SAN FRANCISCO CHOCOLATE SALON: March 28

 

MARCH 28, 2026
ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE 

When: March 28, 2026
11:00am - 5:00pm 
 

Where: San Francisco County Fair Building
Hall of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
1199 9th Ave at Lincoln Way
San Francisco, CA 94122
 

Adults Tickets:
$25 Advance Tickets 
$30 Tickets at Door 
For more information, go to www.SFChocolateSalon.com

OREOS: America's Favorite Cookie -- History, Truffles, and More! National Oreo Day!

Oreo Ad: 1960

Happy Birthday, Oreo! Today is National Oreo Day! The Oreo is America's Favorite Cookie! This cookie debuted on March 6, 1912 produced by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco, now owned  by Kraft). The original Oreo was packaged as a Trio: the Mother Goose, the Veronese, and the Oreo Biscuit. Oreo was the most popular, and soon was a stand-alone, well as far as cookies go, because you always need milk with Oreos!

In 1921, Nabisco dropped 'Biscuit' from the name and called it 'Oreo Sandwich.' In 1948 it was called the 'Oreo Creme Sandwich,' and today it's marketed as the Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie. Over the years there have been many variations -- Mini Oreos, Double Delight, Triple stuffed, Lemon-Cream, Chocolate Covered Mint Oreos, Halloween Oreos--even Oreo O's Cereal made by Post. For those who are interested in cookie history, the Hydrox chocolate sandwich cookie predated Oreos by four years. Read more here.

So how do you eat your Oreos? Do you dunk them? Do you open them and lick the filling and then eat the cookies? Or do you just bite and chew?

I've posted scads of Oreo-based tasty treats here on DyingforChocolate.com. But here's an easy recipe for Oreo Truffles -- recipe from Kraft. You'll find similar recipes all over the Internet. This is so easy, and you'll only need Three Ingredients: Oreos, Cream Cheese, and Chocolate. Yum! I substitute fair trade organic dark chocolate for the Baker's, but if you don't have any, Baker's is fine.

OREO TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 ounces) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (15.5 ounces) Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2 pkg. (8 squares each) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Directions
Mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Hint: for Dipping, use two forks to make it easier (and less messy) or a special dipping utensil you can find online or at a kitchen store. I melt chocolate in a double boiler, but if you're careful, you can melt it in the microwave.

And what are Oreos without a cold glass of milk?

Oreo Elevator Ad

Have an Oreo Today! Happy Birthday, Oreo!

CHOCOLATE ABSINTHE BUNDT CAKE: Absinthe Day!

Today is National Absinthe Day. Absinthe is a strong herbal liqueur distilled with a large number of herbs like anise, licorice, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica, and wormwood (the flavor of anise and/or licorice, at least in contemporary forms of the liquor, tends to predominate).  

Wormwood, the one that's gained the most notoriety, is Artemisia absinthum, an herb that grows wild in Europe and has been cultivated in the United States as well. Much of the liquor's legendary effect is due to its extremely high alcohol content, ranging from 50% to 75% (usually around 60%), plus the contribution of the various herbs. It has been assumed by  that the so-called "active ingredient"in absinthe is wormwood, although that is apparently not really the case.

The drink was referred to in France as "La Fée Verte" or The Green Fairy which is a reference to its green color (depending on the brand). The color usually came from the chlorophyll content of the herbs used in the distillation process; however, some disreputable manufacturers added toxic chemicals to produce both the green color and the louche (or clouding) effect that in reputable brands was caused by the precipitation of the essential oils of the herbs. It is quite probable that the bad reputation absinthe developed was due to these low-grade and perhaps quite poisonous version of the real thing.

Absinthe was very popular in fin-de-siècle Paris, with Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Verlaine, Alfred Jarry and Oscar Wilde among its most famous imbibers. And, of course, there was Edgar Allan Poe.

Two good websites about Absinthe: La Fee Verte  & The Wormwood Society.

For this year's Absinthe Food Holiday, I'm posting an easy Chocolate Absinthe Bundt cake recipe. You have to like Absinthe to really enjoy this cake. Always use a name brand absinthe. Just an FYI: Absinthe is an acquired taste. What I like about this recipe is that the absinthe flavor is enhanced by the anise and fennel seed (you can actually use 1/8 tsp each for more flavor). Original recipe from Epicurious.

CHOCOLATE ABSINTHE BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup Absinthe
2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened Dark cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground anise or fennel seed
1 cup hot water
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add absinthe; beat until blended.
Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; add to sugar mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition; stir in flavorings.
Pour batter into greased and floured 9-inch bundt cakepan.
Bake at 300° for 60 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Blood Moon Eclipse Brownies

Last night there was a total eclipse of the Blood Moon. We were totally fogged in, so didn't get to see it..and I woke up especially. Oh well.  But, the Blood Moon Eclipse remind me that we had a Blood Moon Eclipse before, and I did photograph it. 

I've posted a recipe for Full Moon Brownies, but what about Beet Brownies for the Blood Moon Eclipse? Many chocolate cakes such as Red Velvet Cakes can be made with beets. So in honor of the Blood Moon Eclipse, here's a great recipe for Blood Moon Eclipse Brownies.

BLOOD MOON ECLIPSE BROWNIES

Ingredients 
1/2 pound fresh beets, scrubbed
1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering parchment paper
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour  (I buy this from King Arthur Flour)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Directions
Put beets in saucepan and add water to cover by ½ inch. Set over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-35 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to ice bath until cool. Transfer cool beets to food processor and pulse until minced.
Preheat oven to 350°
Line 9-inch by 9-inch brownie pan with parchment paper; lightly coat with butter.
Cut sticks of butter into chunks and put in heavy saucepan. Add chopped chocolate and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until chocolate begins to melt.
Remove pan from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, gently mix eggs for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and brown sugar; mix on medium-high until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed and add minced beets then slowly add chocolate mixture and mix just until combined.
Slowly add flour mixture and amix just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool brownies in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
Cut and serve.