Chocolate Basics ~ Shopping for Pastries

Let’s talk about shopping for pastries, cakes, baked goods and other items that have chocolate in them. If you are shopping in a shop, bakery, café, or chocolate shop it is very likely that the items you are purchasing are made on the premises, and that the ingredients used are nearby. This makes it easyContinue reading “Chocolate Basics ~ Shopping for Pastries”

Chocolate Basics ~ Desserts

I’m sure you often have a sweet treat after a meal, as a snack, or while out for coffee. But do you ever stop to wonder about the chocolate that is in those desserts?

‘The term dessert can apply to many confections, such as biscuits, cookies, custards, ice creams, pastries, pies, puddings, macaroons, sweet soups, tarts, and fruit salad’ according to Wikipedia.

We all know that so many of those things can include chocolate, and that we do love and enjoy chocolate. I chose the term dessert over pastry as I think that it encompasses a broader range of items. I think chocolate is now used in so many things and really I am talking about all the things chocolate is in as a sweet treat or dessert.

How much chocolate do you eat?

This is almost always the first question I get when someone finds out that I do all sorts of things with chocolate. It is closely followed by do you make chocolate? And, where can I buy your chocolate? Because everyone loves chocolate! So today I am going to answer those questions for you, because IContinue reading “How much chocolate do you eat?”

100 Gifts for Chocolate Lovers

Looking for some DIY chocolate gifts or ways to have a chocolate experience, read through these for some fun ideas, and some delicious chocolate. 81 Pastries Seriously, who does not love a good pastry?  Find a shop nearby that makes beautiful and tasty chocolate delights.  Maybe macaroons are your go to, or perhaps it’s aContinue reading “100 Gifts for Chocolate Lovers”

100 Gifts for Chocolate Lovers

Let’s talk single origin chocolate and cacao.  Chocolate grows in so many places and each can bring something unique to a bar of chocolate.  Most of us are used to eating more industrial chocolate that is massed produced and uses cacao from all different origins mixed together in all different batches. If you haven’t triedContinue reading “100 Gifts for Chocolate Lovers”

Lilacs

It’s lilac season and I am determined to enjoy the lilacs year round. This year I made lilac almond scones, lilac sugar, lilac honey, lilac syrup and lilac bath soak. Also a soon to come lilac cacao nib scone. I love lilacs and want to enjoy them the whole year though.

Chocolate Tasting Flight from a Solera

Creating a chocolate tasting flight – truffle, drinking chocolate, brownie, and ice cream sauce – with a chocolate solera.