Friday, March 30, 2012

Science races to find better cocoa plants to avert chocolate crisis

FREDY Pinchi Pinchi trudges through the Amazon jungle in Tarapoto, Peru, on a mission: to save the world's chocolate.

The 31-year-old agronomist is in search of a hardier and more prolific cocoa tree. His progress - and that of researchers like him in other cocoa growing regions - is being closely watched by some of the biggest players in the confectionery world, such as Mars, maker of M&M's, and Blommer Chocolate, a chocolate supplier to many major food companies.

Driving the efforts to find better trees are concerns that farmed cocoa now comes from plants that are too old, fragile and low-yielding to satisfy the world's growing taste for chocolate.

Due to rising demand in emerging markets, food companies and commodity traders are forecasting that global consumption of cocoa will surge by 25 per cent, to about five million tonnes, by 2020.

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Industry officials and market experts say new and better cocoa plants are vital to future supplies - and to keeping chocolate an affordable luxury.

"I'm looking for an elite plant. That's the goal," Mr Pinchi said. "There are a lot of people who depend on cocoa."

Time, though, is running out. The process of grafting different kinds of cocoa trees to achieve the right genetic mix takes years, and it is far from a sure thing. Once planted, it takes at least four years for the trees to start bearing cocoa beans fit for processing.

"For the long term health of the cocoa industry, high-yielding cocoa varieties need to be identified, propagated and distributed," said Kip Walk, head of cocoa at chocolate supplier Blommer.

In the meantime, existing trees continue to struggle with the forces of nature.

In West Africa, the world's biggest cocoa-growing region, blasts of hot wind earlier this year seared plants.

The prospect of a damaged harvest has pushed cocoa prices up 15 per cent from a three-year low hit in early December 2011. Cocoa futures ended at $US2223 ($2143) a tonne, down 3.1 per cent for the day.

Given the fragile state of cocoa trees under cultivation and strong demand, it is only a matter of time before a shortage of cocoa emerges and prices surge, said Julian Rundle, chief investment officer at Dorset Management, an alternative-investment manager.

"The major move, when it comes, is going to be a bull move," Mr Rundle predicted - meaning prices will rise.

Already, demand for cocoa is forecast to outpace supply this year by 71,000 tonnes, according to estimates from the London-based International Cocoa Organisation.

Only a fraction of the thousands of varieties of cocoa trees in existence are grown to produce the world's chocolate, because farming cocoa has historically been a low-margin business that hasn't attracted investment.

This practice of growing genetically similar plants leaves entire populations vulnerable if they are stricken with a disease for which they have no resistance.

Splashing through a sudden rainstorm, Mr Pinchi is out to change that. He weaves among muddy rows of saplings, cradling lemon and lime-coloured pods and checking their weight and size.

He and his team at the Tropical Crops Institute, a research centre in Peru's northern highland jungle, have collected hundreds of cocoa varieties from South America's thick rainforests and are testing their ability to yield more and bigger beans.

Researchers in the Ivory Coast and Ghana are conducting similar work.

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The cocoa tree's scientific name is theobroma cacao, which means "food of the gods" in Greek.

As chocolate went from being a treat for special occasions to an everyday indulgence, swathes of rainforest were chopped down in the 1970s and '80s to make room for cocoa farms, which now cover roughly 7.4 million hectares.

But the industry was dealt a blow when a fungus known as witches' broom swept through Brazil. It more than halved Brazil's cocoa output between 1990 and 2010.

Industry executives hope to stave off another cocoa crisis, which is why they are pinning hopes on researchers like Mr Pinchi.

Expanding acreage isn't an option due to widespread opposition to further deforestation in the tropics - the only places cocoa can thrive.

"By 2020, we need another Cote d'Ivoire," said Howard-Yana Shapiro, Mars's director of plant science and external research, referring to the Ivory Coast.

Mr Shapiro led a team that was credited with mapping the genome for the cocoa tree in September 2010. He keeps close tabs on the work conducted by Mr Pinchi's institute and other researchers.

"There are two alternatives. One, we cut down all the trees in the tropics and only plant cocoa, which would be an unmitigated disaster. Or we increase (yields)," Mr Shapiro said.

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To be sure, higher prices on chocolate would likely cause demand growth to moderate. Slower growth would mean a target as high as 5 million tonnes a year of cocoa wouldn't be necessary.

While Kona Haque, a commodities strategist at Macquarie Bank, agrees cocoa prices are likely to rise, she says some forecasts calling for the doubling of prices over the long term are extreme.

Increased use of fertiliser can boost output while scientists experiment with different kinds of plants, Ms Haque said.

"Demand will grow steadily, but, with the right price, so can supply," she said. "I'd expect cocoa prices to rise 50 per cent in 10 years."

Mr Pinchi, though, is optimistic that he or one of his colleagues will strike upon the right tree before high prices sour consumers on chocolate.

"The Amazon is the origin of cocoa," he said. "There's a lot of diversity, which gives us many options."


Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Eat chocolate, weigh less

HEALTHY people who exercise and also eat chocolate regularly tend to have a lower body mass index than those who eat chocolate less often.

A US survey of more than 1000 adults, published as a research letter in the Archives on Internal Medicine, reinforces the notion that chocolate packs heart-healthy benefits, despite high calorie and sugar content.

People in the study reported eating chocolate an average of twice a week and exercising an average of 3.6 times a week. Their average age was 57.

Those who said they ate chocolate more often than the norm tended to have a lower ratio of weight over height, a calculation made by taking a person's weight and dividing it by their height times two.

''Adults who consumed chocolate more frequently had a lower BMI [body mass index] than those who consumed chocolate less often,'' said the study led by Beatrice Golomb at the University of California, San Diego. ''Our findings - that more frequent chocolate intake is linked to lower BMI - are intriguing,'' it added.

While the research stopped short of establishing a reasonable or beneficial limit for chocolate-eating, experts urged moderation.

''Before you start eating a chocolate bar a day to keep the doctor away, remember that it can contain over 200 calories which mostly come from saturated fats and sugar,'' said Nancy Copperman, director of Public Health Initiatives at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York.

Chocolate's benefits come from antioxidant polyphenols, which can improve blood pressure and help lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Other studies have even linked chocolate to a lower risk of heart attack.

Chocolate's curious ability to improve heart health is usually considered part of a lifestyle that includes exercise and moderation in diet, according to Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

''We have seen in studies the benefits of chocolate, and yet again, we see as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, chocolate does not add to weight gain, but in fact, might help control it,'' she said.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Renowned Chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin Celebrating Easter with Cute Chocolate Works of Art

World famous chocolatier, Jean-Paul Hévin, is celebrating Easter in Hong Kong with a signature collection of artistic chocolate eggs, sea life and bunnies.

The invigorating works of art created from premium chocolate are being showcased at his Parisian-style "chocolate bar" in Lyndhurst Terrace, Central and chocolate boutiques at IFC mall Central and Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Headlining the 2012 collection is ‘L’Oeuf Voyageur’ (110g at HK$480), literally translated as the “Travelling Egg”. Staying true to its name having been specially transported from the Paris kitchens, the striped shell made of dark chocolate (63% cocoa) and filled with a delightful collection of mini chocolate eggs and bunnies, is the ultimate Easter feast. The chocolate ribbons bounding the egg are elegantly designed with a lock and key and an ‘A Bientot’ (See you soon) – a symbolic nod to an endless supply of nutritious chocolate!

Other highlights of the Easter Collection include the ‘Poisson X Ray’ (HK$ 480), a dark chocolate x-rayed looking fish with a dark and milk chocolate interior. Additionally, ‘La Chouette’, the owl (HK$680), is also making an appearance. The dark chocolate body with a milk chocolate design is filled with dark and milk chocolate treasures, as well as a luscious collection of praline Easter chocolates. Both characters are a fun and festive addition to the ‘nature’ theme.

In signature Jean-Paul Hévin blue tins or boxes, the Easter collection extends to chocolate fish; almond praline rabbits; almond, hazelnut and nougat praline seashells; and classic Easter Eggs in milk chocolate pearls. Prices vary starting from HK$ 168.

Jean-Paul Hévin Chocolatier’s products range from chocolate enhanced with fruit fillings, spices and caramels to chocolate cakes, tarts, mousses, old-fashioned macaroons voted the ‘Best in Paris’, fruit cakes, cheesecakes and dark truffles.

Each individual piece is created from highest-quality ingredients, sourced from his constant travels in pursuit of premium cocoa beans – primarily Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Madagascar.

Jean-Paul Hévin has been awarded “five chocolate bar” ranking by France’s Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat (Chocolate Crunchers Club) for the past 5 years and his hot chocolate was also voted ‘Best in Paris’.

Source: eTravel Blackboard Asia


Monday, March 26, 2012

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate & Mint Cheesecake

Another corker from Taste this cheesecake dessert is the perfect balance of dark chocolate and luscious cream cheese laced with refreshing mint.


INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

185g unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (25g) good-quality cocoa, sifted
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
50g dark chocolate, melted, cooled


Mint topping

1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
250g cream cheese
3 eggs
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (see note)
100ml thickened cream
2-3 drops green food colouring


METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line a 20cm square loose-bottomed cake pan with baking paper.

2. Place butter, cocoa, sugar, eggs and flour in a bowl and mix well to combine. Press firmly into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, for the mint topping, place sugar, mint and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes, then set aside to cool completely. Strain the sugar syrup into a jug, discarding the solids. Place the cream cheese in a food processor and whiz for a few seconds to soften. Add cooled sugar syrup, eggs, peppermint extract, cream and food colouring and process until smooth.

4. Pour the cheesecake mixture into cake pan then tightly wrap the base of the pan with foil to make it watertight. Place the cheesecake in a deep baking dish and fill with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until topping is just set – the cake may have a slight wobble but it will firm on cooling. Remove from the oven and cool completely, then chill for 2 hours or until firm.

5. Cut cheesecake into slices, drizzle over the cooled melted chocolate and serve.

Source: Taste


Saturday, March 24, 2012

Chef cooks up a real taste of hot chocolate - in a Curry

A free-thinking food fan has combined two of Britain’s favourite tastes – chocolate and curry.

Paul Morris, who runs Ramsbottom’s Chocolate Cafe, has created a chicken tikka masala chocolate.

Paul said the café created the unique concoction after a suggestion from a customer on Twitter.

He said: "It is quite rich and creamy with a bit of heat.The chocolate really compliments the spices and acts like the yoghurt in the masala recipe.

"I just hope people will give it a try."

The curry, which will be sold in bars, has a shelf life of around two weeks, because it contains dried chicken.

It is made with fresh chicken which is freeze dried and added to coriander, cumin, all spice, ginger, tumeric, garam masla and cayenne pepper.

This is then added to the cafe’s signature milk chocolate, made with almost twice the amount of cocoa as the average bar.

Paul, who has been running the cafe for four years, has created it to mark Ramsbottom chocolate festival, which takes place on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1.

Last year’s event attracted around 27,000 people.

Paul, who creates a new chocolate every year to mark the festival, turned to Twitter to help him come up with new ideas.

He said: "People came back with suggestions of wild garlic – which tasted horrible when we tried it, winberries and rhubarb but we couldn’t source them locally."

"Then we asked people for things they associated with the north and people kept saying curries, Ramsbottom has great curry places and people go to the curry mile in Rusholme".

"We found out the most popular curry is chicken tikka masala and the most popular chocolate we sell is chilli so we knew the spices would work. "We’ve served Mexican Mole in the café before and that’s got chicken and chocolate and was really popular. I hope people will get past their preconceptions and give it a try".

The bar goes on sale on Monday, March 19 at £3.50 and all proceeds go towards the running of the chocolate festival.

Last year the café created an exploding bubble wrap chocolate and the year before a Manchester tart bar both of which proved a great success.

Source: Men Media


Friday, March 23, 2012

Why we love cheap chocolate

Is York to be scoffed at for declaring itself Britain's home of chocolate, 150 years after a young George Cadbury and Lewis Fry served their apprenticeships with Joseph Rowntree at a cocoa shop in the city? A new museum opening this month lays claim to a heritage visitors might more readily associate with Mexico, where chocolate was discovered, or Belgium, where its elaboration was raised to an art form.

Foodies may be tempted to mock the city's fathers for celebrating their association with the nation's most famous confectioners, a world away from the artisan chocolatiers who tempt our palates today. Joseph Terry was an apothecary whose Chocolate Orange came out of an experiment with flavour infusions, and the Kit Kats, Aeros and Yorkies created and still made in York are a very different product from the fine bars high in cocoa solids we have come to recognise as proper chocolate.

But scoff ye not; Kit Kat is the world's most successful chocolate bar – six million of them are churned out every day within a stroll of the city centre. So beloved is the product in 100 countries that rare bars of the defunct peanut-butter Chunky variation – it was given an official funeral in 2009 – are currently changing hands for three times the retail price on eBay. "We have bowed to pressure from our Facebook fans and tweets from the likes of Nigella Lawson to reintroduce it," says James Maxton of Nestlé, which owns Rowntree's. It expects an avalanche of sales following the April relaunch.

And while the foodiest of us may seek out Valrhona to cook with, or Green & Black's or Menier if our pockets are less deep, we remain addicted as a nation to the iconic branded bars we grew up with and believed throughout our childhood were the chocolate standard.

Even those with the finest palates – top chefs and award-winning chocolatiers – confess to an undying place in their hearts for the milky, sugary cheap sweet treats they grew up with, and still can't quite live without.

"I'm still partial to the odd Kit Kat I had a soft spot for as a child, and enjoy a Terry's Chocolate Orange, too," admits Theo Randall of the InterContinental restaurant in central London. A fellow alumnus of the River Café, Sam Harris, is also hooked on Kit Kats: "There's always one chilling in the fridge at work, just waiting to be eaten," confesses the chef patron of Zucca.

Ritual plays a big part in our affection for our childhood treats, it seems, with foodies falling over themselves to fess up to eating the chocolate off their wafers first, getting the nuts out with their teeth or some even more sensuous act: '"I would lick all of the centre out of a Creme Egg first, then shove the whole chocolate shell into my mouth," says the New York-based British chef April Bloomfield, who has become addicted to Twix bars, and brings a stash with her back to New York to sustain her at the Spotted Pig.

Even Paul A Young, who studied in York before becoming a master chocolatier, admits to a weakness for the ridges in Aero bars – "designed so you could break off perfectly portioned chunks – they take me right back to my grandma's kitchen". Paul's mother still buys a jar of Cadbury's Roses every Christmas, and because his grandmother spoilt him with Mini Eggs at Easter he now regularly buys a bag for himself.

Rival London chocolatier Marc Demarquette admits to seeking out the gold-wrapped toffee finger whenever a tin of Quality Streets is proffered, and to the influence of the brand on his own prize-winning creations: "It's a timeless collection of classic recipes and flavour combinations that you are still sure to find within the best-selling ranges made by the modern chocolatier. I see it in my own collection of caramels and ganaches."

Happily for the artisan producers who have followed Rowntree's to the confectionery capital, an appreciation that fine chocolate is also worth pursuing has spread north against the expectations of sceptics. "Three years ago, I was told they would never buy my products in York," says Sophie Jewett, whose Cocoa House is on the city's new chocolate trail, and who has been asked to make the best she can muster for the Queen when she makes her Jubilee visit to the city next month.

"Things have come a long way since I came up here for uni 13 years ago and the whole town was pervaded by the sickly sweet smell from the Terry's and Rowntree's factories. People do still love their Kit Kats and Aero bars, but I'm not the only one making a living from fine chocolate in York."

The new museum is also determined not to get trapped in a nostalgia timewarp: "We are dealing with the present as well as the past of chocolate," insists Ann Gurnell, group general manager of Continuum, which opens "Chocolate – York's Sweet Story" on 31 March.

"So as well as telling the story of Britain's confectionery industry we will also invite the public to taste with a modern-day chocolatier to see whether they really do prefer a bar of Aero to a 72 per cent single-origin from Venezuela." Chances are, the answer will be yes.

Source: The Independent


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Nigella brings us chocolate brownies with a twist

She is the domestic goddess who brought us such winning combinations as Coca Cola cooked ham and chocolate Philadelphia spread on bagels.

But Nigella Lawson's latest creation is enough to challenge even the most adventurous of home cooks.

The television chef has devised a chocolate brownie recipe with a difference: one of the main ingredients is bacon.

Nigella created the recipe to share exclusively with lifestyle website Emerald Street, which she recently guest edited.

She confessed that she didn't originate the pairing of bacon and chocolate, saying that she was introduced to the combination by Vosges Chocolat, whose Mo's Bacon Bar, sold in Selfridges and on their website, uses Hickory smoked bacon as a key ingredient.

The bacon chocolate brownies are, she says, her 'act of homage to this unholy union.'

The recipe combines 125g of streaky bacon with the more traditional chocolate brownie ingredients, golden syrup, butter, brown sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, bicarbonate of soda and dark chocolate.
Inspiration: The Mo's Bacon Chocolate bar provided Nigella with the idea for her bacon brownies

Inspiration: The Mo's Bacon Chocolate bar provided Nigella with the idea for her bacon brownies

The bacon is prepared by first frying it to crisp it up, before adding it to the combined ingredients.

'I don't deny it sounds weird,' she told Emerald Street. 'But it does really work in a quite straightforward way. Even people who shrink from the very idea find the actual outcome all-too-compelling. '

Nigella says the best sort of bacon to use is the Oscar Mayer American-style bacon (available from larger UK supermarkets), but if it proves impossible to source, then streaky bacon, cut very fine, will do instead.

She counsels cooks to get very thinly cut streaky bacon, without the rind, and to snip it up into small strips.

'You don’t really want chewy pieces of bacon, but rather nuggets of intense saltiness within the rich, gooey chocolate squares,' she says.

Source: Daily Mail


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Is it possible to become addicted to chocolate?

Q. A friend jokes she is a "chocoholic." Can you really become addicted to chocolate or other foods?

A. With so many Americans overweight or obese, public health experts are also asking this question. Since it is so difficult to follow the simple advice to "eat a healthy diet" and "exercise more," they realize that food might have addictive properties. Yet common sense demands that food — even chocolate — be placed in a different category from substances like heroin or alcohol.

Addiction involves three essential components: intense craving, loss of control over the object of that craving, and continuing involvement despite bad consequences. Preliminary evidence demonstrates that people can exhibit all three elements when it comes to food.

Consider the phenomenon of craving, for example. For individuals addicted to substances, environmental cues — such as a neighborhood bar or the smoking area at work — can trigger craving. Similarly, many people find that seeing or smelling food can trigger their appetite, even if they have just eaten a satisfying meal.

But your friend's joke about being a chocoholic is a reminder that not all foods induce cravings. The midnight run for a pint of ice cream is familiar, but I've never heard of anyone trolling for celery at that hour. This observation is consistent with research that demonstrates what we might expect if food were addicting — high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods trigger reward pathways in animal brains, and restricting these foods can induce a stress-like response in some of the animals studied.

Chocolate, which contains both sugar and fat, is often used in studies of food addiction. In a study published in Archives of General Psychiatry, for example, researchers at Yale University asked volunteers to fill out questionnaires to assess addictive behavior. The volunteers then underwent brain imaging while being able to see and smell, and then finally drink, a chocolate milkshake. Participants who scored higher on the food addiction scale experienced a surge of activity in the part of the brain that regulates cravings and rewards when presented with the chocolate milkshake. Once they started drinking it, they showed markedly reduced activity in areas of the brain that we use to control the impulse to seek rewards. A similar pattern of brain activity is found in people addicted to drugs.

In another study, this one involving candy, researchers at Drexel University concluded that people experienced psychological reactions while eating chocolate — such as intense pleasure and craving for more — that were similar to those experienced on drugs.

The epidemic of obesity may at once epitomize all of the key components of addiction. Many people who are overweight crave food, lose control over eating, and experience negative health effects that should, but don't, serve as a deterrent. And the influence of stress on eating provides another link between food and addictive behavior. Those who have broken free of an addiction tend to relapse when they are under stress — partly because they begin craving the comfort they experienced while using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. In the same way, stress is often what prompts people to go off a diet.

Despite intriguing parallels, however, there are also significant differences between drugs of addiction and food. The most obvious one is that food is necessary for survival, while addictive drugs are not. And this makes treatment more of a challenge too. It's not possible to go off food, as it were, cold turkey.

Moreover, researchers have yet to identify the addictive component of foods. We know that nicotine in cigarettes causes addiction, for example. But what exactly is it about chocolate that causes addiction? The studies showing how the animal brain responds to sugar and fat are interesting, but far from conclusive.

Whether "chocoholism" exists or not, most of us are stuck with the simple, if frustrating, advice to moderate our consumption. Health depends less on what we call our behavior than on paying attention to the hundreds of small but important choices we have to make every day.

Source: Newsday


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Southall students enjoy Divine Chocolate as part of Fairtrade Fortnight

SOUTHALL students will soon be hitting the airwaves to discuss the importance of Fairtrade.

Featherstone High School pupils are working alongside Hayes FM to create a radio show about how Fairtrade can be sustained throughout the year.

The show follows the school’s successful Fairtrade Fortnight.

The whole school got involved in a range of activities, from sales of Fairtrade cakes and snacks to a number of assemblies on the issue.

Highlight of the week was a visit from representatives of Divine Chocolate, a Fairtrade company.

They spoke to students about how cocoa is turned into chocolate and gave a lesson on how to eat chocolate properly, using all five senses.

James Mutton, geography teacher, said the fortnight had allowed students to link what they were learning about Fairtrade in geography lessons to the real world.

Source: Ealing Times


Monday, March 19, 2012

Master chef shares her constant cravings

MasterChef winner Kate Bracks shared two of her greatest cravings with listeners at the Baptist Church Hall in Mudgee on Saturday.

To those who saw her winning ways with desserts on the the popular cooking competition in 2011, it would come as no surprise that Kate has had a lifelong craving for chocolate.

Kate, admitted to her audience that she buys chocolate in 2.5kg bags - an expensive habit now that she has acquired a preference for the higher quality blends used on the high-budget MasterChef.

“If I get a craving for chocolate, there is little else that can satisfy it,” she said.

“I tried fruit as my mother suggested, I even tried going for long walks but nothing satisfies like a big lump of chocolate.”

Kate said the other great need in her life - “a deep longing of the soul” - was satisfied by her strong religious faith, which helped her endure the separation from her husband and children during the many months of filming MasterChef.

Kate said without her faith and support from her family, friends and MasterChef producers, she might have left the show in the early weeks.

Kate said her faith had also helped to keep her grounded during the making of the show.

“The things we were doing were so different from what I thought I would ever do, but I wasn’t nervous,” she said.

“It is just food and this was just television,” she said. “We weren’t saving lives in there.”

A stay-at-home mother, Kate said she had never expected to win MasterChef.

“When the top 50 contestants stood on Cockatoo Island and they said ‘one of you will be the next MasterChef,’ I looked around and thought ‘I wonder which one of them it will be?’,” she said.

Kate demonstrated recipes featured in her new book The Sweet Life, including a liberal dose of chocolate in her Honeycomb with Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

Kate’s also had a simple tip for success in the kitchen.

“Cooking is like any skill - you just have to practice it,” she said.

Source: Mudgee Guardian


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Recipe of the Week - Mars Bar Squares

As Mars Bars are one of the most popular chocolates in the world we thought you would appreciate this recipe from WHCCLS.

If you intend to make the recipe don’t grease the pan or add butter to the chocolate. You should also use an 8-inch (20-cm) square glass baking dish if possible.


INGREDIENTS

Four 52-g Mars Bars, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) salted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups (750 mL) Rice Krispies
300-g bag semi-sweet chocolate chips


METHOD


1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt Mars Bars and butter, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in Rice Krispies.

2. Transfer mixture to ungreased 9-inch (23-cm) square metal cake pan. Pat down quickly with rubber spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

3. Place pan directly under preheated broiler 30 seconds. Remove from oven. Quickly spread chocolate with rubber spatula. Refrigerate 1 hour to set chocolate.

4. To cut, bring to room temperature. Pop entire square from pan if possible, then cut into 12 pieces or as desired.


Source and Photo: WHCCLS


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Cadbury Makes Its Google+ Page Out of Chocolate

Cadbury loves Google+. Not only has the UK-based chocolatier launched a product through Google’s social network, has also now created a chocolate version of its Google+ page.

The confection was created to celebrate a recent milestone: 500,000 “circlers,” or fans.

Cadbury chronicled the construction of its edible Google+ page through a series of 10 step-by-step photos, shown in the gallery below.

Layers of Cadbury Dream and Dairy Milk chocolate were applied to a base of Dairy Milk bars. Edible inks were printed onto sugar paper to create detailed replicas of the Page’s buttons and photos of fans. Pieces were adhered using liquid Dairy Milk as a kind of glue. Text was applied by hand with edible ink.

The company also invited followers to chime in and watch live as the finishing touches were applied through a Google+ Hangout.

Many brands have created Google+ pages since Google introduced branded profiles in November. But few marketers have given the platform the same degree of attention they’ve lavished on their Facebook, Twitter, or even Tumblr and Pinterest accounts.

There are, of course, exceptions, and Cadbury UK is one of them.

The company posts to its Google+ page several times per day. Much of that content is cross-posted to Facebook, but experiences like this one do make followers feel important, the number of comments and +1s suggests.

Source: Mashable


Friday, March 16, 2012

Mars says redundancies needed to secure factory future

The sign at the entrance to Mars Chocolate's Ballarat manufacturing factory reads 'helping communities grow', but the company says scaling back jobs is necessary to secure the plant's future.

Mars Chocolate has announced it will be offering 38 voluntary redundancies to employees at its Ballarat manufacturing plant.

The company's general manager Michael Ryan says it needs to improve the factory's efficiency and productivity to secure its future in Ballarat.

"The packages are very generous," he says.

"We expect that we'll get more than 38 applications for the voluntary positions."

Mr Ryan would not say if Mars would issue forced redundancies if the packages weren't accepted.

"So far we've got expressions of interest of nearly double that amount, so we don't think that's something we need to entertain."

The announcement comes a fortnight after the passage of a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Mr Ryan says it should give a boost of confidence to the remaining 350-plus employees.

"The union has been aware of the possibility of these redundancies and we've been transparent with all of our people that the redundancies would be coming at around about this time.

"It's only until we've sort of proven the way the factory could operate under the new model that we could communicate the exact number."

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser Colin Muir says members are still waiting for information about how the 38 redundancies will be applied across the factory's workforce.

"What we have asked and haven't been given a lot of information about at this stage is the break-up of that number is."

Mr Muir says the AMWU believes the decision is about making a profitable business more profitable.

"Obviously we never support redundancies but if it is about the ongoing viability of the business we're happy to have those discussions.

"I'm not so sure that it's just about straight out efficiencies, I think it's about profitability."

In a statement, the Victorian Government says the job losses are distressing for the workers and their families.

It says it's introducing a plan to generate new jobs and attract business investment.

Source and Photo: ABC


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Willie’s Cacao taking ‘the adventure of real chocolate’ to a wider audience

Willie’s Cacao, the only premium chocolate maker in the UK making cacao from ‘bean to bar’, is planning to take ‘the adventure of real chocolate’ to a wider audience. They are launching seven new products in a new more accessible size, and most notably, branching out into milk and white chocolate.

At the same time, BrandOpus have redesigned the range to strengthen the brand identity and simplify communication. Willie Harcourt-Cooze first introduced people to the delights of the world’s great cacaos, in his Channel 4 TV documentaries and with his Chef’s 100% Cacao cylinders. Now he is making his delectable single estate eating chocolate available in a new, single 50g square. “I want everyone to experience some of the awakening I did,” says Willie. “Like fine wines, cacaos have stunningly individual flavours and few things give me more pleasure than watching someone gasping with delight as this realisation dawns.”

This smaller size follows the 2011 success of the 50g Fruitful range, with its perfect combinations of cacaos and inclusions like Ginger Lime. Now milk and white chocolate lovers too can join the adventures in taste. Milk of the Gods is made with 44% Rio Caribe, its complex notes of coffee and nuts dancing with the milk. The light, creamy El Blanco is a first because unlike most white chocolates, sugar is its smallest not largest ingredient, and it is made with unrefined cocoa butter so maintaining the distinct notes from the cacao. BrandOpus developed a new confident and consistent identity for Willie’s Cacao, with the individual personalities of each product evoked through the use of colour and distinctive typography. The result is a simplified pack that achieves greater standout on shelf and is easier to navigate.

Source and Photo: Packaging In Europe


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Chocolate Pigs Help Launch Ticket Sales for 2012 Great Yorkshire Show

A contingent of pigs and poultry has arrived early at the Great Yorkshire Showground, but fortunately, being made of chocolate, it means that rosettes, judges and prize cards will not be required!

Chocolate pigs and hens are early arrivals for this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, as tickets go on sale for the 2012 event.

The “livestock” are making their appearance courtesy of the chocolatiers at Bettys, the world renowned café tearooms, to coincide with the start of ticket sales for England’s premier agricultural event, the Great Yorkshire Show.

Nigel Pulling Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the event organisers said: “At this time of year, it’s a relief that any livestock arriving is only temporary! In July visitors can see more than 5,000 animals competing for the top awards, and although we don’t have a category for the chocolate variety, I’m happy to say these are “first class”. The family business has been a staunch supporter of ours for many years and this gets our ticket sales off to a great start.”

Dates for this year’s Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 July, when more than 135,000 visitors are expected to come through the gates for the countryside extravaganza. As well as the competitive classes, each day the Ukrainian Cossacks and also the Red Devils will be entertaining the crowds with their dare-devil displays, there’s top class show jumping, a food hall packed with regional food and stunning fashion shows, as well as a host of demonstrations, exhibitions and opportunities to shop.

Source: Stackyard


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

1 April: Chocs Away for Chari-TEA! Raise Money for The Sick Children's Trust

The Sick Children's Trust are calling upon the people of the UK to join their third annual Big Chocolate Tea Party this April and raise thousands of pounds for families in need by enjoying their favourite chocolate treat with a cup of tea.

People from all walks of life are being invited to boil the kettle, dust off the teapot, bake a few cakes and take part in The Big Chocolate Tea Party. The average person eats 80 chocolate bars a year and in the UK we drink an astounding 165 million cups of tea daily, proving The Big Chocolate Tea Party is perfect excuse to get together with friends, family or work colleagues over a cuppa and your favourite chocolate treat to help raise money for The Sick Children's Trust.

Joining the event this year is Mel Giedroyc, writer, performer and co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off. She said: "I am delighted to be involved in such a worthwhile campaign. I hope everyone taking part in a chocolate tea party has a brilliant time and I hope they raise lots of money to help keep families together."

The Big Chocolate Tea PartyLast year the charity raised £17,000 and has high fundraising hopes of doubling that this year with the help from its sponsor, Ringtons, who is supplying teabags for the charity's party packs.

As well as various tea parties being hosted around the country by the public, the charity has teamed up with The Chocolate Festival at Southbank Centre as its official charity. It will be hosting a Big Chocolate Tea Party with Edd Kimber ‘The Boy Who Bakes' filled with fun chocolaty arts and crafts from 11am-11.45am on Sunday 1 April 2012 and everyone is encouraged to come down and visit.

Edd says: "This event is just my cup of tea. It's a quintessentially British tea party with a chocolate twist. And as a chocoholic myself, I'm delighted to be involved. It's a lovely campaign and a great way for everyone to help families of sick children when they need support the most."

Since 2009 thousands of people across the UK and beyond have taken part in The Big Chocolate Tea Party, helping to keep families together in the charity's seven ‘Homes from Home' across the UK.

Source and Photo: About My Area


Monday, March 12, 2012

Social workers in Norway 'took children into care for eating too much chocolate'

Social workers in Norway took two young Sri Lankan children into foster care because they shared a bedroom and were given too much chocolate, their parents have claimed.

Their allegations follow similar claims made by an Indian couple whose children were also taken into care because they slept in the same beds as their parents and the mother appeared tired and depressed. The mother was also criticised for hand-feeding her children.

The decision provoked an outcry in India where the foreign minister demanded their return to India and opposition leaders accused Norway of ignorance of Asian culture. Many children in India sleep with their parents and it is common for mothers to hector their children to eat.

Norway now appears set to return the children of the Bhattacharya family to India to live with their grandparents.

Joseph and Jacqueline Mario, a Sri Lankan couple living in Norway, said there is no immediate prospect of their children being returned.

They told The Hindu newspaper their children, Marlin, 12, and Meloni, 8, were taken into separate foster homes last November after social workers told them they did not know how to raise them.

"Our son and daughter shared the same room and slept on the same bed, which the Child Welfare Services objected to," he said. A 100 page report said they had "giving the children too much chocolate" and rejected their explanation that children were raised differently in their culture.

"Our son and daughter really miss us. Each time a visit is scheduled, they bring little gifts of flowers or some artwork they have done in school for us. They tell us over and over again that they love us and ask when they will be coming home," he said.

Norway has been criticised by campaign groups for the high number of children taken into care.

Source: The Telegraph


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate cardamom pudding with chai ice-cream

Another gem from Taste that we just had to share!


INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

1 cup whole milk
200g caster sugar
2 cups cream
2 eggs
7 egg yolks
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom pods
6 cloves
4 dried black peppercorns
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger
2 tablespoons loose leaf black tea
1 teaspoon ground cardamom100g dark chocolate, chopped
50g butter
1/8 cup plain flour


METHOD

1. For the ice-cream, put the milk and 150g sugar in a saucepan. Add cinnamon, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

2. In a jug, mix the cream and 6 egg yolks together. Add this to the milk mixture and stir constantly until the mixture thickens.

3. Add the tea, turn off the heat, cover saucepan and allow to infuse for about 20 minutes. Strain, chill the mixture in the fridge, and once cool, pour into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the ice-cream maker's instructions.

4. For the puddings, grease two 200ml metal pudding moulds. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

5. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and 1 egg yolk with 50g sugar with an electric beater until thick.

6. Add the chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs and fold in the flour and the ground cardamom. Pour mixture into moulds and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the top feels firm but the middle is still soft. Allow to cool in moulds for 2 minutes before turning out. Serve with the ice-cream.

Source and Photo: Taste


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Dark Chocolate Good For Those With Advanced Heart Failure

According to a study conducted by investigators at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), a flavonoid called epicatechin, found in dark chocolate, enhanced mitochondria structure in individuals with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes after 3 months. The study is published this week by the journal Clinical and Translational Science.

The researchers examined 5 extremely sick patients with major damage to skeletal muscle mitochondria. Mitochondria are structures that provide the energy a cell requires in order to move, divide, and contract. Both heart failure and type 2 diabetes impair these power cells, resulting in abnormalities in skeletal muscle. In individuals with diabetes and heart failure these abnormalities in the heart and skeletal muscle cause decreased functional capacity. Frequently, these patients report difficulty walking even short distances, shortness of breath, as well as lack of energy.

Each day for three months, study participants consumed dark chocolate bars and a beverage with a total epicatechin content of around 100 mg. The researchers conducted biopsies of skeletal muscle before and after the 3 month treatment. After treatment, the team examined alterations in mitochondria volume as well as the amount of cristae. Cristae are the internal compartments formed by the inner membrane of a mitochondrion. They are vital for the mitochondria to function efficiently and can be measured by electron microscopy.

Source: Medical News Today


Friday, March 9, 2012

Bulgarian Chocolate Bar Proudly Named after PM Borisov

A Bulgarian company has launched a chocolate bar with the name and face of Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov on its packaging.

The Boyko Borisov (B.B.) chocolate wafer bar is a hit among buyers in the central northern Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo, report Bulgarian agencies Tuesday.

The sweet, weighing 50 gr at a price of BGN 0.32, has been produced by a company based in nearby Lyaskovets and owned by former international football referee Ichko Lozev.

In the past, Lozev's company has issued bars with bearing the name of legendary Bulgarian footballer Hristo Stoichkov.

Other Bulgarian producers of sweets have also resorted to extravagant names to attract attention to their products, the cheap "Crisis" wafers being a good example.

According to information by the Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has been informed about the product by the company and has allowed it to market it.

Source and Photo: No Invite


Thursday, March 8, 2012

Stressed-out Brits Choose Chocolate Over Fruit

A whopping 80% of British workers choose junk food over healthy alternatives as a remedy for stress, a recent survey by office fruit delivery company Fruitdrop reveals. A tiny 7% of Brits eat fruit to raise their spirits on a bad day, instead choosing to reach for unhealthy comfort foods such as chocolate, crisps and biscuits.

Fruitdrop's survey reveals 65% of those choosing unhealthy snacks when stressed reach for sweet treats, with 53% of women favouring chocolate. Many Brits have also adopted the bad habit of routinely skipping lunch[1], so it seems natural that cravings for high-energy sugary snacks may surface.

A tiny 2% of 18-24 year olds say that they eat fruit when their spirits are low, whereas over 55s are much more likely to opt for a fruity snack when stressed, with a much healthier 13% selecting this option.

Ben Thompson, managing director of Fruitdrop, believes that offices can support their workers in adopting a healthier routine, "Employers can help their workforce to stay healthy with a weekly fruit box delivery, having fresh fruit to hand in the office means a healthy choice is an easy choice on a busy day."

Thompson continues, "Fruitdrop fruit boxes start at just £20, containing enough fruit for up to 25 employees for a week, a small investment for a healthy workplace. At Fruitdrop, we believe that a healthy office is a happy office, a weekly fruit delivery is the perfect starting point for this change."

Source: Sacremento Bee


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A chocolate fountain of data

Ashley Underwood, senior strategy executive at TGI, explains why chocoholics are more likely to be tempted by products they have seen advertised...

After the passing of Pancake Day a sizeable portion of the population will be abstaining from the sweet and sickly for the next 40 days.

Chocoholics everywhere will be struggling with their inner demons over Lent as cocoa-withdrawal leaves a gaping hole in their day-to-day. Insight from Kantar Media's TGI survey sheds light on the importance and scope of the chocolate-lovers market.

Those who buy at least one chocolate bar per day, or at least two chocolate assortment boxes per month, tend to be towards the younger end of the age spectrum.

They are 32% more likely than the average adult to be aged 15-34. In terms of what drives them, this group is materially motivated, being 44% more likely than the average adult to wear designer clothes, and a third more likely to agree that these designer clothes improve a person's image. They also claim to spend their money without thinking and to be no good at saving.

Chocoholics, as defined above, seem to exhibit questionable dietary habits. They are 46% more likely than the average adult to claim that they don't have time to spend preparing and cooking food. The result is that over a third of them often eat snacks on the move rather than proper meals.

Crucially for marketers, this group is a quarter more likely to be tempted by products they have seen advertised. They are also 43% more likely to accept being easily swayed by other people's views, making a word of mouth campaign an attractive proposition. They seem especially responsive to celebrity endorsement being three quarters more likely to admit that celebrities influence their purchase decisions.

TGI Worldpanel data (which links TGI's consumer insight with Kantar Worldpanel's extensive purchase data) provides yet further insight into what sectors, brands and sub-brands chocolate eaters actually buy.

Although it is the younger age groups who are particularly likely to buy chocolate bars regularly, it is in fact the over 55s who fritter away the most money - when it comes to block chocolate at any rate. This older age group spends an average £15.40 on block chocolate over six months, compared with £13.30 for 15-34 year olds. When it comes to everyday chocolate bars, 45-54 year olds top the spend ranking with an average £23.40 over six months.

Taking 'Green & Blacks' block chocolate as an example, TGI Worldpanel insight reveals that the 55+ bracket represents a particularly lucrative and sizeable segment. 'Green & Blacks' is very proud of its fair-trade listing, and their most overtly ethical product, 'Mayan Gold', is especially popular with the mature chocolate buyer. Purchasers of 'Mayan Gold' are over a third more likely to be 55+ than are other main shoppers.

Source and Photo: Media Tel


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Finishing touches made to new visitor attraction, Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story

A “MOUND” of cocoa beans and a three-dimensional chocolate wall will form part of York’s latest visitor attraction where finishing touches are currently being made.

Prop makers Paragon Creative, based in Elvington, are creating parts of Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story, including the thousands of cocoa beans, which will stand at the foot of an interactive table, which guides the visitor through the process of making chocolate and represents the raw material. Each bean has been painted by hand, taking about 32 hours.

Paragon has been sub-contracted to do most of the set production by museum designers MET Studio of London, which has been appointed to design the overall package.

Paragon is also making the interactive table, two reception desks and another table in the shape of a bar of chocolate and a tropical tree with cocoa husks at the base of it. MDM Props, of London, has also created a 3D chocolate wall.

The attraction, to open on March 31, will demonstrate the journey of chocolate from Central America’s rainforests to York, including memories from the people of York and generations of secrets from the families that founded the confectionery companies Rowntree’s, Terry’s and Craven’s.

Source and Photo: The Press


Monday, March 5, 2012

Kate Middleton Admits She Loves Chocolate

Kate Middleton might be away from her husband, Prince William, but she has been spending a lot of time with his family. The Duchess of Cambridge seems to be enjoying herself despite missing her beau and it's nice to see her out and about with a smile on her face.

Kate joined Camilla and Queen Elizabeth at Fortnum & Mason, the three ladies all wearing beautiful shades of blue. While there, Kate indulged in "naughty" chocolate. "Oh, I love chocolate. Yes. I think most girls like chocolate," she confessed to the staff (via Us Weekly).

Given Kate Middleton's thin figure, it's pretty obvious that she doesn't eat a lot of chocolate and other sweets. However, it's nice to see that she let herself indulge and really enjoy her trip to the candy shop. There is nothing wrong with a little treat now and again and Kate wasn't going to pass up a delicious piece of chocolate—can you blame her?

The Queen did not have any sweet treats but Camilla did buy a bag of jellybeans. It sounds like it was a fun trip!

Source and Photo: Celebs Gather


Sunday, March 4, 2012

Recipe of the Week - Decadent Chocolate Cake

A wonderful recipe from The West that we just had to share with you.


INGREDIENTS

340g unsalted butter
210g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
460g caster sugar, plus 120g to whisk with eggs
280ml hot water
1 shot black coffee (50ml)
100ml Cointreau
70g good-quality cocoa powder
350g plain flour
12g baking powder
4 eggs


METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line cake tin with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a clean bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter, chocolate and sugar. Once melted, whisk until combined and you have smooth chocolate sauce.

3. Remove from the heat and whisk in water, coffee and Cointreau and set aside.

4. Allow to cool a little (about 5 minutes). Sift in cocoa, flour and baking powder using a spatula to combine all ingredients. In a separate bowl, with electric mixer, whisk eggs and 120g of extra sugar until pale in colour (about 3-5 minutes).

5. Fold egg and sugar mix into chocolate mix until just combined.

6. Pour cake mix into prepared tin and bake for an hour or until skewer comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool before decorating.

Source and Photo: The West


Saturday, March 3, 2012

City aims to be first town of chocolate bar none

The Romans named it “Eboracum” and the Vikings dubbed it “Jorvik”.

Now tourism chiefs are looking to brand the ancient city of York as “Britain’s Home of Chocolate” as part of a major drive to showcase its proud confectionary history which stretches back more than 100 years.

Yesterday the launch of a new Chocolate Trail marked the start of a new marketing campaign which is set to put York on the map as the nation’s capital of chocolate.

Spearheaded by Visit York, “Indulge Yourself in the Home of Chocolate” will see a series of new chocolate events and attractions launched across the city, which the tourism group’s chief executive, Gillian Cruddas, believes will deliver a sweet success in boosting York’s already flourishing tourism sector.

She said: “The city is claiming its rightful status as Home of Chocolate. Throughout its history, York has been awarded many different titles from the Romans, who chose Eboracum, meaning ‘place of the yew trees’, to the Vikings who named it Jorvik, meaning ‘horse bay’, and now we are claiming the city’s rightful association with chocolate.

“For centuries, the confectionery industry has shaped the city and it continues to satisfy the nation’s undiminished appetite for one of our favourite indulgences. Now is the right time to tell York’s chocolate story to the world.”

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The new trail, which visitors can follow on their smart phones, will see walkers embark on a tour around all the buildings in the city that have a chocolate connection, as well as chocolatiers and restaurants that specialise in all things sweet.

Also planned is the opening of a new £2m visitor attraction on March 31 branded Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story, which will celebrate the past and future of the confectionery industry.

Last September the Yorkshire Post revealed work had started on the 6,400 sq ft site in King’s Square at the end of the city’s famous Shambles. The project is being overseen by York-based firm Continuum, which helped to establish one of the city’s other leading attractions, the Jorvik Viking Centre.

York’s first ever Chocolate Festival is also set to take place on April 6–9, which has been organised by chocolatier, Sophie Jewett from York Cocoa House.

Miss Jewett, who has previously created chocolate-themed programmes for the York Food and Drink Festival, said: “It has grown and grown and we decided that it was the perfect time to create a chocolate festival for the city.

“We have got a lot of fantastic events planned at different locations and attractions around York, including a chocolate party at the top of York Minster, which will allow people to see how the city was shaped by chocolate from a very special view.

“The new campaign is absolutely wonderful and I think it will be a huge success. There’s such a strong story here in York and it’s a story that people are so passionate about.”

York is the birthplace of some of the world’s biggest confectionary dynasties including Terry’s and Rowntrees, which is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary.

The industry continues to flourish in the city and 80,000 tonnes of confectionery are produced in York each year at one of the largest chocolate factories in the world, including the world’s most successful chocolate bar, Kit Kat. A surge in the number of independent chocolatiers opening in the city and a global research centre dedicated to confectionery innovation helps York to stake its claim as the ‘Home of Chocolate”.

Mrs Cruddas said: “There has never been a better time for us to stake this claim and I think it will give us marketers even more reason for encouraging people to come to the city. It would be quite interesting if Bournville questions that claim, that would be quite nice in itself. George Cadbury Junior and Lewis Fry started their apprenticeships in York at Joseph Rowntree’s family grocery shop in York, which proves it all started here in the city. Hopefully people will want to come to York to find out more about it.”

Chocolate maker and philanthropist Joseph Rowntree developed the family’s chocolate firm to become an international success that lives on today.

His great-greatgrandson, and York Nestlé Confectionery employee Giles Naish, said: “It is fantastic York is celebrating being a chocolate city.

“Confectionery has been integral in shaping the city for generations. Not only a proud heritage but a bright future as York continues to be a confectionery centre of excellence globally.”


Source and Photo: Yorkshire Post


Friday, March 2, 2012

Chocolate egg vies to smash record

Willam Curley, who has been named Britain's best chocolatier by the Academy of Chocolate five times, is creating the giant egg using materials such as expensive Tuscan Amedei dark chocolate and Japanese Wasabi chocolate. The finished product will be auctioned in London on March 20.

The auctioneers hope to break the current Guinness World Record price for a non-jewelled chocolate egg of £1,000.

The sale is part of The Faberge Big Egg Hunt, a charity event which is trying to break a world record for having the most participants in an Easter egg hunt.

The Big Egg Hunt has seen celebrities such as film director Sir Ridley Scott and jeweller Theo Fennell design and decorate giant fibreglass eggs. Over 200 eggs will be hidden in secret locations thoughout London from tomorrow [TUESDAY] as part of the event. People will be able to bid for the eggs online.

The proceeds will go to Action for Children and Elephant Family, the charities.

Source and Photo: The Telegraph


Thursday, March 1, 2012

Berry big business boom

WHAT started as a fun sideline for brides and grooms with their wedding cakes has unexpectedly taken off with a bang.

Wicked Berries, which normally produces between 10 and 15 boxes of chocolate-coated strawberries and cake bombs a week, with peaks at Christmas and on Valentine's Day, last week found itself filling an order for 700 boxes of the yummy fruits.

Owner Kerry Sullivan, who is already well known for his award-winning wedding cakes with Modern Cake Creations, said the order from one of Australia's top 10 companies came completely out of the blue.

"They have contracted us to ship this massive order out Australia-wide to their branches," Mr Sullivan said.

"It's crazy - we've been working 16 hours a day to achieve this plus I am still creating the cakes I already had on order."

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Mr Sullivan said it was certainly exciting seeing the business taking on a life of its own.

"This little business is starting to show huge potential - not only on a general scale but also for the corporate world."

He said he was particularly pleased that feedback repeatedly mistook the business for a big city one rather than a small business in Coffs Harbour.

"It's a huge compliment to us and we are really happy we can highlight that Coffs Harbour produces products of the quality people expect in the cities."

Meanwhile at the Northside Shopping Centre last week strawberry after strawberry was being dipped in chocolate and packed into boxes with the final count a staggering 8304 cake bombs and 'wicked strawberries'.

All 700 boxes left town, on time, via Startrack Express on Monday.


Source and Photo: Coff's Advocate