WARM CHOCOLATE TART

One of America’s finest chocolatiers resides in the San Francisco area. Beverly Ripps was a co-founder of the original Nutcracker's Suite and many of the exclusive recipes and formulations that we pride ourselves on at the Chocolate Octopus come from her diligent research and product development. Beverly enjoys and appreciates fine food. When I told her that I was adding outstanding dessert recipes to my blog, she volunteered to send in her favorite.

Beverly doesn’t take credit for creating the recipe for “Warm Chocolate Tart”, but she put it into her cookbook, The Bests, and she has made it a dinner party hit for many years. I have no doubt that it will become a favorite of everyone that tries this dessert:

4 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4-teaspoon baking powder
1/2-cup pecan pieces (optional)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Lightly butter 6 1-cup freezer-to-oven soufflé dishes. Melt both chocolates in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Add butter and sugar and stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl. Add eggs, then flour, cocoa and baking powder.

Using an electric mixer, beat until the mixture thickens to a mousse consistency, about 8 minutes.

Divide the mixture among the prepared soufflé dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 3 hours. Recipe can be prepared to this point up to 3 days ahead. (I put them in the freezer – they will be very happy there for a longgggg time!)

To bake, position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 º. Remove plastic wrap from soufflés and bake until edges are set and centers are still moist and shiny, about 11 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream garnished with shaved chocolate, if desired. (I love this with the best coffee or vanilla ice cream.)

Columbus Dispatch Review

I wanted to share a new review that was in the September 25, 2008 issue of The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. Jon Christensen, the expert culinary reviewer for the newspaper had the following comments about my New Albany Store:

“In New Albany, The Chocolate Octopus offers ice cream, milkshakes, sodas and, of course, chocolates in the atmosphere of an old-time ice cream store.

The house-made chocolates are the highlights.

In contrast to the trend of extreme finishes in individual pieces, most of these offerings are straightforward: visible layers, square shapes, no contrived decorations.

Owner Bernie Bornstein avoids the preservatives and wax coatings that many of the better chocolate companies use, as he says to ‘maintain shelf life and stability.’

Bornstein obtains almost all of his chocolate from a Swiss supplier whose milk chocolate is less sweet than average and whose white chocolate contains cocoa butter.

Perhaps the distinguishing mark of Chocolate Octopus candy is the staff’s willingness to mix dark, milk and white chocolates.

Candy squares are in layers—chocolate top and bottom, with a filling in between.

The idea creates interesting contrasts, with the rich vanilla and cocoa-butter notes of white chocolate, for example, bringing out the earthy, taste-forward aspects of a dark layer when the two are combined.

The flavors are well defined—particularly important when more than one type of chocolate is used.

The fillings have been top-quality. The beneficiaries of the approach include virtually any chocolate with butterscotch or caramel filling.

In addition to the squares, the Chocolate Octopus makes nicely decorated round chocolates with intensely flavored interiors—typically thick, dark chocolate. One of the most appealing is enrobed with white chocolate.”

I appreciate Jon Christensen’s kind comments. It always feels great to get complements from industry experts. I am very proud of our chocolates and hope that you also enjoy their rich savory decadence.

CHOCOLATE BIOFUEL

With gas prices ranging over $4.00 a gallon, Americans are totally aware of our need for alternative fuels. The increased depletion of world oil supplies caused greatly by the rising need for fuel from the developing countries of China and India has sent prices to an all time high and the indications are that the rise will continue without alternative sources of supply.

While cocoa is not the answer to the worlds fuel crisis (although enjoying your favorite chocolate makes the crises easier to endure), a United Kingdom based company has developed a method of turning chocolate waste (sounds like an oxymoron) into bio-ethanol that is than mixed with vegetable oil to produce biodiesel.

Ecotec is the UK firm that is converting the chocolate waste (extracting the cocoa butter) into biofuel. According to an article in the Lancashire Evening Post, the cost for chocolate biofuel would be $1.16 per gallon.

To bring awareness to biofuels, two British men drove a diesel truck fueled by chocolate biofuel from Poole on England’s southern coast to Timbuktu, Mali in West Africa. The trip lasted about one month and covered over 4,500 miles.

Chocolate biofuel has only 10% of the emissions that you normally get from a diesel engine running on standard diesel fuel. Unfortunately, the exhaust doesn’t smell like chocolate. However, I’m sure that the two British drivers had a very sweet trip.

Chocolate Espresso Cake w/ Raspberry Sauce

My daughter Lori, an outstanding attorney in New Jersey is also a fabulous cook and very gracious hostess. Since she grew up in a household that was passionate about chocolate, she has a very special palate for exceptional chocolate desserts. I asked Lori to share her favorite chocolate recipe with the readers of our blog. The following is Lori’s favorite that she originally received from Epicurious.com:

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

SAUCE
3 10-ounce packages frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

CAKE
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
1 cup freshly brewed espresso or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup water
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
8 large eggs, beaten to blend
Fresh raspberries

FOR SAUCE:
Working in batches, puree raspberries and syrup in processor. Strain puree into medium bowl. Chill. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

FOR CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment. Place all chocolate in large bowl. Bring butter, espresso and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add to chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until center of cake is set and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour. Remove pan from water. Chill cake overnight.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Using oven mitts as aid, hold pan bottom over low heat for 15 seconds, warming slightly to release cake. Place platter over pan. Hold pan and platter together tightly and invert. Lift off cake pan; peel off parchment.
Serve with sauce and fresh berries.

Lori added her own commentary to the recipe: “This is one of my favorite recipes that I have made numerous times. It's decadent and any topping can be substituted...the raspberry is awesome, but I have also used caramel drizzled on top. Delish!!”

If you want to make a special dessert, try the above recipe. Lori knows her chocolate and if this is one of her favorites, I promise that you will be thrilled and fulfilled. Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe.
Bernie

the CIA even likes chocolate

Eight hundred pounds of dark, milk and white chocolate have been sculpted into a piece of abstract art called "Detritus," now on display in the lobby of the Marriott Continuing Education Center at the CIA. Chef Peter Greweling, professor in baking and pastry arts at the CIA, assembled the sculpture over the weekend of March 29-30 with the help of students and fellow faculty members. He began work on the various components last December. The artwork features eight-foot I-beams, broken pieces of concrete, pipes and wires, all made of tempered chocolate donated by the Guittard Chocolate Co. The wooden spools on which the chocolate sits and the police tape around the piece complement the tone and spirit of the artwork.

The debris and wreckage in "Detritus" evoke images of the fallen World Trade Center. Greweling said that is not specifically what the piece is about, but "those images are in our collective consciousness, so I don't doubt it played into the development of this work." How long the piece remains on display is dependent on the weather. Once the temperatures get too warm, it will have to be removed. Afterward, the chocolate will be reformed into smaller showpieces and possibly another piece of art of similar scope.

Who said there's nothing sweet in the government?

Chocolate Buckeyes

I’m often asked two questions. What is my best selling chocolate and which of my chocolates do I personally like the best? Today I’m going to tell you about my best selling chocolate.

Being an Ohio company and located in the shadow of Ohio State University its probably not surprising that the Chocolate Buckeye is our largest individual selling chocolate. The Chocolate Buckeye is actually a rendition of the nut from the Buckeye Tree, which is the official tree of Ohio. The Chocolate Buckeye is formed to resemble this nut. The actual tree nut is not edible and is poisonous. Some people, including OSU coaches, believe that carrying a buckeye in your pocket brings good luck. Brutus Buckeye is the mascot of Ohio State University and the OSU mascot is revered at athletic events. Ohioans take their Buckeyes very seriously.

Making Chocolate Buckeyes at home is a tradition in the Columbus area. Everyone has their own recipe, but I think that our Chocolate Buckeyes are the best in Ohio. Here is our recipe (reformulated for small batches):

1# of unsalted butter (softened)
2# of creamy peanut butter (blend with the softened butter)
2# of confectioners sugar (add to the blended peanut butter in small amounts until it is thoroughly blended together
Use a scooper to make balls and roll by hand to make them round and firm
Chill the peanut butter balls at a low temperature (you can freeze them, but don’t dip them in chocolate at a freezing temperature) and dip them in chocolate (in future blogs, I will cover good chocolate making procedures and techniques) with a toothpick.
Leave some of the peanut butter mixture showing on top.

If you think that you have a better recipe, let us know what it is. GO BUCKS!!

Bernie

Does Chocolate Make You Feel Better?

Does biting into a creamy, sweet bar of chocolate put you in a better mood? Frost & Sullivan has said it has the ability to stimulate neurotransmitters and help induce a good mood.

Market analysts at the firm said chocolate has now elevated itself to becoming a "psycho-active" food. I knew that stuff made me feel sooo good.

Frost & Sullivan said that research has found the answer to chocolates feel good factor. It contains anandamide like ice-creams and other positive neurotransmitters such as oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, caffeine and theobromine. All these chemicals have been determined to have active psychological effects.

Chocolate is also rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is connected with the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin.

Chocolate also contains the amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that is said to reduce anxiety.

Already firms are making headway with mood boosting chocolate. Ezaki Glico has launched a stress-reducing "Mental Balance Chocolate GABA." The product's first year sales surpassed all forecasts.

In 2002, the Scottish ice-cream maker Mackie's launched a mood-enhancing low calorie ice cream flavoured with the essence of a native Alaskan orchid, which claims to make people happy.

In November 2006, Nestlé announced an investment of around $4 million a year over a five year period, for research into the relationship between nutrition and the brain, Frost & Sullivan gave as examples.

An estimated 10 to 20 percent of Americans experience a seasonal change in their mood each year, particularly during the winter months, according to a survey in December, commissioned by manufacturer Pharmavite and undertaken by Harris Interactive.

In response they turn to food to help cheer them up, Harris Interactive found.

For me, chocolate blueberry clusters can instantly change my mood. As a matter of fact, just thinking of them makes the corners of my mouth turn up.