Red Velvet Cake Chocolate

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! 

This is the perfect time of year to indulge in a little a lot of chocolate. Being a teacher and known chocolate lover, I received many, many gifts of chocolate this year. For which I could not be more grateful. Especially right now during my late night chocolate emergency. 

One of the unique chocolate bars I received from a dear coworker was this delectable red velvet chocolate bar. 

Whenever I think of red velvet cake I usually think of weddings and that delicious cream cheese frosting. However, now my brain is on chocolate. 

This unassuming bar is quite incredible. No fancy design needed. The taste is what's important, and it certainly does not disappoint. It has the discernible taste of red velvet cake batter upon first taste. I am happy to report that the makers of this chocolate did not leave out the cream cheese frosting. Little white beads inside melt in your mouth just as the frosting would. To top it all off, chocolate. 

Genius creation from the folks at Market District. For you non-Burghers out there, Giant Eagle Market District is the grocery store in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. 

Thank you to my coworker and friend for the delicious gift. Enjoy your chocolate-covered holiday, all! 

Astor Chocolate in a Boston Tin

In honor of Boston's recent victory at the World Series, I'm going to blog about some chocolate in a Boston-inspired decorative tin! 

One of my teacher friends brought this back for me after a recent trip. Have I mentioned that I have great friends?

Astor Chocolate is actually based out of Lakewood, New Jersey, but it started in New York in 1950. Astor Chocolate makes a myriad of different chocolates. It's great for unique gifts (you know for others... or yourself). I'd actually like to own the chocolate chess set! 

To start, the aroma of chocolate when I opened the tin was incredibly enticing. The perfect smell of milk chocolate. The chocolate covering the delicious almonds is sweet, though a bit waxy. However, seeing as how I'm fishing into the tin again and again for more almonds, these certainly satisfy the chocolate emergency of this chocoholic. Now, what will I use this soon-to-be-empty tin for? 

Choco Peanut Butter Cookies - Gluten Free!

Once again I'm bringing another Pinterest recipe to life. And it's a Pinterest WIN! These cookies seemed easy to make - and I like easy. There are just 6 ingredients - all of which I had in the house. 

The hardest part about these cookies is that there is some waiting involved. The actual mixing of the ingredients and baking is quick and easy; however, after you make the dough, it needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours. When we're talking warm chocolate and peanut butter cookies, I have a hard time waiting. But they are worth the wait. I promise.

2 cups peanut butter (store-bought peanut butter is just fine; I used Jif)

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

1.5 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Add in the baking soda and stir well. Mix in chocolate chips.  The chocolate chips may not stick in very well; that's okay. 

Refrigerate dough for 2 hours. 

Roll dough into balls and separate onto a cookie sheet. 

Bake cookies for 10 minutes at 350. When you take them out of the oven, it is important to let them sit on the tray for 3-4 minutes before taking them off. This is hard to do because you will just want to take them off the tray and devour them. I tried to take the first one off too soon, and it was too gooey because it had not yet set. Let them set and they are perfect. 

Let them cool. Pour a glass of milk, and enjoy. 

Muddy Buddies

While I'm searching for a new chocolate to try this week, I'm satisfying my chocolate emergency on this beautiful Saturday with some Muddy Buddies. Happiness. 

Any suggestions of a new chocolate I should try, fellow chocoholics? 

For those of you here for my extra chocolatey recipe, here you are:

9 cups Rice Chex

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter (Jif is my favorite)

1/2 cup butter

16 oz powdered sugar

Melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate so it blends well together. (Do not cook the chocolate.) Pour over cereal and stir until coated evenly. Put about half the powdered sugar into a freezer bag. Add half of the cereal. Shake it up. Repeat with the remaining sugar and cereal. 

I like to separate the sugar into two steps (sometimes 3) because I find that it coats better. 

I also leave out the vanilla, because I've found it to make the cereal seem stale. I never miss it. 

Warning: this recipe is highly addictive and you'll be forced to lick your fingers. 

Wild Boar Chocolate Bars

Check out this cute little guy. 

He is the mascot for Hagensborg Chocolates Wild Boar chocolate bars. I picked up this bar at a chocolate shop in the Strip District. I originally thought I was getting my old-stand-by chocolate: Milk or dark bar with almonds (give or take a little sea salt.) However, why the pig? The almonds are toasted then sprinkled with olive oil, truffle, and salt. I am not typically a truffle fan, but you know my motto, "My favorite food is chocolate; my second favorite food is anything covered in chocolate." So naturally, I tried it. 

While I probably won't be selecting too many items with truffle salt, I am willing to eat more of this Italian chocolate to see if it's an acquired taste. 

Bonus: I love creative copywriting. The packaging claims, "Construction crews on the Tower of Pisa are said to have been distracted by the chocolate aromas in the town." An understandable mistake. (:

Chocolate for the Spirit

As if one chocolate booth at the Carmel, IN farmers' market weren't enough, I also picked up a chocolate bar from Julie Bolejack at Chocolate for the Spirit. Julie's chocolates have been featured on CNN, at Disneyland, and at the Kentucky Derby. Neat!

Julie's story is heartwarming. When life handed her lemons and a pink slip from her job at 55, Julie asked herself two questions: What dream have you deferred? What have you sacrificed while waiting for the right time? Her answer was simple: chocolate. For Julie (and myself) chocolate not only satisfies her taste buds, but also her spirit. Julie then launched Chocolate for the Spirit.

Here's the deliciously dark chocolate that I tried.

There are so many "good" chocolate labels out there, it's easy to get mixed up: organic, fair trade, free trade, local, all-natural, premium, sustainable, etc. Julie knows exactly where all of her chocolate comes from, pays above fair trade price, and has great relationships with her growers. That is something you don't see every day. 

Xchocol'art

Here is a company who is doing everything right. Xchocol'Art is a family-owned business who produces chocolates that are ranked among the best in the world.  Xchocol'Art uses only the finest organic and fair trade chocolate. The whole chocolate making process is completely transparent. Just check out their website to see how it's done.  Even their packaging is all made from recyclable materials.

I was recently in Carmel, IN to visit my brother and sister-in-law and their new baby. We went to the local farmers' market where I discovered this little gem. Joann was as sweet as could be and genuinely wanted me to try her chocolate. Here's what I tried:

 

I had to get caramels while in Carmel, Indiana, right? These little passion fruit caramels were divine! The passion fruit caramel was delightfully sweet and tangy and the perfect pairing with 60% dark chocolate. The whole piece is incredibly smooth and satisfying (although I did eat both myself - research for the post, people). The chocolate is good enough to be eaten solely by itself too. I'd LOVE to try more of this line. I like them on Facebook, and you should too! Perhaps the fact that it is organic and fair trade helps me to eat it with a clean conscience. Whatever the reason, I may not know art, but I know what I like. And I like Xchocol'Art.