Chocolate Chunky

Shop for Milk Chocolate Fondue

Talk about a child’s dream dessert, milk chocolate fondue is just a kid’s bliss. Minus the alcohol that might go into some recipes of course. I feel like I am in Charlie’s Chocolate Factory looking at that stream of chocolate. Milk chocolate fondue can be made with any type of chocolate really, Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. There are inexpensive ways of making it. You can buy it from a well known vendor or make it yourself with homemade ingredients. And, what’s a chocolate fondue without some fondue dippers, like strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, and pecan, almonds, and anything else I suppose you could spear with a fondue fork.

They rank number one in the search engine and make one mean milk chocolate fondue, that is, Betty Crocker. When you think of baking and dessert making you think, Betty Crocker right? Their products are top quality and also very affordable. You can take the quick route to getting milk chocolate fondue, by purchasing from Betty Crocker. They have a great recipe for Chocolate Sour Cream Fondue as well.

Another great option for fondue is Nestle. They have such recipes as chocolate peanut butter smores fondue, a spiced chocolate fondue. Many of these brands offer advice on how to prepare such chocolate fondues, especially if you do not have a recipe book for them. Milk chocolate fondue is always delicious and a great treat to serve to guests at a special occasion.

Also keep in mind that by going with dark chocolate fondue over the milk chocolate versions, you will be receiving many health benefits. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which are able to fight off free radicals in the body. There is also the absence of milk in pure dark chocolate, which is beneficial to many lactose free individuals.

Remember, if you are making your own milk chocolate fondue, there needs to be a liquid mixed with the morsels or else they will stick to the pan and scortch. Some use half and half, others evaporated milk with other substances, spices, etc. This is key to creating a rich, creamy, chocolate fondue for all your family and guests to enjoy. Make a few weekend tryouts before serving for a special event in order to get the process right and perfected.

Many places have incredible recipes for making chocolate fondue, such as local stores, online stores, and personal websites posting some old-fashioned recipes. If you are in the market for something specific, then do some searching, if elogance is your goal. Remember, chocolate is chocolate, it is all about how it is prepared that elevates it above the norm. Presentation is also another factor. This is as important as preparation. Which you can use a good melting pot, or 2-quart household pot to prepare, add all the right ingredients. Then presentation takes it from there. But, when you are done, it is still chocolate, whatever type you chose. I worked in salad and desserts in an Italian restaurant some years ago, and I remember how big presentation was.

I will prove to you that is a big part of making chocolate fondue. How do you feel everytime you look at a website displaying it? It catches the eye, it has appeal, I want to make that, you say, right? Focus on preparation first, then presentation last. If it is made right, it will taste right, then it can be made to look right. Enjoy!

Gift of Chocolate Bars

There are more reasons than one to give a gift to a friend or relative, especially if it is a gift of chocolate bars. We don’t need holidays to do this but they are great excuses to give such things as chocolate candy. Giving a chocolate candy bar is a great idea, especially if it is gourmet chocolate. It adds that certain extra touch put into the gift.

Chocolate bars are not just for Valentine’s Day or Easter. They are an excellent choice for parties of all types, fundraisers, as well as for baking. They can even be used for art. Yes, people sculpture with chocolate as well as with butter and ice. So, there is a lot that can be done with chocoalte bars besides eating. Seeing how chocolate bars are made is another fascinating thing too. Log on to any chocolate factory listing and check for the tour section for details.

Maybe milk chocolate bars are not your thing. Discover the different types of chocolate bars available to you. There dark chocolate candy bars, mint chocolate bars, and chocolate almond candy bars, as well as bakers chocolate bars. Be sure to obtain the right ones as some are lactose intolerant and will require milk free chocolate bars.

Do not forget white chocolate for the non traditional person. I have a friend that when I buy chocolate for them it has to be white chocolate or she will not eat it. Picky huh! Hey, everyone has their preferences. And that is the key to making a gift of chocolate bars that much more special is that they see you have put in the effort to make the gift of chocolate bars tailored just for them.

Finally, everyone loves a gift of chocolate. There are some great manufacturers that make chocolate candies, truffles, bars, out of the finest ingredients that far surpass anything at the local convenient store believe me. Almedei, Amore, Lindt to name a few. Most have order minimums, but hey, it is worth it. If you wanted to impress the sweetheart, would you tie a bow on a hershey bar or on a Ghirardelli bar?

The famous Belgian chocolate is called the praline and the ballotin. They were developed toward the end of the 1800’s and the start of the 1900’s during Belgium’s conquest of the Congo region in Africa where the cocoa was extracted. The praline is a butter cream-filled, bite size Belgian chocolate. The praline could be filled with cream, nuts, or even a smooth dark chocolate.

Praline and Ballotin

The praline is quite delicate and in order to protect it in each box it required adequate packaging. This packaging for Belgian chocolate was patented under the name of Ballotin. Since then a perfect gift for all circumstances is the ballotin de pralines.

Guylian

Belgian chocolates manufactured by Guylian Chocolates are some of the most popular in the world. Chocolaterie Guylian is based in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and the company was started by Guy Foubert in 1960 with his wife Liliane. Guylian chocolates are very artistic and beautiful and come in shapes like the Guylian seashells, chocolate seahorse twists, Guylian trufflina or Guylian solitaire. The dark chocolate solitaires and the Belgian pralines are also some of the well-known varieties of Belgian chocolates.

Shapes and Sizes

There are exotic chocolates like the wedding chocolate flavors too. The Guylian chocolate seashells come in the shape of seashells or the Guylian Pearl of the Ocean in the shape of pearls and shells as well. Theses varieties of Belgian chocolate are available in small three-piece boxes, six-piece boxes or twelve-piece boxes. The Belgian chocolate bar could be dark chocolate or chocolate with orange or strawberry.

Nutrition

The nutritional and energy qualities of the Belgian chocolate were appreciated in the early times and became a part of royal and aristocratic European culture. Today it is used by sport competitors since chocolate is an excellent energy booster. Chocolate mainly constitutes iron and magnesium and mixed with sugar or fruits have been considered to have high nutritional value.

What Chocolate Can Do For You

Since ancient times, chocolate was considered a sexual stimulant. Chocolate, which is made from cocoa, was a favorite drink of the kings and nobles, and was considered to inflame passions. Its dark color mixed with varieties of nuts and fruits, and later alcohol, gave the Belgian chocolate its tangy flavor. Other health benefits of chocolate are as an anti-depressant. Any type of chocolate contains pheryletylanine, which can offset and reverse nervous depression.

The Best

Belgian chocolate, especially if it is praline, and also the varieties without alcohol can have an intoxicating effect on you. It is of the finest quality and has a distinct but mild flavor. Health-conscious individuals avoid the nuts, sugar and the alcohol in the chocolate and go only for pure milk chocolate. But everyone enjoys a gift in the form of a packet of Belgian chocolates, carefully packaged and flavored mildly to tingle your taste buds.

If you’re like most Americans, you are probably overweight. Actually, most of the world now has a weight problem. Obesity has reached epidemic levels and it’s mostly due to increased portion sizes, the fat and carbohydrate content of the foods we’re eating as well as the sugar and sugary drinks we love to consume. When you’re trying to lose weight, you swear off junk food. This brings on major cravings, however, especially when you see all that candy chocolate on the racks at the check out lane at the grocery store. You can relax though and feel free to give in to the chocolate temptation. You see, chocolate can actually be good for you, even when you’re on a diet. But just like any other indulgence however, moderation is the key.

Psychological Effects

Studies have shown that chocolate releases chemicals in your brain, endorphins, that give you a sort of high after eating chocolate. So if you ever feel down, a bite of chocolate may actually help you feel better. Now that’s not to say that you should eat an entire box of chocolate cookies when you’re having a bad day. A candy bar or a little piece of candy is all you need to give you that extra lift. Also, when you’re on a diet, you will begin to crave junk food. If you’re not careful, these cravings could cause you to binge on food and totally blow your diet. To prevent this from happening, it’s good to treat yourself every now and again. For example, if you’ve eaten correctly all week long and kept up with your work out routine, a little piece of chocolate at the end of the week is a great treat. It will stave off those cravings and it will make you less inclined to binge. Plus, rewarding yourself is something you should do for all of your accomplishments.

Health Benefits

Chocolate contains antioxidants so, eaten in moderation, it can actually make you healthier. It’s especially beneficial if you eat chocolate with a high cocoa content. Always go for higher quality. Again, do not splurge on an entire box of candy bars. Remember, the key is to keep it simple and only eat a little bit at a time. The health benefits from chocolate are indisputable. So even though you may be on a diet, or if you’re just trying to stay away from sugar and sweets, a little bit of chocolate now and again won’t kill you. In fact, it may help you live longer.

Whether it’s as a treat or it’s something you do to reward yourself, chocolate can help you feel better and it can help you get healthier. As long as you keep your eating to a minimum, you shouldn’t have to swear off chocolate forever, even if you’re on a diet.

Mint and chocolate is a good mix and a great flavor. It also works well with chocolate. Chocolate mint bars are a really fun and delicious snack that can be enjoyed any time of the day to give you a little moment of heaven and minty freshness. You can even opt for the chocolate mint bars as organic chocolate bars.

The Freshness of Mint with the Decadence of Chocolate

Mint can be a clean and fresh powerful flavor. Chocolate mint bars are a great way to get to the flavor that you want without the stinging sensation you can get with toothpaste, mints, or gum. Chocolate mint bars that are full of vitamins and nutritional can also be a great snack as part of a healthy diet, which is certainly good to know. You can find many chocolate mint bars that have this nutritional value in them at many health food stores and nutrition stores.

Chocolate mint bars can also be a fun way to celebrate the holiday season. You can use this type of chocolate to celebrate Christmas or the winter break. Give chocolate mint bars out as party favors. Have an afternoon where everyone get together to make their own chocolate mint bars, or use pieces of this minty treats as a garnish for some of your favorite holiday desserts.

There is a lot your can do with mint chocolate, so make sure that you think about it creatively. Many recipes that call for chocolate can be spiced up with mint chocolate. Just be sure to taste test the creation before you serve it to your guests. It will be a fun way to get out of the Christmas dessert slump. Instead of making plain old Christmas cookies, you can make mint chocolate chip cookies. Or how about that Christmas pie and ice cream? Depending on the flavor of the pie, the ice cream you serve with it can be mint chocolate chip. And to save a little money, you can make your own minty ice cream with vanilla and chocolate mint bars mixed together.

The chocolate bars that you use should be of good quality and flavor. If you do not already have a particular brand in mind, make sure to shop around for a while to find the brand of chocolate mint bars with the best flavor for you. This way, you will know what degree of mint flavor is appropriate, and how you will be able to use it in order to spice up some of your best dessert recipes.