Chocolate to become even tastier!

Chocolate may soon become even more irresistible thanks to a group of scientists who have pieced together the genetic code of the cacao tree.

It is hoped the DNA sequence will lead to chocolate that is healthier and tastier, and increase the sustainability of cacao crops and benefit millions of farmers.

The US researchers worked with a variety of cacao called Criollo that produces the world's best chocolate.

It was domesticated by the Maya people of Central America 3,000 years ago but is seldom grown in its pure form today.

Cacao farmers now prefer hybrid trees that yield poorer chocolate but are more resistant to disease.

Currently, production of fine cocoa - the raw ingredient of chocolate made from cacao beans - makes up less than 5% of the world total.

But the new genome, or genetic code blueprint, could see a return to the supreme quality chocolate enjoyed by the Maya.

The scientists assembled 84% of the cacao genome and identified 28,798 genes that code for proteins.

They also found that microRNAs - short strands of genetic material that help regulate genes - had a major influence on Criollo gene activity.

It is hoped the information will be used to develop high quality, disease-resistant strains.

Dr Siela Maximova, a member of the team from Pennsylvania State University, said: 'Our analysis of the Criollo genome has uncovered the genetic basis of pathways leading to the most important quality traits of chocolate - oil, flavonoid and terpene biosynthesis.

'It has also led to the discovery of hundreds of genes potentially involved in pathogen resistance, all of which can be used to accelerate the development of elite varieties of cacao in the future.'

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Source: BigPond News

10 More Reasons to Love Chocolate

We have previously outlined 10 Reasons to Love Chocolate. Well here are ten more!

10. There is an endless supply of it!

If you run out of chocolate all you need to do is go to your nearest shop to buy some more. If your nearest shop is not easy to get to you can always order your next fix of chocolate online and have it delivered straight to your work or home address.


9. Whatever your mood chocolate suits the occasion!

It doesn't matter if you are celebrating Christmas, relaxing in front of the TV or mourning the break up of a relationship, chocolate is perfect for the occasion.


8. It is an addiction you won't get arrested for!

Chocolate can be addictive as it contains stimulant substances like caffeine, theobromine and methylxantinesand and in some people it actually works like a drug. Making them feel happier and more relaxed. Unlike other addictions however chocolate is unlikely to get you arrested. So you can possess or consume several pounds of it with the fear of being sent to jail.


7. Chocolate is good for you!

Well dark chocolate is anyway. Recent studies suggest that chocolate, and especially dark chocolate, contains chemicals that lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. Flavanoids and antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to make a discernible difference in cardiovascular health. Until recently, tea was considered the main source for these chemicals. But now, scientists recommend that you have a chocolate cookie or biscuit with black tea so your body gets more of those life-lengthening chemicals.


6. You can base your holidays around it!

There are several countries around the world that make a fantastic chocolate holiday destination. You might not have necessarily thought of it amongst their other tourist attractions but a trip to New York, Paris, St Lucia or Brussels can include a taste and exploration of some of the best chocolate in the world.

5. It makes a great gift!

Everybody loves chocolate so if you're ever unsure of what to get someone for their birthday, Christmas, retirement, graduation or any celebration or occasion at all, a chocolate gift box is bound to be well received.


4. Chocolate is cheaper than Prozac!

Let's face it we all know chocolate improves our mood. And I know what I would rather have prescribed to me.


3. You can take it anywhere you go!

It doesn't matter where you go - on a flight, on the commute to work, to the cinema, park, beach or on an errand - you can take a chocolate with you to any destination. The same can't be said for other things you cherish. (Try taking your cat/dog to the cinema or your favourite Slipknot CD to work).


2. You can get paid to eat chocolate!

Most chocolate companies employ tasters to monitor the quality of their produce. Generally these tasters possess no formal qualifications in chocolate production but they do have an acute sense of taste and smell. If this is you then a dream job like this one at Green and Black's awaits. Who wouldn't want to make a living eating something they love!

1. It tastes Great!

Whether it be milk, dark or white, combined with nuts, fruit or some kind of lolly, the taste of chocolate is something we simply all enjoy. After all that is why we eat it isn't it?


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Chocolate companies shrink size of UK's favourite bars in bid to beat VAT hike and rising costs

Some of the biggest confectionery firms in the UK are shrinking their most popular brands in an attempt to protect their profits.

Companies such as Nestle and Cadburys have reduced the size of some of their most popular brands whilst at the same time increasing their prices to shelter profits from the rise in VAT, which is looming in January.

Poundland offers a typical example. Chief Executive Jim McCarthy said he’s agreed to cut the size of Toblerones by one triangle so he can keep the price at £1.

Similarly Dairy Milk bars will lose a couple of chunks in February whilst a bag of Maltesers will reduce in weight from 140g to 120g.

Bourneville, which was lablled a 'Scrooge' for removing the expensive chocolates from tubs of Heros two years ago, has taken more cost-cutting steps, under its new owner, Kraft.

A Cadburys spokesman, according to the Guardian Newspaper claimed they increased the price of packs due to rising ingredient costs.

Mintel analyst David Jago said the first wave of changes in confectionary value went largely unnoticed. Changes in the sizes of bars such as Mars and Twix were not obvious to most consumers, but now that companies are changing the price of bars as well, people are noticing a change.

Jago said the changes are a tactic being used by confectionary companies to keep profit margins stable when VAT is expected to rise and the price of sugar and cocoa are also increasing.

He also said manufacturers had been asked to alter the size of packs to help tackle the obesity epidemic.

The cost of chocolate has been rising since 2007 when cocoa prices hit a 33-year high over £2700 a tonne.

Customers are already seeing price rises at newsagents. Cadburys and Nestle have boosted recommended retail prices of Kit Kat, Yorkie, Wispa and Dairy Milk by a noticeable 7% – more than twice the rate of inflation.

A Nestle spokesman said the company ‘occasionally’ made changes to prices due to a change in formation or packaging.

The Office for National Statistics has said that food inflation is nearly 5%, in part due to Russia’s ban on grain and wheat exports following the summer droughts.


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Source: Daily Mail

Merry Christmas!

Moo-Lolly-Bar would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry and Chocolatey Christmas.

Hope you have a good one!

Chocolate-covered sausage?

When Jeff Tweten needed a special dessert for his grandkids last year at Thanksgiving, he came up with something very unusual — chocolate-covered venison sausage.

Tweten, of Lakewood Township near Duluth, sent some samples of that creation along to the News Tribune’s Great Venison Sausage/Jerky Contest, which was judged Wednesday at the newspaper’s offices.

Soon after he made chocolate-covered sausage, Tweten began getting grief from his buddies about the concoction.

“One of my friends said, 'Jeff, that’s wrong on so many levels'" Tweten said.

But the damage was already done. It was as if something had gone awry at a wild-game fondue party.

Tweten put toothpicks in small squares of the chocolate-covered sausage when he dropped off his samples for the contest. Just wait. This is sure to show up at the Minnesota State Fair as chocolate-covered venison sausage on a stick, although it might have to be deep-fried for good measure.

Judges at the News Tribune’s sausage contest were admittedly a bit leery about the choco-sausage-on-a-stick offerings.

“It looks bizarre,” said judge Maggie Jezierski of Duluth. “You can’t see the meat that’s inside there.”

One by one, Jezierski and fellow judges Karl Seckinger of Two Harbors and Scott Youngdahl of Duluth tried Tweten’s creation.

“Strangely good,” Youngdahl said.

“Ain’t bad,” Seckinger said. “I would have used dark chocolate, but it’s surprisingly good.”

“What’s that liquid in there?” Jezierski asked. “I feel like I’m eating a chocolate-covered cherry.”

There was no liquid in there, Tweten said. It was just venison sausage dipped in melted Dove chocolate, he said.

“The venison has to be cold so the chocolate sets up,” he added. “And you have to heat the chocolate in a double-boiler so it doesn’t burn.”

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Source: Duluth News Tribune

Chocolate Rediscovered In Peru!

Chocolate once thought to be extinct in peru has been rediscovered.

A variety of the plant Cacao, the plant used to make a version of chocolate called Pure Nacional has been rediscovered in Peru. The chocolate, which has fruit and floral flavors and once dominated the worldwide chocolate market, was pretty much entirely wiped out and considered lost when diseases plagued the Pure Nacional population in Ecuador resulting in more than 95% of the trees being destroyed.

Just recently, The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed the amazing rediscovery of the once forgotten chocolate. In 2007, Dan Pearson and Brian Horsley discovered cacao trees growing on small farms in a remote canyon in Peru’s Maranon Canyon while they were sourcing fruit in the same area. They grew curious about football-shaped pods filled with white and purple beans and sent samples to the USDA for testing who then confirmed these were indeed chocolate plants.

'The international cacao database has 5,300 entries. None are Pure Nacional with white beans. Cacao pods with 40% and 100% white Pure Nacional beans are an unprecedented discovery' said Meinhardt.

The most amazing part about this discovery is the uniqueness of these particular plants. The high canyon walls in the Maranon Canyon create a unique climate for the trees that thrive at the highest altitudes ever reporter for cacao (between 3,500 and 4,100 feet).

With the help of specialists and ongoing testing, the rare beans are now being processed and being backed by Maranon Chocolate, which was founded after the discovery. They are being produced for the public by the Swiss chocolate maker and will be present at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City on January 11, 2011 for the launch of the chocolate.

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Source: The Institute of Culinary Education

Nestle buys Jenny Craig!

In a move that will surely raise some eyebrows, Nestle, the company behind such popular confectionery treats as Kit Kat, Violet Crumble and Aero, have announced it will soon take over the management of weight-loss giant Jenny Craig.

The multinational food company and chocolate manufacturer has confirmed it will acquire all shares of the group that controls the Jenny Craig franchise in Australia and New Zealand at an undisclosed price. When the acquisition goes through next month it will complete Nestle's takeover of Jenny Craig. A process which began in 2006 with the US$600 million buy-out of its international arm.

The move has been met with some cynicism, with one prominent nutritionist likening the deal to a perfect circle where Nestle can now profit from a person get fatter and also losing weight. However when asked about its dual interest in confectionery and weight-loss, a Nestle spokesperson reiterated that chocolate could be part of a healthy diet.

"Chocolate in moderation can be a fun part of a balanced diet, as a treat," the spokesperson said.

"However, the rise of obesity is a major public health concern around the world, and one which we share, and the Jenny Craig acquisition allows us to help many of our consumers."

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Source: News.com.au

Recipe of the Week - Lindt Truffles

A fantastic recipe for all lovers of Lindt Chocolate, these truffles are not only deluxe but also are quite easy to make. For an ultra gourmet finish try using grated coconut, finely ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, almonds or pistachios instead of the cocoa powder or powdered sugar.


INGREDIENTS (Makes approx 25)

2 x 100g bars of Lindt Dark Chocolate or Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy
8oz double cream
200g cocoa powder or powdered sugar


METHOD

1. Break the Lindt Chocolate into pieces and melt (ideally in a bain marie at 40 - 50 °C) until it has fully melted.

 2. Heat the full cream briefly, add the melted chocolate and mix together well. Cover the chocolate mixture with cling film ensuring it is air-tight and leave to chill for roughly 8 hours in the fridge.

3. Pour the cocoa powder or powdered sugar into a small bowl. Using a tea spoon, measure out some truffle mixture (approx 10 grams should suffice) and work it into a ball. Roll the ball into the cocoa powder or powdered sugar (or alternative ingredients mentioned above) and place on a serving plate.


IMPORTANT -  Keep your truffles in a cool, dark and dry place. Do not put it the fridge as the moisture will ruin it.


Recipe posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Clever marketing or chocolate harrassment?

An Israeli confectionery company seems to have gone one step too far in an unusual, aggressive attempt to market a new chocolate bar.

An anonymous letter sent to dozens of Israeli women this week stated: "I saw you at lunch break next to the elevator, yielding for something new, original and unexpected. Ever since then, I have been imagining our first date at midday, I can't wait!" reads the hand written message, Haaretz daily newspaper reports.

"I don't know how to tell you this so I will be direct: let's meet over coffee for lunch or maybe for a different sort of meeting in the evening. But remember: if you don't come to me, I will already get to you," the letter concludes.

Among the women who received the mysterious note was parliament member Miri Regev who filed a compliant against the anonymous stalker.

"This was a very unpleasant thing to read" she told CNN.

Regev only found the message to be a commercial hoax when police investigation traced an advertising company as the sender.

"The revelation left me outraged. This is simply unacceptable, to be used as a woman just in order to market a product in such a manner that crosses all the red lines," she said.

Police are still investigating the story and have yet to decide whether to press charges against the creative writers and the confectionery company.

EDK advertising, who was responsible for the controversial idea told Haaretz: "The mere fact that the media is talking about the campaign means that it was a success. In any case, this is not a criminal offense."

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Source: IME Producer

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Jalapeno Brownies

Chocolate and chilli is a fabulous combination and these delicious cookies highlight this very well. Easy to make and absolutely delicious, they go perfectly with a blob of ice cream.


Ingredients

5 oz baking chocolate
4  large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup of oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped jalapenos 


Method

1. Slowly melt the chocolate over a bowl of hot water.

2. Beat the eggs into a mixture of flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly fold in the sugar. When the batter is smooth, blend in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and oil and stir it until it's well blended.

3. Stir in the jalapenos, then spoon the mixture into a greased rectangular pan.

4. Bake for about half an hour at 350 degrees then remove from the oven.

5. Cut into squares while it's still warm and serve with ice cream.


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Customer of the Month!

Congratulations to Trena Lyons of Noosa Heads, Queensland who is this month's 'CUSTOMER OF THE MONTH!'.

Trena has won herself $25 of free chocolates and lollies just by placing an online order with Moo-Lolly-Bar in November.

One lucky winner will win the same prize on December 31st 2010.


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A Giant Chocolate Christmas Tree!

In a move sure to delight many, a famous French chocolatier has prepared a giant chocolate Christmas tree for a television charity event aimed at raising funds to support research into neuromuscular diseases.

The ten-meter-high tree, towering inside chocolatier Patrick Roger's chocolate factory in the Parisian suburb of Sceaux, weighs a trouser popping four tonnes and is described as a rare piece of 'architecture'.

"To achieve this kind of architecture - because this really is a piece of architecture - we used a sort of cavity inside to make the chocolate solid enough, because there is very strong vertical pressure," explained Roger.

The tree, which took Roger's team over a month to craft, will be one of the main highlights at France's Telethon, a nationwide charity event that will be broadcast on French television on December 3 and 4. Participants will receive pieces of the tree in exchange for their donations.

Patrick Roger is one France's most famous chocolatiers. He was honoured as the prestigious 'Meilleur Ouvrier de France Chocolatier' (best French artisan-chocolatier) in 2000, an award for professionals combining art and taste and proving to be worthy representatives of French gastronomy.

Roger's laboratory also features a wide range of other chocolate sculptures, including small Santas, reindeers and other figurines.

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Source and Photo: News MSN

The World's Biggest Chocolate Bar!

Armenian Company, Grand Candy, smashed the Guinness World Record recently for the biggest chocolate bar every made. Weighing in at 4,410 kg the gigantic bar beat the previous record, which was made in Italy in 2007 by over 830kg.

To mark its 10th anniversary on September 11, the company held a presentation ceremony to unveil their creation which measured in at 5600 x 2750 x 250 millimeters and took four days to make using cocoa beans imported from Africa. According to the Guinness terms, the bar is 70% made from natural primary products – 500kg of cocoa beans and 300kg of powdered sugar.

According to the Grand Candy President Karen Vardanyan the record-setting bar, which will be kept in special conditions, would take the average consumer some 450 years to eat!

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Source and picture: World Breaking Record

Recipe of the Week - Cherry Coke Salad

I'll bet this is a new one on you!

Originating from the Deep South, Cherry Coke Salad might not necessarily sound like a match made in Heaven but when served as a dessert or sweet salad on a hot day it is actually surprisingly good! For best results it is well worth leaving this dessert in the fridge for 24 hours to really let the flavour soak in.


Ingredients

20 oz crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup water
6 oz cherry gelatin powder
21oz cherry pie filling
3/4 cup Cherry Coke
Handful of roughly chopped Pecan or Macadamia Nuts
Whipped Cream
Cadbury's Flake


Method

1.  Drain the pineapple and set aside.

2.  Pour the pineapple juice into a saucepan, add the water and bring to a boil.

3.  Remove saucepan from the stove and stir in the gelatin powder until the gelatin mixture is dissolved.

4. Add the cherry pie filling and Cherry Coke and pour mixture into a serving bowl.

5. Leave to chill until the mixture starts to thicken.

6.  Fold in the reserved crushed pineapple and pecan or macadamia nuts.

7. Refrigerate until firm and then serve topped with whipped cream and a crushed Cadbury's Flake.


Recipe posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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A global chocolate shortage ahead?

It is every chocophile's worst nightmare. A shortage of chocolate in the world. But some experts are predicting it soon could become a real possibility.

An ongoing drought in Western Africa, coupled with continuing unrest in the Ivory Coast - the world's biggest cocoa producer - and a rising consumer demand for cocoa-rich dark chocolate has raised concerns about the potential of a shortage in supply.

As a result, cocoa futures have been trading at three-year highs, with prices rallying since the beginning of the year.

'In the last few months, cocoa prices have rallied on expectations for a smaller crop from the Ivory Coast and Ghana' said Boyd Cruel, a senior analyst at Alaron Trading who specialises in the cocoa market.

In general World production of cocoa is down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis from 2005-2006, according to the International Cocoa Organization and cocoa's price has risen 44% since November 2005.

But don't fret at the thought of a $5 Mars Bar just yet. Cruel said that markets have already factored in the supply issue. The highs reached this week are technical in nature, he said, because news of the drought has been out for months.

Other commodities analysts agree including Barclays' Sudakshina Unnikrishnan who told Bloomberg News from London 'On the fundamental side, we don't expect to see changes in demand'.

'Going into the second quarter, the real wild card continues to be based on the conditions and political situation in Ivory Coast'.

For the sake of all chocolate lovers the world over, let's hope the situation doesn't pan out to our worst case scenario.

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The World's Biggest Kit Kat

Now this is our idea of a chocolate bar!

We've all seen supersized chocolate bars before, but this is truly amazing! A chap called Brian has created quite possibly the biggest Kit Kat bar ever made. Apparently he started by going to the local hardware store and buying one of those big flower boxes. Then he filled it with molten chocolate and six packs of Loacker Quadratini cookies (for the crunchy interior).

When it was finished, the giant Kit Kat chocolate bar measured 28 inches long and weighed over 13.5 kilograms. Named Mega Giganta Kat, by its creator, this calorie bomb has over 72,000 calories. Considering a person’s daily calorie intake is around 1,800-2,200, that’s pretty scary.

Two things we weren't able to ascertain was how he made the Kit Kat logo, (it was most probably carved) and how long it took him to eat.

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Source: Oddity Central

Does Chocolate leads to a healthier heart?

Apparently older women who eat chocolate regularly are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, an Australian study shows.

Researchers in Perth found that women who ate chocolate were less likely to be hospitalised or die of atherosclerotic vascular disease than those who steered clear of it.

And they did not even need to over-indulge to obtain the cardiovascular benefit, with similar benefits applying to those who ate chocolate only once a week and those who ate it daily, according to the study published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

More than 1,200 women over the age of 70 took part in the study and were tracked for a decade.

Nearly half had less than one serving of chocolate a week, which was the equivalent amount of cocoa in one cup of hot chocolate, a third were having one to six servings a week and the rest had a serving daily.

Around 88 of those who ate chocolate rarely were hospitalised or died from heart disease during the study period, compared to 65 women who ate chocolate more frequently.

And another 35 of those infrequent consumers experienced heart failure, while only 18 chocolate-consumers died from the same condition.


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Source: 6 Minutes

The world's biggest chocoholic?

A 21-year-old woman from South Korea has become an overnight celebrity in her native country by officially claiming to be the world's biggest chocolate addict.

On November 2nd, Kim Do-yeon made an appearance on a Korean TV show, where she confessed to having eaten over 1.2 TONS of chocolate in the last six years alone. You wouldn't guess it from her figure, for Kim is quite slim, but on the show, in front of a live studio audience, she backed up this claim by drinking it from a glass and eating it mixed with noodles or steamed rice. She even revealed that she melts small pots of chocolate every day and mixes it into everything she eats, even meat.

I thought I was a chocoholic but Ms Do-yeon certainly puts me to shame.

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Source and picture taken from the Oddity Central.

A picture of sweetness

There are numerous tales surrounding Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile, but perhaps none so sweet as the story of the one involving Kristen Cumings, of Martinez, who has created a quite stunning meticulous rendition of Da Vinci’s famous masterpiece entirely out of JELLY BELLY JELLY BEANS.

Cumings has been a Martinez resident since 2004. Prior to her move, she and her husband resided in San Francisco. A native of Indiana, Kristen attended Wheaton Conservatory, where she majored in music. She began painting with acrylics after giving up the French horn, though the paintings were mainly for friends and family members. One friend, who works for Jelly Belly, told Cumings the company was looking for a jelly bean artist. She pursued the position and has been busy ever since.

Although Cumings states that she is “more of a chocolate person,” she, her children and their friends love Jelly Bellys. So far she has been able to resist eating the beans while working with them, but she admits, “when I’m standing back to look the piece over I might snack a bit … but they’re only like four calories a piece, so it’s not that bad.” When asked what her favorite bean flavor is, Kristen had to think for a moment. “I go through phases … right now it’s probably Juicy Pear, but I really got into Sour Cherry during my last piece.”

Cumings’s most famous work of art currently is the 4’ by 6’ rendition of the Mona Lisa. Both Cumings and the piece were featured recently on the Rachael Ray Show. “It was really surreal,” she recalled on Wednesday, “it felt like I was living someone else’s life. But it was a fun trip.”

The show also featured her portrait of a California grizzly bear, which she put together over three or four weekends at the State Fair last August. She recalls the process being, “somewhat tedious, people kept coming by and asking questions, it was hot, my glue started melting … but I was right next to the candy place, so it smelled good.”

Aside from the grizzly bear illustration, all of Cumings’s pieces have been put together in her garage in Martinez. An average Jelly Belly piece uses 14,000 to 16,000 beans, depending on the size, and typically a palette of 25 to 30 colors of beans. Fortunately for her, Jelly Belly provides all of the beans. The entire art process, including finding and cropping an image and picking out the beans, takes between 150 and 200 hours.


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Source and picture taken from the Martinez Gazette.

Nestle to switch all Australian Kit Kats to UTZ Cocoa

Continuing their commitment to Fair Trade and sustainable cocoa production methods Nestle have announced that as of next year all Kit Kats sold in Australia will be made using UTZ-certified cocoa.

The internationally recognized set of criteria for ethical and professional cocoa growing, UTZ cocoa, which includes socially and environmentally appropriate growing practices and efficient farm management, is already used in the four-finger Kit Kat version in Australia, but Nestle has now pledged to switch all of the brand’s portfolio of products to the certified cocoa next year.

Andrew McIver, business executive manager for confectionery within Nestle Australia explained that the decision was part of Nestle’s overall broader “Cocoa Plan”, launched last year, a global programme aims amongst other things to increase production yields and improving the social conditions around the farming of cocoa.

'The cocoa sector faces challenges like poor soil fertility management, ageing tree stocks, improper use of chemicals, low farmer income and poor labour practices. At the same time consumers are increasingly aware of these challenges and demand products that are grown in a sustainable way,' McIver said.

'We believe certification is a critical component to our overall approach. It provides the framework to reward farmers and their organisations for producing cocoa in a sustainable manner, and certification also gives our consumers added assurance that the cocoa was produced under proper conditions'.

Now that's something we can all get our teeth into.

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Every woman's dream?

Fashion and chocolate, two of women's favourite indulgences perfectly merged in an incredible show of style and taste by Salon du Chocolat at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, France.

A couple of the main highlights of this show, the theme of which was Fair Trade, were an over-sized, magnificent hoop skirt of chocolate that was designed by Patrice Chapon and modeled by Irene Salvador and a chocolate fashion experiment in which model Nubia Esteban played a bird in a chocolate cage, complete with chocolate wings, a chocolate bustier and short skirt that was designed by Bailey's and Carole Dichampt (see picture).

In commissioning these pieces Salon du Chocolat aimed to showcase that ethically obtained and environmentally friendly, sustainable and delicious chocolate is a reality that can be enjoyed by everyone. With such stunning examples, Salon du Chocolat surely made its point.

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Chocolate as a Teaching Tool

A great story from Jackson.com.

Their article a clever use of chocolate describes how one ingenious elementary teacher uses Hershey's chocolate bars to illustrate fractions.

Apparently Michelle Lester has been teaching 'chocolate fractions' to her students for a few years now and claims that the students grasp the concept of fractions more easily with this idea.

'During chocolate fractions, Lester reads problems aloud from a book provided by the Hershey Corporation. Students then have to figure out the fractions remaining by removing the individual pieces of the Hershey bar."

If only my teacher had been so inventive!

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Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Tofu Mousse

It sounds exotic! And even a little weird. But this recipe for Chocolate Tofu Mousse is not only incredibly easy to make its also rather delicious!

Ingredients

10 oz silken tofu

3oz 70% dark chocolate

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup drained and seeded raspberry puree, 

1 tbsp brandy (optional)

Method 

1. Puree the tofu in a blender or food processor, until it is smooth.

2. Place chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, raspberry puree and brandy in a saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch of barely simmering water. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth.

3. Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. For an extra touch sprinkle a Cadbury's Flake over the top of the mixture.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director of Moo-Lolly-Bar.
The best online chocolate, lolly and confectionery store on the web!

The Dream Job?

Green & Black's, the chocolate company, is looking for a Taste Assistant to help them come up with new flavour combinations, test new products and travel round the world sourcing ingredients.

Although no formal qualifications are required only a limited number of people are blessed with acute enough sense of taste and smell to do it.

However, your chances may be greater if you are young and female.

According to experts women tend to have better sense of taste and smell than men. Those under 35 are likely to have sharper senses than those who are older since sensitivities to taste tend to decline with age.

Micah Carr-Hill, Green & Black's Head of Taste, said: "Despite 1 in 4 Britons being born with the right physiology to be a 'supertaster' I'm looking for someone with a good nose too. A highly developed sense of smell is just as important in determining a person's suitability to be my assistant and help me to create the future flavours of Green & Blacks."

Flavour is made up of a complex combination of taste, smell, touch, temperature and sensation with smell the most important aspect.

Candidates will have to undergo a blind taste test as part of the interview process in which they must identify the flavours of specially created bars of chocolate.

The final five applicants will then take part in a live "Taste Challenge" at the beginning of next year.

In a bid to attract the right candidate Green & Black's are advertising the post in cinemas as well as on Facebook, the social networking website.

Humans have around 7,000 to 8,000 taste buds with 4,600 on the tongue and a further 2,500 on the soft palate and roof of the mouth. According to a report by Prof Tim Jacobs of Cardiff University, women tend to be more taste-sensitive than men because they have a greater density of taste buds, or papillae, and are usually significantly more sensitive to bitter (and other) tastes. They are at their most sensitive during the first trimester of pregnancy when the foetus is most vulnerable to poisons.

Experts claim that Britons tend to compromise their sense of taste by eating too fast and being wary of mixing flavours.

Mr Carr-Hill said: "The field is wide open and we're welcoming applications from everyone."

Candidates should apply by December 16 and expect to start their job in early 2011.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Source and picture taken from The Telegraph.

Ouch!

An Iranian crook will lose a hand and spend a year in jail - for stealing chocolate!

The 21-year-old, whose identity was not released, was arrested in May after busting up a pastry shop in Tehran, according to the Fars new agency.

The man was accused of damaging the store, and making off with $900, as well as chocolate and cocoa.

The amputation of a hand is used in Iran in cases of repeated theft. All I can say is ouch!


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Source and picture taken from Dominican Today.

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Beer Cake

We saw this on the fantastic The Cake Mistress and just had to share it with you. Not least as it combines two of our favourite things!


INGREDIENTS

250ml Beer
225g unsalted butter
65g unsweetened cocoa powder (3/4 cup)
215g plain flour
80g Almond Meal
360g caster sugar (2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
160g sour cream (2/3 cup)


METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (150c fan-forced). Grease your cake/muffin tin well.

2. Simmer the beer and butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat, then whisk cocoa powder through until fully combined.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking soda and salt together and stir to combine.

4. In a medium bowl, hand-beat the eggs and sour cream, then stir the warm chocolate mix in.

5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and gently hand-fold in the wet mix with a rubber spatula until combine.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes for cupcakes or 20-25 minutes for cake, or until the cake comes away from the sides of the pan and a skewer comes out clean.

7. Leave the cakes to completely cool before trying to remove from the pan. Dust with icing sugar to finish.


Recipe posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Article and picture taken from The Cake Mistress.

National Chocolate Week

This week in the UK is National Chocolate Week. A week of pure indulgence which will see the country's best chocolatiers and chocolate shops holding events all over the UK.

The highlight of Chocolate Week undoubtedly will be Chocolate Unwrapped where visitors can immerse themselves in a decadent feast of chocolate of all kinds, shapes and taste. Exhibitors this year include Artisan du Chocolat, William Curley, Paul a Young, Melt, Rococo, Rabot Estate, Duffy Sheardown, Original Beans, Amedei, Cacao Sampaka, Melt and many more. Features of the show include:

- Chocolate tastings and experiences
- A stunning exhibition of chocolate art and sculptures
- Talks from top chocolatiers, experts and authors
- Chocolate and flavour tastings
- Try Sanguinaccio chocolate blood pudding
- Taste chocolate as it would have tasted 100 years ago
- Sign the chocolate wall
- Try new chocolate launches
- Try chocolate made from rare cacao beans
- Enter the chocolate and love tasting booth.

The week long event finishes on the 17th October 2010. More information about it can be viewed here.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Luxury Chocolate Risotto!

A traditional Italian dish made with short grain Arborio rice, Risotto is usually served as a savoury meal. However this recipe for a Luxury Chocolate Risotto provides a fun and fantastic option for dessert.

Ingredients

100g Arborio Rice
20g Butter
550ml Milk
30g Sugar
50g Quality Dark Chocolate
100g Chopped Nuts
1/2 Cup of Cherries
1 Banana (Chopped)
1 Apple (Diced)
Handful of Apricots (Chopped)


Method

1. Simmer the milk gently on a low heat.

2. Melt the butter in a separate pot and add the unwashed rice, stirring until the rice is coated.

3. Add a quarter of the milk and allow it to re-boil, stirring frequently.

4. Add the rest of the milk, a bit at a time, until it is all absorbed in approximately 20 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, chocolate, nuts and fruit, stirring in gently.

6. Allow the risotto to stand briefly before serving hot or cold.


Recipe posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Beetroot Cake

It might sound strange but this is a really moist and delicious chocolate cake. It is also extremely easy to make. For best results dust icing sugar on top of the cake or served it with custard or chocolate sauce.

Ingredients

230g self-raising flour
200g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter
3 large eggs
100g drinking chocolate
100g quality dark chocolate
250g cooked grated beetroot


Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and flour a rounded cake tin.

2. Sift together the flour and drinking chocolate in a bowl, then stir in the sugar.

3. In a bowl suspended over a pot of hot water, slowly melt the chocolate and butter.

4. Add the beetroot and the eggs to the chocolate and butter and mix well.

5. Once fully mixed combined the beetroot mix to the dry ingredients and stir well.

6. Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 50 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin for ten minutes to cool then serve.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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You know you love chocolate if....

You know you love chocolate if :

Would you name your child Mars?

1. You name your children  Mars and Twix.

2. You have a tendency to melt in hot weather.

3. You fall asleep by counting the number of chocolate bars you've eaten in the year instead of sheep.

4. You judge people by the type of chocolate they eat.

5. You consider ‘Death by Chocolate’ the only way to go.

6. Your favourite wine is Cocoa Cuvee Brut.

7. You campaign to have a national holiday created to commemorate the discovery of cocoa.

8. Your ideal holiday is a trip to Cadbury's World.

9. Your favourite choice of eatery is the Lindt Cafe.

10. You have severe panic attacks when your down to your last ten bars.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Baby Ruth Cookies

This recipe for cookies uses Baby Ruth Chocolate bars but you can use any chocolate bar you like. It is pretty quick and very easy to make and most of all tastes absolutely wonderful!

Ingredients

Baby Ruth chocolate bars,
the key ingredient of this delicious cookie.

1/3 cup of plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
115 grams soft butter
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
(1 bar) Baby Ruth, roughly chopped


Method

1. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Thoroughly beat in the egg and dry ingredients and then mix in the roughly chopped Baby Ruth bar.

4. Drop half teaspoons of the mixture about 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 190 degrees centigrade for approximately 8 to 10 minutes as desired.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Butterfinger Squares

If you love Butterfinger chocolates bars this delicious and easy to make recipe takes the taste sensation to a whole new level!

Butterfinger bars. Available from
http://www.moolollybar.com.au

Ingredients

6 Butterfinger bars
6 cups toasted rice cereal
4 cups mini marshmallows
3 tbsp butter



Method
1.Chop up 3 Butterfinger bars into a bowl. Mix in 6 cups of toasted rice cereal and set aside.

2. Slowly melt 3 tablespoons of butter into a saucepan and then add 4 cups of mini marshmallows to the pan. Carefully heat on the stove top for 1 minute and then add the chopped Butterfinger bars and cereal mixture, gently stirring as you add.
3. Pour the mixture into a rectangular baking pan and let it cool until hardened. Crumble the rest of the Butterfinger bars across the top and then cut the pan contents into squares and serve.
 
 
Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Easy Chocolate Cupcakes with Lindt Ball centres

We came across this delicious recipe on the Betty's Bites blog and just had to let you know about it. Its absolutely beautiful!

Ingredients

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
with Lindt Balls Centres. Yummy!

3 tbsp butter

1 cup self raising flour

2 tbsp cocoa

1 cup castor sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
12 assorted lindt balls

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180'

2. Melt butter, and mix with remaining ingredients until smooth.

3. Spoon into cupcake cases, add lindt ball into each centre.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, Cool.

5. Serve warm, or keep in the fridge to serve anytime!


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Joke of the Week!

Mum - 'Jim, there were two chocolate cakes in the fridge yesterday and now there's only one. Why?'

Fred - 'Gee I don't know Mum. It was late at night so I guess didn't see the other one!'


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ok it sounds a bit weird but take it from us this recipe for Chocolate Avocado Mousse is quite wonderful. It also is incredibly easy to make. This particular recipe makes about 12 serves.

Ingredients

2 Avocados
1 Banana
10ml Vanilla Extract
150g Cocoa Powder
120ml Maple Syrup


Method

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor, blend until smooth and pipe into glasses.

2. Garnish with a Cadbury's Flake if desired.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Joke of the Week

A woman was driving home from a business trip in a remote part of northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. Since her trip was a long and lonely one and the woman didn't look threatening at all, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride to the next town. With a silent nod of thanks, the woman got into the car and together they drove off.

Several awkward seconds passed before the driver attempted to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo woman. However the old woman just sat silently, looking intently at everything she saw, studying every little detail meticulously. Several more seconds passed before the Navajo woman suddenly noticed in the rear view mirror a white bag in the back seat.

"What in bag?" asked the old woman, intrigued.

"It's a box of chocolates' The driver replied before adding 'I got it for my husband".

The Navajo woman considered this for another brief moment. Then speaking with the assured wisdom of a worldly elder, she muttered:

'Good trade'

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Size Matters!

Like this? You can buy this poster from AllPosters.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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