Chocolate

Chocolate - made from cocoa, which is the solids of the cacao bean, the pod of the tropical cacao tree, native to Central America and Mexico (but now grown in many other tropical regions of the world, in particular, West Africa). Chocolate is made by a process of fermentation, roasting, and grinding of the bean.

Chocolate Candy Made from cocoa solids or chocolate liquor, cocoa butter (or other vegtable fat), sugar and other ingredients. Nuts, fruit, caramel, crisped rice, or flavors may also be added, as well as a wide variety of fillings. Chocolate is also often molded into various shapes.

Chocolate is a major ingredient in: shaped chocolates and chocolate bars, filled chocolates, truffles, chocolate fudge, hot chocolate, and of course, chocolate chips. It is a favorite flavor in cakes, brownies, cookies and other desserts. There is little doubt that sweetened chocolate is one of the world's favorite candy.

Types of Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate - pure chocolate liquor (bitter, not sweet at all), made from the pure, roasted, ground cacao bean. Used in baking and confectionary.
Bittersweet chocolate - chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin and vanilla.
Semisweet chocolate - like bittersweet, only with more sugar content.
Dark chocolate - sweetened chocolate with at least 15% chocolate liquor in USA, or minimum 35% cocoa solids in EU. Ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor and sometimes vanilla.
Milk chocolate - has milk powder or condensed milk added. Ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla.
White chocolate - based on cocoa butter without the cocoa solids. Ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla.
Cocoa - brown chocolate powder, made by grinding dried cocoa seeds. Does not contain any cocoa butter, or sweetening, so is dry and bitter. Most frequently used in baking.

Gourmet Chocolates

Gourmet chocolates are fine, rich chocolates of the highest quality made from specially selected and processed ingredients. With a higher chocolate liquor and cocoa butter content, gourmet chocolates are not only very chocolatey and flavorful, but have an incredibly smooth texture and feel in the mouth. Gourmet chocolates are typically processed for much longer, the cocoa and sugar particles being ground extremely fine; and are also precisely tempered - heating and cooling the chocolate just right so that the best type of crystals form, creating that glossy, firm texture that 'snaps' upon breaking, and melts in your mouth. The best gourmet chocolates are often crafted by hand, in small batches, and with time-tested traditional techniques. Gourmet chocolates not only offer a superior chocolate, they also are known for offering exotic and tantalizing flavors, fillings and shapes.

European Chocolate

European Chocolate is probably considered the best gourmet chocolate in the world: Belgian, Swiss, German, French, Italian, Danish, Dutch, and more. European chocolates are known for containing very high percentages of superior chocolate/cocoa solids, as well as having an extraordinarily smooth and "melt-in-your-mouth" texture.

Brussels Chocolate

Brussels Chocolate or Belgian Chocolate is a chocolate connoisseurs dream. Belgium is known worldwide for producing luxury chocolates. The most famous chocolate of Brussels, Belgium is the Belgian Praline. A Belgian Praline is a shaped or sculpted chocolate shell with a soft flavored fondant, cream or nut paste filling. Often handmade by master chocolatiers, there are many chocolate shops and even chocolate museums in Brussels, and all over Belgium.

Fair Trade Chocolate

Fair Trade Chocolate is marketed as being produced without child labor, and as trying to provide cocoa producers a "fair price" for their product, with which they can pay their workers fairly and provide for their families. The usual market rate for cocoa is often far below what cocoa farmers can live on. Most of our cocoa comes from West Africa and Central and South America, where poverty is already a problem. Many people, including children, are employed, working long hours in sometimes hazardous conditions for little (or no) pay. The aim of Fair Trade Chocolate is to attempt to be free of such exploitation. Some Fair Trade Chocolate companies include: Divine Chocolate, Dagoba, Green & Black's, Terra Nostra, Global Exchange, Yachana Gourmet, Omanhene, and La Siembra's Cocoa Camino.

Chocolate Manufacturers

• Cadbury Schweppes (UK)
• Chocolatier Neuhaus (Belgium)
• Cote d'Or (Belgium)
• Divine Chocolate Company (UK)
• Ferrero SpA (Italy) (Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Mon Cheri, Giotto)
• Ghiradelli (US)
• Godiva (US)
• Green and Blacks (UK)
• Guittard (US)
• Hershey's (US)
• Kraft Foods (US) (Milka, Toblerone, Cote d'Or, Suchard and others)
• Lake Champlain Chocolates (US)
• Lindt & Sprungli (Switzerland)
• Mars Inc. (US) (M&Ms, Dove, etc.)
• Merckens (US)
• Nestle (Switzerland)
• Perugina Baci (Italy)
• Ritter Sport (Germany)
• Teuscher (Switzerland)
• Valrhona (France)
• Whitman's (US) (Russell Stover)

Chocolate Fondue

Fondue sauce: 24 oz. dark sweet chocolate, chopped (milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips can also be used)
approx. 1/2 cup heavy cream (half-and-half may be substituted)

Dippers: fruit (strawberries, bananas, pineapple, orange segments, apple slices, grapes, cherries, and melon. Lemon or pineapple juice can be drizzled over apples and bananas to prevent browning), cake cubes (eg. pound cake or angel food), cookies, miniature doughnuts, pretzels, marshmallows.

1. Microwave chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds on high. Continue to heat, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over medium-low heat (do not let any water or steam get into the chocolate).
2. Immediately add cream to chocolate, stirring in a little at a time, until mixture is silky. Make sure not to add too much cream, as the chocolate should still be thick enough to 'stick' to the fruit and cake - not too thin and runny.
3. Put chocolate in a fondue pot or chafing pan and keep warm. Take turns dipping and ENJOY!

Extra toppings: After coating dippers in chocolate sauce, you can also then roll them in granola, chopped nuts, sweetened coconut, etc.
Variations: add 1-2 tsp. extract flavoring of your choice, 2-3 Tbsp. liqueur, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon or 2 tsp. instant coffee to the chocolate sauce.

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