The Tricks of the Treat

On this Halloween morning, it seems more than appropriate to talk about chocolate. 

 

Chocolate has been cultivated for more than 3000 years.  Ripe Cacao pods are knocked off the Cacao tree, which is small and leggy because it grows under the canapé of other trees.  The beans are then removed from each pod and piled in bins to develop flavor through fermentation.  Fully fermented beans are spread out and dried in the sun for 5-7 days to prevent mold from developing.  The dried beans are then cleaned of stones, twigs and other debris. 

 

At this stage, the cacao beans are graded and then sold to roasters (like our longtime chocolate partner, family-owned Guittard Chocolates).  They roast the beans and then remove the shells to get to the good stuff - cacao nibs.  The nibs are ground into a chocolate paste (called "chocolate liquor") and separated into two components - cocoa solids and cocoa butter. 

 

Throughout most of history cacoa was used in a beverage called xocolatl ("bitter water") - nothing like the hot cocoa we enjoy today.  Jospeh Fry & Son revolutionized chocolate in the solid form we know in 1847 when they mixed cocoa butter back into dutched chocolate and added sugar - creating a mouldable paste.  They combined cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and milk to form the first modern milk chocolate bars.

 

At Specialty's, we use only Guittard Milk Chocolate in our Milk Chocolate Chip cookies.  We select xxtra large chips to ensure our large cookies deliver the perfect blend of soft chewy cookie and sweet creamy milk chocolate in every bite. 

 

At home, I store my milk chocolate away from cabinets that are near the oven.  Heating and cooling chocolate will draw the cocoa butter out of the chocolate and cause a grey film to develop ("blooming").  I also take care to keep chocolate safe from our pets.  Chocolate contains theobromine and phenethylamine which have been linked to positive effects on serotonin levels in the human brain. However; theobromine is vert toxic to dogs and cats and will make them sick.  Please take care in keeping candy out of reach of pets.

Enjoy your chocolate - whether it is among the treasures of tonight's trick or treating bounty or one of my family cookie recipes at Specialty's.  Let's appreciate this delicious combination of an ancient product with modern techniques.
 

Eat Well,

Dawn