; I would lose money.<br />
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The growing group of craft, bean to bar chocolate makers take at least a week to produce a bar of chocolate from start to finish (that's <i>if</i> they don't age your chocolate before moulding it, which adds weeks to thee process). And with small equipment, and carefully sorting and roasting beans by hand, plus ensuring beans are fine-flavour, chosen from farms and farm co-ops applying sustainable methods and prices high enough for the farmers to earn a living, the whole process on a small scale is very expensive. But what the customer gets for that higher price is: knowing where the beans come from, being able to taste flavours of specific 'terrior' depending on where the beans grow, and knowing that a chocolate maker has put all of his or her passion into bringing out the most interesting flavours of the beans in the way that they have personally interpreted them. All this makes the experience for the taster unique for each brand, each year and each harvest time for the beans.<br />
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So all that said, I am happy for ChocXO for making it into Costco. This is a great leap for them as a business. I am just concerned that by promoting the 'bean to bar' message on their packaging, it makes it harder for the small makers to educate their customers on why ChocXO's Costco price is so different from their own.<br />
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As for ChocXO's product itself, I like the main principles of what they stand for: 100% organic and no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours, and non-GMO and sustainable sourcing. These have always been my principles in my chocolate business <i>and</i> in my eating habits. I would gladly feed their products to my children as an alternative to a standard commercial chocolate candy bar, like Mars or Reese Peanut Butter Cups. And for those who cannot have wheat, they are also gluten free.<br />
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The Almond Butter Cups are tasty, and leave you wanting more. They are a bit on the sweet side being made with a 56% 'dark' chocolate (which means that chocolate around the almond centre contains 44% sugar). The centre doe not taste quite so sweet yet balances the chocolate very well. There is a good amount of chocolate also on these cups, which certainly satisfies a chocolate craving, but yet provides a filling snack when one is a bit hungry.<br />
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ChocXO talks about offering "responsible portion sizes" on their website, and I agree that the individually wrapped packs are nice and a way to control portions, however several cups come in a large bag, and so it is easy to just keep opening the individually wrapped packets and eating more than intended. For people with high self control who can just pop one or two into their purse or lunch bag for a work-day snack, that is great. But when you are shopping at Costco just before lunch and are getting hungry, it is too easy to frantically open the bag in the car and eat five in a row, leaving a trail of messy wrappers across the front passenger seat of the car (really, would <i>I</i> do this? Not me. Nope. No way. Sigh, I still have to go clean out my car.)<br />
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So check these out at Costco if you are into Almond Butter Cups, or looking to kick your commercial-Reese-Peanut-Butter-Cups-hydrogenated-oil-and-artificial-flavour habits and want something a little 'healthier'. Just be sure to hit up Costco on a full stomach first!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com148tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-90309084452932639472019-03-15T06:14:00.001-07:002019-03-15T06:14:36.531-07:00Amazing Cacao, Russian Bean-to-Bar ChocolateA few months ago I was handed a package of bean-to-bar chocolate made by a Russian company. This is my first experience with Russian craft chocolate, so I was curious.<br />
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I thought I was about to eat a bar of chocolate, but what I found inside the wrapper was a lovely package of <i>eight </i>different chocolates. Each chocolate is made from a different cacao grown in different regions of Peru. The box also included many single region 70% to 75% dark chocolates, one lovely, not-too-sweet white chocolate, and an 80% dark-milk with no sugar in it at all (much like <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/chocolate-from-austria-zotter-style-and.html">Zotter's unsweetened 70% milk chocolate 'dark style'</a> and <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/unsweetened-chocolate-winter-tradition.html">Hotel Chocolat's 80% Supermilk</a>, two dark milk chocolates with just milk powder, cocoa beans and cocoa butter, and no sugar added). This 80% was very bitter, and definitely took some getting used to, but certainly a little easier on the palate than a pure 100%, thanks to the milk content.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWvv7FwKlTBFRDYFYvhPskiEykh6GGZoDumAgRCNjycMJLi5FtbGYkMJGqJaukL9n5_okgJjesGTyO0X26YO_J-dpHRLng_TXpkf4xRt8fITQyJ1uXsESGZlcIbNvp66A6qJeQgWNJGc/s1600/Amazing+Cacao+tasting+Peru+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="640" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWvv7FwKlTBFRDYFYvhPskiEykh6GGZoDumAgRCNjycMJLi5FtbGYkMJGqJaukL9n5_okgJjesGTyO0X26YO_J-dpHRLng_TXpkf4xRt8fITQyJ1uXsESGZlcIbNvp66A6qJeQgWNJGc/s400/Amazing+Cacao+tasting+Peru+box.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you like to taste a variety of single origin chocolates in one sitting, or over the course of a week or month, this tasting package may be the perfect thing for you. It was fun to taste the variety of flavours of cocoa beans from different regions of Peru. I had some favourites, and some not-so-favourites, but I will let you decide for yourself which regions you liked best. <br />
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What was most exciting about this product was the origin and taste discovery experience inside. There are so many single origin chocolates coming out of Peru and made from Peruvian cocoa beans now, that it can get confusing and overwhelming to pick a favourite region. This box offered a lovely overview of Peruvian cacao and some of the cacao growing regions in the country.<br />
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You can learn more about Amazing Cacao on their website: <a href="http://www.amazingcacao.com/about">http://www.amazingcacao.com/about</a> They also import to Russia organic ingredients, such as green coffee beans, fine organic cacao beans and cocoa butter and cane sugar. <br />
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Happy Chocolate Tasting!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com176tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-44343497003772824392019-02-18T09:47:00.001-08:002019-02-20T08:32:39.124-08:00The Winter Chocolate Show: The Best Ever Bean to Bar Chocolate Event in TorontoAs European chocolate makers, chocolatiers and chocolate lovers are getting ready for <a href="https://www.chocoa.nl/">Chocoa </a>in Amsterdam later this week, I am still reminiscing about <a href="https://www.thewinterchocolateshow.com/festival-information">The Winter Chocolate Show </a>in Toronto a few weeks ago. It was much smaller than the beast of an event Chocoa is, but it was exciting none-the-less for Canadian chocolate makers and chocolate lovers because it was the <i>first </i>Canadian bean-to-bar event of its kind.<br />
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Organized by Erik of <a href="https://www.desbarreschocolate.com/">Desbarres Chocolate</a> and Paola of <a href="https://www.thecandybar.ca/">The Candy Bar Toronto</a>, the festival was a one-day event that brought together 16 Canadian bean-to-bar chocolate makers from all across the country (really, <i>all across - </i>from Nova Scotia to Victoria!). Chocolate lovers and connoisseurs poured through the doors all day long into the small venue at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in downtown Toronto. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCJfHz4BRXCYH8FBkdQ6XXzFd-NZHZT8dxE6jIRf4U1-DmoALNeQ98PwuJkRoPMIwmoivpiywknJ0q0DGrQ3QQf8_cBE4M9Uz8slrBq1WAWDmOcJzWOAGrhXMscMNaxUNh3LY_ueD7lA/s1600/Canadian+bean+to+bar+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCJfHz4BRXCYH8FBkdQ6XXzFd-NZHZT8dxE6jIRf4U1-DmoALNeQ98PwuJkRoPMIwmoivpiywknJ0q0DGrQ3QQf8_cBE4M9Uz8slrBq1WAWDmOcJzWOAGrhXMscMNaxUNh3LY_ueD7lA/s400/Canadian+bean+to+bar+chocolate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all the beautiful bean to bar chocolate that I brought home from Toronto!<br />
Akesson's came from The Cheese Boutique, Omnon from Pusateris and Chapon from The Candy Bar.<br />
The rest are all the wonderful Canadian bean-to-bar chocolate that was found at The Winter Chocolate Show!</td></tr>
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I was there, not as a chocolate lover this time in the way that I annually attend the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle, but as a chocolate maker. I've been quietly making chocolate for quite a few years now as part of my 10-year old confection and pastry business, but last year I finally made the decision to sell my bean-to-bar chocolate beyond the local market of Manitoulin Island and Sudbury. And I was finally brave enough to send a few of my bars off for some of the international awards (and won a few too!). So now that I am venturing out into the world beyond Northern Ontario, I was excited to have a chance to participate in a bean-to-bar event so close to home (ha ha, it took me 8 hours in a snowstorm and freezing rain to get there, but it was still driving distance!). </div>
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The day was so much fun. I was surprised to see how many people knew about bean to bar chocolate (although I shouldn't have been since Soma has been educating customers for years in Toronto), and many looking for interesting single origins, flavour combinations and 100% dark chocolate. We had a few bloggers out, including Christie from @twogirlschocolate and Cyndi from @canadianchocoholic, and Grand Jury judge for the International Chocolate Awards, Shirley Lum (@schocolatemagic). The wonderful craft chocolate expert and educator Karine from www.misschoco.ca joined us from Montreal. And I got to hang out with my business partner Trish and my best friend Katherine all day long, talking chocolate with a lot of passionate people.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53CUa3rzfG_-u0Nt_9vAno4hXk3zGD9XCT58oBiP-bZ2H0q5i42tbWtItcfNPVyH4eKmAgUjL-Wpf4lGZVpwLGp3Db1Re9ZPZSaXSmFFV-EYorcdPtuv0j0r4-GfUIplrNNc7g2nW_rE/s1600/The+Winter+Chocolate+Show+Lisabeth+Finnia+Chocolate+Ultimately+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53CUa3rzfG_-u0Nt_9vAno4hXk3zGD9XCT58oBiP-bZ2H0q5i42tbWtItcfNPVyH4eKmAgUjL-Wpf4lGZVpwLGp3Db1Re9ZPZSaXSmFFV-EYorcdPtuv0j0r4-GfUIplrNNc7g2nW_rE/s400/The+Winter+Chocolate+Show+Lisabeth+Finnia+Chocolate+Ultimately+Chocolate.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot Miss Choco and @Canadianchocoholic?</td></tr>
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We also had the privilege of wonderful Juan Gonzalaz from <a href="https://www.mabco.ca/">The Mexican Arabica Bean Company</a> wandering around the show all day, talking to people about his beautiful cocoa beans from Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Papua New Guinea and soon, Thailand. Juan is a good friend and excellent partner to bring fine flavour cocoa beans direct from the farm to Canadian chocolate makers like myself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k-48TzD7R3v7YJzpLI17rjmzioxYJkE_JKm8qZ-d4vCdSqmZBcbjI-GMUs74NUA2JY-u8EyIks0GvaI_EYtZuXL7dJKJr2V7kmps7mJBsxpB8tdvvpwoygF4uKqLqQUenTn8QPa5BOw/s1600/The+Winter+Chocolate+Show+Lisabeth+and+Juan+Finnia+Chocolate+Ultimately+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k-48TzD7R3v7YJzpLI17rjmzioxYJkE_JKm8qZ-d4vCdSqmZBcbjI-GMUs74NUA2JY-u8EyIks0GvaI_EYtZuXL7dJKJr2V7kmps7mJBsxpB8tdvvpwoygF4uKqLqQUenTn8QPa5BOw/s400/The+Winter+Chocolate+Show+Lisabeth+and+Juan+Finnia+Chocolate+Ultimately+Chocolate.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Juan with the hat! And me on the left of course :-)<br />
And look at that beautiful branding by Desbarres in the backgound.</td></tr>
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As for the vendors, we had a variety of chocolate makers sampling their products, from stone ground chocolate like ChocoSol, to super smooth like Soma Chocolatemaker, both from the Toronto region. David and Cynthia from Soma are in the middle of a big project (moving to a much larger bean to bar factory in Toronto) so it was great that they joined us. Desbarres Chocolate had all their wonderful award-winning flavours, like that delicious black pepper and cardamom bar that I have been thinking about since I first tasted it in the Fall. </div>
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Taylor Kennedy flew in all the way from Victoria, B.C. with his award winning chocolate bars and he surprised us all with the launch of new packaging. Still with a lovely shade of yellow, this new packaging wowed with a theme of wildlife native to the seas surrounding Victoria. The chocolate bar mould was even re-designed with a stylized wave. What a beautiful way to showcase the origins of Sirene Chocolate. Congratulations to Taylor on a job well done!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5kPIm7lj6UMO0JYCkMNKettNUEsael01Yc3EgoMU-FLH3JAUzOoXMc8mmc2N2Cn_0G2MaiBeA3bIDJWKtjpzu2CLT12bGOBG1SlqIk6WY5_-b8cMG-FEaEOVVN8w6IZfvUf-I6FDsVg/s1600/Sirene+Chocolate+new+Moulds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5kPIm7lj6UMO0JYCkMNKettNUEsael01Yc3EgoMU-FLH3JAUzOoXMc8mmc2N2Cn_0G2MaiBeA3bIDJWKtjpzu2CLT12bGOBG1SlqIk6WY5_-b8cMG-FEaEOVVN8w6IZfvUf-I6FDsVg/s320/Sirene+Chocolate+new+Moulds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other notable mentions were Coco Chocolate Company's Strawberries and Champagne bar, with freeze-dried strawberries and carbonated sugar for a fizzy effect, Sweetness Chocolate's artistic single origin bars with splashes of colourful cocoa butter, Soma's beautiful valentine's day chocolates, Palette de Bine's new large gorgeous pack of bars with a beautiful illustration of Mont Tremblant, and Tribe Chocolate's packaging with the cute saying "I'm sorry for what I said when I was hangry." Petite Patrie flew in from Nova Scotia and brought some good single origins and an interesting vegan chocolate. Kin + Pod represented Calgary by show-casing its award-winning Tumaco bar. I also featured my new Buttermilk Gianduja bar, which is a creamier version of the award winning Buttermilk 48% with hazelnut butter and sea salt added. It is quite delectable. </div>
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I wish I had a chance to make it around to all the tables and buy more chocolate! But alas, it was a busy event with a lot of excited chocolate lovers, so I was talking chocolate with customers most of the day, which is one of my happy places to be :-)</div>
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Next year we hope to see the event back and perhaps even bigger! What a great way to spend a cold winter day in Toronto. I hope to see you there next year!</div>
Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com198tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-53726964711246109162019-01-13T08:12:00.001-08:002019-01-13T08:12:00.254-08:00No Cane Sugar Hot Chocolate Recipe - Quick and Simple and HealthyAre you still tackling your New Years Resolutions to be healthier in 2019? And is one of those resolutions to reduce or cut out cane sugar? If so, making hot chocolate can be no easy task since most hot chocolate mixes have added sugar in them. Even gourmet 'drinking chocolate' can be full of sugar. But fear not, hot chocolate with alternative sweetener is easy to make at home with an unsweetened chocolate bar and your healthy sweetener of choice, whether it be stevia, xylitol, coconut sugar, maple syrup or yacon syrup.<br />
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Although it is quick and simple to make a hot chocolate out of pure chocolate, it does take a bit of technique when it comes to pouring and stirring to make one that is smooth, with no bits of chocolate floating in it, which maximizes chocolate flavour. The key is to start out by making a ganache, then add all the milk (or coconut milk for a vegan version) that you want.<br />
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As part of my<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/unsweetened-january-chocolate-with-low.html"> 'go dark' winter months</a>, I was tasting this Montezuma 100% dark chocolate bar:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7ZYupLZqN6_11gPgAk1jjElvZ1tecGTxYMcJKpcGygeeaQSgxkHkj-dyY8cZSLM2S5wK9tBXrL5-bkEvKT7HBsKiOWDcVq-BAmr9SsQq6Hd9H_QYSTJvKaEgJmF95yvFn_6Qf2gsSok/s1600/Montezuma+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7ZYupLZqN6_11gPgAk1jjElvZ1tecGTxYMcJKpcGygeeaQSgxkHkj-dyY8cZSLM2S5wK9tBXrL5-bkEvKT7HBsKiOWDcVq-BAmr9SsQq6Hd9H_QYSTJvKaEgJmF95yvFn_6Qf2gsSok/s400/Montezuma+chocolate.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I liked it, but it was a little mild in the single-origin cacao flavour department for me. I knew I was never going to finish it as an eating chocolate. But I thought - because it was low in acidity and any overwhelming fruity or pronounced flavours - it would be perfect for a hot chocolate. And in the end, it was!<br />
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I also tried a few other 100% dark chocolate bars that I raided from my tasting cabinet...<br />
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And in the end, I settled on my version of the perfect no-cane sugar hot chocolate. Here is my recipe:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>No Cane Sugar Dark Hot Chocolate Recipe:</b></span><br />
Makes 3 servings.<br />
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<i><b>Ingredients:</b></i>75 grams 100% dark or unsweetened chocolate<br />
2 1/3 cups milk (2% to 3%) or coconut milk (or another alternate milk of choice)<br />
4.5 tsps maple syrup, coconut sugar or yacon syrup, or 9 drops of concentrated stevia<br />
1/4 tsp real vanilla extract<br />
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<i><b>Instructions:</b></i><br />
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1. Place milk in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Heat on medium, stirring often, until steaming.<br />
2. While the milk is heating up, break up your chocolate into 1/2" pieces. Place chocolate in a small-to-medium sized microwave-safe bowl. Add 3 tbsp of the milk to the chocolate. Microwave for 35 to 40 seconds. Stir until smooth.<br />
3. Add the sweetener, then add a little bit more of the hot milk (about 1/4 cup) and stir in until smooth. Add the remaining milk and vanilla extract and stir with a spoon or whisk until smooth.<br />
4. Pour 1/3 of the mix into one mug and enjoy immediately. Cover the remainder with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to consume (no longer than three or four days though). Warm up in a mug in the microwave or in a saucepan and enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tips & tricks for making hot chocolate with <i>less </i>sweetener: </span><br />
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Sweeten your hot chocolate to your own taste and do what you are comfortable with. I found 1.5 tsp of maple or yacon syrup to be sweet enough with a mild-flavoured chocolate like the Montezuma or a mild Peru or Venezuela origin 100% dark liquor. However, when I've made the same recipe with a Madagascar, Grenada or other more citrusy or acidic unsweetened chocolate, the same recipe results in a much more bitter hot chocolate. If this happens to you, or you find my recipe too bitter for your taste buds, you can do the following to make it <i>taste</i> sweeter <i>without </i>adding more caloric sweeteners:<br />
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-add more skim or low fat milk, the natural sugars in the milk will more than make up for any added sweetener and reduce the bitterness by quite a bit.<br />
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-add a touch more real vanilla. Vanilla certainly makes chocolate taste sweeter than it is, and it also works the same way in hot chocolate.<br />
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-even if you don't like the taste of stevia and you've chosen maple syrup or honey or some other sweetener with more calories than stevia, you can still add a drop or two of concentrated stevia without it adding the taste of stevia. Anything over that amount and you might start to taste the stevia, but supplementing your maple syrrup with just a bit of stevia will not affect the flavour <i>too </i>much. If you like the taste of stevia, go ahead and use it entirely as the sweetener, but remember not everyone does so if you are serving to others, keep that in mind.<br />
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-blend in a half of a ripe banana and don't add any sweetener. This will become a banana-flavoured hot chocolate, but hey why not? It's a meal and a treat all in one!<br />
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-go darker. Cut the sweetener to half of my recipe, or don't add any at all. You will eventually become used to the bitterness if you have decided to cut all sweeteners from your diet.<br />
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Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-5721037215682529252019-01-05T13:13:00.001-08:002019-01-05T13:19:36.012-08:00Unsweetened January: Chocolate with low or no cane sugar, TAZA Wicked Dark 95% dark chocolateHappy New Year my chocolate-loving friends!<br />
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As another year passes, I notice how much more choice we have in chocolate. With the rapid and massive growth of the bean-to-bar chocolate industry, any percentage of cocoa solids and flavour combination can now easily be purchased - if not in person, certainly online. And so, each January since I started an annual tradition of cutting back the sugar in the chocolate I consume, and eating only very low-sugar chocolate (we're talking 80% to 100% dark chocolate) for the first two months of the year, my goal has become easier to reach. <br />
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When I first started <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-is-chocolate-connoisseur.html">this 'unsweetened' tradition in 2012</a>, I did it to get my palate accustomed to 100% dark chocolate so I could begin to enjoy it. Well, that plan worked and now I can not only easily jump between a white chocolate bar and a completely unsweetened cocoa liquor without so much as a cringe, I also find myself hoarding the very darkest of bars and tucking them away for the winter months, happily looking forward to my unsweetened chocolate time. <br />
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But of course one need not jump headfirst into darkness, but rather ease in tentatively to become accustomed to the dark. So I thought I'd start by some 95% dark chocolate bars by TAZA CHOCOLATE, a bean to bar chocolate maker from Somerville, Massachusetts. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3udgtwbos4010ufBhiPfMi3G1BU9c0AXh_AWyOGFPCXj18Pg7NRHVV6SmvvEGPuRxM4_LMLnvH58EeYrrB0spKuyVhfxOJcn4SHSGmKeu6lE-CKCXgakuUcSDK091whTOMyS5jVHTGY/s1600/Taza+Wicked+Dark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1516" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3udgtwbos4010ufBhiPfMi3G1BU9c0AXh_AWyOGFPCXj18Pg7NRHVV6SmvvEGPuRxM4_LMLnvH58EeYrrB0spKuyVhfxOJcn4SHSGmKeu6lE-CKCXgakuUcSDK091whTOMyS5jVHTGY/s320/Taza+Wicked+Dark.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In November at the Chocolate Maker's Unconference, I attended a few sessions lead by Alex Whitmore, the charismatic founder of TAZA, and was both surprised and impressed to hear that TAZA's number one selling product is a 95% dark chocolate bar called Wicked Dark. With only 5% sugar, the bitterness level of this bar has in the past been too much for most chocolate lovers, until recently. With a renewed interest in cacao and much talk of Keto and Paleo diets, very dark chocolate has entered its heyday, and the average population is beginning to try it.<br />
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Because of the popularity of Wicked Dark - or at least I <em>assume</em> this to be the reason - TAZA also has introduced the Wicked Dark 95% bar with Toasted Quinoa. So I purchased both bars online, arriving back from Christmas Holidays to find them in a package at the post office. Perfect timing for my unsweetened chocolate month!<br />
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Wicked Dark truly is the perfect name for these chocolate bars. They are bitter, in nearly a <em>wicked</em> way. But with the crunch of the stone-ground chocolate, they have a snack-like quality, and just enough crunchy sugar to make you not feel as though you are missing out on a chocolate experience. Taza's focus, as they mention on their website, is that cacao is complex in flavour, so they minimally process it so the flavours can "shout loud and proud". These chocolate bars certainly do that. <br />
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Can you handle it?<br />
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If you think you can go wickedly dark, learn more on Taza's website at: <a href="http://www.tazachocolate.com/">www.tazachocolate.com</a> or if you are in Canada like I am, you can buy Taza bars online at <a href="http://www.naturamarket.ca/">www.naturamarket.ca</a>. <br />
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The Wicked Dark bars by Taza are certified organic, non-GMO, direct trade, gluten-free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. The ingredients are: organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, plus puffed quinoa for the toasted quinoa bar.<br />
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Stay tuned for more talk of unsweetened chocolate bars and low- or no-cane sugar chocolate in the coming two months! Happy Chocolate Eating!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-47786553724094069522018-12-09T08:15:00.001-08:002018-12-09T08:15:16.644-08:00Cacao Juice Now Available in North America - Pure and Perfect!Have you ever wondered why, if cacao is a fruit, you haven't seen juice made from it like apple or orange juice? I have wondered the same thing. But now, you <i>can </i>drink cacao juice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTkqw-7jRWJdEDyhuSt5YSfqic4Fu14SBKtjnxJZcirmkjYmCkT01lIJY8kfNk_GmnqdKI8pCJH4QNMIUS9DcBNZleLh3VWhgx9WUQeBT3_P1pN5qjjv5lwY6_LxM_sIOTLKha3QNBzA/s1600/Cacao+Juice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTkqw-7jRWJdEDyhuSt5YSfqic4Fu14SBKtjnxJZcirmkjYmCkT01lIJY8kfNk_GmnqdKI8pCJH4QNMIUS9DcBNZleLh3VWhgx9WUQeBT3_P1pN5qjjv5lwY6_LxM_sIOTLKha3QNBzA/s400/Cacao+Juice.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Repurposed Pod is the company behind this new beverage. The only ingredient is cacao juice, pressed from cacao fruit from Ecuador (cacao fruit also holds the cocoa beans that chocolate is made from). The taste of the juice is sweet, but also a little bit tangy and tart too. The acidity of the cocoa bean can be well explained when you taste this juice. </div>
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I was so excited to see the juice at the Northwest Chocolate Festival this year at <a href="https://indichocolate.com/">Indi Chocolate's </a>table. It has been a little while since my last trip to a cacao farm and I was missing the taste of the fruit. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the juicy fruit taste, since the descriptions had never made it sound appealing. Comments like "juicy white flesh" made me think it was going to be disgusting, however the actual taste was that of one of the best fruit I've ever had. </div>
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The juice offers nutrition and a good source of magnesium, and a wonderful new flavour for your smoothies or as a base for mixed alcohol beverages. This is the next best thing to finally getting cacao pods imported to our grocery stores. </div>
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I'm not sure if we can get this in Canada yet, but there is definitely a lot of distribution through the United States, where you can buy it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Repurposed-Pod-Cacao-Juice-8-4oz/dp/B07GFSZ3PQ/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1544371368&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=cacao+juice&psc=1">Amazon.com</a> for about $3.99 per container. </div>
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To learn more about Cacao Juice and the makers of this product, visit their website at: <a href="http://www.repurposedpod.com/">www.repurposedpod.com</a> or on Instagram at: @repurposedpod.</div>
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Please note: I was not paid or encouraged in any way to write about this product. I bought one and wanted to share it with you (if <i>only</i> I could have actually shared the drink with all of you! That would have been much more fun :-))</div>
Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com161tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-87326131556606734452018-10-06T05:57:00.000-07:002018-10-08T05:38:42.360-07:00Easy Milk Chocolate Pumpkin-Spiced Tart: Perfect Dessert for FallFall is all about Pumpkin-spice the last 10 years thanks to great advertising by Starbucks, and more recently Tim Hortons and McDonald's with their takes on Pumpkin Spiced Lattes. But aside from the beverages, dessert is really the way to go when it comes to that flavour combination we all love. And for me, dessert usually means chocolate (unless it is<a href="http://piecaken.blogspot.com/2013/11/recipe-for-pumpkin-pie-in-vanilla.html"> pumpkin piecaken</a> of course). I haven't quite figured out how to put chocolate into a classic pumpkin pie and still maintain its wonderful texture, so I thought perhaps a sweeter, chocolatey pie creation was in order.<br />
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Playing around with the ingredients in my <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/key-lime-pie-with-white-chocolate-whip.html">White Chocolate Key Lime Pie Recipe</a> gave me a creamy pie that is simple and quick to whip up. Fast enough in fact to make the morning of any dinner, or inside of an hour the night before. So if you need a quick dessert for this Canadian Thanksgiving (yes, this weekend!), you still can. And if you are American, this will give you lots of time to stock up on these simple ingredients before your Thanksgiving celebrations start.<br />
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So let's get started. You'll be amazed at how quick and easy this pie is!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Milk Chocolate Pumpkin-Spice Pie</span></b><br />
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<b><u>You need</u></b><br />
<i>for the pie & filling:</i><br />
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (PC brand is best for this recipe, it is the thickest I've been able to find on the market)<br />
2/3 cup sour cream (full fat 14% at least, you need the thickness so don't skimp on the fat content)<br />
16 ounces of milk chocolate, chopped into 1/2" pieces<br />
1/3 cup whipping cream<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp mace<br />
1 tsp molasses<br />
2 chocolate or graham pie crusts (store bought) or if homemade you wish and know how to make them (ahem, just mix 2 cups cookie crumbs with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/3 cup sugar and press into greased pie plates OR mix 1.5 cups flour - gluten free or regular - with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup melted butter, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder for a chocolatey touch, then press into pie plates)<br />
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<i>for the topping:</i><br />
4 + 1 ounces of milk chocolate for the topping (4 for ganache, 1 for shavings), chopped into 1/2" piece<br />
1/4 cup whipping cream<br />
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<b><u>Instructions</u></b><br />
<i>For the pie:</i><br />
1. Pre-bake your homemade crust if using in two pie plates, or simply unwrap your store-bought pie plates and place on two pans on the counter (the pans makes it easier to put them in and out of the oven).<br />
2. In a medium microwave proof bowl, place the 16 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1/3 cup cream. Microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir until smooth. If any lumps of chocolate remain, place back in the microwave for 10 seconds only, and stir again until smooth. Repeat as necessary until the mixture has no lumps but is not too hot to separate out the cocoa butter from the mix.<br />
3. In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the contents of both sweetened condensed milk containers, the 2/3 cup of sour cream, and the chocolate mixture, then beat in the spices and the molasses.<br />
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You can add a tsp of real vanilla too if you want to, but this is optional. Pour this into your prepared pie shells, splitting the batch evenly between both.<br />
4. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for 14 minutes. Carefully remove, then let cool for 1/2 to 1 hour on the stovetop. Place in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours to chill.<br />
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<i>For the topping:</i><br />
1. Place the 4 ounces of chopped chocolate into a small microwave safe (glass or plastic) bowl. Add the whipping cream. Microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir until smooth. If any lumps of chocolate remain, place back in the microwave for 10 seconds only, and stir again until smooth. Repeat as necessary until the mixture has no lumps but is not too hot to separate out the cocoa butter from the mix.<br />
2. Pour the ganache over the tarts and spread to the edges, or let set in its bowl for a half hour or so, to let cool a little, then pour into a pastry or ziplock bag, cut off a small corner and squeeze out in lines back and forth over the whole pie, then repeat the opposite way to create a criss-crossed pattern. 3. Let set in the fridge for 1/2 to 1 hour before slicing.<br />
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<i>When serving...</i><br />
When you slice the pie, shave the remaining chocolate using a grater over the pie slices to top them. You can also sprinkle with skor caramel bits for added texture.<br />
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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!<br />
<br />Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-89707285440916538492018-09-17T13:20:00.005-07:002018-09-18T19:00:37.683-07:00Homemade Chocolate Fudgesicles, Best Popsicle Molds and moreIs summer really over? I have trouble believing it, since the humid weather is still lingering and it has been sunny for a full week. As a chocolate maker, I secretly hope the heat and humidity die down so I can get back to work with ease. But as a person who loves cold summer chocolaty treats, the lingering heat means that popsicle season is not over yet. <br />
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Amid the busy summer season, I managed to spend a great deal of time experimenting with cold chocolate treats. Particularly homemade chocolate popsicles and fudgsicles. My first plan was to make a great hot chocolate, then make 'hot chocolate popsicles' from that great hot chocolate. I had spent the winter perfecting my hot chocolate recipe, so it seemed like a natural progression into the warm season.<br />
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I have always enjoyed a good chocolate popsicle. Milky, mildy sweet and reminiscent of a light chocolate ice cream. At the same time, I like a good fudgesicle that is full of more intense chocolate flavours (okay, so I like anything chocolatey. I would be in the wrong business if I didn't). So I figured I'd test strong dark hot chocolate versus a milkier variety.<br />
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I knew that I could simply make a few cups of the milk and dark Camino brand of hot chocolate, and freeze those to get a decent popsicle. But I also wanted to try my own. However, with all of the hot chocolate mixes, I found the same thing that happens in your cup happens in the popsicle mould - all the cocoa powder and cocoa liquor rests in the bottom of the cup even after its been stirred. In the popsicle, that means it ends up in the top of the popsicle, making it too intense at the top and too mild in the end. So then I tried using an immersion blender to better mix it right before pouring it into the mould. I soon discovered that any bubbles that were created from the mixer froze as bubbles, which poorly affected the texture. <br />
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At the end, I finally got an okay chocolate popsicle by both sifting the liquid, and then also removing any remaining bubbles from the drink. I also learned that adding more milk or replacing the water with milk in hot chocolate, adding more cocoa powder, adding vanilla, and occasionally blending in a banana makes them much richer in flavour.<br />
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But I still wanted something richer, and with a more intense chocolate flavour. That's when I decided to scrap hot chocolate pops, and move onto making the perfect fudgesicle.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Chocolate Fudgesicle Recipes to Try</strong></span></em><br />
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In an attempt at the perfect fudgesicle, I was playing around with pure dark chocolate and different milks for about a week to get the right texture and flavour, when Avanaa Chocolate from Montreal posted a <a href="https://www.avanaa.ca/fudge-glacee-maison/">recipe</a> on social media and their website. Right then and there I tried their recipe and it was perfect! I found a little work was needed to ensure the chocolate mixed well into the milk with no lumps, and in choosing just the right chocolate origin to pair with it.<br />
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The key is to take just a bit of the milk - not less than 2 tbsp. and not more than 1/4 cup - and melt it together with the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. I've always found this when making ganache or truffles: if you add hot milk in large quantities to your chopped chocolate, you will separate the chocolate and cocoa butter, and essentially throw the chocolate out of temper and you will end up with tiny bits of chocolate in the final mix (think stracciatella ice cream). Too little milk (less than 1 or 2 tbsps.) is like adding a drop of water to chocolate and it will seize. 1/4 cup for 100 to 200 grams of chocolate is usually about right. The same rule applies when mixing hot chocolate mix with real chocolate pieces in it. <br />
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After I made this recipe a few times, I started playing around with the type of chocolate (see note below on type of chocolate and origin selection), the amount of chocolate (I found more is ALWAYS better, albeit more expensive) and with removing the added sweetener. But the original recipe by Avanaa is just great and I recommend it. Find it at this link: <a href="https://www.avanaa.ca/fudge-glacee-maison/">https://www.avanaa.ca/fudge-glacee-maison/</a>, and if the French is a problem, simply copy and paste it to Google Translate.<br />
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I also discovered that bananas add a great amount of sweetness to a recipe, and a kid-friendly flavour aspect. So below is a great recipe I came up with for kid (and adult)-friendly fudgesicles. I hope you like it as much as my family does.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>Chocolate Banana Fudgesicle Recipe</strong></em></span><br />
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<em>You need:</em><br />
100 grams of semi-sweet chocolate (55% to 65%), chopped into bite-sized pieces (1" or smaller)<br />
1/4 cup milk (skim for a low-fat fudgesicle, 2% or whole milk for a richer flavour)<br />
1 cup milk (skim for a low-fat fudgesicle, 2% or whole milk for a richer flavour)<br />
1 very ripe banana, peeled<br />
1.5 tbsp cocoa powder<br />
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<em>Note on sweetness</em>: If you use a darker chocolate than a semi-sweet, such as 70% or 80%, you may not want to add the cocoa powder as it will naturally have a richer dark chocolate flavour.<br />
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<em>Note on chocolate origin</em>: Use a chocolate that does not have strong fruity and acidic notes so as not to compete with the milk flavour. A Peru origin works well, as does a Venezuela. Camino's Peru couverture 70% and 56% worked very well, and my own Peru Ucayali River 60% was great, with mild woody notes. My Honduras 70% was also delicious in the fudgesicles because the bean is naturally sweeter than other origins with mild acidity. A non-fruity Ecuador would also be a good choice and likely any Lindt bar. <br />
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<em>Instructions:</em><br />
<ol>
<li>Place the chopped chocolate and 1/4 cup milk in a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl. Microwave for 50 seconds. Remove and stir the chocolate mixture until smooth. </li>
<li>In a smoothie blender, blender or with an immersion blender, blend your banana with the 1 cup of milk and the 1.5 tbsp. of cocoa powder until completely smooth and until no banana lumps remain.</li>
<li>Slowly pour the milk-banana mixture into the chocolate mixture while using a whisk to stir together until completely combined and smooth.</li>
<li>Use a large spoon to scoop any foam and bubbles off the top of the mixture.</li>
<li>Pour into 6 popsicle cavities (more or less, depending on the size of your moulds).</li>
<li>Place sticks in the top and the cover on, if there is one.</li>
<li>Freeze overnight or for 1 day to 24 hours. </li>
<li>Remove by pouring room temperature water over the bottom cavity section of the mould. </li>
<li>If you are not serving immediately, wrap each popsicle in a piece of waxed paper, then place them in an airtight container in the freezer. Enjoy within 6 months.</li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>The Best Popsicle Molds</strong></em></span><br />
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On Amazon Prime Day, I bought a few different popsicle makers to try. Since I run a business, I wanted to have a more professional shape than the simple round ones from the grocery store, a good size for each pop, and have to have slots for wooden sticks, not e-usable plastic tops. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jwjDxnga5pAiBZxovxj1iErJPOyu2NN9Nh5C9Ey3TyRNRdKdqY7ibxDwXdsfT68speoiKUHGduhVuy0DUvXXFWAXeJ0ailCS-NpHfmt5N0MHcBwf2_qA1scOJQz7Bwr30j_D3faxf7Q/s1600/Homemade+Chocolate+Fudgeicles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jwjDxnga5pAiBZxovxj1iErJPOyu2NN9Nh5C9Ey3TyRNRdKdqY7ibxDwXdsfT68speoiKUHGduhVuy0DUvXXFWAXeJ0ailCS-NpHfmt5N0MHcBwf2_qA1scOJQz7Bwr30j_D3faxf7Q/s320/Homemade+Chocolate+Fudgeicles.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wanted to test a silicon popsicle maker versus a plastic one, to see which is easier for extraction from the mold. What I discovered with the Prepworks Frozen Pop Maker was that extraction was fairly easy by simply running warm or room temp water over the plastic. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFteAvbB-x3oMW4vFhF46q5dhIqRm4dPseZB3ibZRR2VtxbTOXYSflplCKIxD46c9igGHbdP-n185u6W2msITsQRTY7cuR_KvNH7p_nsmRFvs6w6ZOt0QisQTrEIFBPSHX2MS9Ai5_Y2o/s1600/Plastic+Popsicle+Holders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFteAvbB-x3oMW4vFhF46q5dhIqRm4dPseZB3ibZRR2VtxbTOXYSflplCKIxD46c9igGHbdP-n185u6W2msITsQRTY7cuR_KvNH7p_nsmRFvs6w6ZOt0QisQTrEIFBPSHX2MS9Ai5_Y2o/s320/Plastic+Popsicle+Holders.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not always perfect, but it worked. However, the sticks would never stay standing up straight, no matter how many times I tried to correct them, even while inside the freezer. When they are crooked, it makes it hard for the metal lid to come off all the sticks once frozen. Finally I gave up trying to get them to balance just right, and instead tilted them all in the same direction, so the lid could come off more easily (if even one or two sticks out of the 10 are tilting in the opposite direction, you might never get the lid off!).<br />
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The<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Silicone-Popsicle-Molds-Frozen-Lid%EF%BC%88red%EF%BC%89/dp/B079N3NL59/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1537322299&sr=8-18&keywords=silicon+popsicle+mold"> red Silicon popsicle mold</a> had a lid that really held the sticks perfectly upright, and the silicon lid lifted off perfectly every time. The downside was that extraction was harder with all the squishiness while trying to get the pops out, and I had to put the popsicle mold on a tray each time it went in the freezer because the silicon tends to shift around, which can either cause it to spill or make the popsicles rather fat in the middle. Also, I had to be careful not to squeeze the mold when trying to get each pop out, or the popsicle melts and squishes its end off. Like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVl_EPoq1gEG_qBuiHBZuPcKaEJ357fSOuRNpJMK-IuJ3ylQIh3Pv4KSI5Sz1aezY02G1iTA0lyVRHXV7at6g0rWlbkw5H9TNhOA0R1uhuBdbBCGI5v4wYlJM5z6T64l1FKAvoJc-VQA/s1600/melted+fudgesicle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVl_EPoq1gEG_qBuiHBZuPcKaEJ357fSOuRNpJMK-IuJ3ylQIh3Pv4KSI5Sz1aezY02G1iTA0lyVRHXV7at6g0rWlbkw5H9TNhOA0R1uhuBdbBCGI5v4wYlJM5z6T64l1FKAvoJc-VQA/s320/melted+fudgesicle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Although both molds were sufficient, I started using the silicon top from the silicon mold on the plastic Prepworks base. This kept the sticks in place, with a lid that came off easily, and made the pops easier to extract. Of course, this is not ideal since no one wants to buy two molds, but perhaps a popsicle maker will see this an invent one maker with a plastic base and a silicon top. <br />
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Overall, I didn't mind either popsicle maker. I suspect there is no 'perfect' one out there, and I liked that both allowed me to make 10 good-sized popsicles each, and I sure made use of them this summer! I bought popsicles to potlucks, and fed them to my children, which felt good knowing they were eating an all-natural and low-sugar treat (just 60% to 70% dark chocolate and milk, sometimes with a banana to sweeten). <br />
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So if you are looking for a good popsicle maker, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/">www.amazon.ca</a>. They delivered quickly and the prices were great.Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-30639255042638145982018-08-28T06:59:00.001-07:002018-08-29T05:31:08.749-07:00RAAKA Virgin Chocolate's 1st Nibs Subscription: Double Fermented versus Single Fermented CacaoIf you love to discover new ways to enjoy chocolate, love to learn about chocolate making though sensory analysis, and to compare how chocolate flavours are affected by changes to cacao processing, then I suggest you try Raaka Virgin Chocolate`s <em>1t Nibs Subscription, August 2018 selection.</em> There are just a few days left in August, so be quick and get to Raaka`s website! You can buy the box here: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.raakachocolate.com/collections/first-nibs-monthly-chocolate-subscription&source=gmail&ust=1535461407360000&usg=AFQjCNEjBO0krV0i2Vz4EPBETnLA0L8QgA" href="https://www.raakachocolate.com/collections/first-nibs-monthly-chocolate-subscription" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">https://www.raakachocolate.com<wbr></wbr>/collections/first-nibs-monthl<wbr></wbr>y-chocolate-subscription</a> . <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSRbh-q53ZDM-EBrbe46qq3qJFrrEbeCLAk0Tqi2xzouOgGu94Ham_q0Qo94ZUVltSGEJ18MdJdFAh9LjbnM0U-WZPWGwmwrC0_KmigBZPr4UX4lJGs94meZCnOXchj8xzIssviQ28LM/s1600/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSRbh-q53ZDM-EBrbe46qq3qJFrrEbeCLAk0Tqi2xzouOgGu94Ham_q0Qo94ZUVltSGEJ18MdJdFAh9LjbnM0U-WZPWGwmwrC0_KmigBZPr4UX4lJGs94meZCnOXchj8xzIssviQ28LM/s320/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It comes with ice packs, in an insulated envelope, with the chocolate bars wrapped in a lovely drawstring bag. This would make a wonderful gift for a wannabe chocolate connoisseur, or a wine tasting enthusiast (who talks about 'terrior' and 'flavour notes' and also likes chocolate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxlM8WJdJXJ-1z0gkvASt04SC06MnJLr0suIblXjOAWnHpUxMrvXCmxqe062Q-fKn9GKPQ8on2No_WeODTLljUqnYlYOQTuElYx_Mfwc1dWNNnTEDfCVpWmzrrjuP6IFCp_bb3uF-gac/s1600/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription+August+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxlM8WJdJXJ-1z0gkvASt04SC06MnJLr0suIblXjOAWnHpUxMrvXCmxqe062Q-fKn9GKPQ8on2No_WeODTLljUqnYlYOQTuElYx_Mfwc1dWNNnTEDfCVpWmzrrjuP6IFCp_bb3uF-gac/s320/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription+August+2018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>So why is this subscription box so great for me?</em></span> Well, I loved the learning and discovery aspect to this curated selection of bars. Raaka has taken one of their cacaos (Zorzal Cacao from the Dominican Republic) and conducted an experiment: they made one 75% dark chocolate bar from the cacao. Then they did a "carefully controlled secondary natural fermentation" of a portion of same batch of cacao. Raaka then made one batch of chocolate bars from the single fermented cacao (cacao that is fermented in the Dominican Republic), then made a second batch of chocolate from the cacao that was fermented a second time in Raaka's factory in Brooklyn, New York. They say that the secondary fermentation reduces the sugars in the cacao while "leveling up the maltiness and more pronounced chocolaty notes". Raaka also threw in a third Guatemala-origin chocolate bar made with cacao from the 2017 Harvest of 40 small farms in San Juan Chivite, a small village in Guatemala that is only accessible by a wooden suspension bridge. Together, these three bars made for a perfect taste comparison package. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZRbtZZ3mDDsHKT7aq9l0OwPX3xXcX5FEwIv9cR2BFHn6VmTYa-y6c_RnyMsRmkrimAJbe3IP-VswzKYpy7UPOHKIkrDBhewybSFwehZXEwSQAI7lwopxuWvCC4ltbZ9lSh24mASb890/s1600/Raaka+Double+Fermented+Cacao+versus+Single+Fermented+Cacao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZRbtZZ3mDDsHKT7aq9l0OwPX3xXcX5FEwIv9cR2BFHn6VmTYa-y6c_RnyMsRmkrimAJbe3IP-VswzKYpy7UPOHKIkrDBhewybSFwehZXEwSQAI7lwopxuWvCC4ltbZ9lSh24mASb890/s400/Raaka+Double+Fermented+Cacao+versus+Single+Fermented+Cacao.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">So what were the results in taste?</span></em><br />
<strong>Single Fermented Cacao, 75% Zorzal Cacao Dominican Republic</strong><br />
My day 1 of tasting offered tart lemony notes, and tart un-ripened cherry, yet day 2 produced mild dried fruit, perhaps dried apricot and raw almond. For some reason the texture had a slight grit, but there had been a little bloom on this bar in comparison to the other two in the package. I hadn't taken note of its position within the package, but being up on an Island in Northern Ontario, it had likely taken a little longer for the package to reach me, and the ice pack was no longer cold inside the package. I also jogged home with the package, when I should have driven it home to prevent further risk of bloom on the bars. But somehow, I get the feeling the textural aspect to this chocolate is not from the slight bloom, because the slight grit seems to linger on the melt. Overall, it falls flat in comparison to the double fermented cacao bar.<br />
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<strong>Double Fermented Cacao, 75% Zorzal Cacao Dominican Republic</strong><br />
This chocolate was very different than the first: robust, well-rounded favour, a good level of acidity, and pronounced fruit. Still some lemony flavour on the melt (like watered-down lemonade), but with a lemon tang that lingers long after the flavour is gone. I agree with the tasting notes provided by Nate Hodge, Head Chocolate Maker, that the bar has notes of rich chocolate fudge. A note was provided on the package of this being a "more mellow bar", which doesn't sit quite right with me, since this chocolate seems to have a much fuller, richer flavour.<br />
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If Raaka is considering choosing one chocolate over the other, definitely the Double Fermented Cacao is the best choice for a unique, beautiful flavour.<br />
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<strong>Guatemala (Asochivite, 2017 Harvest, 75%)</strong><br />
On the first day of tasting, this chocolate was so fruity, full of prune and raisin, in fact it reminded me of raisins soaked in rum. This was very enjoyable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqqWg3ZzHIBaTvj3KIEZxdeoc5WQXGSEoM08aczrSa7qLh8mW5HttU9wtMisTiNGl19tYgwV91hOTmYS_f8obxLzNpNa4FXHJ9Z-OB_cntvt-PhyphenhyphendLygyK1FgY6jh3o4PPA63EGhfQ6Y/s1600/Raaka+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqqWg3ZzHIBaTvj3KIEZxdeoc5WQXGSEoM08aczrSa7qLh8mW5HttU9wtMisTiNGl19tYgwV91hOTmYS_f8obxLzNpNa4FXHJ9Z-OB_cntvt-PhyphenhyphendLygyK1FgY6jh3o4PPA63EGhfQ6Y/s320/Raaka+Chocolate.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIEf24JTXXx21tz3EEUmnoW53MqY4wAfn032W79C529uL9jp9HXDSIFpk37BoTVTAdgtf7l0Kthyphenhyphen6Ht300pGIab5vVg3hStXGSq95XuAgXkMhbWpDlhozDnh8PUs6CNzeQwwGv8gGUWk/s1600/Raaka+75%2525+Guatemala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIEf24JTXXx21tz3EEUmnoW53MqY4wAfn032W79C529uL9jp9HXDSIFpk37BoTVTAdgtf7l0Kthyphenhyphen6Ht300pGIab5vVg3hStXGSq95XuAgXkMhbWpDlhozDnh8PUs6CNzeQwwGv8gGUWk/s320/Raaka+75%2525+Guatemala.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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So again, if you want to get in on this subscription box, there are just days left to buy it! Go to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.raakachocolate.com/collections/first-nibs-monthly-chocolate-subscription&source=gmail&ust=1535461407360000&usg=AFQjCNEjBO0krV0i2Vz4EPBETnLA0L8QgA" href="https://www.raakachocolate.com/collections/first-nibs-monthly-chocolate-subscription" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: currentColor; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">https://www.raakachocolate.com<wbr></wbr>/collections/first-nibs-monthl<wbr></wbr>y-chocolate-subscription</a> to learn more, and <a href="http://www.raakachocolate.com/">www.raakachocolate.com</a> to see what else this awesome low-roast chocolate maker has to offer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkM5wD9yeJIgOzzcrl6Js7j4XyFBXXbF0lwKVAmWhyc3Vo3cSvB7ko0TTg6ImaMRQ2ojXeqX9OA-Ht5TYBBEgxb09VboE1ddq3TEK-CNDX8uG0bKSdXwMz-dJSNQM29gqPSJl3sJPxhLQ/s1600/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription+August+2018+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkM5wD9yeJIgOzzcrl6Js7j4XyFBXXbF0lwKVAmWhyc3Vo3cSvB7ko0TTg6ImaMRQ2ojXeqX9OA-Ht5TYBBEgxb09VboE1ddq3TEK-CNDX8uG0bKSdXwMz-dJSNQM29gqPSJl3sJPxhLQ/s400/Raaka+1st+Nibs+Subcription+August+2018+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Bloggers Note: </em></span><br />
I purchased this box with my own money, and no encouragement or incentive from Raaka. Just me trying something new (like I always do), trying to learn more about chocolate from a maker that I have always respected.Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-54284354099792813172018-08-10T08:04:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:16:48.564-07:00FOSSA Chocolate, Silkiki Coconut Milk, and Zotter's Dry-Aged 75%: A Chocolate Tasting Round-Up<a href="https://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Summertime is super busy for me, making chocolate and chocolate
desserts for the tourists that flock to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoulin_Island"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Manitoulin Island</span></a>
during this season. And because of how much time I spend in my commercial
kitchen, I am unable to tell you about all the amazing craft chocolate
that I still taste on a weekly basis. But I thought I should etch out a little
time this week to give you a round-up before I let these interesting
chocolate finds pass into the zone of "um...I think I tasted that
once."<br />
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So here is what I've been tasting so far this summer...<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Solkiki
Gran Nativo Coconut Dark Milk 63%, 56g</span></strong></div>
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This was my first time tasting a Solkiki chocolate bar, and I was not
disappointed, the coconut flavour was surprisingly subtle (I've tasted many
coconut milk bars where the coconut milk flavour was too strong and, well,
gross. This was not one of those bars, this was delicious). The milk
chocolate texture was smooth and slightly creamy - not
overly creamy, but enough to be quite pleasant. The milk chocolate taste was
refreshing and bright, and the bar notes referred to "notes of pina
colada". The hint of coconut might contribute to that. Also, the 63%
cocoa solids do not make this bar bitter at all, it is still clearly 'milky' in
taste, and sweet tasting for a high percentage <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-ultimate-list-of-dark-milk.html"><span style="color: #e69138;">dark-milk
chocolate.</span></a><br />
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So if you are looking to taste a coconut milk chocolate - or any vegan milk
chocolate with no dairy - but are afraid of strong coconut flavours, go ahead
and try this one, because it is quite good. And the International Chocolate
Awards judges agree, because Solkiki won a 2017 Silver award for this bar. <br />
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Solkiki is a British chocolate maker specializing in vegan chocolate. Check
this bar out on their website, or buy it online on CocoaRunners:<span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="https://cocoarunners.com/shop/solkiki-gran-nativo-63-coconut-dark-mylk/"><span style="color: #e69138;">https://cocoarunners.com/shop/solkiki-gran-nativo-63-coconut-dark-mylk/</span></a><br />
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<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">FOSSA
70% Dark PAK EDDY, Indonesia, 35 g</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPSDIn40rrMZ8CmeZQReSYd1muL7cG7JwHp7t8Mud7Om8Ozi5pxxrykP__qzzbYbKLg0BPGRQgI7F2ujKdyZIzYm947qM2RSX1QqIm4FnsXi84vGnqwB1LiyIfZUegTMF5CkMwzbbl6A/s1600/FOSSA+Indonesia+Pak+Eddy+bar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPSDIn40rrMZ8CmeZQReSYd1muL7cG7JwHp7t8Mud7Om8Ozi5pxxrykP__qzzbYbKLg0BPGRQgI7F2ujKdyZIzYm947qM2RSX1QqIm4FnsXi84vGnqwB1LiyIfZUegTMF5CkMwzbbl6A/s320/FOSSA+Indonesia+Pak+Eddy+bar.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
FOSSA Chocolate, Singapore's first bean-to-bar chocolate maker, seem to be
turning up everywhere on Instagram lately, so I was excited to try this bar and
enjoy a first taste experience with this chocolate maker. This
Indonesian-origin chocolate bar offered a smoky taste with a good, dark
chocolate flavour. The flavour was complex and very interesting, with almond,
and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The quality was also good, and no noticeable
strange textures. According to
the chocolate package, 'PAK EDDY' as the bar is named,
stands for 'Uncle Eddy', which is the local term used for the farmer who
"personally cultivated, fermented and dried" the beans in Yogyakarta,
Indonesia.<br />
<br />
FOSSA is getting noticed for their interesting flavour combinations, like <a href="https://www.fossachocolate.com/shop/salted-egg-cereal-blond-chocolate"><span style="color: #e69138;">Salted
Egg Cereal</span></a> (including salted egg yolk, cereal and curry leaves), White
Sesame & Seaweed, Sake, and the one that seems to get the most notice:
<a href="https://www.fossachocolate.com/shop/shrimpbonito"><span style="color: #e69138;">Shrimp & Bonito</span></a>.
<br />
<br />
So I definitely look forward to my next FOSSA taste experience. Check them
out on Instagram @fossachocolate and online at: <a href="https://www.fossachocolate.com/"><span style="color: #e69138;">https://www.fossachocolate.com/</span></a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Zotter
Labooko Vintage 2016 Dry Aged 75%, 70g</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8cUIztinanQfmcntUglHYNbXfbY4JVqnFHzGL_ppeQT2EtkQFvbXc3x8P6t6E0BahFY_S-am2lcsbS8ZRhGJEEHYbkt33NouBEgCAH8zY1JboQkA6VvtJtUSw4DMy9A406_lryrT5Kw/s1600/Zotter+Labooko+Vintage+2016+Dry+Aged+75%2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="883" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8cUIztinanQfmcntUglHYNbXfbY4JVqnFHzGL_ppeQT2EtkQFvbXc3x8P6t6E0BahFY_S-am2lcsbS8ZRhGJEEHYbkt33NouBEgCAH8zY1JboQkA6VvtJtUSw4DMy9A406_lryrT5Kw/s320/Zotter+Labooko+Vintage+2016+Dry+Aged+75%2525.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<br />
Even after reviewing the information provided by Zotter, I am still not sure
I understand the "Dry Aged" claim, since both cocoa beans and
chocolate need to be dry to age. Their packaging states that the "vintage
chocolate" was "dry aged for a year in order to mature the cocoa
aroma." However, the website says" a superior cuvée made of dry-aged
fine flavour cocoa". So the packaging makes it sound like the <em>chocolate</em>
was dry aged, and the website makes it sound like the <em>cocoa beans</em> were
dry aged. <br />
<br />
Now, if the beans were dry-aged, (which I am going to assume is the case,
because chocolate can't really be wet to age unless a chocolate maker wanted to
spend some serious money on electricity to keep it in a constant melted state),
then I suppose that is different than larger chocolate makers who might use
their beans as soon as they get them in. However, many smaller craft
chocolate makers use their supply over time (i.e. order beans once per year),
or order from a supplier that stores the beans in a warehouse for as long as a
year, so I suppose many chocolate makers are dry-aging the chocolate but not
labelling it a such, and rather just placing different batch numbers on
the chocolate.<br />
<br />
This aging process will cause a taste difference from batch to batch, but how
much difference is hard to say. I have bars of my own made from aged cocoa
beans, and they do taste different from the bars that I saved that were made
from beans of the same harvest, but made closer to the harvest date. It is
hard to say how much the flavor is influenced by the length of aging of the
bars themselves, and how much is influenced by the age of the beans,
or a change in cocoa butter, roast profile, etc.<br />
<br />
Either way, and no matter how they spin it, this chocolate is truly tasty.
It is rich in chocolate flavour, a complex flavour that comes from a blend of
five fine flavour cocoa bean varieties grown in four different
cocoa-growing countries. It hits different markers of flavour: fruit, nut,
cocoa taste, caramel, and a pronounced-yet-balanced acidity that creates a
perfect bitterness level for dark chocolate. <br />
<br />
I truly enjoyed this chocolate bar. I recommend you give it a try. This
year, they plan to release a 2017 Vintage edition, so watch out for
that. Learn more on the European Zotter website at: <a href="https://www.zotter.at/en/online-shop/brands/labooko/detail/product/75-vintage-2016-dry-aged.html"><span style="color: #e69138;">https://www.zotter.at/en/online-shop/brands/labooko/detail/product/75-vintage-2016-dry-aged.html</span></a>.
If you are in the US, you can order online <a href="https://www.zotterusa.com/labooko-pure-chocolate/378-vintage-2016-dry-aged-75-9006403045014.html?search_query=dry+aged&results=7"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #e69138;">here</span>.</span></a> or
got to: <a href="https://www.zotterusa.com/"><span style="color: #e69138;">https://www.zotterusa.com/</span></a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
***<br />
And that's a 'round-up' for this week folks! I am hoping to find a little
time next week to post a recipe or two that I've been working on this summer,
so stay tuned...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </div>
Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-74436191226812663502018-07-23T06:47:00.000-07:002018-07-23T07:31:07.042-07:00Horizontal chocolate tastings, Mexico-origin chocolate, and Goodnow FarmsAccording to the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI for short), a "horizontal tasting" is when you taste chocolate made from the "same primary raw material" (ref: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkK4RQmHfgh/?taken-by=chocoinstitute">Instagram, June 2018</a>). An example would be the tasting event organized by the FCCI and Goodnow Farms in Massachusetts last month, where the event organizers lined up many chocolate bars made from the same coveted Ucayali River Cacao beans in Peru, but all made by different chocolate makers. This allows a taster to see how each chocolate maker has handled the beans, and to taste the different roast profiles, the methods of grinding and refining the chocolate, and the chosen textures of the chocolate to bring out subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) flavour differences from the same beans. <br />
<br />
I can rarely conduct a horizontal tasting, because I live in Canada and so far from major city centres where I might get my hands on different brands of chocolate bars made with the same cocoa beans. But I do <em>try</em> to every now and then, particularly when I have been traveling or to chocolate festivals, or through online orders, such as Marou's and Indi Chocolate's <em>Lam Dong</em> origin bars pictured below:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rYsIgQjKWBM2pOXBJ8SImrP2Sdw6Innn6u4lLDTQKTSfWZIkcEELlVwH0tuLg8Knq-jPycyVVaBNvz-YAY_BPNl3pWssiv_Rb1SJW5Hyr093cVzylb1Nk5V_bb7GbKKX7lMfOGSEpW8/s1600/Horizontal+Tasting+Vietnam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rYsIgQjKWBM2pOXBJ8SImrP2Sdw6Innn6u4lLDTQKTSfWZIkcEELlVwH0tuLg8Knq-jPycyVVaBNvz-YAY_BPNl3pWssiv_Rb1SJW5Hyr093cVzylb1Nk5V_bb7GbKKX7lMfOGSEpW8/s320/Horizontal+Tasting+Vietnam.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Other times, I buy bars all made with cocoa beans grown in the same country, and I don't worry about whether or not it came from the same farm or co-op (i.e. the Dick Taylor bar pictured above is made from cocoa beans from the <em>Tien Giang</em> region of Vietnam) . This allows me to taste a range of chocolate from all over the country of origin, giving me some idea of the general tastes of the cacao of that country. For instance, all Spring and Summer, I've been tasting cacao (and making chocolate from it) from co-ops and single farms all over Colombia, and there are some consistent flavours: honey and panela flavours, some fruit but not strong, balanced acidity. Other flavours will be prominent one way or the other among samples, but in general these are the common notes I've found. <br />
<br />
You can find these types of similarities among cacao of other countries as well: Ecuador often has nuts or floral notes, many Peru bars can have a mild flavour that is balanced, Venezuela with notes of cream, and Madagascar has citrus, red berries and sometimes raisin flavour notes.<br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">But what about Mexico origin chocolate?</span></em><br />
With Mexico origin chocolate, however, there has been little available in the craft chocolate industry until recently. I have been working with some Mexican beans for some time, and I am still figuring out the flavours of these rather strong-tasting citrus-flavoured beans. The beans come from <em>Hacienda Jesus Maria</em> located near the Comalcalco city and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comalcalco_(archaeological_site)">ancient Mayan Comalcalco archaeological site</a>, in the larger region of Tabasco, Mexico. The flavours that I've found after numerous tastings and many batches of chocolate are: citrus, fruit, leather, tree-nuts including hazelnut, and grass or hay.<br />
<br />
The owner of the Chocolate Project in Victoria, BC, tasted my Mexico origin chocolate and offered up flavour notes of "green grass, papaya, vegetation and a bit of leather". I personally, find it a very interesting taste combination that keeps you coming back for more out of curiosity, but certainly not something I would upfront introduce to someone with a palate for commercial sweet chocolate and vanilla-flavoured chocolate. It seems to suit the palate of someone who likes savory dishes and a lot of salt or lemon in their food and desserts. <br />
<br />
The smell of the beans is quite different than any other cocoa bean that I work with: sharp, acidic, and very nutty. The colour is mixed between white Criollo beans and darker-shaded Trinitario-type beans. The resulting dark chocolate appears like a beautiful shade of milk chocolate, even though <em>no milk </em>is added to the bar, which completely contrasts the dark shades of my other chocolate bars, like my 70% Honduras bar, or the Ucayali Peru bar I occasionally offer on special edition.<br />
<br />
So I've been wanting to know how other chocolate makers have treated these beans, and the resulting flavours of their chocolate, but finding others has not been an easy task. So I was super excited when I happened upon Goodnow Farms booth at the Northwest Chocolate Festival, and found their light-shaded 77% dark chocolate bar made from Mexican beans that <a href="https://goodnowfarms.com/our-chocolate/almendra-blanca/">Goodnow describes as Almendra <em>Blanca</em> or "white almond" cocoa beans</a>, which produce a fantastically light shade of dark chocolate. I could clearly tell the beans were of the same region as mine came from. And in fact, I later learned that we get our beans from the same farm. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zz4-JOMQ_FHgZ8W9oyglXlCDT21dVjVzMIBmXhaoUj8_CaQBDLtNH5j3nkdUrjhEifrPJ64oS9vsnOjrbjVLrNLVy1fbRjpMl_aEf85NQjdTti6XUVP8OT0R-Kp34p5F5LmaQx81jLo/s1600/goodnow+farms+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1578" data-original-width="1224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zz4-JOMQ_FHgZ8W9oyglXlCDT21dVjVzMIBmXhaoUj8_CaQBDLtNH5j3nkdUrjhEifrPJ64oS9vsnOjrbjVLrNLVy1fbRjpMl_aEf85NQjdTti6XUVP8OT0R-Kp34p5F5LmaQx81jLo/s400/goodnow+farms+chocolate.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The light-shaded chocolate on top is <a href="https://goodnowfarms.com/our-chocolate/almendra-blanca/">Goodnow Farms' </a><br />
<a href="https://goodnowfarms.com/our-chocolate/almendra-blanca/">Mexico 77% dark chocolate bar</a>, the dark-shaded chocolate bar <br />
underneath it is their Ucayali Peru dark chocolate bar. No milk was added to the Mexico bar <br />
and it has a higher percentage of cacao solids, yet it looks like milk chocolate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">The Horizontal Tasting: Two Chocolates, Same Cocoa Farm</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SVyi_1oc0HezjiTjznSPey7PNT4XXvPwRG6E52v4KkDGjgWFxFon9MB5Q3Jopeon0ufyDYEPbavaVOAAs9_jS6U7x5vwLfcCTXbTWF_nCiLe4dRA3RBqgnM_Lh2zloRwexHnrSoAKEU/s1600/Mexico+Origin+Chocolate+-+Ultimately+Chocolate+and+Goodnow+Farms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="831" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SVyi_1oc0HezjiTjznSPey7PNT4XXvPwRG6E52v4KkDGjgWFxFon9MB5Q3Jopeon0ufyDYEPbavaVOAAs9_jS6U7x5vwLfcCTXbTWF_nCiLe4dRA3RBqgnM_Lh2zloRwexHnrSoAKEU/s200/Mexico+Origin+Chocolate+-+Ultimately+Chocolate+and+Goodnow+Farms.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
When I tasted Goodnow Farms' bar on its own (without my <a href="http://ultimatelychocolate.com/products/">Mexico Organic chocolate bar</a> present in Seattle when I bought Goodnow's), the flavour notes seemed similar - some hay and leather, nuts, and curious bold acidic flavours of citrus. However, when I got this bar home, and again when I bought another one from The Chocolate Project in May, I had the opportunity to taste Goodnow's and mine side-by-side. At first, it was clear that the two bars are made from beans of the same farm. But by directly comparing the two, strong notes of hazelnut shined in the Goodnow Farms' bar. In fact, the hazelnut flavours in Goodnow Farms' bar was so pronounced, that it tasted like hazelnut butter had been added to the chocolate. Whereas mine had a much more upfront citrus punch with a little taste of fruit, and less hazelnut notes, which interestingly had seemed more prominent when tasted alone. <br />
<br />
So you see, it was only the direct comparison tasting that truly showed the differences in flavour, which is all in how each chocolate maker has treated the beans, through roasting, refining, conching and aging of the chocolate. Also, there could be some differences if Goodnow's beans came from a different harvest time than mine did. And not to mention that Goodnow makes their bar with 77% cocoa solids, and mine has 70% cocoa, contributing to difference in flavour. They also (impressively) press their own cocoa butter from the same beans. <br />
<br />
Interestingly, both Goodnow Farms and Ultimately Chocolate (that's me) make chocolate on actual farms. So perhaps there is a little earthiness, grass and hay in the air that influences the chocolate too :-). <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dEXnure8PI2qo9uWnAN6gfR3ECPveK1CCAn4hyphenhyphenTBfCSB61VUfk1Ty_AQPhCOTmXa6teRrPHKd_tTGNeVgqc0nrbHv7j87R8PUOsA3MAg7os9WmJc2ijf6tDBwmwpbYzEc6zhWO08LqQ/s1600/Farm+land.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dEXnure8PI2qo9uWnAN6gfR3ECPveK1CCAn4hyphenhyphenTBfCSB61VUfk1Ty_AQPhCOTmXa6teRrPHKd_tTGNeVgqc0nrbHv7j87R8PUOsA3MAg7os9WmJc2ijf6tDBwmwpbYzEc6zhWO08LqQ/s320/Farm+land.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something to ponder: Does the environment of the chocolate maker influence the <br />
taste of the chocolate just as much as the <em>terrior</em> of the cocoa growing region?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And truly this 'horizontal tasting' opened my eyes to the amazing differences each chocolate maker can create when using the same beans. Although there can be similarities in the flavour notes, there are distinct and unique differences too that make a 'chocophile' like myself want to delve in and taste chocolate bars from every maker in the world, even when the beans come from the same place. Each maker has their own passion for chocolate, the tastes and flavour profiles, and applies their own unique process, creating something truly unique to their own brand. This is what I love about craft chocolate.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>More about Goodnow Farms...</em></span><br />
My experience with Goodnow Farms' chocolate has been amazing so far. In addition to the Almendra Blanca Mexico bar, I have tasted their Peru Ucayali chocolate bar, and a few others in Seattle at the Northwest Chocolate Festival last year. The quality is clearly quite good. They have also been winning an abundance of awards, and there was some buzz around their chocolate at the festival, so I was glad to have the opportunity to taste it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiXD1A4KQPztw4e6r3b87QOMO4oCZsn9DvaPIi-pV8gQ7tBodPEX9l3y7F39N4dJm4sPt49B3V8BKwyisReepdPi3QlIaaU_awwp0Pz4P7cwEidtXsxPE6CrfxIn9xSeHpG6h2BwMuGQ/s1600/Goodnow+Farm+chocolate+bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1338" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiXD1A4KQPztw4e6r3b87QOMO4oCZsn9DvaPIi-pV8gQ7tBodPEX9l3y7F39N4dJm4sPt49B3V8BKwyisReepdPi3QlIaaU_awwp0Pz4P7cwEidtXsxPE6CrfxIn9xSeHpG6h2BwMuGQ/s320/Goodnow+Farm+chocolate+bars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Owner Tom Rogan and his wife Monica quit life in the city to move to Sudbury, MA to start up Goodnow Farms, while raising a young family. Tom sold his television production company (which produced <em>Ace of Cakes</em>, can you believe it?! That happened to be one of my favourite shows of all times, so much so that someone gave me the Ace of Cakes book and there happens to be a bio of Tom in it. So needless to say, I was super excited when I got to speak with him about his growing chocolate business for this blog!), and they dove head-first into making chocolate with direct trade cocoa beans on an 11-acre farm. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFHWu_PpVdV_FZrIuFXMFZke9EXsXUQkt_ULPTBZylmZRkcahuUpT24HklhJO6z1eD4n0Cudwe7VVwYiU7VFZiFHVvD7PGhxW7Hs4AFaumTJkx4kcr9y8AWLVg_7Fqusro6RC4poJ2kI/s1600/Goodnow+Farms+Almendra+Blanca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFHWu_PpVdV_FZrIuFXMFZke9EXsXUQkt_ULPTBZylmZRkcahuUpT24HklhJO6z1eD4n0Cudwe7VVwYiU7VFZiFHVvD7PGhxW7Hs4AFaumTJkx4kcr9y8AWLVg_7Fqusro6RC4poJ2kI/s320/Goodnow+Farms+Almendra+Blanca.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I highly recommend that you check out their chocolate. The Ucayali bar is delicious and just as interesting as the Mexico chocolate. They also offer a <a href="https://goodnowfarms.com/product/tasting-flight/">tasting flight of bars for $16.50 online</a>: the Mexico, Guatamalen and the Nicaragua 77% dark chocolate bars. <br />
<br />
You can learn more about Goodnow Farms Chocolate at <a href="https://goodnowfarms.com/">https://goodnowfarms.com</a>. If you are in Canada, <a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/">The Chocolate Project</a> in Victoria has a few bars in their stock and can ship by custom order.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Looking for other Mexico Origin Chocolate?</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww2PF2L_6gVSf58vzv7ujFL1P5crPES4H95SqIUKqm6B9f3SdzydHz9Uf6H02FhQRBwLpwvV0yAkr2d5lCswhbWhsu054WuS9HvPFAJbSG45U5a5sWZbuymlNxeY4IdReU0VQLu3Gnko/s1600/Goodnow+Farms+Mexico.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1132" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww2PF2L_6gVSf58vzv7ujFL1P5crPES4H95SqIUKqm6B9f3SdzydHz9Uf6H02FhQRBwLpwvV0yAkr2d5lCswhbWhsu054WuS9HvPFAJbSG45U5a5sWZbuymlNxeY4IdReU0VQLu3Gnko/s320/Goodnow+Farms+Mexico.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Check out my <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/finca-la-rioja-mexico-fantastic-two.html">recent post about Chocolate Naive's duo tasting package</a> of two Mexico origin bars made from cocoa beans harvested at different times. That chocolate also had citrus and hay flavour notes.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The Chocolate Project sent me French chocolate maker Bonnat's newest 65% dark milk bar made from a smoky, bold-tasting Mexican origin cocoa bean. I think I'll need to buy another one before I can write about it (I admit, I ate it too quickly!), but it was very interesting and worth a try, if you can get your hands on one. Check it out on <a href="https://bonnat-chocolatier.com/en/e-shop/tablettes/grands-crus-dexception/chocolat-selva-maya">Bonnat's website</a> or visit <a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/">http://www.chocolateproject.ca/</a> to find out if they still have some left.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Godiva also has a Mexico origin bar, which is sold for $10 CAD at Chapters-Indigo in Canada. It is a bitter 68% dark chocolate, and it has butter oil (perhaps to soften the bitter edges) and "natural flavour" in it, which of course is reminiscent of vanilla. It's not bad when you need a quick dark chocolate fix, but is certainly not as interesting as the other Mexico origin bars that I have written about here. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGedydtGVoSsLMTVZNAO-0mx1Pj91lb_kRZh-ZwUyuMSa1iJsPDSHMD0-95cg9Vx8PnbtkTjFh-DTUjHXy456Sw5ZYkj-hJwtHJ_uxYnQQRNNn4YNVA7RvFu8BHtcsZDewmzFUSblJZeM/s1600/Godiva+Mexico+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGedydtGVoSsLMTVZNAO-0mx1Pj91lb_kRZh-ZwUyuMSa1iJsPDSHMD0-95cg9Vx8PnbtkTjFh-DTUjHXy456Sw5ZYkj-hJwtHJ_uxYnQQRNNn4YNVA7RvFu8BHtcsZDewmzFUSblJZeM/s320/Godiva+Mexico+chocolate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Chocolate Tasting everyone!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-70268481288753605952018-06-27T07:45:00.000-07:002018-06-28T03:53:36.503-07:00Finca la Rioja Mexico: A fantastic two-harvest dual pack of bars by Chocolate NaiveA month or two ago, I ordered some chocolate from one of my favourite online retailers: <a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/">The Chocolate Project</a> in Victoria, British Colombia. I was ordering some Goodnow Farms chocolate and discovered they had the new Mexico-origin Bonnat dark-milk 65% bar. That started an email conversation with Stephanie, a chocolate connoisseur and a fellow chocolate maker who works at The Chocolate Project, about other Mexico-origin bars that they carry. She put a package together for my order, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and found the Chocolate Naïve duo pack of Mexico origin chocolate bars. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyy4xX6kVWyWRx02MuqU5ZSt1bF6mCOO_DcY8Ir5e1Ix6xfIiRLqTpjM-HvIwqRbZDIFaeyBWAPHEV9T85OdgvbPh2iebk7asKM1PkJOcOYxzXJqYrHwixaeEausBguZiZ9rbayaz9bT8/s1600/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyy4xX6kVWyWRx02MuqU5ZSt1bF6mCOO_DcY8Ir5e1Ix6xfIiRLqTpjM-HvIwqRbZDIFaeyBWAPHEV9T85OdgvbPh2iebk7asKM1PkJOcOYxzXJqYrHwixaeEausBguZiZ9rbayaz9bT8/s320/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico+6.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The cacao used to make the chocolate in both bars is from the same small farm in Coahoatian, Chiapas, Mexico called Finca la Rioja. But each bar was made from cacao of a different harvest time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5y2CMz2EsQo1XS5b7SJvxKSBq5-V7-HSo0qCB6Ec3a_TVv36lgBWYGoDsFFSg1L-lCD5c_lyhLsHce6DziySd7xDpta17r5vzDHlyQl3h8NHEZ2w-FXWHx13GbvXkxSkRLvRsPiZn2g/s1600/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5y2CMz2EsQo1XS5b7SJvxKSBq5-V7-HSo0qCB6Ec3a_TVv36lgBWYGoDsFFSg1L-lCD5c_lyhLsHce6DziySd7xDpta17r5vzDHlyQl3h8NHEZ2w-FXWHx13GbvXkxSkRLvRsPiZn2g/s320/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Why is the time of harvest so important?</em></span><br />
The climate at different times of the year can affect the flavour of the cacao. As we commonly know, warm countries where cacao grows (within 20 degrees of the equator), tend to have wet and rainy seasons and dry seasons, and these changes can affect the harvest. And although the flavours are very similar in the cacao, there are subtle differences that can offer the taster a unique experience with each bar. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1MfRFdHvwRCYZ1uBoKOBYppYokZYrGzv083E5mRnk00axmGELSsUiflIjRuwp2HwkUud1Rs0xWguwWcxLe4yf9auA7qbMlN5UdqE_VHVAwreMCiZynuKGCa64tZGJ3PPoHWWxL3YREI/s1600/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1MfRFdHvwRCYZ1uBoKOBYppYokZYrGzv083E5mRnk00axmGELSsUiflIjRuwp2HwkUud1Rs0xWguwWcxLe4yf9auA7qbMlN5UdqE_VHVAwreMCiZynuKGCa64tZGJ3PPoHWWxL3YREI/s320/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Have you ever noticed a flavour change with a change of harvest in other chocolate bars? I have had this opportunity in chocolate tasting when I received a wonderful lesson from Fresco Chocolate once on <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/fresco-part-4-cacao-harvest-year-and.html">harvest</a>, by way of the <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/fresco-part-4-cacao-harvest-year-and.html">Peru Maranon cocoa beans</a>. Also, I've noticed that the most recent Dick Taylor Madagascar bar that I purchased tasted more of tangy raisin than the fresh red berry flavour that I recall tasting when I first bought it several years ago. You see this with cocoa beans when making chocolate, but opportunities for the average chocolate consumer to taste the flavour of chocolate made from different harvests is rare. Perhaps a dedicated chocolate connoisseur could devote a cupboard to buying and saving chocolate bars from the same craft chocolate maker over different years, but who has the time and patience (and self control with eating that chocolate!) to do that? <br />
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So Naïve owner and chocolate maker Domantas Uzpalis has given us this experience in one single chocolate package. And I think this is a fantastic idea. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>So how did this Mexico-origin chocolate taste anyway?</em></span><br />
Both chocolates had that citrus tang that my own Mexico origin chocolate has, and that wonderful milky colour (even though it was dark chocolate with no milk in it) of Mexican white Criollo cacao mixed in. The flavours, however, were sweeter and calmer, with perhaps some more conching* to calm them down, or the specific farm and fermentation methods applied created a sweet and more delicate profile. Certainly terrior played a role, since the Finca la Rioja plantation chocolate did not contain all the hazelnut notes and leather that my chocolate and Goodnow Farms chocolate (both from the Tobasco region of Mexico) contain. <br />
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The package offered a wonderful tasting chart inserted inside it. Overall, the tasting notes really hit the nail on the head. Hay, cream and citrus were common flavour notes in each bar, however Harvest #1 offered more citric acid and coffee flavours, whereas Harvest #2 offered roiboos flavour notes. I found #2 to be much sweeter than #1, and low and behold, there were also some charts below the flavour notes that I had not noticed until I sat down to write this post, showing that Naive also found less bitterness in #2.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL94AGXOsA5O_XtEeAdewNX7-G3ALSEpe6Pn1NP3VBU5BSAxc1fcRu_Ai44io2Hnt9OZH3lrvVLfHmSN1fnfWXhMRl1Xltv5pZyNDeerteXwexpJom7b4eY7lHHzSuswwn1IOGxbRjMws/s1600/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico++-+Chocolate+Tasting+Graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL94AGXOsA5O_XtEeAdewNX7-G3ALSEpe6Pn1NP3VBU5BSAxc1fcRu_Ai44io2Hnt9OZH3lrvVLfHmSN1fnfWXhMRl1Xltv5pZyNDeerteXwexpJom7b4eY7lHHzSuswwn1IOGxbRjMws/s400/Naive+Chocolate+Finca+Mexico++-+Chocolate+Tasting+Graph.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I loved all the charts and notes put into this package. Although it is trendy to place NO flavour notes on packaging these days, there are some bars where extra information is welcome, especially in such an innovative package as this. It truly offers the taster an amazing learning opportunity. The only downside was that the harvest dates were not printed or indicated on the package anywhere, nor was the % of cacao in the chocolate. It was about a 70% dark chocolate, although could have fallen just below perhaps to a 67% or up to a 72% dark chocolate (this is my best tasting guess :-) ). <br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">Should you buy this chocolate?</span></em><br />
I encourage you to try this chocolate, if you can get your hands on it. Be warned: this is a Naive '<em>Nano Lot'</em>, which means it may be made just once and then never offered again. However, I hope this post will hint to Naïve to create more Nano Lots of chocolate just like this one, making two bars of chocolate from different harvests in one package. <br />
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I bought this at <em><a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/">www.chocolateproject.ca/</a></em>. You can also find out more about Naïve on the chocolate maker's webste at: <a href="http://www.chocolatenaive.com/">www.chocolatenaive.com</a> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>*conching refers to a process of heating, aerating, and cooling the chocolate while it is in constant motion over a period of time (sometimes up to 72 hours). This was invented by Rudolph Lindt...a long time ago.</em></span>Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-42538515588008899852018-06-10T08:09:00.001-07:002018-06-11T08:45:03.280-07:00I made five batches of chocolate with different percentages of cocoa solids from Ucayali River Cacao, and here is what I found...There is one single origin cacao that has suddenly popped up everywhere during the last year: Ucayali River Cacao, coming from the Amazon, near Pucallpa, Peru. Chocolate makers are launching Ucayali origin bars at rapid speed, most staying within the 70% dark chocolate range, with just a few others venturing out beyond 70% cocoa solids. Last year, only a small handful of makers were producing Ucayali bars, including Sirene Chocolate (called the Tingo Maria bar) and Letterpress (Ucayali 70%), both winning international awards for their bars.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLt76c0cbcudPt0QS7upEeNJuPMLVZoXos1MUDV9EU9eOO0JVeYsp-YVydbzJsKT1BuopGYpxcvxIwx38kMTHvGxw0qL5yikvMw3rfM909XS3tYFIVanvULFTMK-NVj22gM_-98bCEk0/s1600/Tingo+Maria+winner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLt76c0cbcudPt0QS7upEeNJuPMLVZoXos1MUDV9EU9eOO0JVeYsp-YVydbzJsKT1BuopGYpxcvxIwx38kMTHvGxw0qL5yikvMw3rfM909XS3tYFIVanvULFTMK-NVj22gM_-98bCEk0/s320/Tingo+Maria+winner.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See all those award stickers? <br />
This origin - and the chocolate maker - is a winner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then this year, a slew of chocolate makers won Academy of Chocolate (AoC) awards in the 2018 competition, including Daniel Haran, owner of Chocolat Monarque in Montreal, who just won an Academy of Chocolate Gold for his 80% Ucayali bar. Goodnow Farms won an AoC Silver medal for its 70% Ucayali bar, Coco Chocolate Company of Kingston, Ontario and Letterpress of California won 2018 AoC Bronze for their 70% Ucayali bars, as did Lemuel Chocolate, and I can't even keep track of all the other Ucayali River Cacao wins. I did not submit any of my Ucayali dark chocolate bar experiments, because they are not a part of my product line-up, but seeing the list of winners, I wished I had because the flavour of the beans stand out above many other cocoa bean origins.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Why are these cocoa beans so darn good?</em></span><br />
Although regional factors affect the flavour, Ucayali River Cacao (URC) is an organization that lets the farmers do their farming thing, and URC takes care of the rest, so the cacao is treated with the same high quality fermentation and drying techniques across the board. A consistent product is produced from a naturally inconsistent bean. <br />
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URC works to produce the best cacao by picking up the wet beans from farmers in the region every 15 days, then centrally processing it for a consistent flavour and streamlined process. How does this help? Well, if each farmer were to try to ferment their own beans, the results could be less flavourful, because many small farmers do not have enough beans to fill a fermentation bin at once, and therefore optimal temperatures can not be reached during fermentation for a good flavour profile. In addition, fermentation and drying are additional skills the farmer must learn, which reduces their time to concentrate on producing good cacao on the farm and increasing production. URC solves this problem for farmers. They also pay farmers a price higher than market value to encourage future efforts in farming.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Experimenting with the beans...</em></span><br />
I bought a few 5kg bags of Ucayali River Cacao between last Fall and this winter, and spent months experimenting. The smell upon opening the bags was that of pure cacao heaven. Each raw cocoa bean has its own aroma when you open the bags, and the Ucayali River Cacao had a wonderful aroma unlike any I have smelled before. I had to stop myself from entirely immerging my head in the bag to get a long, wonderful whiff. <br />
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The beans were beautiful, and nearly no strange bits in them. They were easy to sort and lovely to work with. Having heard of the amazing flavours of this cacao, and based on the appearance, a simple cut test and the smell, I decided to apply a very light roast to all the beans. I really wanted the bean flavours to shine through from my first experiments. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bROCDOLmb9BXSBXXDw500u-VF3-2G0cdYsrd55KDkItAeeuGHvRuLuQwA8nSKkIqh-2w3vcWraWI1aZ0nx3kLiIRkaK6Hindp-22p4jr1qmIuNvMDUIVqqbOfjHTC2l8iuLveNjF41E/s1600/Ucayali+River+Cacao+experiments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1344" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bROCDOLmb9BXSBXXDw500u-VF3-2G0cdYsrd55KDkItAeeuGHvRuLuQwA8nSKkIqh-2w3vcWraWI1aZ0nx3kLiIRkaK6Hindp-22p4jr1qmIuNvMDUIVqqbOfjHTC2l8iuLveNjF41E/s320/Ucayali+River+Cacao+experiments.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made a 70% dark chocolate immediately, and added a solid amount of cocoa butter just to ensure I made the same recipe as a few other experimental origin chocolate bars that I had on hand, in order to get a good origin taste comparison. As chocolate makers, we all have our own 'cocoa butter philosophy' and I like the original French-style creamy mouth-feel for a 70% chocolate bar (although my philosophy on cocoa butter is dependent on the cocoa bean itself - after experimenting, if an exceptional bean shines, I usually try a second batch with no or less cocoa butter to feature more of the bean favours). In this 70% bar, where I applied a light roast, the fruity flavours were quite noticeable, with a lemon tang and strong cocoa notes, and some woody undertones. At 70% cocoa solids, it was certainly packed with a flavour punch.<br />
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I then made a 100% with no cocoa butter added, just the beans refined for 2 days in the stone melangeur. It was a beautiful unsweetened chocolate, with mild flavours of fruit (cherry and perhaps tangerine), strong woody notes, and some bold - yet not overpowering - acidity. The flavour reminded me of a rustic wood cabin on a sunny day.<br />
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I followed that with a batch of 85% Ucayali dark chocolate with 5% cocoa butter, and immediately followed <em>that</em> with a 90% Ucayali dark chocolate with 10% cocoa butter. My reasoning was that a bean with a lot of acidity might need a little more cocoa butter at a high percentage in order to calm down the acidity a bit, and give the taster a more enjoyable experience with less sugar. As many regular chocolate tasters reduce sugar from their diets, and turn to 90% and above dark chocolate, it can be difficult to find bars that are not so extreme and bitter in flavour. I wondered if the Ucayali could be a good option at a high percentage for someone new to bitter chocolate. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>So if you've been following closely...</em></span><br />
...you'll know that both the 85% and the 90% dark chocolate bars contained 80% beans, but simply contained varying amounts of cocoa butter and sugar. And I tell you, I was surprised by how different they turned out in favour!<br />
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The 90% was elegant, mild in flavour, creamy in texture and overall had that delicate feel of a Porcelana or Soma's CSB Chama bar, but with some after taste of fruit flavours and woody notes. The added cocoa butter really softened the edges, giving the chocolate a palatability of something a little sweeter than the average 90% bar. However, it was <em>less interesting</em> than the 85%, which offered a bold fruitiness and strong notes of citrus acidity that hit the palate upfront, with mild cedar and wood notes also rounding out the flavour. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC3CeNUXHJGZhIYIM4iCXxjJpgT-t4hIEvi0tjjndnucLCCpeydXzk0GV2xfIW1ZMK9WK9uJBbts7XTKfgln6us2TjXvnEqMVi0VbV-bkJ0huk86GrVpR1mrjjI3MuPqW3X93_-W_1Y0/s1600/Ucayali+River+Cacao+85%2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC3CeNUXHJGZhIYIM4iCXxjJpgT-t4hIEvi0tjjndnucLCCpeydXzk0GV2xfIW1ZMK9WK9uJBbts7XTKfgln6us2TjXvnEqMVi0VbV-bkJ0huk86GrVpR1mrjjI3MuPqW3X93_-W_1Y0/s320/Ucayali+River+Cacao+85%2525.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The 100% dark chocolate bar was a good solid-tasting unsweetened bar, which could have stood up to some of the best 100% dark bars on the market, BUT also oddly less interesting than the 85% and 90% bars. What I learned from the 100% was that the Ucayali River cocoa beans really shine when a little sugar is added to highlight the flavour. As chocolate makers, we are continually pushing the limits, but we must remember that sugar has always been used as a way to highlight cocoa bean flavours, and not be afraid to use a little more if it enhances the experience of the chocolate by the greatest number of people.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Finally I made a milk chocolate bar....</em></span><br />
I also decided to make a 68% dark-milk chocolate bar, which had only 13% sugar in it. I figured it would highlight the flavours of the bean, while introducing a nice melt-in-your-mouth feature to the chocolate. The result was a very delicate, creamy milk chocolate, with not a strong 'terrior' flavour of the cocoa bean. The delicate nature of it was quite nice, and could be addictive, but I wondered if a 50 to 60%, light on the cocoa butter and strong on the beans, might have been a better composition.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72JZMUlklFkagPe-qzEH7HxrkfkWERmrsT4kTJwavb71QWsUgwnckvNRR9lm3s4MfL8AGKR9ddWUY54tOXVK0U-9G5WQENuImJexDsgNWOn6ki436T8ir_kR6zWu3lvfDnASpoTgMuS4/s1600/Ucayali+River+Cacao+milk+chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72JZMUlklFkagPe-qzEH7HxrkfkWERmrsT4kTJwavb71QWsUgwnckvNRR9lm3s4MfL8AGKR9ddWUY54tOXVK0U-9G5WQENuImJexDsgNWOn6ki436T8ir_kR6zWu3lvfDnASpoTgMuS4/s320/Ucayali+River+Cacao+milk+chocolate.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 68% Ucayali milk chocolate bar was more dark than milk, <br />
but with a delicate creamy mouthfeel and taste.</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>So what did I learn...</em></span><br />
I learned that a little sugar goes a long way when it comes to some beans. These beans are truly flavourful because they have been treated just right, and they taste great on their own, and made into a very dark and unsweetened chocolate, but their flavours truly shine when a little sugar is added, about 15% to 30%. With that, the chocolate comes alive and really begins to tell its story.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;">Find Ucayali origin chocolate bars and beans near you...</span></em><br />
You can find Ucayali River Cacao origin chocolate bars all throughout North America now, so just check the website of the producers for a chocolate maker in your area, at: <a href="https://ucayalirivercacao.wordpress.com/">https://ucayalirivercacao.wordpress.com/</a><br />
<br />
Check out an event by the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI) taking place in Canton, MA on June 19th: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjYAoD8DQLG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=tog4eodt36we">https://www.instagram.com/p/BjYAoD8DQLG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=tog4eodt36we</a> You can taste Goodnow Farms Ucayali chocolate bar, and other makers' Ucayali bars, along with beer pairings, and meet the maker of Goodnow Farms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2oXvuavA0nrvIH41_gFvdi9uWJTM5ccEioojeYHi0FFXacQoKuIYl7Df6nX7tRa87MgJnuy-BkhPG6vQajrrv_2bRV1vMivS8nQsk0QYwsaynkEk2zMCJylsWttof6sqZBcfudYG38s/s1600/Goodnow+Farms+Chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1338" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2oXvuavA0nrvIH41_gFvdi9uWJTM5ccEioojeYHi0FFXacQoKuIYl7Df6nX7tRa87MgJnuy-BkhPG6vQajrrv_2bRV1vMivS8nQsk0QYwsaynkEk2zMCJylsWttof6sqZBcfudYG38s/s200/Goodnow+Farms+Chocolate.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Learn more about the Ucayali River in Peru at: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucayali_River">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucayali_River</a> and this wonderful region that grows some of the best cacao in the world.<br />
<br />
Buy the beans from Juan Gonzalez from the Mexican Arabica Bean Company in Toronto: <a href="https://www.mabco.ca/">https://www.mabco.ca/</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD05DwloTEnYG6aA6zKog_rTGxT3ybxEbAgVtmbnT585m2PjjHv9SHIB-kuUkciGgim1bdiBxsM3kCbFIWLPblkz5eFFpI9O5Utv9wUz4SqE8e2aXamGtSahG7aYbCiG_wrtAAlFL6uY4/s1600/Ucayali+beans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="992" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD05DwloTEnYG6aA6zKog_rTGxT3ybxEbAgVtmbnT585m2PjjHv9SHIB-kuUkciGgim1bdiBxsM3kCbFIWLPblkz5eFFpI9O5Utv9wUz4SqE8e2aXamGtSahG7aYbCiG_wrtAAlFL6uY4/s200/Ucayali+beans.JPG" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ucayali beans...roasted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-42093092825780078002018-05-25T07:16:00.000-07:002018-05-28T08:47:45.073-07:00The Best Chocolate Croissants in Toronto : Pain au Chocolat at Goûter<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last
weekend I attended the <a href="https://forums.egullet.org/">eGullet</a> Chocolate and Confectioner Workshop in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, where confectioners and wanna-be chocolatiers gathered for
a weekend of learning, improving their chocolatiering skills and bettering
their bellies (I mean literally, we ate a tonne of chocolate!).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While at
the workshop, one of the key presenters and 'teachers' was Rodney Alléguède,
who is a chef and the owner of <em>Goûter</em>, a Patisserie, Boulangerie and
Chocolaterie in Toronto. All the attendees of the workshop agreed, after
three full days of 'hard work' tasting Rodney's pastries, that he makes some of
the best pastries we had ever tasted. For me it was all about the flaky
chocolate croissant, or 'pain au chocolat' as it is properly called in France,
where Rodney is from. Although I make a less flaky version at home (to keep the
mess at a minimum), I love a good flaky chocolate croissant, with a crisp outer
edge yet soft on the inside. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">During
the year that I lived in France, the word 'Goûter' was probably the most
fascinating word to me. The French never walked around eating food in public,
the way we might see us North Americans eating breakfast on the subway or on
our way to work. But for some reason, the 4 p.m. snack time, <i>goûter</i>, as
it is called, was the only time they seemed to be okay with eating outside and
on their way home. Every day I would see French folks eating a Pain au Chocolat
on the streets of Rennes, the city where I attended school. And every day it
would inspire me to try a new chocolate croissant from a different shop,
perhaps in hopes of becoming a croissant connoisseur one day, or just in
increasing my waste line (you can imagine which goal I reached first that year).
So Rodney`s Pain au Chocolat really brought me back to that time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Blurry pastry selfie - it is blurry because I </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">accidentally </span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">rubbed too much butter from the croissants </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">on my </span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">phone`s camera lens. :-)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The other
croissant by Rodney that truly dazzled was the raspberry one (sorry, no
chocolate here). It was full of rich raspberry puree or fresh jam, had a
gorgeous colour and probably was the most delicious pastry I had ever tasted. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoG1WX-_M5bEg9dDfhyJGlwlDRFmI-KHMvMrly4oczCIFU7C0TdOpI4TDRuaXUIL2SUVrcSOBivWikdkKdJviGvoC_7WEyUjx8nNYYvAPiLHXzUD-6WqPGu8zQsYOyGdewa3-CHMYvPA/s1600/Raspberry+Croissant+by+Rodney+Alleguede.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoG1WX-_M5bEg9dDfhyJGlwlDRFmI-KHMvMrly4oczCIFU7C0TdOpI4TDRuaXUIL2SUVrcSOBivWikdkKdJviGvoC_7WEyUjx8nNYYvAPiLHXzUD-6WqPGu8zQsYOyGdewa3-CHMYvPA/s320/Raspberry+Croissant+by+Rodney+Alleguede.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Goûter is
also making a Nutella croissant, which I hear is delicious. So if you are in
Toronto, you NEED to get over to Rodney`s shop to try it. Plus he has delicious
gelato, chocolates and confections, and other amazing pastries and breads, so go
NOW! You`ll find Gouter at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3507
Bathhurst St., Toronto</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Instagram:
@gouterbyra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Website: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.gouter.ca/"><span style="color: orange;">www.gouter.ca</span></a><o:p></o:p></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQw8yaZYpt9gmZ8UXy3Ko0irTtDzogQDjs2NAkUJrjnHTLdKueZxoS_3f01QdcDRnK96VHQ36Ug653oAKmjwNiGnnqJznahlJBO_8DzHdW-fjURDlUuRRwd1ZdOv9MWvqqz0PJH4zxlg/s1600/Gouter+truffles+and+confections+Toronto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQw8yaZYpt9gmZ8UXy3Ko0irTtDzogQDjs2NAkUJrjnHTLdKueZxoS_3f01QdcDRnK96VHQ36Ug653oAKmjwNiGnnqJznahlJBO_8DzHdW-fjURDlUuRRwd1ZdOv9MWvqqz0PJH4zxlg/s320/Gouter+truffles+and+confections+Toronto.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took a pic of these delicious confections </div>
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recently at Gouter in Toronto. Don`t they look amazing?</div>
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They tasted even better than they looked.</div>
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</span><br />Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-74246290443730439342018-05-09T11:19:00.000-07:002018-05-09T11:19:03.653-07:00Packaging Chocolate Bars: The How-To and See MY New Packages!Announcing....Ultimately Chocolate's brand new look! That's right folks, we just launched new packaging. It feels like a real achievement since I took so darn long to work on it. Although we have launched retail-style packaging - with nutrition labels - before for my chocolate TOFFLE, this bean to bar chocolate packaging has the works, including bar codes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbulolOt1Mr-vYdLq77MlfNgy1fgFv8QqHAWxFTAij6DPwDmZvQ8b6WbXdkNyfAe1ENZqJfPfFofhyphenhyphenZP_IeMoLr_sFctjqsc6LRHp_LHUgPbwitjo-IP2ZM8NWfWtjiuf91IgkJpfgIQ/s1600/New+Packaging+for+Ultimately+Chocolate+April+2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbulolOt1Mr-vYdLq77MlfNgy1fgFv8QqHAWxFTAij6DPwDmZvQ8b6WbXdkNyfAe1ENZqJfPfFofhyphenhyphenZP_IeMoLr_sFctjqsc6LRHp_LHUgPbwitjo-IP2ZM8NWfWtjiuf91IgkJpfgIQ/s400/New+Packaging+for+Ultimately+Chocolate+April+2018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wanted to make sure we did everything right the first time. So admittedly I was a little slow working on this project. The design team that I worked with (<a href="http://signaturegroupofcompanies.com/">Signature Group, Sudbury</a>) was patient though and very good, and finally, I have just received all the new packages and they are amazing! <br />
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So what's the process to designing chocolate bar packages?<br />
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1. Hire a design team.<br />
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2. Work with the design team to come up with a concept (do you want something that goes with the industry norm or something completely different than everyone else? What materials do you want to use: clear packaging, boxes with windows, bags with windows, printed boxes, wrapping-paper?)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTdGu25CzEZMdWVsRcMT1P5B0jzxrFuVtj7jvlnNS9hqOQrIuWQ686Jobzp1Woow8pJenzgjtDvDNpbsxXor_wF2p4Zz6v3lW4pi6avUf07CgXfiiPjSLKteCfufg9dB3wKcFBYMzNQs/s1600/UC+chocolate+pacakging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTdGu25CzEZMdWVsRcMT1P5B0jzxrFuVtj7jvlnNS9hqOQrIuWQ686Jobzp1Woow8pJenzgjtDvDNpbsxXor_wF2p4Zz6v3lW4pi6avUf07CgXfiiPjSLKteCfufg9dB3wKcFBYMzNQs/s320/UC+chocolate+pacakging.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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3. Buy the barcodes and the GS1 Subscription, then go to a different site and pay for the graphics for the bar codes (that's right, buying the bar codes doesn't mean you get the actual 'bars', just the codes. You need to pay twice to get the full 'bar code'. They come in packs of 10 generally from GS1.org (in Canada it is <a href="http://www.gs1ca.org/pages/n/subscription/index.asp">http://www.gs1ca.org/pages/n/subscription/index.asp</a>). I went to Nationwide Barcode for my graphics: <a href="https://www.nationwidebarcode.com/other-services/purchase-barcode-graphics/">https://www.nationwidebarcode.com/other-services/purchase-barcode-graphics/</a>.<br />
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4. Gather and decide on your information, marketing style, and how you want to describe your products, company mission, etc.<br />
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5. Calculate your nutrition label or send your products off to a lab to get tested (the kind of lab that sends you back a nice graphic of the nutrition label is the best-yet-most-expensive way).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwvXH1dAguin4xDY1CTCET_JxWVFeaFFwE9fj6yUM9Xx-e6iPl59U5Lasa9fptkb1I9Rdpb7SPvS8_pNKXQjKOZL61sD3LN1txIRKno395motZYxNvn51AiWaQ6QcAR79Jxj-9D-uANM/s1600/Nutrition+label+Ultimately+Chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1110" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwvXH1dAguin4xDY1CTCET_JxWVFeaFFwE9fj6yUM9Xx-e6iPl59U5Lasa9fptkb1I9Rdpb7SPvS8_pNKXQjKOZL61sD3LN1txIRKno395motZYxNvn51AiWaQ6QcAR79Jxj-9D-uANM/s320/Nutrition+label+Ultimately+Chocolate.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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6. Get all your info translated to French (we must do this in Canada) with a professional translator or really smart French friends, and a group of friendly French-speaking proof-readers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6iCSVmyqcMIMnBVpnmNc5Y1KQL_K6ogsI-n6C8Hs9zjJ_Zi3qBzHNEhfivcwLEOkMkddZDqhouj7BGtzgXGGUNZZUX4MrZ67nZw7TWfjYLzGQzGhdm_UhTiiWywAymSAz2LHuWQKSZ0/s1600/CacaoCookie+Packaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6iCSVmyqcMIMnBVpnmNc5Y1KQL_K6ogsI-n6C8Hs9zjJ_Zi3qBzHNEhfivcwLEOkMkddZDqhouj7BGtzgXGGUNZZUX4MrZ67nZw7TWfjYLzGQzGhdm_UhTiiWywAymSAz2LHuWQKSZ0/s320/CacaoCookie+Packaging.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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7. Send all the info to the designers. Let them do their magic and try not to get in the way of their artistry. Designers became designers because they are artistic and have a good eye, so be sure to listen to their ideas.<br />
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8. Source a printing company. I used a custom box company out of the Toronto area. Soopak offers great pricing when you buy in bulk. It is less economical if you want less than 1,000 packages though. <br />
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9. Proof-read, check it over and proof read again. Check the designers final files, then get a mock-up made from the printing company (which sometimes costs you), then get a team of people you know to check it all over again. <br />
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10. Place your order. It generally takes three weeks for your packages to arrive once you've paid and given final approval. Uline.ca has the little clear round sticky labels to seal your boxes or packaging, to ensure your customers that no one has tampered with the product. <br />
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That was my process. Yours may be the same or it may vary, depending on your team or ideas about packaging. <br />
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As for now, if you want to buy my new products, neatly in their packaging, you can e-mail me at info @ ultimatelychocolate.com, or visit <a href="http://mymothersplace.ca/">My Mother's Place (gift & artisan food shop) </a>in Sudbury, several Manitoulin Island retailers (including Loco Beanz in Little Current, Loco Beanz in Gore Bay, and Huron Island Time in Providence Bay) and at <a href="http://www.jojococo.ca/">JoJo CoCo</a> in Ottawa on Terry Fox Drive. Stay tuned for more retailer near you!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com257tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-53387862413195291102018-04-17T19:24:00.001-07:002018-04-18T08:00:42.998-07:00Selmi Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making Equipment at Tomric Systems in Buffalo<div style="text-align: left;">
Last week I enjoyed the most amazing chocolate maker's experience: I visited Tomric Systems in Buffalo, New York. Tomric is North America's only distributor of the Italian brand <em>Selmi</em>, which is a line-up of equipment for bean-to-bar chocolate-making.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bcCHFaDCM9rfyNKYqjN-L1aw-1Kw0lad_eMTY9wMLi58JhgJa1MBAIDdWg-YsIJuXNNy4Fs0cuP4bDirIP7Jl46hCgh3jos94HivnaYZNNFpT_QvZUB0xvI0c7vkilYs4ciaa3awGQQ/s1600/Selmi+Roaster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bcCHFaDCM9rfyNKYqjN-L1aw-1Kw0lad_eMTY9wMLi58JhgJa1MBAIDdWg-YsIJuXNNy4Fs0cuP4bDirIP7Jl46hCgh3jos94HivnaYZNNFpT_QvZUB0xvI0c7vkilYs4ciaa3awGQQ/s320/Selmi+Roaster.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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As my business grows, I have been looking at the next steps in chocolate making, and I spent the day working with the Selmi equipment to see just how good it is at stepping up production capacity, while keeping in line with craft chocolate making. Every piece of equipment worked perfectly together to achieve that goal, from roasting, to cracking and winnowing the cocoa beans, to pre-grinding. After grinding the beans, the Selmi ball mill refines the chocolate until it is smooth in less than 2 hours, then the conching begins - either with the continuous tempering machine or a separate conche, which Selmi has developed and is soon on its way to Tomric. At the end of it all, tempering and moulding chocolate bars is fantastically easy with the continuous tempering machine, enabling moulding between 60 and 120 bars per hour by hand. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD6BSNM8_rrCTes0kK3JoBDzDW0rX_Eek_5EB1L1ioNtWQSTdWeu_Cck_ygudPj41N3aKHH-ny8IZy-Sk68uPBNKWh2REx3M6ypI7QAlBEyfqsHyhVawcMFOIy7_o0z59-eTmda3W0-A/s1600/Selmi+Roaster+Tomric+Systems+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD6BSNM8_rrCTes0kK3JoBDzDW0rX_Eek_5EB1L1ioNtWQSTdWeu_Cck_ygudPj41N3aKHH-ny8IZy-Sk68uPBNKWh2REx3M6ypI7QAlBEyfqsHyhVawcMFOIy7_o0z59-eTmda3W0-A/s320/Selmi+Roaster+Tomric+Systems+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selmi Roaster with 5kg of cocoa beans ready to roast.</td></tr>
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The Selmi roaster roasts 6 kilos of chocolate at a time, with the ability to set your personal settings for each type of bean you work with: a light roast for that full-flavoured coveted bean and a dark roast for that bean that needs a fuller roast profile. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGrvtl5iGsGEd6nqQYs8qPu4K2aPYFExKz1ldiQ2nzK_pHcwJ858JsFV1tON9UM_Sk2eGy24VCmimSZa38g982h_ODPd3g4nqCh0Yl3Qp1eCPCKGtJxKSToXAuaCPmzeryrR2ovD0raA/s1600/Selmi+Winnower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGrvtl5iGsGEd6nqQYs8qPu4K2aPYFExKz1ldiQ2nzK_pHcwJ858JsFV1tON9UM_Sk2eGy24VCmimSZa38g982h_ODPd3g4nqCh0Yl3Qp1eCPCKGtJxKSToXAuaCPmzeryrR2ovD0raA/s320/Selmi+Winnower.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selmi Winnower.</td></tr>
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The Selmi winnower both cracks the beans and separates the husks from the bean pieces (nibs). It processes about 6 kilos in 10-15 minutes, quickly and efficiently. You can adjust the size of the pieces depending on the origin of the cocoa beans, since not all beans are the same. We needed to adjust the winnower one way for my Honduras beans and another quick adjustment worked great on my Mexico beans (which have stickier, heavier shells).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqcyD5_MZKGhCLO40SV-deCI7R-zsdxX63zihqx0wKXuYXzjeILQyM4iso1GZjyQC3JSF5XfnzREFQgF7qZqSKHe_zcVm8EfscUu0dBUcVcCG4aBiXb5U4FKkVN8_uw3scMah5n1L9A0/s1600/Selmi+Roaster+Tomric+Systems.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqcyD5_MZKGhCLO40SV-deCI7R-zsdxX63zihqx0wKXuYXzjeILQyM4iso1GZjyQC3JSF5XfnzREFQgF7qZqSKHe_zcVm8EfscUu0dBUcVcCG4aBiXb5U4FKkVN8_uw3scMah5n1L9A0/s320/Selmi+Roaster+Tomric+Systems.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me. Watching the cocoa-grinding action.</td></tr>
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The Selmi Grinder quickly pulverizes the cocoa nibs to a rough (gritty but wet) chocolate liquor. This liquor is then moved to the ball refiner where sugar and cocoa butter are added to make a dark chocolate, and milk and other ingredients like sunflower lecithin (if using) are added to make milk chocolate.</div>
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The Selmi Micron Ball Refiner uses small stainless steel balls to pulverize the chocolate. </div>
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A ball refiner does the same work as a stone grinder, only in less time. Although it does not aerate the chocolate the way a stone refiner does, the chocolate is then moved to the tempering machine or a conche to aerate and agitate it to remove any unwanted flavours.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4jWzDKu5yUDswgszVufrGL9sQ_LAlPFSYwnRhZnSziPDlawJtk_y7l5vJTdKy-gZNDhv3tOkYY7KhNItbzwV_FNahIJ8Ww9jQFnheXphPfnF7aZIE6FpiGlnAN1AZHxv0wAAWZAE7dM/s1600/Selmi+Ball+Refiner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4jWzDKu5yUDswgszVufrGL9sQ_LAlPFSYwnRhZnSziPDlawJtk_y7l5vJTdKy-gZNDhv3tOkYY7KhNItbzwV_FNahIJ8Ww9jQFnheXphPfnF7aZIE6FpiGlnAN1AZHxv0wAAWZAE7dM/s320/Selmi+Ball+Refiner.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selmi Ball Refiner (also called Ball Mill).</td></tr>
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The chocolate then drains out of a spout from the ball refiner and goes immediately into the Selmi Virbo, which vibrates the chocolate through a sifter to remove the hard cocoa bean germ (it is like a little hard stem inside one end of the cocoa bean) and any husks that were remaining in the chocolate. This adds a consistent mouthfeel to the chocolate. It is surprising at how much grit the Vibro removes from the chocolate at this stage.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV8aFZxJqK-iWGQREyGTYGFOhEv0_W6EaPu4zvXmBcN7J0oKuQhCEEdiKo0SkNsqWeNJZYoPxhQyGjYMSzNY8I5r76ZFZWe9Zq3rNNgI-9R4zwmS8ahYsVttwJzW0cadvOj6WaUxcZOg/s1600/Selmi+Ball+Refriner+and+Selmi+Vibro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitV8aFZxJqK-iWGQREyGTYGFOhEv0_W6EaPu4zvXmBcN7J0oKuQhCEEdiKo0SkNsqWeNJZYoPxhQyGjYMSzNY8I5r76ZFZWe9Zq3rNNgI-9R4zwmS8ahYsVttwJzW0cadvOj6WaUxcZOg/s320/Selmi+Ball+Refriner+and+Selmi+Vibro.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selmi Micron Ball Refiner drains from a spout into the Semi Vibro.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvoG7DHfHD_TX-Buvzxu0NSkjELMRQOSJOOFonDudVqo9gpLTbWoTYvM8cMXLAgWZ6rdr97LmdGTs4Pp55XElAQY5xMcP4Yic_vNNGDuBbBVXcoIQPOJg9-XugxCP9XR1LA6HKCNBvb0/s1600/Selmi+Vibro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvoG7DHfHD_TX-Buvzxu0NSkjELMRQOSJOOFonDudVqo9gpLTbWoTYvM8cMXLAgWZ6rdr97LmdGTs4Pp55XElAQY5xMcP4Yic_vNNGDuBbBVXcoIQPOJg9-XugxCP9XR1LA6HKCNBvb0/s320/Selmi+Vibro.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vibro collects and sifts any cocoa bean germ and <br />
other gritty bits that might still be in the chocolate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqMXyH0yGtq_jV02k-vNzVvI342_ttYE8pWlO8gq5zDU-sWKqSTxsjNg67Q4g-dJxoXzg-84J4A0nhzfFfO3bvPbqqq1JK7z8UKk6-E7z3-2E2td_4NVzjGYcNKLeuPzl6i-Kn5QtODg/s1600/Selmi+Continuous+Tempering+Machine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqMXyH0yGtq_jV02k-vNzVvI342_ttYE8pWlO8gq5zDU-sWKqSTxsjNg67Q4g-dJxoXzg-84J4A0nhzfFfO3bvPbqqq1JK7z8UKk6-E7z3-2E2td_4NVzjGYcNKLeuPzl6i-Kn5QtODg/s320/Selmi+Continuous+Tempering+Machine.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Selmi Continuous Tempering Machine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The chocolate then moves to a Conche or to the Continuous tempering machine for overnight conching or immediate tempering (if you've chosen not to conche). Tempering is the most important part of the chocolate making process - without it the chocolate would not only be dull looking, but also streaked with white lines of cocoa butter and sugar bloom, and it would not hold together well. The continuous tempering machine does the work of hours and hours of hand-stirring, tempering over marble or ice. The tanks at Tomric fit 20kg, but Selmi makes machines that also fit 60kg. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Moulding chocolate bars is an easy task with this piece of equipment, and in order to do large quantities of chocolate bars, it is a must-have. It not only can melt the chocolate, but then temper it, and keep it in a steady temper (if you treat the machine well). By hand and bowl method, with all the melting and tempering, I can currently mould 40 chocolate bars over the course of a morning. With a Selmi, I could more than quadruple that number in the same time-frame. Potentially I can mould over 800 chocolate bars a day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Overall, this experience at Tomric Systems in Buffalo was amazing. I could truly see and compare where I am today, and where I can potentially get to with a line--up of great equipment with the Selmi brand. Also, Tomric provides all the support and services a chocolate maker needs to use any piece of equipment, whether they buy the whole line-up or just a piece at a time as they grow. </span><br />
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If you are looking to step up your bean-to-bar chocolate production, check out Tomric Systems and the Selmi line-up of equipment at: <a href="http://tomric.com/bean-to-bar/">http://tomric.com/bean-to-bar/</a>. They also have the moulds you need to make chocolate bars and every other kind of chocolate you could imagine. Follow them on Social Media (@TomricSystems) for more information on what they supply.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Chocolate in Buffalo</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Also, Buffalo was a great city to visit. It had wonderful restaurants, and a variety of foods from around the world. And it also had The Chocolate Bar, which was a fun place to go for music, chocolate, dessert and wine. I enjoyed a chocolate mousse cake that was also part-crème-brulee, with the sugar topping fired up at my table. </span><br />
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The Chocolate Bar offered a wine flight with squares of dark chocolate.<br />
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The Chocolate Bar's chocolate mousse cake, with a Crème Brulee centre.</div>
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Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-4871383412752932212018-03-20T07:40:00.002-07:002018-03-21T07:16:54.786-07:00No Cane Sugar Chocolate Treats by Heavenly Organics; Taste the Sweet Honey in 100% Dark ChocolateAre you in love with the taste of honey? Have you excluded cane sugar from your diet? If you said 'yes!' to both of those questions, then I have found the perfect chocolate treat for you. I was shopping at<a href="http://theislandjar.ca/"> The Island Jar</a>, a local favourite health food store here on Manitoulin Island, and noticed some new little packaged treats: Heavenly Organics chocolate honey patties. They came in three flavours: Double Dark, Ginger chocolate honey pattie, and Peanut (ahem, it's peanut butter flavour even if the package does not describe it that way). <br />
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And if you have been reading my blog regularly, you'll know that<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fresco-100-dark-chocolate-line-up-eye.html"> in the winter months, I try out all sorts of unsweetened, 100% </a>and cane-sugar-free chocolate to tell you about here. Since it is still winter here on Manitoulin Island, with a wake-up call of -14ºC this morning, then I can still tell you about these fantastic no-sugar chocolate finds.<br />
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The Double Dark is my favourite, with just two ingredients: <em>100% dark chocolate and raw white honey</em>. It has a mildly sweet centre of creamy (although not liquidy, more like a ganache texture) honey which is dipped in a very thin coating of 100% dark chocolate. Normally 100% dark chocolate can be off-putting, and nearly too bitter to palate for most people, but in this case, the honey and bitter chocolate combine in your mouth for the perfect combination. Only the after taste leaves a little bitterness, mixed with honey. It really is a perfect combination for a dark chocolate lover like myself, and for anyone who is trying to stay away from cane sugar, or overindulging in sweet treats. Even my six-year old son loves them, and hasn't seemed to notice they are made with unsweetened chocolate (although he likes dark chocolate, up to about 85% dark, so this wasn't surprising). <br />
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The peanut pattie was less sweet than the Double Dark, but if you eat natural peanut butter, this will be like breakfast for you. The peanuts and honey were mixed together with a touch of Himalayan sea salt for the pattie in the centre, and again this pattie was enrobed in 100% dark chocolate. I see this as more of a low-carb (no-grain) snack and afternoon healthy pick-me-up. This one won't appeal to a child, since it lacks both the creaminess and sweetness of the Double Dark treat, but it may satisfy your mid-day craving for protein and dark chocolate. It tastes great with a coffee.<br />
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The Ginger chocolate honey pattie was not my favourite at first, but it has really grown on me over time. The ginger taste is not over-powering, mild in fact, but the flavour is there. The honey centre is creamy and the after taste of 100% dark chocolate is very nice. I recommend trying this one too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92QzmoEoeRbV4opkChHiV8mIfk8i5Cda-5ry9y5iclvR_xvpRLRAXXp0W0D1ToR3smcBU2WguJDhXgb6q1wFJbORfmkvOwMHK2BWXPFsT6Ob4y1XTJPRlU2ny59v_CUsIMxKWcfucHwA/s1600/Heavenly+Organics+-+Ginger+chocolate+honey+pattie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92QzmoEoeRbV4opkChHiV8mIfk8i5Cda-5ry9y5iclvR_xvpRLRAXXp0W0D1ToR3smcBU2WguJDhXgb6q1wFJbORfmkvOwMHK2BWXPFsT6Ob4y1XTJPRlU2ny59v_CUsIMxKWcfucHwA/s320/Heavenly+Organics+-+Ginger+chocolate+honey+pattie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The brand, Heavenly Organics, can be found online at: <a href="https://heavenlyorganics.com/">https://heavenlyorganics.com/</a>, where you can learn all about the company founder, Amit Houda. The patties are available in Canada on <a href="https://well.ca/brand/heavenly-organics.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9IG9rIb72QIVXLXACh06tgNGEAAYASAAEgLaMPD_BwE">Well.ca</a> in <a href="https://well.ca/products/heavenly-organics-double-dark_139956.html">three-packs</a> for only $2.49 Canadian, or in <a href="https://well.ca/products/heavenly-organics-ginger-chocolate_139970.html">larger bags of about 12 for $8.99</a>. They are made from certified organic honey and organic chocolate, fair trade certified and gluten free. Also, you will find only 50-60 calories per pattie, so you can indulge guilt free.<br />
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You can purchase cases of the larger bags or individually wrapped patties on the <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Heavenly-Organics/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_7963183011?ie=UTF8&node=7963183011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Heavenly+Organics">Heavenly Organics page on Amazon.ca.</a> And for more information or wholesale information, you can contact Fairfield Organics, LLC from Keota, Iowa at <a href="mailto:INFO@HEAVENLYORGANICS.COM">INFO@HEAVENLYORGANICS.COM</a>.<br />
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And if you are reading this from Manitoulin Island, you can find these treats at <a href="http://theislandjar.ca/">The Island Jar</a> at 15 Water Street in Little Current, Ontario.<br />
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Happy Healthy Chocolate Tr-eating!<br />
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I have not been paid or compensated (or even provided with information from any company) to write this blog post. These are my own opinions and I liked this product so much that I did my own research. Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-33822090439016206092018-03-04T06:49:00.001-08:002018-03-07T05:51:24.628-08:00The #1 Reason to Visit Almonte, OntarioMy family visited the Hummingbird Chocolate Factory in Almonte, Ontario a few weeks ago. We were on our way to Ottawa for a few days, and I'd been wanting to get to Hummingbird since they started making chocolate several years back. Their Dominican Republic origin chocolate bar - the 'Hispaniola' bar - made with the coveted 'La Red' cocoa bean, was (and still is) a favourite of mine back when <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2012/06/feeling-all-fluttery-thanks-to.html">I wrote about it in 2012</a>, and since then, it has won several awards, including the Golden Bean Award from the Academy of Chocolate. <br />
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The little company began with chocolate-making couple Erica and Drew and has grown into a full, yet still quaint-sized factory in Almonte with over 10 people working there. The cute little store-front rests in the newest shopping and entertainment district of Almonte, tucked in close to a fabulous craft brewery and an amazing coffee roaster & its eat-in café. So for my family, we were able to enjoy a Saturday morning full of food and drink, starting with Hummingbird's factory tour and chocolate-tasting in the store front, then a quick pick-up of <a href="http://crookedmile.ca/">Crooked Mile</a> craft beer, and a rather enjoyable lunch at<a href="http://equator.ca/"> Equator Coffee Roasters</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummingbird's quaint storefront offers not only their chocolate bars, <br />
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During the tour, we learned that Erica and Drew have maintained the 'craft' part of chocolate making, by using a hands-on and hand-made approach. There are no wrapping machines, moulding machines or even new-age stainless steel winnowers on site. Nope, the original winnower which removes the husks from cocoa beans, is still standing in the factory and used regularly. Drew built it in the company's humble beginnings, with a few shop vacs, wood and some Plexiglas. I have a smaller version of this for my little workshop, so it was nice to see a chocolate maker who has built up a successful Canadian brand still using a homemade classic. And along with that, a team of people were buzzing around the space, doing the bar moulding, wrapping, and all the other work that comes with craft chocolate making.<br />
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This little tour was not about tasting chocolate (you can do that in the storefront), it was more about learning where the chocolate comes from, how it is made and the process Hummingbird goes through to make their craft chocolate. It only cost $5 per person and was fairly short and sweet (just long enough to get all the information, and just short enough so the children didn't lose interest and start some chaos in the factory). The kids had fun putting on hair nets and seeing their parents in the same silly get-up. And for my kids, who have watched chocolate making on a small scale, they were excited about the size of the equipment, the fact that the winnower looked like a giant version of the one their grandpa built, and the sheer volume of cocoa beans that were piled up in bags in one corner. They were also excited to taste cocoa beans. <br />
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As for the goodies that we purchased in the store, there were some old favourites, like the 70% Hispaniola bar and its darker 85% version, and my new favourite, the Cap-Haitien, made from very fruity cocoa beans from Haiti. The Honduras 'Copan' bar is also a relatively new addition to Hummingbird's line, made from caramelly-flavourful cocoa beans that I am very familiar with, since I also make a few different chocolate bars from those beans. <br />
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Hummingbird also recently introduced a 60% dark-milk chocolate to the mix, which made my milk-chocolate-loving daughter very happy.<br />
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All in all, it was wonderful to see how Erica and Drew have grown their business over the last six years, from those first bars they sent me back in 2012, to the award-winning range of chocolate they now have available in FarmBoy stores across the Ottawa region, and many other retail locations worldwide. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzoaj7L-mdOoyFsvA5foGVR7g9Hu9f1qtPKUDh8T8zjzFnPq5jfYEoJlT5VBtsmIwfBmPkbIIxN0Z8L_7fGQN1A7fHnGXQQ2n0wkrDl4NnN7WJzfwgIau15n6WVMfq4AbUVFmdtlahLI/s1600/Hummingbird+Chocolate+Aging+Chocolate+on+Shelves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzoaj7L-mdOoyFsvA5foGVR7g9Hu9f1qtPKUDh8T8zjzFnPq5jfYEoJlT5VBtsmIwfBmPkbIIxN0Z8L_7fGQN1A7fHnGXQQ2n0wkrDl4NnN7WJzfwgIau15n6WVMfq4AbUVFmdtlahLI/s320/Hummingbird+Chocolate+Aging+Chocolate+on+Shelves.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aging chocolate on the shelves inside Hummingbird's chocolate factory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGrhixGVNfXABSMjAYuZEijdQ6u2b1kHh-z0Yub4knbJouDT2vVuVZJFUllJ_g0PLEQEaT4zzDQzJpz4p9_sv7vrLKR0zFNj-VdpNSnFS33NHrd-UrwD6_YTVfXTnoHJN1uRo7wIOn_I/s1600/Humminbird+Chocolate+Chocolate+Moulds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="454" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGrhixGVNfXABSMjAYuZEijdQ6u2b1kHh-z0Yub4knbJouDT2vVuVZJFUllJ_g0PLEQEaT4zzDQzJpz4p9_sv7vrLKR0zFNj-VdpNSnFS33NHrd-UrwD6_YTVfXTnoHJN1uRo7wIOn_I/s320/Humminbird+Chocolate+Chocolate+Moulds.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate moulds awaiting washing at Hummingbird Chocolate factory.</td></tr>
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If you would like to see the factory, check Hummingbird's website at <a href="http://www.hummingbirdchocolate.com/">www.hummingbirdchocolate.com</a> to book your tickets and a time, as well as find out where you can buy their delicious chocolate.Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-14049935176469164732018-02-15T07:21:00.002-08:002018-02-17T06:49:05.331-08:00Fresco 100% Dark Chocolate Line-Up: An Eye-Opening Cacao ExperienceAlthough many of us have already abandoned our New Year's resolutions and are regularly skipping the gym in February, one thing we can try to maintain (because it takes no extra time), is to reduce the amount of sugar in our diets. Especially after a sweet Valentine's Day, it is a good time to adjust our palettes and get used to bitter flavours, and even start to like them.<br />
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So as I mentioned in one of <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2018/02/unsweetened-chocolate-winter-tradition.html">my last posts</a>, I like to push myself to taste only extra bitter, and completely unsweetened chocolate in the winter months. The newest line-up, which I was excited to see at the Northwest Chocolate Festival, was a full range of 100% bars by Fresco Chocolate. Most chocolate makers just make one 100% dark bar, but Fresco had at least three, if not more, at their booth at the festival. And knowing that Fresco always offers me an interesting taste experience, along with great learning experiences because they print the length that the chocolate was 'conched' (aerated and heated and cooled to reduce volatile flavours), as well as the roast length on the package, I bought them all. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQv22qXQOCVqj-kp-ijnyNXJNYnxn3g6wPui5cGy83fAdiIlFZNhoW_LWttRAkevh9jeAdYIGrW_DQ6m03PzTZhLdp79N4VCQkUxyt_lw6AajL3PPk9K7Sckh6XzAWbnck63TkHbTgh4/s1600/Fresco+Line-Up+of+100%2525+chocolate+bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQv22qXQOCVqj-kp-ijnyNXJNYnxn3g6wPui5cGy83fAdiIlFZNhoW_LWttRAkevh9jeAdYIGrW_DQ6m03PzTZhLdp79N4VCQkUxyt_lw6AajL3PPk9K7Sckh6XzAWbnck63TkHbTgh4/s400/Fresco+Line-Up+of+100%2525+chocolate+bars.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was not disappointed. All three bars offered a taste experience like no other for 100% dark chocolates. A long conche was applied to each chocolate, reducing acidity levels and volatile flavours, making the chocolate more palatable than baking chocolate and many other unsweetened chocolates that I have tasted over the years. My favourite was certainly the Guatemala, because I think it made 100% dark chocolate palatable for any taster. The most potent of the three was the Maranon, because of all that wonderful acidity that makes a 70% Maranon so interesting and tasty, but very intense when no sugar is included. <br />
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Below is a quick description of my tasting notes on each bar, and where you can find more information about each one on the Fresco website.<br />
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<strong><u>Oko-Caribe 100% Pure Chocolate, Limited Release, Medium Roast, Long Conche, 50 g</u></strong><br />
Oko-Caribe is a cacao farming co-operative in the Dominican Republic, known for producing good-quality cocoa beans. The aroma of this 100% chocolate, made from Oko-Caribe beans, is wonderful; full of berries and floral elements. And the upfront flavour in the chocolate is very 'roasty'. The packaging lists a 'medium roast', but there really is a heavy roast taste to the chocolate (not burnt, just the flavour of roasted cocoa beans, or perhaps roasted walnuts or pecans). That is the upfront favour to me, but also there is some floral, some berry, some bitterness and a bit of earthiness and grass to the taste. A long conche was applied, which may have been a good thing. I could see how the raw cacao might have been too bitter for a 100% dark chocolate without the use of a long conche. For more information on this bar, visit:<br />
<a href="https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/oko-caribe-100-limited-release">https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/oko-caribe-100-limited-release</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6XsPuEqdDpnTFhB3iFj2MbfJcj-B7yYhYqfHdQbeQuYuGUJaTvZyxEi2Cn352fC5td-ulXyLpcjcbE9MUd8eTgSAnW3eAklDaKpRifKLaW2tsZsBuSjI_CvZSol9EZ0G-SABWGDt-sA/s1600/Fresco+unweetened+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1138" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6XsPuEqdDpnTFhB3iFj2MbfJcj-B7yYhYqfHdQbeQuYuGUJaTvZyxEi2Cn352fC5td-ulXyLpcjcbE9MUd8eTgSAnW3eAklDaKpRifKLaW2tsZsBuSjI_CvZSol9EZ0G-SABWGDt-sA/s320/Fresco+unweetened+chocolate.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
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<strong><u>Polochic Valley 100%, Guatemala, Light Roast, Long Conche, 50 g</u></strong><br />
This chocolate is <em>very</em> interesting, with a lot of upfront fruit flavours. In fact, it is almost shocking that fruit flavour was not infused or added to the chocolate. In addition, it has extremely low acidity. The fruit is like grapes, real juicy purple grapes. And sometimes it reminds me of a merlot, other times a 'fruit & nut' chocolate bar. And even more surprising is the bitterness level: there is none. It is sweet in comparison to every other 100% dark chocolate that I have ever tasted. Overall, this bar was both surprising and fascinating for a 100%, taking unsweetened chocolate to a new level. I highly recommend tasting this chocolate bar. Learn more about it here: <a href="https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/100-polochic-guatamala">https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/100-polochic-guatamala</a>.<br />
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<strong><u>Fresco Maranon 100%, Recipe 231, Medium Roast, Long Conche, 50 g </u></strong><br />
This chocolate was the most acidic of the three, a real punch of bitterness and roast flavours. The acidity in the Maranon cocoa bean is what makes a sweeter chocolate taste so darn good, but yet at 100% it offers nearly a shocking punch. I <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-part-1-100-dark.html">wrote about this one before</a>, which I had nearly forgotten about (about the same time of year in 2016), and looking at the post, I see my tasting notes are very similar. The difference now is that I have more experience with making chocolate. And I've learned that the most acidic 100% chocolates often make the best 70% bars. A Madagascar unsweetened chocolate, this Maranon chocolate, and the newly popular Peru Ucayali cocoa bean that I have been experimenting with at 100% versus 90%, versus a 70% chocolate. The best flavours can be brought out with a little sugar to offset the acidity levels. To learn more about this punchy chocolate, visit Fresco's website at: <a href="https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/maranon-231">https://frescochocolate.com/collections/100-chocolate/products/maranon-231</a>.<br />
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This chocolate-tasting exercise was a real eye opener. I enjoyed trying three 100% dark chocolates with long conches. The long conche brought out the good flavours of the beans while offering a palatable unsweetened experience. The higher roast on the Maranon and Oko-Caribe subdued some of the acidity, while the lighter roast on the Guatemala helped maintain all the wonderful fruitiness in the cacao beans. Fresco is certainly becoming a leader in the 100% category.<br />
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For more information on Fresco Chocolate, visit the company website links above, or read on of my previous posts about this chocolate maker by clicking these links: <br />
<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-range-of-chocolate.html">http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-range-of-chocolate.html</a><br />
<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-part-1-100-dark.html">http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-part-1-100-dark.html</a><br />
<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-part-2-length-of-conche.html">http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/02/fresco-chocolate-part-2-length-of-conche.html</a><br />
<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/03/fresco-part-3-cocoa-roasting.html">http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/03/fresco-part-3-cocoa-roasting.html</a><br />
<a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/03/fresco-part-4-cacao-harvest-year-and.html">http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/03/fresco-part-4-cacao-harvest-year-and.html</a>Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-31544916910848391932018-02-01T07:42:00.000-08:002018-02-05T08:47:38.843-08:00Unsweetened Chocolate: A winter tradition that keeps getting betterSeveral years ago, I started an annual tradition of eating only very dark chocolate and 100% dark chocolate in January and February. I look back at those early days trying out <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2012/01/99-dark-chocolate-only-for-dark-and.html">Lindt and Michel Cluizel chocolate bars</a>, and I see a person who didn't think she could ever get used to unsweetened chocolate. Now I eat it all the time, testing roasts and batches of unsweetened chocolate after it has been in my refiner for 24 hours or more. I make 100% dark bars to see how the beans hold up as bitter chocolate, to check acidity levels and creaminess, and see what kind of 'cringe factor' it inspires (and by that I mean the instant reaction to a 100% dark chocolate, and whether or not it evokes the cringy-face a baby makes when eating a dill pickle), and I also now eat it because I enjoy it. <br />
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Since I first started writing about tasting <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2012/01/99-dark-chocolate-only-for-dark-and.html">unsweetened chocolate in 2012</a>, more bean-to-bar chocolate makers have opened their doors (at a rather rapid pace, I might add). This led to more 100% dark chocolates being introduced across North America and the rest of the world. Not every chocolate maker makes a 100% bar, but some do, and it has certainly become easier to find a good selection.<br />
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I also think health trends have driven the introduction of more bars, and a lot of good education by bean-to-bar chocolate makers, which is beginning to have an effect on customers, who are becoming more and more curious about the taste of pure cocoa. <br />
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In fact, <em>no sugar chocolate</em> has become a bit trendy.<span id="goog_1779805875"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"> Zotter Chocolates of Austria made unsweetened milk chocolate</a> <span id="goog_1779805876"></span>popular a few years back, when they introduced their 'Milk Chocolate Dark Style' bar, where 70% of the ingredients list was cocoa solids (cocoa beans + cocoa butter/fat) and the other 30% of the ingredients was just milk powder. No sugar added. No alternate sugar added. It was - and still is - a melt-in-your mouth combination that takes just a moment to get used to, and soon enough you find yourself craving it. Then in 2016, East Van Roasters in Vancouver created <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2017/04/east-van-roasters-offers-different.html">an unsweetened chocolate bar with cashews ground into it</a>, making a smooth combination that took the edge off of the acidic and fruity Madagascar cocoa beans they were using for the chocolate. <br />
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And now, I have discovered that Hotel Chocolat in the UK makes an 80% Supermilk Saint Lucia origin chocolate bar, which takes Zotter's no sugar-milk-chocolate creation one step further. So I thought I'd start the annual tradition with this one. <br />
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What I discovered is that perhaps this unsweetened milk chocolate trend can only go so dark. Hotel Chocolat's 80% Supermilk bar is more bitter than Zotter's, and unfortunately it is not quite as smooth. I think between it's texture and the bitterness level (and slight taste of earthy/soil/mould), it lacks the potential for me to go back to it again, in the way Zotter's does. Although I have to say the aftertaste that lingers is pure milk, which is a nice effect. <br />
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Another new one that I found at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in November, was Zotter's <strong><em>Protein Kick</em></strong>, with 75% cocoa solids and 25% whey protein. <br />
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This too was not as inspiring to me as their original 70% dark-milk chocolate (with 30% milk). Granted, the texture is lovely, but the taste of the whey protein takes some getting used to. In fact, it took me about a week, and absolutely no sugar in my diet to get used to it. However, I can imagine that people who consume no sugar <em>ever</em>, can learn to like this bar. And although the whey flavour is a bit of a turn-off for me, I do like the idea of protein, and I think that people who lead a Paleo or no-sugar lifestyle, or perhaps weight-lifting-whey-eating folks, might like it as a post-workout snack. <br />
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I also tried Zotter's High-End dark chocolate with 96% cocoa solids, and 4% organic coconut blossom sugar. <br />
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This was interesting. Since I work with coconut sugar quite often, I know it is less sweet than regular white or organic cane sugar, and it has a detectable flavour. So the 4% coconut sugar offers a bitter-ish taste in this chocolate, and it really might as well be a 100% chocolate. I do like it better than the Protein Kick bar. And I can see a larger customer base enjoying this bar, since the low-acidity cocoa beans chosen for it and the lovely conching work Zotter has done on the chocolate, has made it so palatable. As far tasting the 'terrior' of the chocolate, there is not a lot of that going on. It is really just a straight up Peru, hints of floral flavours and a sweet bean profile. The lingering aftertaste is quite nice and cocoa-y. <br />
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In the next post, I will move on to some new pure 100% dark chocolates, including Soma's newest Arcana 100% bar (yup, it's a blend and it changes seasonally with a Venezuela Porcelana as the base cocoa bean), along with Fresco's line-up of three different single origin 100% bars, and Sirene's Tanzania and Ecuador 100% chocolates. <br />
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Happy Chocolate Eating!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-59237603111067077612018-01-09T08:43:00.001-08:002018-01-10T08:35:12.679-08:00Tastes of California-Made Chocolate: Dick Taylor Craft ChocolateIf there are 'giants' in the craft chocolate world, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate is certainly among them. And it has less to do with their fantastic packaging and more to do with taste. Dick Taylor consistently delivers on taste and flavour design. <br />
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During a 'blind' tasting led by <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-chocolate-makers-unconference.html">Chloe Doutre-Rousell</a> at the Chocolate Maker's Unconference, we experienced tasters immediately knew from the beautiful design on our tiny pieces of chocolate, as well as the powerful, wonderful fruity flavour punch, that Dick Taylor's Madagascar bar was among the line-up of chocolates. The gorgeous mould may have given it away, but the wonderful flavour confirmed it. <br />
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My first taste of the <strong><em>Northerner Blend</em></strong>, a DT chocolate bar that I've heard a lot about over the last year, was a few weeks back. I opened my stash from the NW Chocolate Fest and found the Dick Taylor bars that I had forgotten were among my purchases. I've been peeking into the virtual window of Dick Taylor's shop (ahem, that pretty much means stalking the business on Instagram) and seeing this 'Northerner Blend' chocolate. As a customer from 'Northern Ontario' who considers herself a <em>Northerner</em>, I have trouble imagining such a name could be applied to anything in sunny California. But regardless, the name spoke to me, and I had to taste this bar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDo15oDRmh8M2Bm_sa0M7sbQ6oyenwqEGpzQvkZUFCr4emIsh3ZGPrHcizh8YRgMmeIoDFrr2K3ajK3hLbl6DoS3ZD97ZOwi3xTGmpF3BGUmcolJ_FZnrSmDBjpIein9bpwXq58llsFlA/s1600/Dick+Taylor+Northerner+Blend+chocolate+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1166" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDo15oDRmh8M2Bm_sa0M7sbQ6oyenwqEGpzQvkZUFCr4emIsh3ZGPrHcizh8YRgMmeIoDFrr2K3ajK3hLbl6DoS3ZD97ZOwi3xTGmpF3BGUmcolJ_FZnrSmDBjpIein9bpwXq58llsFlA/s320/Dick+Taylor+Northerner+Blend+chocolate+bar.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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In craft chocolate terms, a <em>blend</em> is a bar that has been made of carefully chosen beans from different growing regions. Blending is a chocolate maker's art, and perhaps an expression of their ideal flavour composition. In the case of the Northerner Blend, it immediately reminded me of the Madagascar chocolate bar by Dick Taylor. Full of fruit flavours, potent, and a real punch of flavour. The blend was no different. It had all those flavour components of the Madagascar cacao, and some fruit from the Brazilian cacao that the Madagascar was blended with. The chocolate makers noted honey and dried apricot as tasting notes, but the flavour elements seemed much richer than those two things. Perhaps a rich, dark honey, and there were definitely some acidic fruity notes. It is a bold chocolate that makes a statement. And it quite addictive.<br />
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At the Festival, I also picked up Dick Taylor's other relatively new release: their Brown Butter, Nibs & Sea Salt chocolate bar. I quickly learned that this chocolate delivers a powerful punch of flavour upon first bite. Made using the 73% Northerner Blend, this fruity chocolate offers a potent flavour kick, with some upfront acidity that makes way to creamy, buttery notes and texture. The crunchy nibs and salt leave an after taste of pure cacao that lingers, and bursts of salt that quickly melts away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iHKHMWbEc4xhuad3DiPctpnzHwFJSBnDKp3OhbpX0fxDCGr7xaomweVzpUfhSlk3V0G9R2j9NfI9GisZcTNiAm6PLFLZ0UxpVYS6Y9sWpjk8IM6NuZXZ6wnO4655JqiXLM02_etYJNc/s1600/Dick+Taylor++Brown+Butter+Nib+and+Sea+Salt+chocolate+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1099" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iHKHMWbEc4xhuad3DiPctpnzHwFJSBnDKp3OhbpX0fxDCGr7xaomweVzpUfhSlk3V0G9R2j9NfI9GisZcTNiAm6PLFLZ0UxpVYS6Y9sWpjk8IM6NuZXZ6wnO4655JqiXLM02_etYJNc/s320/Dick+Taylor++Brown+Butter+Nib+and+Sea+Salt+chocolate+bar.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
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The Brown Butter chocolate bar is easy to eat quickly, thinking that with each bite you'll figure out its complexity, and be able to describe its flavour with a simple word or phrase. Soon enough, the bar is gone and you are left wanting another so you can fully understand it. Perhaps that can never happen, even if you eat 100 of them. But you'll enjoy every single one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0OWiv5A4HeacOOMf8GXOYJwMPWScRp-UVEOKRJnP2QINsbihMBd5zXF5IbCcBUksE5QBltS08XP9uUYEfWxWl2e1Tvp-OgN13z62cJJgpy3B2QbHx49OednFmqxRnczQCljGLCTNn6I/s1600/Dick+Taylor++Brown+Butter+Nib+and+Sea+Salt+chocolate+bar+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0OWiv5A4HeacOOMf8GXOYJwMPWScRp-UVEOKRJnP2QINsbihMBd5zXF5IbCcBUksE5QBltS08XP9uUYEfWxWl2e1Tvp-OgN13z62cJJgpy3B2QbHx49OednFmqxRnczQCljGLCTNn6I/s400/Dick+Taylor++Brown+Butter+Nib+and+Sea+Salt+chocolate+bar+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With nibs in every bite, this bar I complex - is it buttery or crunchy? <br />
Tart or sweet? Fruity or just plain cocoa-y? <br />
And look at the beauty of that chocolate mould pattern!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In a later post, I will tell you more about the Dick Taylor's limited edition Solomon Islands chocolate bar: a special release bar that changes each year, depending upon a contest held among cacao farmers of the Solomon Islands. The best cacao is chosen by chocolate makers like Dick Taylor and Madre, and a few others. I picked one some at the 2016 NW Festival, and in 2017 I bought Dick Taylor's, along with a Madre's and Zokoko's. What a treat to experience how different chocolate makers approach cacao from the same region, so stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.<br />
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For now, here is more information on the bars that I wrote about today:<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Brown Butter with Nib & Sea Salt in a 73% Northerner Blend</u></strong><br />
Maker: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, Eureka, California<br />
<a href="http://www.dicktaylorchocolate.com/">www.dicktaylorchocolate.com</a> <br />
Ingredients: Cacao*, cane sugar*, butter*, fleur de sel (Cacao solids: 73% minimum). *Organic. Contains dairy. May contain traces of nuts.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Northerner Blend, 73% Dark Chocolate</u></strong><br />
"A balanced blend of Madagascan and Brazilian Cacao."<br />
Maker: Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, Eureka, California<br />
<a href="http://www.dicktaylorchocolate.com/">www.dicktaylorchocolate.com</a> <br />
Ingredients: Cacao*, cane sugar* (cocoa solids 73% minimum). *Organic. May contain nuts and milk.Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-2381264420322854842018-01-03T07:19:00.003-08:002018-01-03T07:19:38.136-08:00The Chocolate Project: A Great Place to Buy Craft Chocolate OnlineThroughout my many years writing about chocolate online, and tasting all that this world of chocolate, and particularly craft chocolate, has to offer, I've heard about The Chocolate Project. I visited the website many times, and always noticed that they have over 300 chocolate bars at their location in Victoria, British Colombia. I have been to nearly all parts of Canada, but Victoria is still on my bucket-list. A faraway place on the other side of the country, on an island (like myself, only surrounded by salt-waters rather than the very unsalted waters of a Lake Huron). So I guess I put off ordering chocolate from this famous-in-the-chocolate-world shop because it just seemed so far away. <br />
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Then I had a phone conversation with the amazing <a href="https://www.ecolechocolat.com/blog/after-ec-a-chocolate-conversation-with-joanne-burns/">Joanne Burns, a chocolatier who owns Chocolate Beach on Salt Spring Island</a>, BC (another Island-er who understands what it is like to have a passion for international bean-to-bar chocolate), and she told me again how wonderful The Chocolate Project is. And I met the super awesome Stephanie from <a href="https://www.uncouthchocolate.com/">Uncouth Chocolate</a> in Victoria, who was representing The Chocolate Project at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle. So I decided 2017 was the year for me to try The Chocolate Project. <br />
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Turns out, distance is nothing in this age of technology and fast-shipping. I ordered a Christmas present for myself online from The Chocolate Project just a few short weeks before the big day. The chocolate travelled across the country quickly and arrived at my door with days to spare (and somehow Santa got it into my stocking for me!).<br />
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The packaging was simple - no need for fancy extra's telling me about <a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/shop#dark">The Dark Collection</a> that I ordered. Simply the four bars, in a box rolled with insulated wrapping to control any external factors. It was perfect for someone like me: arrives quick and to the point, letting me taste the chocolate for myself without unnecessary extras.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zZEqwrgsNtvSTek7kFlUygUp99-BLV9Oc0srBh_zlqziox718_SawMKfVEEyzqCJPqxzTmkqDnhjFIEar_JLP0mb1r0kVXqQ5EkILXNE7Xn1dZl63St9KDLYc2E7XepXFMFRwOAFkBE/s1600/The+Chocolate+Project+Dark+Chocolate+Collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="1220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zZEqwrgsNtvSTek7kFlUygUp99-BLV9Oc0srBh_zlqziox718_SawMKfVEEyzqCJPqxzTmkqDnhjFIEar_JLP0mb1r0kVXqQ5EkILXNE7Xn1dZl63St9KDLYc2E7XepXFMFRwOAFkBE/s400/The+Chocolate+Project+Dark+Chocolate+Collection.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dark Collection from The Chocolate Project, <br />
in December (January's Dark selection has changed, <br />
but customers can ask for a custom box of chocolate bars from <br />
any of the 350+ chocolate bars they stock).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I chose the Dark Collection because it contained bars from four chocolate makers that I had not had the opportunity to taste before. You may be surprised (if you follow the craft chocolate movement) to learn that I've missed out on omNom from Iceland, and Letterpress Chocolate from Los Angeles. But in my defence, Letterpress has not been selling widely for long, and omNom is, well, in Iceland. And I live on an Island in the centre of Canada, so I guess I have an excuse. I also had not tasted Shattell Chocolate from Peru, and I only tasted <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2016/03/cocoa-couriers-canadas-first-monthly.html">one bar from Brasstown in the past,</a> when they sported different packaging. So this group of chocolate bars was a perfect fit for me.<br />
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The Collection was nicely set up for a chocolate tasting party, should Chocolate Project's customers want to hold one with friends. The Shattell Chocolate is made in Peru, with Peruvian cacao and offers extreme floral notes, whereas the OmNom is a made from Nicaraguan origin cocoa beans that have a citrus kick to it. Brasstown's bar is the Elvesia 70% made from Dominican Beans and very full of red fruit flavours (although as time goes on it seems to also have some floral notes, perhaps I've stored it too close to the Shatell). And finally Letterpress Chocolate's Tanzania 70% Dark bar, the star of the show, offered tart notes of banana, and yet citrus that almost tastes of mandarin or under-ripe orange, with a clear taste of the roast on the cocoa beans. Overall, these chocolate bars showcased a full range of single origin, natural cacao flavours. <br />
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So why was LetterPress the star bar? For starters, I finished it first, surprised by how good it was, how the texture was smoother than the rest and stood out, yet the chocolate only contained two ingredients, with no cocoa butter added. The combination of fruity flavours and roast were well balanced, and really intriguing. What a treat. I WISH I had another bar.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhput4Le8gj3orSACt83rCLH5dPulZVSAG4JxOuA7E8vbNi2dQqVj5pdnOzBVp6a1dUUrxENy4o8VldnvDB-u-_wFie0HdTh4-j3LxFAMGLv1kyVg-hBwSCBn90a2NfrnCLMH1Psv7agKw/s1600/LetterPress+Chocolate+Tanzania+70%2525+Dark+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhput4Le8gj3orSACt83rCLH5dPulZVSAG4JxOuA7E8vbNi2dQqVj5pdnOzBVp6a1dUUrxENy4o8VldnvDB-u-_wFie0HdTh4-j3LxFAMGLv1kyVg-hBwSCBn90a2NfrnCLMH1Psv7agKw/s400/LetterPress+Chocolate+Tanzania+70%2525+Dark+Chocolate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This <a href="http://www.letterpresschocolate.com/">Letterpress Chocolate</a> Tanzania 70% dark bar was <br />
the star of the collection!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So what did I finish second? The Brasstown. The fruity punch from the Dominican cacao made it interesting to come back to time and gain. It was also a stately bar, long and slender and classic. <br />
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The OmNom was good, but I have tasted many Nicaragua origin beans, and made quite a few bars myself from Nicaragua beans, and over time have discovered that I am not personally partial to that overly acidic citrus kick with few other flavours (although the website lists tasting notes of mushroom, red wine (for the acidity & tannins I assume) and rye bread. Some people love it, but it is just not my thing. I did enjoy the aroma of coffee and cocoa, and the fantastic snap (the tempering was perfect and the bar shiny and gorgeous). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRXsx1dIrMBFN-Jb7ZWovG5IyDwoPZLc3Rk0kaUWfezz44vdysBQkpVkp4iGwsisxYa5kddDsgZXnrWPcSpRGJ-NHeqv5HmWxs6kw5a08yf293eoC8oWaiSp56nUJHvPTz4qm_8YgdSo/s1600/OmNom+Chocolate+Bar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRXsx1dIrMBFN-Jb7ZWovG5IyDwoPZLc3Rk0kaUWfezz44vdysBQkpVkp4iGwsisxYa5kddDsgZXnrWPcSpRGJ-NHeqv5HmWxs6kw5a08yf293eoC8oWaiSp56nUJHvPTz4qm_8YgdSo/s400/OmNom+Chocolate+Bar.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">omNom's Nicaragua bar was shiny and had a good snap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, the most impressive part of omNom's chocolate, was the bar mould and packaging - the overall look and pattern on the chocolate itself, and the packaging and marketing around this chocolate hit the mark. The outer sleeve did not have a lot of writing, nor tasting notes, nor long descriptions of cacao origin, but the image of the wolf, and the imagery of crocodiles, certainly had a menacing yet wild effect. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnou-8q1kid1evbnjcLRjjCZ16QlQ5XP8h-lE0T9gVVuq0GLoUA5-1N7UvSElGCrOK03s8dJ4htsn2piUXtCSZR21oR0Geed-AWbMnYL8kJZaeOomlJdSUoBcWT-qNpNVp6DqzdptkBw/s1600/OmNom+Chocolate+Nicaragua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnou-8q1kid1evbnjcLRjjCZ16QlQ5XP8h-lE0T9gVVuq0GLoUA5-1N7UvSElGCrOK03s8dJ4htsn2piUXtCSZR21oR0Geed-AWbMnYL8kJZaeOomlJdSUoBcWT-qNpNVp6DqzdptkBw/s400/OmNom+Chocolate+Nicaragua.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">omNom Chocolate has the most incredible packaging!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q2yKrHUWQfZlDpmxxuU7lZEcr-R7GFKY5rX97nPlX5hJllsnqVFJw2MlP2Erfdo7ZJe5naIlhFJWTHT4jswiyVvmthU8Iao5_a88VdZFGSWkc1X3GlMn5_p62tHfRFxFCd1je40sImo/s1600/OmNom+Chocolate+packaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q2yKrHUWQfZlDpmxxuU7lZEcr-R7GFKY5rX97nPlX5hJllsnqVFJw2MlP2Erfdo7ZJe5naIlhFJWTHT4jswiyVvmthU8Iao5_a88VdZFGSWkc1X3GlMn5_p62tHfRFxFCd1je40sImo/s400/OmNom+Chocolate+packaging.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdExG-5Uo2EZXhVnTCgIDsbFdHkiHQtakhrI6iYRc4sRn6PASUj3oIMAAHqisyyYpU0boARS08v4Nd9bO_G7tHDCIJiWJNM6ez7h4BQYJv1orAycRoi2zyheTRmWfshIbIOVWqVqr75Y/s1600/OmNom+Chocolate+Packaging+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdExG-5Uo2EZXhVnTCgIDsbFdHkiHQtakhrI6iYRc4sRn6PASUj3oIMAAHqisyyYpU0boARS08v4Nd9bO_G7tHDCIJiWJNM6ez7h4BQYJv1orAycRoi2zyheTRmWfshIbIOVWqVqr75Y/s400/OmNom+Chocolate+Packaging+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is rare to see the inner foil printed. omNom has thought through <br />
every step of their packaging to give the customer a consistent experience.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And combined with dangerous creatures was the mountain peaks that peaked out from the inside of the pointed flaps of the box. It evoked a certain power to the chocolate that is inside. Even the foil had images of the wolf, coming from two sides, which created a pattern that needed to be searched for the wolves within. I will come back to OmNom chocolate time and again to try all their other origins. The quality was there, not perfectly smooth texture but a good product. And the overall experience was worth it. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.shattell.com/">Shatell Bitter 70% Cacao Ayacucho</a> bar was just too floral for me. It really had a lot of interesting notes in it, once I got past the floral thing, and some balanced acidity with a punch of flavour and some fruitiness. The aromas were quite powerful and I can imagine how fun it would be to eat the raw cacao at the farm with all those notes in it. If you are into Lavendar chocolate or rose-flavoured ganache, that sort of thing, this may be jut the bar for you. The aroma and taste certainly reminded me of where cacao comes from - a plant that flowers and grows fruit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQFkiZY40ZM6ZgTvRK-eFLm1TGaCv6uSe1HwsRSWQ6GAVqwJWEE6wHxD9jtZo1RkZilnIqr9IoFm6oexs_l49lUG8fq4Rm14jIT9tF4JRIFyQrC7EeoDIrQ8KxE95onJ7CObslus9WU/s1600/Shattell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurQFkiZY40ZM6ZgTvRK-eFLm1TGaCv6uSe1HwsRSWQ6GAVqwJWEE6wHxD9jtZo1RkZilnIqr9IoFm6oexs_l49lUG8fq4Rm14jIT9tF4JRIFyQrC7EeoDIrQ8KxE95onJ7CObslus9WU/s400/Shattell.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Shattell has a Chuncho 70% dark chocolate bar that won 2017 Gold at the International Chocolate Awards. I have tasted a <a href="http://ultimatechocolateblog.blogspot.ca/2017/06/new-canadian-chocolate-maker-sweeping.html">Chuncho origin chocolate before by Qantu</a>, and it was good (also an award winner), so I am looking forward to tasting Shattell's Chuncho dark chocolate someday. <br />
<br />
Overall, I am quite happy with my choice of chocolaty Christmas gifts this year. I will return again to The Chocolate Project's website, and also will be likely to e-mail David Mincey again in future to order any of the 350 bars he now has in his collection. He even carries a Rogue bar, which might be the only place to buy one in Canada. <br />
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For more information on The Chocolate Project, visit the website at: <a href="http://www.chocolateproject.ca/">http://www.chocolateproject.ca</a>. <br />
<br />
To learn more about the four craft chocolate brands listed above, visit their websites through the links below:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.letterpresschocolate.com/">www.letterpresschocolate.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.omnomchocolate.com/">www.omnomchocolate.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.brasstownchocolate.com/">www.brasstownchocolate.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.shattell.com/">http://www.shattell.com/</a> (this will lead you through to Shattell's facebook page).<br />
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Happy New Year Everyone!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-52827222451696553592017-12-28T11:54:00.003-08:002017-12-29T06:05:46.803-08:00Fantastic Post-Christmas Chocolate Find: Peppermint Dark Chocolate TrufflesDid you find nearly <em>no</em> treats in your stocking this year? This happens sometimes. You get socks, books, scarves, gloves, but no sweet treats. This particularly happens to me because my friends and family don't know what kind of chocolate to buy a chocolatier-slash-chocolate maker for Christmas. And the kind of chocolate that I like (bean-to-bar, craft chocolate) is not made or sold by anyone other than me in Northern Ontario. But if you are like me, and still appreciate a good store-bought truffle, or meltaway, and you LOVE peppermint and natural ingredients, then you will like this fantastic find I discovered at Bulk Barn yesterday: <strong><em>Peppermint Dark Chocolate Truffles</em></strong> by Splendid Chocolate. <br />
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There are eight 'truffles' (technically they are 'meltaways' since the truffles are made with coconut oil rather than fresh cream, like a Lindor Truffle) in the box and only a few ingredients, including semi-sweet dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor/cocoa beans, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and vanilla extract), coconut oil and natural peppermint flavour. It was only $3.99! I assume this was a sale price after Christmas, because with a price that low regularly, I'd soon be put out of business. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUv1HszlAhizEH-6vl4cjKN3_8uZ7-yUKaWlsI77Y2PEFD-LBpkuzyZvfuJ2ruCbN9MMJWrVhiSOQ2G1ka2helJtn2CwGVCG5XR_knyTI37tIC9xCKZifgjB7ceHqoFa69qm2mg4wDwU/s1600/Peppermint+Dark+Chocolate+Truffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1456" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUv1HszlAhizEH-6vl4cjKN3_8uZ7-yUKaWlsI77Y2PEFD-LBpkuzyZvfuJ2ruCbN9MMJWrVhiSOQ2G1ka2helJtn2CwGVCG5XR_knyTI37tIC9xCKZifgjB7ceHqoFa69qm2mg4wDwU/s400/Peppermint+Dark+Chocolate+Truffles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The chocolates are made by Splendid Chocolates Ltd. in Montreal. Learn more about the maker at: <a href="http://www.splendidchocolates.com/">www.SplendidChocolates.com</a>. You can buy them at Bulk Barn. For more information on this retailer, visit <a href="http://www.bulkbarn.ca/">www.bulkbarn.ca</a>.<br />
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Happy treat eating!<br />
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Note: I didn't get paid or receive anything to write the above post. I just really enjoyed those truffles and wanted to tell you about them!Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-716454491702755718.post-8942762461862998922017-12-24T16:45:00.003-08:002017-12-24T16:53:15.259-08:00Decorating a Chocolate Cake for Christmas, and a Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe!I rarely take cake orders these days, not because I don't like making cakes, but mainly because I love making chocolate and confections, which has squeezed out any time for cakes. But every now and then I let someone talk me into it, especially when they say things like "I want it to <em>taste </em>chocolaty, to <em>look</em> chocolaty, and a little bit Christmas-y." Well, <em>that</em> is my kind of chocolate cake lover, and <em>that </em>I can do.<br />
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Last week, I made just this kind of wedding cake for a customer. It included layers of moist chocolate cake, using a recipe I haven't used in a while, from a photocopy of a cook-book I don't remember, but certainly was still delicious. I modified the recipe over the years in several ways, once by accidentally leaving out half the flour, and the result was a much moister cake. I have included the modified recipe below so you can make one too. The icing was a rich buttercream with raspberries mushed and swirled into it. And the topping was a thick semi-sweet mouth-watering chocolate ganache. The overall pairing of the raspberries and the dark chocolate, with layers of cake is quite yummy.<br />
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If you want to make a similar cake, first make the chocolate cake in layers. TIP: It is easier to pour just a little cake batter in the bottom of a cake pan and bake for only 10 minutes, which you repeat a few times, rather than pouring all the batter in and baking for 25 or 35 minutes and then having to slice the cake in layers and cut off the rounded top. <br />
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Beat thawed and mushed - or fresh and mashed - raspberries into your favourite vanilla buttercream recipe, then layer between the cake layers. Cover the whole thing in dark chocolate ganache. Make sure you double everything to get enough, or you'll be making second batches of icing and ganache. <br />
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Find some Christmas tree moulds at a local cake decorating or baking supply store, and half sphere chocolate truffle moulds. Also, buy some edible glitter (I have copper and bronze). Use a small, dry paint brush to brush it on your chocolate spheres. You can either paint the mould first before filling it with melted, tempered chocolate, or after the sphere is made. Check online shops like <a href="http://www.goldaskitchen.ca/">Golda's Kitchen</a> for moulds. </div>
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Make additional ganache and let set at room temperature for 6 hours, or on the counter overnight. You can pipe it through a cake decorating bag with a tip for rosebuds to decorate the sides or top of your cake. The chocolate ribbon seen in the pictures here is a secret recipe of mine, but chocolate rolled fondant, which you can also buy at a local baking supply store, would enable you to make ribbon for your cake. Or you can just pipe chocolate ganache onto the cake around the base and second tier, or in any way you like. </div>
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You can also paint your chocolate Christmas tree with a bronze or gold edible glitter. In the case of the tree, it is best to sprinkle the glitter or gold dust into the mould before pouring in your melted and tempered chocolate. </div>
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Enjoy your chocolate raspberry cake creation! Below you will find the recipe for the chocolate cake. </div>
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Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! :-)</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe</u></span></strong></div>
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<em>You need:</em></div>
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1/4 cup oil</div>
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1/2 cup organic muscovado brown sugar (this is real brown sugar, where the molasses has not been processed out of it and added back in, like the standard grocery store stuff).</div>
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2 large eggs</div>
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1/2 cup all-purpose flour</div>
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3/4 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/4 cup cocoa powder</div>
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1/2 cup sour cream</div>
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<em>Instructions:</em></div>
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Preheat the oven to 350º F. </div>
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Prepare three 8" cake pans with rounds of parchment paper (if you only have one or two, just cut the extra round of parchment and set aside to bake the additional layers after you have popped your baked cake layers out of the pans you have). Butter under the parchment to stick it down to the bottom of the pan, then on top of the parchment and up the sides of the pan with melted butter (or lard or coconut oil).</div>
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Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl. Stir well until combined. Add the eggs and oil and beat in with a whisk or beater for a few seconds until just combined (no longer). Gently stir in the sour cream. </div>
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Pour one-third of the batter into your prepared cake pan (or one-third into each pan if you have three). Spread around with a spoon to cover the entire pan. </div>
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Bake 10 minutes. If a knife inserted into the centre does not come out clean, and the cake is not puffed in the middle, bake another 2 minutes until cooked. Run a knife around the edge and after 10 minutes of cooling time, place a serving plate or waxed paper over the pan and flip over onto the counter or a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature before icing the cake. Scrape the parchment, grease your pan and bake a second layer if you don't have enough cake pans for three layers. </div>
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<strong>Tips for perfecting a crowd-pleasing cake:</strong></div>
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Ice between the layers with milk or dark chocolate ganache (see below for recipe), whipped chocolate ganache (cool your ganache to room temperature then beat it with a hand-held beater), buttercream icing or no-bake cheesecake batter. </div>
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Ice the outside of the cake by pouring warm chocolate ganache over the centre of the layered cake and let drip over the sides. Let cool a few seconds then spread around the sides with an offset spatula. This takes a little practice to get it right, but you'll quickly learn how long to let cool before you can manipulate the ganache to make the cake look how you want. </div>
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If your sides are not smooth, press chocolate shavings into them. This adds an extra-chocolaty kick! (and an extra expense, so keep that in mind).</div>
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Double, triple or quadruple this recipe as needed depending on the size of your cake (i.e. 12" pans will need it to be doubled at least, quadrupled if you want a tall six-layer showpiece cake). </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe:</span></strong></div>
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Place 2/3 cup whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl with 8 ounces of dark chocolate (chopped into 1/2" to 1" pieces). Microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. If there are still chunks of chocolate, microwave for 10 more seconds, then stir until smooth. Add a tablespoon of agave, honey or corn syrup for shine and stir in. Pour over cake immediately, or let set for 6 hours on the counter, then spread in between cake layers (may need to double the recipe if you are doing a three-layer cake) or whip for added volume. You can also use the set ganache to pipe rosettes onto the cake for decoration.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another example of a chocolaty-looking cake that I made on Friday. <br />
The raspberries are beaten into the buttercream for the pink colour and raspberry taste, <br />
which was then applied on top of the chocolate glaze/ganache. There is a raspberry pie <br />
baked in the centre (in this cake, half the cake batter was poured in the bottom <br />
of the pan, the pre-made and pre-baked raspberry pie is placed on top of the batter <br />
(inside the cake pan) and the remaining batter is poured on top. <br />
Then the cake is baked for at least one hour. <br />
For more info and recipes for Piecakens go to <a href="http://www.piecaken.blogspot.com/">www.piecaken.blogspot.com</a>. </td></tr>
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Lisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06700859474789557730noreply@blogger.com7