Review of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolates

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was recently sent some samples of Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolates to try.  (I know, it's a hard job, but someone has to do it!)  Fortunately for me, they came the day before I was to set out on a relaxing weekend at a women's retreat.  What better place or time to try some new chocolates than on a weekend retreat?

Saturday morning dawned warmish and beautiful.  The forecast called for rain all weekend so I was delighted to find a sunny spot all to myself where I could ready my book and try these new chocolates.

I settled into a nice adirondack chair which was bathed in sunlight, beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene (in Idaho) shimmered in the distance, popped my iPod buds into my ears, took a deep, relaxing sigh, and tried these chocolates.

For milk chocolate, these were surprisingly good.  I am really a dark chocolate fan, the darker the better, so I'm not the best person to be reviewing these, but I did enjoy them.  The milk chocolate was extremely smooth and actually melted on my tongue unlike some milk chocolates that don't melt and leave a waxy coating in your mouth.  The nut flavors, almond and hazelnut, were also very good.  They had nice pieces of nut in them that actually tasted nutty and complemented the chocolate nicely.  Another bonus, small sizes make for instant portion control.

If you are a fan of milk chocolate, go ahead and give these a try, I think you'll like them.

Georgia Cookie Candy

I do believe that Paula Dean has happened upon the secret recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter cups but taken out the preservatives!  My boys and I were watching Paula last week and she had her son Bobby on making this.  I told my boys, "Look at that big boy, he's bigger than his mommy!"  They did not believe that Bobby was Paula's son because how could you ever be bigger than your mommy?  They were intrigued however by the Georgia Cookie Candy and asked to make it.  It was a wonderful dish to make with kids as it doesn't require any cooking.  Plus, it makes such a big pan, desserts are covered in your house for a week.  Here's the link to Georgia Cookie Candy on the Food Network website.  Enjoy!

Nipples of Venus

For Valentine's Day, hubby and I decided to stay in and eat something a little naughty!  It was all inspired by NoRecipes' Dinner and a Movie Event.  This month's movie was Chocolat.  Hubby and I hadn't seen this movie since it first came out and I had forgotten just how good it was.  Juliette Binoche plays Vianne, a woman who moves to a small French town in 1959 to open up a chocolaterie at the beginning of Lent.  She befriends the townspeople, some of who struggle pitting their Lenten willpower, against their desires of the flesh through their temptation by chocolate.  In the movie, Vianne makes Nipples of Venus and tries to tempt the very stoic and well restrained Comte de Reynaud with them.  

I have had the cookbook My French Kitchen written by Joanne Harris (the author of Chocolat) for over a year now and had yet to make Nipples of Venus.  What better reason to make them for a viewing of Chocolat? (and a little naughty fun!).  I do not confess to be a chocolatier and my Nipples of Venus did not turn out as firm as they are supposed to (okay, so maybe they are aged Nipples of Venus?) but they were still extremely rich and wonderful and decadent (Venus aged well) and a fun dessert.  Give them a try!

Nipples of Venus adapted from My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris

Ingredients:

8 oz. bittersweet (above 70 % cacao) chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (above 70% cacao) chocolate, chopped

2 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1.  Melt the 8 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water.   

2.  Heat the heavy cream in a separate saucepan until nearly boiling (but not).  Add the heavy cream to the melted chocolate and mix until evenly blended.  Leave to cool for 2 hours.

3.  When cooled, use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until it becomes stiff and holds it's shape.

4.  Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or use non-stick cookie sheets.  Put the chocolate mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip.  Pipe nipple shapes (about Hershey kiss size) onto the parchment paper or non-stick cookie sheet.  Refrigerate to chill and set (at least 20 minutes)

5.  Melt the 3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water.  Drizzle chocolate over the nipples.

6.  Melt the 2 oz. white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water.  Drizzle the white chocolate over the nipples.

(The official way to make this dish, which I couldn't quite do because my Nipples of Venus were too soft, is to take the Nipples, dip them in the chocolate, let that set up, then dip just the very tip in the white chocolate to look like nipples.  My way was still tasty, if not quite as naughty!)

5 minute chocolate mug cake

After lofty goals last French Friday, hormones hit this week and I craved chocolate.  Tuesday night was my low point and I was desperate for something chocolatey.  I remembered a blog post by NuKiwi from From a Kiwi Kitchen, With Love for a 5 minute microwave chocolate cake that had me racing to the computer.  It hit the spot.

The cake itself was slightly dry, but very chocolate-y.  I enjoyed it immensely and for the ease in preparation it got high marks in my book.  This is a perfect dessert when you only want to make one portion.  NuKiwi had a trick to combat the dryness of the cake, you can read her recipe and modifications here.  She also has a simple chocolate frosting recipe in her post.  The following though, is her original chocolate cake recipe that I made.

5 minute chocolate mug cake by NuKiwi of From a Kiwi Kitchen, With Love

Ingredients:

4 Tbls. flour

4 Tbls. sugar

2 Tbls. cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

3 1/2 Tbls. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbls. vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  In a medium measuring bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well.

2.  Crack in the egg and mix well, then add the milk, vanilla, and oil, mixing until there are no visible lumps.

3.  Now pour it into your coffee mug or favorite microwaveable teacup (make sure it is a large one) and microwave it for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

4.  Allow it to cool a few minutes before frosting.

Cowgirl Chocolates

A few months ago, Foodbuzz, my blog ad sponsors, started an opt-in program for foodies wishing to preview certain food related products in return for reviews.  Free food related products?  Of course, I signed up immediately.  Foodbuzz continues to amaze me with their innovations and ideas and how well they treat their featured publishers.  While I was away in Hawaii, I received a 1/4 lb. package of Cowgirl Chocolate assorted truffles.  Foodbuzz, you have found the right girl for this mission.

Let me start out by saying I am a huge fan of the Dagoba xocolatl chocolate bar.  They combine chilies and dark chocolate into a spicy, yummy interpretation of how the Aztec royalty liked their chocolate.  When I read Foodbuzz's description of Cowgirl Chocolates as being, "sweet and spicy gourmet chocolates for adventurous chocolate lovers" I was already primed and ready to love them.

Opening the package, I was impressed all the more.  The box of chocolates was exquisitely wrapped in a double thickness of tissue paper with Cowgirl Chocolates logo of a cowgirl looking down the barrel of a gun at you on top.  Removing the tissue paper, I found a sturdy little red box very nicely tied with black ribbon and a silver colored cowgirl hat button threaded through it.  It was a very nice touch, very luxurious looking, and already I was thinking this would make a perfect little hostess gift for someone.

On the inside, more beauty, as opening the top revealed 10 candies, each rolled in a different color of shiny cellophane.  Ahhh.  Having two boys, I love pretty things like this since we have so few of them in our house!  Also inside was a flavor guide separated into "spicy" and "mild" flavors.  Oh boy, was I ever ready.  My first selection was a beauty in a brown cellophane wrapper, the habanero dark chocolate.  Are you ready? (P.S.  No, I didn't eat them all in one day...It took me a week!)

Brown cellophane:  Habanero dark chocolate (spicy)

This chocolate was very smooth.  The spice builds as you swallow.  The exterior is shiny with a pretty design on top.  It doesn't melt extremely easily on the tongue but it is extremely satisfying.

Aqua cellophane:  Double dark chocolate (mild)

Light fudgy inside.  Very smooth chocolate, melts on tongue easily.

Clear cellophane:  Habanero caramel (spicy)

There was an immediate tingle on the tongue.  This one was hot, Hot, HOT!  I tried to chew it to finish it faster and the burning only intensified.  It was not altogether an unenjoyable sensation, but I did not really enjoy it as a candy.  This was the only one out of the bunch I did not appreciate.

Orange cellophane:  Ivory orange (mild)

This was a very pretty truffle with a layered look of white and milk chocolate.  It smelled "orange-y".  The chocolate was extremely smooth and the orange and chocolate worked very well together.

Fuschia red cellophane:  Raspberry Lemon (mild)

This had a creamy raspberry filling.   My notes on it were merely, "Mmmmm" underlined three times.  Enough said.

Silver cellophane:  Milk chocolate (mild)

This one was very smooth but doesn't melt on the tongue as readily as some of their other chocolates.

Red cellophane:  Raspberry dark chocolate (spicy)

Oh wow.  The spiciness really works well with the raspberry.

Copper cellophane:  Cappuccino (spicy)

My husband's observation on this one was that it "tasted like a really creamy and smooth version of chocolate coated coffee beans" and "that's actually REALLY GOOD".  It is spicy, but not too spicy.  The spicy and the coffee flavors really work well together.

Dark blue cellophane:  Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (spicy)

Tingly on the tongue.  Spicy and smooth.

Gold cellophane:  Double Dark Chocolate (spicy)

Compared to some of their chocolates, this one was a "tad" gritty, but we're comparing really good chocolate against really, really good chocolate.  I'm just finding things to pick on really.

I was sad to get to the end of these chocolates as all of them (minus the habanero caramels which were just way too spicy to be enjoyable to me) were exceptional.  They were beautiful, had good snap, melted well of the tongue and were very smooth.  I will definitely be buying more of these as they would make fabulous gifts for the foodies and chocoholics in your life.  They also have a line of spicy hot chocolates which I am very excited to try.  

You can order Cowgirl Chocolates at www.cowgirlchocolates.com.  Cowgirl chocolate's has a fabulous product here well worth checking out.  If you are interested in becoming a fan of Cowgirl Chocolates on Foodbuzz, their Foodbuzz profile is linked here.  Thanks again Foodbuzz for giving me the opportunity to not only try something new, but to try something so wonderful!

Little pots of chocolate

 Whenever I'm going to be making something I'm pretty sure two little children are not going to like, I try to sweeten the motivation to try it by making a yummy dessert.  After the ham hock terrine from the previous entry, even I needed something good.  Fortunately, I had planned Petit pot au chocolate to follow said terrine (Little pots of chocolate).  This dessert is for all you chocoholics out there (and who isn't really?).  It more than made up for the terrine (yes, I'm still wincing a little to think about it).

Petit pots au chocolat  adapted from Rick Stein's French Odyssey

Little pots of chocolate

Makes 6

2 bars of plain chocolate, with at least 60% cocoa solids

1 Tbls. soft butter

4 egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup full fat milk

1/4 cup caster sugar

Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and rest over a pan of just-simmering water.  Leave until melted, then remove and stir until smooth.  Stir in the softened butter and the egg yolks.  

Put the cream, milk and sugar into a small pan, bring up to the boil and then stir into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the mixture into six ramekins, small coffee cups and leave somewhere cold to set, but do not refrigerate.

To serve, decorate the top of each pot with a tiny dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream and dust with a little cocoa powder.

Summer abundance

My family and I belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  Basically, one buys into a farm at the beginning of the season thereby taking on some of the risk of the farmer and supporting the local guy.  In turn, you get a box of produce every week throughout the growing season.  August is always the time of year that we struggle to use all of the produce as the abundance is almost embarrassing.  For example, this week's box contained the following:

Peaches

Onions (both bulb and green)

string beans

kale

eggplant

purple potatoes

red cabbage

hot peppers

bell peppers

squash

cucumbers

tomatillos

tomatoes

2 melons

sweet corn

carrots

We are not talking just one of each either.  There were 6 ears of corn, 4 huge cucumbers, a plethora of eggplant, a huge bunch of kale, you get my point.  In order to tackle this bounty, I have gotten in the habit of making my weekly menu and shopping list after I know what is coming in the box.  I thought I'd share my dinners this week with you.  Last night was a very simple melon and shrimp salad, a cucumber dill salad, and some chocolate pudding chocolate chip cookies.  Enjoy the recipes and stay tuned for more recipes from this week!

Shrimp and Melon Salad adapted from The French Market:  More Recipes from a French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde

Serves 6

1 ripe melon

1 lb. shrimp cooked (I used baby shrimp)

A bunch of dill, chopped (probably about 2 tsp)

2 Tbls. olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

Slice the top and bottom off of a melon so that it stands flat on your cutting board.  Carefully cut away all of the rind.  Cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds, then cut melon into serving sized slices.  Arrange melon slices on a fancy plate or plate individually.  Top with shrimp and dill.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Serve immediately.

Cucumber Salad  taken from The French Market:  More recipes from a French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde. 

Serves 6

2 large cucumbers

A bunch of dill, chopped (probably 2 tsp)

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Peel the cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise.  Run the tip of a teaspoon down the middle of the cucumber halves to remove the seeds.  Slice the cucumbers finely at an angle and place in a bowl.  Add the dill, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss well and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Pudding chocolate chip cookies by Joie de vivre!

Made a lot....not sure, but at least 4 dozen

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 c. butter

1 30z. package instant chocolate fudge pudding

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips

2 1/4 c. flour

1 c. walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Soften the butter and mix well with the brown sugar.  Add each ingredient in order, mixing well before adding another ingredient.  Roll into walnut sized balls and place on cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies with spatula or fingers (they do not spread much)  Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  (Mine baked in exactly 9 minutes)

Enjoy and stay tuned for more recipes using this week's produce!