For those of you who can’t get enough from ChocolateBakery, and what’s going on in the world of wondrous confections, please check us out on our Facebook page. By becoming a fan of us, you will be notified of contests and sweepstakes. Entering to win gives you a chance to win some of my most popular creations!

Click to become a fan!

It’s  time for March Madness to begin! And what better way to celebrate your bracket’s victory than by hosting a March Madness party! Luckily, ChocolateBakery has everything you need for the ultimate NCAA get together. To order, simply visit us at www.chocolatebakery.com

According to the Herald Sun, an Australian publication, an Australian dentist has invented a chocolate that not only is sugar-free, but is good for your teeth! ( Apparently it even tastes good!)

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25889424-661,00.html

Next step: creating a chocolate that does the wash and vacuums!  ( in my dreams)

It may be a little premature to say this, considering that I have yet to see the movie, however, I must admit that I am excited that tribute is finally being paid to Julia Child in this medium. While Julia certainly made a slough of her own movies, I am excited that Hollywood had decided to make her name known to a generation who may otherwise not ever know or apprecite the genius and endearing character that was Julia Child

This article disturbed me, to say the least. But it also intrigued me. According to the New York Daily News, a chocolate company out of Dubai is now making milk chocolate from the milk of camels. The company hopes to start selling the product in the United States within the next few months. Get your taste buds ready!

As I’m sure you have all noticed, the fresh, ripe fruit of summer is at its peak. Berries, peaches and nectarines and ripening and here in California, we are getting some truly GREAT produce.  And while these sweet treats are great fresh and untampered with, they also make the perfect baking ingredient. Now is the time for cobblers and crisps, and I have been making my fair share of them. The following recipe is something I have recently tried out and have found to be light enough to be a summer dessert and sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. Enjoy!

• FOR THE FILLING
• 6 cups (3 pints) blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• FOR THE TOPPING
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (or chopped nuts, such as almonds)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the filling: Mix blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Make the topping: Stir together flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients into butter. Using your hands, squeeze topping pieces together into clumps.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

In honor of President Barak Obama, Domino’s pizza in Washington DC gave away free chocolate cake. This offer, however, is not only limited to the commander in chief! Luckily- if you have no qualms about eating cake from Domino’s Pizza, through the month of August, all those with a birthday falling during this month will receive a free Chocolate Lava Cake.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090804/free-chocolate-cake-on-obama-domino-039pizza-offer-inc-on-august-4.htm

In a tragic turn of events, the European Union has declared a ban on all meat, animal and confection products crossing into the EU from the United States. This ban on confections, yes, sadly enough, means a ban on importing chocolate. Not that the Europeans don’t have some excellent chocolate producing countries within their borders,  but let’s just hope this is a precautionary measure that will soon be remedied.

The article reads as followed:

Kiev. As of May 1, the transport of products of animal origin through the borders of the European Union has been restricted. The restriction covers all food products of animal origin, such as meat, dairy products, and sausages. The measure is also active for the confectionery, chocolate, pasta, and others, Delfi news agency reports.
These rules are active in all EU member states, Poland’s embassy to Ukraine announced.
According to experts, the territory of the Union must be protected from diseases, which are spread through animals.

<http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n179779>

Although I can’t understand the concept behind this one, apparently the creative minds at DigitalChocolate have created a Wii remote control made of white chocolate. Whether it holds up to the old MM’s adage ” melts in your mouth not in your hand” still has be to be determined. Let’s hope it does.

<http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2009/05/04/chocolate-wiimote-to-replace-vegetables-on-food-group-pyramid/>

Most of us are aware that chocolate bars have long been used by the military to provide quick, high calorie energy boost for the troops. The story behind this though is worth reading. According to wikipedia ( a semi reputable but always questionable source), ”

The first emergency chocolate ration bar commissioned by the United States Army was the Ration D, commonly known as the D ration. Army Quartermaster Colonel Paul Logan approached Hershey’s Chocolate in April 1937, and met with William Murrie, the company president, and Sam Hinkle, the chief chemist. Milton Hershey was extremely interested in the project when he was informed of the proposal, and the meeting began the first experimental production of the D ration bar.

Colonel Logan had four requirements for the D ration Bar. The bar must:

1. Weigh 4 ounces
2. Be high in food energy value
3. Be able to withstand high temperatures
4. Taste “a little better than a boiled potato“

Its ingredients were chocolate, sugar, oat flour, cacao fat, skim milk powder, and artificial flavoring. Chocolate manufacturing equipment was built to move the flowing mixture of liquid chocolate and oat flour into preset molds. However, the temperature-resistant formula of chocolate became a gooey paste that would not flow at any temperature.

Chief chemist Hinkle was forced to develop entirely new production methods to produce the bars. Each four-ounce portion had to be kneaded, weighed, and pressed into a mold by hand. The end result was an extremely hard block of dark brown chocolate that would crumble with some effort and was heat-resistant to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The resultant bar was wrapped in aluminum foil. Three bars sealed in a parchment packet consisted a daily ration and was intended to furnish the individual combat soldier with the 1,800 calorie minimum sustenance recommended each day.

Colonel Logan was pleased with the first small batch of samples. In June 1937, the United States Army ordered 90,000 D ration or “Logan Bars” and field tested them at bases in the Philippines, Panama, on the Texas border, and at other bases throughout the United States. Some of the bars even found their way into the supplies for Admiral Byrd’s third Antarctic expedition. These field tests were successful, and the Army began making irregular orders for the bars.”

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_chocolate>

For more on the history of chocolate and its role in military history, continue reading the link above.