Archive for Gourmet Chocolate
Today in the Chocolate Kitchen @ Cocopotamus
Posted by: | CommentsPeople are always asking questions about what goes on in a chocolate kitchen. Because our Cocopotamus chocolate kitchen is not a retail location, they get extra curious. What goes on behind the scenes?!
Well, we do have a video of it (taken inadvertently, with the computer) but staff have begged us not to You Tube it! Why, you may ask? Hmmm….in a chocolate kitchen like Coco-P, this is the phrase that comes to mind:
Workin’ hard? Or, hardly working?!?!?!
Yes, things do get kind of silly. In the video in question, SOME Coco-heads who shall remain nameless were pretending to be aliens with coordination issues. (Not me, I’m the straight guy! Honest!)
Today in the chocolate kitchen we are trying our best to get some work done. This morning we’re rolling out our “Mr. French” dark chocolate fudge truffles sprinkled with fleur de sel gourmet sea salt. Yum!
Tags: chocolate kitchen, chocolate makingRelated posts
Cocopotamus Chocolate at Ring Bros.’ Market
Posted by: | CommentsCocopotamus is happy to announce a new retailer in Massachusetts, the wonderful gourmet market called Ring Bros.
Amid specialty fare, you’ll soon find our dark chocolate fudge truffles in all 18 flavors. Yum! So next time you are heading for Cape Cod, stop in at Ring Bros. & pick up some CocoP for the trip!
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Cocopotamus @ Whole Foods This Weekend!
Posted by: | CommentsCocopotamus will be back doing live demos with yummy hand-dipped dark chocolate fudge truffles. This weekend, come and catch the action!
Tomorrow Cocopotamus will be at Whole Foods (Indian School Plaza) on Carlisle in Albuquerque, around 1 – 3 p.m.
Sunday we will be at Whole Foods on Cerrillos in Santa Fe, around noon – 2 p.m.
Chocolate truffles for tasting? “Cupcake” classic dark chocolate truffles, and “Hottie” fudge truffles with Mexican canela cinnamon & New Mexican red chili. Or “Chile” as we say here in Albueruque!
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Chocolate at “The Del”…Hotel del Coronado
Posted by: | CommentsThe amazing & historic Hotel del Coronado, founded by a sugar baron in 1888, is quite a setting…in Coronado, California across from San Diego. Now you can enjoy the amazing atmosphere while noshing on some yummy Cocopotamus.
Cocopotamus handmade dark chocolate fudge truffles are now sold at “The Del”’s own chocolate and candy shop, Spreckels’ Sweets & Treats. Flavors of Cocopotamus available? “Blame Canada” with pure maple truffles, “Cupcake” classic dark truffles, “Mr. French” dark chocolate fudge truffles with gourmet sea salt, and “Hottie” -our most Southwestern fudge truffles.
Yum!
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5 Tips for Working (Wonders!) with Chocolate
Posted by: | Comments1. Dust pans with cocoa powder instead of flour. This will make your chocolate baking prettier – and extra chocolaty!
2. Keep water & moisture away from your work area. Water is the enemy of chocolate. It will make your chocolate “sieze”, producing an ugly mess.
3. Try not to work with chocolate on hot or especially humid days.
4. Consider investing in a small kitchen scale. When working with chocolate, it is important to have accurate measurements.
5. Set chocolates that have been dipped onto Silpat mats. If you don’t have Silpat, wax paper or parchment paper will work just fine.
Tags: Artisanal Chocolate, Chocolate & Fudge Making, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Recipes, Chocolate TruffleRelated posts
Melting Times For Chocolate
Posted by: | CommentsSo we’ve been talking about melting chocolate the easy way, in your microwave. We covered the basics, including some trouble spots to watch out for.
Here’s another one that is really important. Melting times can vary if you are melting a very small amount, a medium amount, or a really large amount of chocolate. For small amounts, it is alarmingly easy to burn your chocolate – even in a microwave. (This produces that smoky kitchen you do not want!) For medium amounts of chocolate, your basic 2 minutes on HIGH usually works quite well. For very large amounts, it is suggested that you stop after about a minute and a half and stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Then, microwave for another minute and repeat. If the chocolate isn’t melted, add more time.
Another thing which affects melting time for chocolate is the cacao content. White chocolate melts the most quickly, followed by milk chocolate. As the percentage of cacao increases, the time needed to melt the chocolate goes up. (How do we know for sure? Our precious offspring just did a big science project about this very thing! Partly out of curiosity, and partly we suspect to be able to eat the experiment afterwards. Both great reasons)
Tags: Artisanal Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate & Fudge Making, Chocolate Fudge, Dark Chocolates, Fudge Recipes, Handmade chocolate fudgeRelated posts
How to Melt Chocolate
Posted by: | CommentsMelting chocolate is a challenge that traditionally can lead to burnt pans and a smokey kitchen! Some home cooks are afraid to try it.
A little secret: you can do it the easy way, no mess and no fuss. Here’s how: Using a microwave safe bowl, put your chocolate into it. It should be in blocks no larger than 1 ounce each. So, if you are not using “baking chocolate” which comes in this size of block, then you will need to chop your chocolate first. Next, put it in the microwave. Microwave power varies but in most, 2 minutes on high will melt your chocolate very nicely.
A couple of things to watch out for with the microwave method for melting chocolate:
-be sure your bowl is microwave-safe
-test a small amount first, for 2 minutes on HIGH. Some microwaves are stronger and will require you to use 70% power or take less time
-after the microwaving time, you might look in and think the chocolate has not melted. When it fact, it might have melted! How can this be? Chocolate in squares or big chunks can retain its shape even when it is melted. So, open the microwave and touch the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Is it softened? That unmelted-looking shape could prove to be melted chocolate after you touch it.
