Chuao Hot Chocolate

On days like this, I love to sit in front of the fire with a good book and sip some fine hot chocolate. So many choices out there. I tried a lot of hot chocolate, sipping chocolate, and cocoa at the San Francisco Fancy Food Show. One of my favorites was the Abuela Hot Chocolate from Chuao. It was smooth, rich with a lingering finish. I could have drunk the whole vat, but I was trying to leave room for all the other chocolate at the show.


(Photo of Frank Price, VP TeamBuilding Unlimited, and Chef Michael Antonorsi)

I'm not surprised I liked it so much, because I really enjoy Chuao Chocolate. We use the Spicy Maya Bar (pasilla chile and cayenne pepper) in our Chocolate Tastings as an example of the original Mayan chocolate beverage. Of course, the Chuao has sugar in it--much more palatable to our 21st century taste.

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the United States (headquartered in San Diego). Chuao was founded in 2002 by master chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother Richard Antonorsi, the company's CEO. Chuao Chocolatier is pioneering “fusion chocolate” by creating unusual, unexpected and delicious flavors using their secret blend of premium chocolate and fresh natural ingredients.

The Venezuelan born brothers, now San Diego residents, named the company Chuao Chocolatier after the legendary cacao-producing region of Chuao located in central Venezuela. Chuao does not boast of single-plantation beans or specific vintages, but they rely on Venzuelan Criollo beans. Chocolate is part of their roots, as their ancestors once ran a small family farm that was an important part of the criollo cacao plantation industry.

If you're not a purist, Chuao makes lots of different types of chocolates including truffles with unusual ganaches such as Zen with Green tea-infused ginger ganache (Talk about healthy!) and Muslu centred around cinnnamon and Grand Marnier (not quite as healthy but delicious). Unusual flavor combinations are at the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s unique experience including: Firecracker, a chipotle caramel fudge truffle with popping candy, a hint of salt, and dark chocolate and Pan Con Chocolate, a dark chocolate bonbon filled with roasted Panko bread crumbs and olive oil ganache with a touch of sea salt.

But back to hot chocolate. Chuao offers three different types: Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate (pasilla chiles, cayenne pepers and cinnamon with their premium blend of dark chocolate), the Abuela Hot Chocolate (a family tradition made from Grandma's strict recipe blending the rich and deep flavors of Venezuelan bittersweet chocolates) and Winter Hot Chocolate (Venezuelan bittersweet chocolate with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and pepper). As I said, my favorite is the Abuela Hot chocolate. If you're a hot chocolate drinker, you must try this. A Real Wow From Chuao!

Cholive Chocolate Cocktail Garnish

Found this on DrinkoftheWeek.com: The Cholive Chocolate Cocktail Garnish.

Does your cocktail need some chocolate? A Cholive could be just what you’re looking for.

Cholive = chocolate + olive … get it? Don’t worry, they are not actually chocolate-covered olives.

They are olive-shaped chocolate truffles. Skewer them and you have a delicious cocktail garnish.

Here’s one recipe that sounds like a good use of chocolate!

Dirty Grasshopper
1 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1 oz. Green Créme de Menthe
1½ oz. White Créme de Cocoa
½ oz. Half & Half

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with a skewered Cholive.

Of course, DIY folks out there could skewer any tiny chocolates and see how that works, too!

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Cholive Company (via Liqurious)

The cholive is shaped like an olive and made with Vermont whole cream ganache inside a 55% dark chocolate shell. Great for flavored martinis, cream based drinks, specialty coffee drinks and wine. I'm thinking a great Cabernet or Merlot. They come in jars, tins and bulk.

For other Cholive Ideas.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes for Pancake Week

Months of Edible Celebrations tells us that this is National Pancake Week!! You've already missed a few days of pancakes, but there's still time to make these fabulous Simple Healthy Chocolate Chip Pancakes posted at Treat a Week. More pancake info on both sites.

Want to make Double Chocolate Pancakes? Check this recipe at The Global Gourmet. How about Viennesse Chocolate Pancakes? Don't forget the Chocolate Syrup! And here's a final chocolate pancake recipe with raspberry sauce that's low calorie, low sodium and low cholesterol from Eating Well.

As always, use the best quality chocolate and cocoa for the best possible taste!

Lucy Pelt from Peanuts says it best, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

Home made Oreo Cookies

Although I'm a fan of high quality chocolate, I'm still a sucker for the standard cookie fare of chocolate sandwich cookies. Oreos are just about the most popular cookie in America. I'm a Hydrox fan myself, and I was glad to see that Kelloggs revived Hydrox cookies. Here's a Blog dedicated to my favorites: Hydrox Cookies. The official Hydrox site can be found here.

Want to try making a variation on these cookies at home? They won't be the same as Hydrox or Oreos, but they're really delicious. I found this recipe on the Food Network website. It comes from Trois Pommes Patisseries in Brooklyn, so if you can't or won't bake, you can always stop by the patisserie for these delicious treats.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 32 cookies

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Times:

Prep

40 min

Inactive Prep

20 min

Cook

20 min

Total:

1 hr 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:

1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

Flip half of the cookies upside down and top each with 1 level tablespoon of filling. Press the remaining cookies on top to make sandwiches.

Photograph by James Baigrie