Apr 12, 2009
This weekend, instead of pursuing the leisure activities of most, I logged some major hours in the kitchen creating several How To videos. I have made one for a chocolate cake, cherry pie and a chocolate mousse. 
If you have an interest in how to videos and recipes that I personally guarantee will work, let me know.
Apr 5, 2009
According to a recent study, chocolate not only tastes great, but it can actually make you better at math!!
“The study, lead by scientists at the Northumbria University, was presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference. Co-author of this study, Prof David Kennedy stated that they found chocolate to be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks. When given hot cocoa with large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, volunteers performed better on mental arithmetic problems.”
So, for any of you who need a little boost in your math skills, grab a candy bar!
http://www.examiner.com/x-6503-Ft-Lauderdale-Science-News-Examiner~y2009m4d5-Can-chocolate-make-you-a-math-genius
Apr 4, 2009
The world of gourmet chocolate is a constantly evolving one. As chocolatiers attempt to create new creations, mixing new flavors and seeking out the best chocolate they can find, we, the consumer, are sometimes presented with some interesting results. I have recently begun to notice that several chocolate companies and a few restaurants have added chocolate and beacon combinations to their menu. An interesting idea… in theory. I have yet to try this concoction, but my mind is open to it, the salty/ sweet combination might just work! Feast your eyes on this:
http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/22/feast-your-eyes-milk-chocolate-covered-bacon/
Apr 2, 2009
Now this is something to write about. Apparently, a new device has been developed that allows you to BREATHE in a chocolate essence, giving you the taste of chocolate without ever having to eat it. This all sounds a little too Willy Wonka-esque to me. While I’m a strong believer in the notion that chocolate is meant to be eaten and enjoyed, I must admit that this is an interesting idea…
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/breathable_choc.php
Mar 25, 2009
If chocolate bunnies just don’t seem to do it for you, and you’re looking for something for a more refined pallete, try some of the great creations my team and I have produced for this season.
Mar 24, 2009
Easter is quickly approaching , another holiday in which to indulge in delicious desserts. Although Easter brings with it those nearly inedible, pseudo-marshmallow, peeps, it does also bring Chocolate bunnies, a childhood favorite of mine. But it seems, according to South Coast Today.com, that many are skipping the chocolate bunny this year and planning on getting real bunnies for their children. In a a campaign to stop the purchase of bunnies, which are generally abandoned after the excitement is gone, Make Mine Chocolate is trying to get people to opt for the sweeter, less messy version of a bunny this year.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090330/OPINION/903300310/-1/NEWS
Mar 20, 2009
From my own personal archives, and one of my absolute favorites.
HAZELNUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
4 oz. (1/2 c) softened butter ½ C cake flour
½ C sugar ¼ C cocoa
3 yolks ½ C hazelnuts, toasted and ground
6 whites
¼ C sugar
¼ tsp. Cream of tartar
1. Cream butter with ½ C sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add the yolks, 1 at a time, scraping well.
3. In a clean bowl, whip the whites with cream or tartar until foamy. Gradually whip in ¼ C sugar, 1 Tbl. At a time. Whip to medium-stiff peaks.
4. Sift together flour and cocoa. Mix in hazelnuts.
5. Fold whites into butter/yolk mixture while folding in nut/flour mixture.
6. Pour into 2 –greased and papered 8” cake pans. Bake 350o approximately 25 minutes.
7. Cool completely. Fill and frost with chocolate mousse.
8. Decorate with chocolate shavings on sides and top, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
8 oz. Melted semisweet chocolate 1. Melt chocolate and coffee and
2 Tbl. Coffee or water over hot water. Stir well to
¼ C soft butter (2 oz.) blend. Quickly whisk in butter,
4 eggs, separated, room temp. then whisk in eggs.
3 Tbl. Sugar Whip whites with cream of tartar
½ tsp. Cream of tartar begin gradually adding sugar
½ C cream, whipped to soft peaks when foamy and whip to medium
peaks.
Fold whites into chocolate mixture till approximately half-way incorporated, then fold in cream until mixture is uniform. Do not over fold.
8 oz. Melted semisweet chocolate
1 ½ C cream, whipped to soft peaks
4 yolks
1/3 C sugar
2 Tb. Water
Whip yolks until thick and pale. Combine sugar and water in a small sauce pot, bring to boil, cook to 240o. Pour syrup into egg yolks while whipping at medium speed. Whip till yolks are cool. Fold into melted chocolate, then fold in the cream.
Mar 19, 2009
In between the long stretch between the chocolate filled holidays of Valentine’s day and Halloween, you may find yourself with a sweet tooth. But not to worry! The third week in March, along with St. Patrick’s day is American Chocolate Week. So, if green beer isn’t your thing, indulge this week with something a little more pleasing to the palate.
Mar 17, 2009
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of our Irish ancestors, my amazing culinary team and I have created a DELICIOUS Bush Mill’s Irish Whiskey Cake. Chocolate cake + whiskey buttercream = a party in your mouth.
www.chocolatebakery.com
Mar 9, 2009
Learning can be fun, especially when it involves chocolate. Over the weekend, the Smithsonian Institute and Mars Chocolate Inc sponsored a chocolate making demonstration and displayed chocolate related advertisements for the public to enjoy as part of the National Museum of American History.
Click the link below to read more.
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/mars/37228/
I have loved baking and cooking since I was a child. I studied foods and nutrition in college, but my secret desire was to own my own restaurant. Participation in a culinary program landed me jobs in several upscale restaurants, where I discovered my passion for baking and pastries. In 1981 I opened my bakery, Tarts and Truffles, in Sacramento, CA. Realizing a need for trained, knowledgeable bakers, I began teaching baking classes in the culinary arts program at American River College in 1990. I hope you will find my interest in high quality baking reflected in every product we sell.
