Is there anyone who really,
truly does not like chocolate?
By Cynthia Bowan
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I suppose there could be, but frankly, I have NO clue as to why they would not. I started thinking about chocolate this morning, mainly because a friend wanted to know the difference between regular chocolate and German's chocolate. So I did a bit of research into the different types of chocolate, and where chocolate comes from...
"Real" chocolate is made from chocolate liquor, which is produced from cocoa pods. (Not really "liquor", just processed from the pods.) Beans are dried in the sun then roasted, then they are cracked open and the kernels are separated from the shells. The kernels are then ground up to release the cocoa butter, carbs and proteins, which are all in the thick liquid oil called chocolate liquor. The refining process continues until the mixture ends up as a
coarse chocolate or powder.
The "German" in "German Chocolate Cake" has nothing to do with Germany, but comes from the brand name of chocolate in the original recipe. Forty years ago, the recipe for German Chocolate Cake - a cake that rose from the obscurity of a home kitchen to become an American classic - was first published - not in Germany, as many believe, but in Dallas.
A Texas homemaker sent the recipe for German's chocolate cake to a Dallas newspaper in the fall of 1957, or so say Kraft Foods, who now own the brand. The huge sales of German's Sweet Chocolate sales alerted the staff at General Foods (which then owned Baker's Chocolate) and they knew they had a good thing going! The company quickly sent copies of the recipe and photos of the cake to newspapers across the nation.
The cake became the most popular baked item from coast to coast. Food editors were overwhelmed with readers wanting to know where they could buy the chocolate. Sales soared.
Today, we can still buy Baker's German's Chocolate, but we can also buy mixes for the sweet chocolate-cake as well as the traditional coconut-pecan topping and other products including "German chocolate" pies, brownies, sheet cakes - even cheesecakes. German's Chocolate can be found on almost every grocery store shelf.
The cake was, of course, named from the sweet chocolate baking bar, which was developed for Baker's Chocolate Co. in 1852 by Sam German. However, in most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, which leads some folks to believe that it is German.
But whether the ingredient is Baker's German or a semisweet, cocoa or milk chocolate, bar, chips or powder - it doesn't matter which form it comes in, chocolate is wonderful. When it comes to chocolate, I am like the character Deanna Troi on Star Trek: Next Generation. In one episode, Deanna said, "I never met a chocolate I didn't like".
I sent my friend Jody a card once with another chocolate quote: There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE (Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers").
Chocolate is VERY good for you. Eating chocolate has now been proven to help prevent blood clots. Chocolate is high in antioxidants. Also, there was a report from some professor, who said that eating chocolate on long airplane flights could help passengers who suffered from deep vein thrombosis.
I just like chocolate, I eat it because it makes me feel good - it satisfies some deep need to be nice to myself.
The only thing I do not like which concerns chocolates, are the terrible people who either bite into a piece and put it back in the box if they don't like the filling, or else, just like my Momma used to do - turn the chocolate upside down, and stick their finger in it to check out the contents.
So what if you don't know what the filling is? EAT IT! You know, the odds are, the next piece you pick up will be one of your favorites...
Male or female, chocolate soothes the savage beast in us all.
There was this great joke going around the Internet for a while about chocolate. Seems there was this guy, walking along the beach, who found an old bottle half buried in the sand. Well, you know how those stories go - he wiped it off and out popped a genie, who of course, gave him the standard three wishes.
Well, first of all, the guy asked for a million dollars. Poof! There was a million dollars. Then he wished for a red corvette - and Poof! There was the car. One wish to go...he had to think about this for a couple minutes, because he didn't want to waste it.
He had money and a classy car...what was left but a woman? More than just that - after all, he had the money and the car. So, he happily asked the genie to make him irresistible to ALL women, and...
Poof! He turned into a box of chocolates...
Moral of the story: be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. <GBG>
Well, that being said, I am now very hungry for chocolate. I think I will go to my kitchen and see what I can come up with...in the meantime, I offer you these wonderful delights. May you survive your next chocolate attack, and may you Enjoy! the following.
Oh, and remember: if you break a bar of chocolate, or cut a truffle in half etc., all the calories will fall out!
<GBG>.
CYH consider yourself hugged!!!
Basic German's Sweet Chocolate Cake
(Makes 3 layers)
4 oz German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1cup buttermilk
Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla, and chocolate. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Fold in egg whites. Pour into three 9" pans, lined on bottoms with wax paper. Bake at 350F.for
30-35 minutes. Frost tops with Coconut Pecan Frosting, leaving sides unfrosted.
Coconut Pecan Filling and Frosting
1cup evaporated milk
1cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine all ingredients except coconut and pecans in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes. When mixture thickens, remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool until it becomes easy to spread.
This is my most favorite cookie...
Mocha Mountains
Makes about 3 dozen or so, depending on the size you make.
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick unsalted butter, cut in bits
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. instant espresso powder
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, 1 1/2 c. chips and butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from heat. (Or melt in microwave, being careful to not over cook.)
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale, beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate, mixing well. Fold chocolate mixture into flour, stir in remaining chips. Let batter stand for 15 minutes.
Drop by heaping T. onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies
in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 8-10 minutes or until they are puffed, shiny and cracked on top. (They will be flat, not resembling mountains. The name is a joke.) Let cookies cool on baking sheets, transfer to racks to completely cool.
Note: I have also made this with raspberry-flavored and mint-flavored chocolate chips, omitting the espresso powder when I did.
Candy Bar Chocolate Pound Cake
Makes 12 servings.
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 large (7-oz.) chocolate bar, melted
1 large (16-oz.) can chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a tube pan; set aside.
Cream sugar and butter; add eggs one at a time. Add melted chocolate bar, syrup and vanilla. Add buttermilk with soda added to it, alternately with flour, a little at a time. Pour into prepared tube pan and bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting.
Black Russian Cake
1 box deep chocolate cake mix (2 layer size)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 sm. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs, room temperature
1 c. strong coffee
1/4 c. coffee liqueur
1/4 c. crème de cacao
Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan; bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, and then remove. Punch holes in cake with meat fork. Spoon topping over cake.
Topping:
1 c. strong coffee
1 c. confectioners' sugar
2 T. coffee liqueur
2 T. crème de cacao
Combine all topping ingredients together, mixing well. Spoon over warm cake. Note: this topping is also good on ice cream.
Chocolate Ganache Torte
Crust:
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
3 c. pecans
Filling:
2 2/3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 lb. chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 egg yolk
Whirl pecans in food processor. Slowly add sugar until incorporated. Stir in butter by hand until mixed. Pat into bottom of greased 9 or 10" springform pan. Bake at 350F., about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. You may not need all the
mixture-you don't want the crust too thick. Be especially careful not to make it too thick in the section between the bottom and the sides. Cool crust completely.
When crust is cool, scald cream and pour over the chocolate in a large bowl, stirring until blended. When the mixture has slightly cooled and all the chocolate is melted, whisk in one egg yolk. Pour into crust and chill until firm overnight.
Can serve with a raspberry sauce, but it is good enough to serve as is. Very, very rich!!!
Chocolate Crème Brulee Cheesecake
8 servings
Crust:
1 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
1 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
Filling:
3 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
8 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur (optional)
Topping:
1/2 cup packed soft brown
1 Tbsp. water
Heat oven to 325(F).
Crust: Mix crumb and margarine/butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes; allow crust to cool completely.
Filing: Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing at low speed after each addition; just until blended. Blend in melted chocolate and liqueur; mix well and then pour over crust.
Bake 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. (The center will look as though it is not finished baking, but this will set once it's cooled.) Refrigerate 5 hours or overnight.
Topping: Just before serving, heat broiler. Mix brown sugar and water; spread over the cheesecake. Place on cake on a baking sheet. Broil 4 - 6 " from heat 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until topping is bubbly.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Basic German's Sweet Chocolate Cake | Mocha Mountains (Cookie)
Candy Bar Chocolate Pound Cake | Black Russian Cake
Chocolate Ganache Torte | Chocolate Crème Brulee Cheesecake
