What to Expect in Chocolate Gift Baskets

By Steven Barnhart

The funny thing about these baskets is that unlike other chocolate items that a person gets, these are usually not consumed all that quickly. Because the contents are such high quality and precious in nature, they are consumed over time and enjoyed for days or weeks. It is also not at all unlikely that the recipient will keep the basket for years to come. All in all, this is a fabulous gift to give anyone who has a taste for things that are chocolate.

There are few gifts that you can give someone that will always receive such an unabashedly enthusiastic response as chocolate gift baskets. These are unique gifts in that each one is very different, and they offer a huge variety of treats for the recipient. If you are looking for just the right basket, then there are a few things that you should keep in mind with regard to the contents.

First of all, most chocolate gift baskets will have a variety of chocolate items, some of which will be pure chocolate of various types – semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate – and also items that either go good with chocolate or use some chocolate in them. You will also find some baskets that offer solely dark chocolate or white chocolate in their offerings.

In addition to chocolate bars or candies, you will also find some of the following items inside:

– Chocolate biscotti or other types of cookies that go well with coffee and hot chocolate, or just to eat as a snack.

– Mixes for hot chocolate or chocolate milk.

– Chocolate-covered peanuts or other types of nuts.

– A mug for your coffee or hot chocolate.

These chocolate gift baskets also come in a variety of sizes, ranging from those that are perfect for a small gift for a co-worker to one that is big enough for an entire family. Some of the larger gift baskets have towels, clothing, or other non-edible products that have a chocolate motif.

When you are buying chocolate gift baskets for friends or family, one thing that you should keep in mind is whether anyone in their household has an allergy to nuts. If so, make sure that the baskets you are looking at are nut-free.

You may also want to see if the recipient has a preference for a particular brand of chocolate or type of chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, or white). You can find baskets that have all of them or you can choose a basket that has only the type of basket that the recipient truly enjoys.

Also, it is important to remember that some of the items in any chocolate gift baskets may be prone to melting, so if you are having it sent (particularly to a warmer region of the country), make sure that it is being sent with sufficient packaging and protection from sun and heat. Many gift baskets are shipped in dry ice or hand-delivered (rather than sent via regular mail) so that there is no chance that the gift basket is left sitting out in the sun.

Everyone loves chocolate and giving a chocolate gift basket is an ideal way of showing your appreciation for your friends and loved ones.

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Vegan Chocolate: The Impossible?

Vegan chocolate: it might seem like the impossible dream. Can you avoid eating all animal products but still enjoy the delicious taste – and the health benefits – of chocolate? I know at least one friend (a vegetarian who avoids dairy products, which means that vegan chocolate would be appropriate for her) who would love to find this product, and I guess that you probably know a person like this too – maybe it’s you. Is vegan chocolate possible? Or are vegans permanently condemned to carob substitutes while others enjoy the pleasures of chocolate?

It’s easier than you think to make and find vegan chocolate. You have to remember that although we’re used to seeing and tasting chocolate that has had milk or dairy products added to it, chocolate does not come from a cow (or even a goat). Chocolate is made from substances derived from the seed of the Theobroma cacao tree, known as the cocoa bean. The primary ingredients that go into chocolate – cocoa solids and cocoa butter – both come from a plant source, which is good news for vegans. Most vegan chocolate is dark chocolate: the type of chocolate with 70% plus cocoa solids. This is because vegan chocolate is usually dark chocolate, and it’s only the light coloured (milk chocolate and white chocolate) varieties that have to contain milk. Looking at the label of a 72% cocoa solids block of dark chocolate, the ingredient list contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, soya lecithin and vanilla.. Each of these ingredients passes the vegan test – they’re all from plants – this is vegan chocolate, all right. Most dark (70% plus cocoa solids) chocolate is likely to be vegan chocolate, but read the label if you want to make certain.

Many people are getting very interested in vegan chocolate (a.k.a. dark chocolate) because it is rich in antioxidants, and also contains a large number of trace elements, some of which are hard to find in other dietary sources, especially selenium. Nobody should go overboard and binge on any sort of chocolate, vegan chocolate or not, but eating around 50 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or more) has a number of health benefits: lowering stress, boosting the immune system and supplying the body with good nutrients. Anecdotal evidence also hints that eating small amounts of dark chocolate can help you lose weight, as dark chocolate has a high “satiety index”, meaning that eating a little of it makes you feel full and satisfied, so you don’t go and eat large quantities of other food.

It’s also possible to find fair trade vegan chocolate and organic vegan chocolate.

You can also enjoy using chocolate in other vegan foods, including baking, by using ordinary cocoa powder. A very easy recipe for vegan chocolate cake that is so simple that children can cook it is given below:

1 ½ cups flour.

1 cup sugar.

1 t baking soda.

¼ t salt.

3 T cocoa powder.

6 T vegetable oil (not olive oil – the flavour is too strong).

1 T vinegar.

1 t vanilla.

1 cup water.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Scoop three holes in the mixture, one large and two small. Fill the largest hole with the oil, and put the vinegar and vanilla separately into the other two holes. Pour in the water over the entire mixture and stir well to make a smooth batter. Place into a greased cake tin and bake at 170°C for 30-40 minutes. For variation, cinnamon and/or sultanas can be added to the dry ingredients.

To find delicous vegan chocolate treats and gifts or to ask more about vegan chocolate, visit Luna Mare Vegan Chocolate. (Click now to get SEO for real readers, not robots, using Semantic Writing by Rick Rakauskas)

Cigar Review Vocabulary

Similar to a sommelier’s descriptions of wine, cigar reviews often contain a specialised vocabulary that is difficult to understand for the novice. This article should give beginners in world of cigars and cigar smoking an idea of how to understand the vocabulary of reviewers.

Some of the terms used in cigar reviews need little explanation. These are the words that are used to describe the flavour and the aroma of the cigar, and they are very similar to the words used in wine descriptions – word such as “fruity” or “spicy” or “green” tend to get used. After all the English language only has a certain number of words to describe flavours and aromas, so it’s logical that these terms will be used to describe the subtle overtones of any sensory pleasure of this type – whether that pleasure involves cigars, wine, perfume or food.

One group of technical terms found in cigar reviews describes the colour of the cigar. These words are mostly derived from Spanish, reflecting the country of origin for many of the best cigars. The colour of a cigar is determined by the type of leaf used as the outer wrapper. The lightest colour of cigar is known as the “double claro”, which is slightly green because of the traces of chlorophyll in the wrapper leaf. Next comes the “claro”, which is the colour of a malt biscuit, followed by the “colorado claro”, which is a sort of cinnamon colour. The “colorado” is the colour of milk chocolate, and the “colorado maduro” is more like dark chocolate. The “maduro” is a very dark brown, but the darkest of all is the “oscuro”, which is nearly black. Not all cigars are the same shape, and cigar reviews will often describe the shape as well as the size. The “perfecto” is the archetypal cigar, tapered at the head and the foot, and curving in the middle. A cigar that has straight sides and is rounded at the tip is a “parejo”. A “torpedo” is bullet-shaped, as the name suggests, with straight sides and a steeply tapering head. A “pyramid” looks like an Egyptian obelisk turned on its side; it is similar to the torpedo in having straight sides, but sides aren’t quite parallel. The “president” has straight sides and a tapering head, similar to the torpedo and the pyramid, but the end is narrowed. Some manufacturers create cigars in more imaginative shapes, known in cigar reviews as “figurados” – these cigars are collectible items and are sometimes kept rather than actually smoked.

Similar to the words used to describe the size of champagne bottles, the terms used for the different sizes of cigar are imaginative and colourful. Some examples that may be used in cigar reviews include the “Churchill” (named after Sir Winston), which is 18cm long and about 20mm in diameter; the “Toro” (meaning “bull”), which is 15cm long and 20mm in diameter; , while the “Presidente” (a term that is also used for the shape) is 20cm long and 20cm in diameter.

A few other specialist terms don’t fit into either category but may be used in cigar reviews. A cigar that is made of pure tobacco is known as a “puro” (Spanish for “pure”). A “puro” is a cigar of the best quality, as the cheaper types use paper wrappers rather than a tobacco leaf. Another term is a “cheroot”, which is not strictly a cigar but is a cross between a cigar and a cigarette – it looks like a huge cigarette in shape but is made of straight tobacco, like a proper cigar. The cheroot is commonly smoked in the Indian sub-continent, where many of them are made.

Hopefully, this guide will have helped you understand the specialist vocabulary of cigar reviews. (Created using Semantic Writing – SEO for real readers, not robots.)

Chocolate Covered Truffles – Origin and Recipe

The first chocolate truffles were created in 1895, over 100 years ago, in France by M. Dufour. The Prestat Chocolate Shop was established in London by Antione Dufour in 1902. The shop still sells it’s Napoleon III truffles - made using the original recipe.

Today, there are three main kinds of chocolate truffles: American, Swiss, and European.

The American truffle is a mixture of dark chocolate or milk chocolate with butterfat and sometimes, hardened coconut oil. It was created by Joseph Schmidt, a San Francisco chocolatier, and founder of Joseph Schmidt Confections, in the mid-1980s. Some American companies shape their truffles into a something that resembles peanut butter cups.

A Canadian version of the truffle, known as the Harvey truffle, adds in graham cracker crumbs and peanut butter.

European truffles are made with syrup and a mixture of milk powder, cocoa powder, fats, and other such ingredients that create an oil-in-water type emulsion.

Swiss truffles are made by mixing melted chocolate into boiling dairy cream and butter, which is then poured into molds to set up, and then sprinkled with cocoa powder. Unlike the European and Canadian truffles, Swiss truffles have a very short shelf-life and must be eaten within a few days.

Here’s a simple recipe for yummy, super chocolatey chocolate covered truffles.

Ingredients:

1/4 C butter

1 1/2 lbs. real semisweet chocolate

3/4 C non-dairy coffee creamer, any flavor

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 pounds real milk chocolate for dipping

1 cup finely chopped chocolate, milk or semisweet for decoration

Makes about 3 dozen truffles

Melt semisweet chocolate in double boiler over hot water.

Heat butter, creamer and vanilla in another saucepan to 125° F on a candy thermometer.

Add to semisweet chocolate all at once, beating until smooth and creamy. Chill in refrigerator until nearly set but still pliable.

Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Spread in 9 inch buttered pan until set enough to roll into small balls. Melt milk chocolate over double boiler. Dip truffles in melted chocolate, then sprinkle generously, or roll in, chopped chocolate.

For more recipes, visit http://www.jansrecipes.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grab A Soda Charger For Your Party And Serve Booze With A Bang

Aside from the traditional glass shaker, strainer and alcohol jigger, the soda siphon is now considered a very important tool of the bartender. Soda or carbonated water has a universal use in mixing drinks. It dilutes the hard alcoholic beverage to come up with fun-tasting cocktails.

If you plan to host a cocktail party at home, getting a soda charger will save you money and loads of effort. If you change the gas canister from carbon dioxide to nitrous oxide, you already have a cream charger that will dispense perfectly whipped cream. Here are some great punch and cocktail recipes which you can serve during your party.

Fruit Punch for Everybody

This recipe will make nearly a hundred servings. Combine 8 cups of water and about 12 ounces of lemonade concentrate. Stir in 16 ounces of orange juice concentrate, 46 ounces of unsweetened pineapple juice and a quarter of a cup of lime juice. Completely dissolve two and a half cups of sugar in the mixture. Chill this mixture in the fridge. Prepare you’re a third of a cup carbonated water using your soda charger. Mix the juice, water and a third of a cup ginger ale in a huge bowl. Serve and have fun.

Alcoholic Milk Chocolate

This treat is to be enjoyed by people over 18. Firstly, you need to prepare your whipped cream in a cream dispenser. Mix half an ounce of Amaretto, Irish cream, Kahlua, Dekuyper Razzmatazz and a splash of Cola in a soda siphon. Dispense the gas slowly then shake the container for a few seconds. Squirt a generous amount of chocolate syrup into the bottom of a Martini glass. Pour in the alcoholic drink then top it off with whipped cream. Garnish as you desire.

Intoxicating Apple Pie

This recipe will also require you to prepare whipped cream from a cream dispenser. Mix an ounce of vodka and two ounces of apple juice in a soda siphon. Mix the concoction in the canister for a few seconds then pour it into a martini glass. Sprinkle cinnamon over the drink and top with whipped cream. This will taste like your mom’s apple pie, except its alcoholic.

Traditional Bloody Mary

Carbonate about three ounces of water in the soda siphon. Mix a can of tomato juice and an ounce of lime juice in a huge pitcher. Add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of cumin powder and celery salt and a teaspoon of horseradish. Blend all these ingredients well before sprit-zing it up with your soda water. Sprinkle more lemon pepper on top of the glass and garnish with a celery stalk.

The science behind this kitchen appliance is no rocket science. The pressurized canister allows carbon dioxide to incorporate with the liquid inside making it incredibly fizzy and refreshing. Instead of buying bottles of carbonated water and drinks, getting a soda charger or a cream dispenser is more practical and convenient.

For more information about soda siphon, please check out cream chargers.

History Of Belgian Chocolate-How It all Began

How It All Began

It all started with Leopold II of Belgium in the year 1885 when he colonized Congo. It was a territory eighty-six times bigger than his country. Leopold II was the very first 1 to commit genocide during the 20th Century.

The chocolate industry first took off during the 1880′s, supported by getting hold of the Belgian Congo that has aided an easy way in to Africa’s cocoa grounds. The truth is that it is very difficult to imagine that the Belgian Chocolates’ history may be that far from being sweet.

There was an estimated 10 million Africans that passed away under the orders of Leopold II. Despite of the war which was happening, Belgians were able to maintain the cocoa importing connections. On the other hand, the Belgian contribution in the chocolate industry is the introduction of their chocolate product which is the praline. It was created and expanded by a Swiss family in Brussels, the Neuhaus family in 1912. The praline was the very 1st butter cream-filled bite sized chocolate. It was either filled with nuts or cream or coated with milk or milk chocolate or filled also with a very good quality of dark belgian chocolate.

In the year 1912, chocolate started as a gift in Belgium. A Belgian chocolatier created the very 1st praline, a chocolate that absolutely complied to the gift career it was building. Not later on, a packaging called Ballotin was developed and patented for praline. At that moment the pralines in Ballotin were the most preferred gift in just about every chance somebody has to give a person something as a present.

The Making

Chocolates start with the seeds of a cacao tree. A fruit bearing tree that has large football-shaped like pods, in which the seeds are contained. The cacao tree was first discovered in the United States but now can be grown in many countries close to the Equator. These pods are gathered and the seeds are then dried in the sun. After drying, they go through roasting. When the beans are roasted, they’ll now be crushed to create cocoa powder, after which squeezed to get the cocoa butter.

When the powder is ready, it will be mixed with butter. Adding the milk powder and sugar creates chocolate. Each and every component of the mixture determines the color of the belgian chocolate. Consequently making different kinds of chocolate like black or the dark chocolate that can be made with up to seventy percent of cocoa in the mixture; milk chocolate containing more milk powder than the others, and of course the white chocolate that doesn’t contain cocoa but cocoa butter only mixed with milk and sugar only.

Trivia

Did you know that if not most, all the pralines during those times were hand made? Presently chocolates are considered as an energy giving food because of its very high content of sugar and calorie. Another fact about chocolate is that it’s also considered as one of the many sexual stimulant foods. In fact, aside from being an exceptional energy booster, 1 of the Aztec emperors drank chocolate to have access to women. It is also known to be use as an anti-depressant. It is known to contain a substance known as “pheryletylanine” that has a positive effect in the event of a nervous depression but not only that, there is something in chocolates that gives anyone a lighter mood every time it is drank.