Mmmmm....chocolate...mmmmm....
I don't even know where to start for you, 'cause it's *all* good! Why
don't we go with a couple examples of each, and then I'll point you to
my chocolate guide for more?
For every day eating (and you really should eat a little chocolate
every day!), my favorite is Ghirardelli, which you can pick up just
about anywhere, or order directly from the Big G in San Francisco.
Ghirardelli chocolates have a smooth, silky texture, taste marvelous,
and come in several varieties. Of particular note: dark chocolate
raspberry bars. You haven't lived until you've had at least one of
these:
Ghirardelli
http://www.ghirardelli.com
Ghirardelli also produces wonderful baking products. I'm particularly
fond of their ground chocolate as a cocoa base and of their double
chocolate chocolate chips. The best part is that these high quality
chocolates are very affordable.
Likewise wonderful for eating, Wilbur Chocolates of Lititz, PA, right
in Pennsylvania's Amish country. The Monsters and I just toured the
factory last week, and had a terrific time. Like Ghirardelli, Wilbur
chocolates are silky smooth, but they're a little bit richer. Given
that it's Pennsylvania Dutch chocolate, this isn't really surprising:
Wilbur
http://www.wilburbuds.com
The website is temporarily offline while they re-work it, but you can
still order by phone and ask for a product listing. Start with a bag
of mixed buds (shaped like Hershey kisses, but sooooo much better!) to
determine which of their chocolates you prefer, then you can get
virtually everything else you like enrobed in the variety of your
choice. On my desk, right from the factory: Dark chocolate covered
Oreos, peach glacees, pretzels with jimmies, and a bag of mixed buds.
Oooooh.
For baking, I prefer ScharffenBerger of Berkeley, CA. ScharffenBerger
specializes in perfectly balanced, wonderfully dark chocolate that is
terrific for eating, and even better for cooking. When I make
truffles, SharffenBerger figures prominently in the mix:
ScharffenBerger
http://www.scharffenberger.com
Also a favorite for cooking is Valrhona. It's frightfully expensive
and sometimes very difficult to find in sufficient quantities, but
this French lovely is worth both time and cost. As a dark chocolate
fan, I prefer the Noir Gastronomie as a component in truffles,
chocolate cheesecake, and chocolate ice cream. Typically sold through
small, gourmet grocers and specialty shops, you can also order online
from icaviar:
Valrhona Chocolates
http://www.icaviar.com/valrhona.htm
...and you can visit Valrhona's main page here:
Valrhona
http://www.valrhona.com
For a much longer (and soon to be updated!) list of chocolates to
tempt you, have a look at my Chocolate Resource Guide:
Maggie's Chocolate Resource Guide
http://www.darkfriends.net/princessmoo/chocolate.html
The page is frequently added to and, in fact, will be expanded again
by about a dozen new links later this afternoon. A huge advantage to
being gifted with Chocolate of the Month is that I get to try new
chocolatiers and add my favorites to the guide. Though the guide is
by no means comprehensive, you can be assured that the chocolates
listed are worth your time and dime - if the product hasn't crossed my
lips, you won't find it listed.
Recipes are a whole other story entirely. Both Valrhona and
ScharffenBerger offer recipe pages which I frequently use as a jumping
off point, as does Bernard Callebaut:
Callebaut
http://www.bernardcallebaut.com/frbake.html
ScharffenBerger
http://www.scharffenberger.com/recipes/index.html
Valrhona
http://www.valrhona.com/fr/gpublic/rec/rec_gp.php3?vlang=A
If you enjoy playing in the kitchen, these are great recipes to adapt
to your own cooking style - they lend themselves well to additions and
changes.
Guests often ask for my personal variation on this cheesecake:
Chocolate Frangelico Cheesecake
http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=5149&printer=true
It's perfectly divine as written, but if you really want to make your
friends and family happy, add to the recipe another package of cream
cheese, another egg, and one full pound of melted and slightly cooled
Valrhona Noir Gastronomie. Skip the almonds, substitute Godiva
Chocolate Liquer for the Frangelico, and don't bother with the
"layering" step - just blend everything together and pour it all into
the crust at once. Before adding the batter to the crust, scatter a
thick layer of shaved Valrhona. Serve the finished cheesecake with
cherries that have been cooked in rum, and thick chocolate shavings.
This one has occasionally been known to make people cry.
A simple German cookie recipe from my AFS days also goes over very
well:
Berliner Brot
http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=C101603&entry=10001
I usually go with the maximum cocoa powder (5 tablespoons, sometimes
6!) and prefer ScharffenBerger for this one. The Monsters love this
cookie, and love it even more when they are allowed to press chocolate
chips into the top of the finished cookie while it's still warm. My
German host mother would scream black heresy if she knew about that
variation...but what Mama doesn't know won't hurt me!
I hope you enjoy these and the Guide (check it after 5PM today for the
updated list, or now for the old standby!). If you're looking for
more, don't hesitate to ask - chocolate is one of the best subjects
ever, and one I'm quite happy to help with!
--Missy
Search terms: None but the foot high pile of chocolate boxes on the
desk! |
