Mmmm-Mmmm!
Posted on 07/07/2020 10:03:46 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear
There are a number of dates throughout the year promoting variations of local, national or international Chocolate Day – our research leads us to believe that this is the true, definitive, purist ‘Chocolate Day‘, so celebrate with some of the high cocoa, rich, dark chocolate that makes you go tingly inside.
Chocolate Day is nothing short of a special tribute to mankind’s greatest culinary invention. (Sorry Bread or even Pizza!) Chocolate can enhance and help to create the most luxurious desserts and can even be enjoyed and indulged on its own. Some of the most popular chocolate bars are plain and simple. If this is the one for you, try going for a high cocoa percentage with low added sugar.
The History Of Chocolate Day
The history of chocolate goes back around 2,500 years. The Aztecs loved their newly discovered liquid chocolate to the extent that they believed the god of wisdom, Quetzalcoatl, literally bestowed it upon them. Cocoa seeds even acted as a form of currency. Could you imagine going shopping or buying a house will a huge pile of Cocoa seeds? It would be wonderful, no? These days, the chocolate was bitter, as it was long before sugar was added. Once chocolate took a turn and went sweet in a 16th Century Europe, chocolate caught on to the masses and became one of many households favorite treats.
Many present-day chocolate companies began operations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Cadbury began in England by 1868. And then 25 years later Milton S. Hershey, purchased chocolate processing equipment at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, he is now one of the biggest and world-known chocolate creators in the world. He began the company by producing chocolate-coated caramels. Nestlé began back in the 1860s and has grown into one of the largest food conglomerates in the world. You’re bound to of heard of one of these if not all of them. Perhaps you even enjoy a bar or two or their fine chocolate creations at home.
How Is Chocolate Made?
Many people are unaware that chocolate is a fermented food. You heard that right, once the cacao pods are picked, and then cleaned of pithy white material from the fruit, they are dried and then the cacao beans are fermented. The cacao nibs are revealed once the papery shell is removed. This is where the fun and creativity come in.
Chocolatiers then grind the nibs into cocoa mass, separating them into cocoa solids and cocoa butter, they then combine them with milk and sugar. If they’re creating white chocolate then it’s just the chocolate butter with milk and sugar. It’s definitely worth celebrating this process, especially considering how much thought goes into getting it just right. Every Chocolatier has different methods and ideas that are all popular across the world.
As time has gone on, we have moved towards the indulgence of dark chocolate. It contains far less sugar and holds a higher percentage of cocoa. If you’re looking for the best dark chocolate it’s worth checking out the ones you find from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Ecuador. They have ideal climates for cocoa trees and they are known for producing some of the best chocolate. It certainly sounds good! When you purchase chocolate from these regions it’s always best to make sure it’s “fair trade chocolate,” this means you are helping to help make cocoa farming more sustainable. It’s certainly something to keep in mind!
How to celebrate Chocolate Day
Although some would love to celebrate this day every day, the chocolate day gives you the perfect opportunity to eat your favorites in ample portions. Do you really need any more of an excuse to over indulge? It’s definite harmless once in a while.
The chocolate flavor is most definitely a favorite right throughout the world. It flavors cakes, breakfast cereal, toppings, desserts, candies, ice creams, and much more. Considering its popularity, it certainly deserves a day of honor.
We don’t need to tell you what to do to celebrate this day, do we? Eat Chocolate! Some ways you can incorporate chocolate into this chocolate day include:
Breakfast: How about your favorite chocolate cereal along with a few chocolate filled donuts and wash it down with a little hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake. Or maybe chocolate chip pancakes are more to your taste?
Mid-morning snack: A chocolate candy bar with your filled with your favorite goodies. There are certainly a lot of options to choose from now!
Lunch: If you skipped on the shake fro breakfast then a big tall glass of chocolate milk is a must at lunch! Oh, and don’t forget your dessert, how about a pie of chocolate pie or cheesecake?
Mid-Afternoon: Maybe try to be a little healthier with chocolate-covered strawberries or raisins? Ok, maybe not that healthy but at least it contains fruit!
Dinner: Adults this is your time to sip on that chocolate liqueur before you sit down for dinner. You could have a chocolate flavored coffee with a piece of chocolate cake for afters.
Nighttime snack: If you’re not already chocolate out, why not opt for a few chocolate mints or biscuits with a glass of ice-cold milk?
So, Why Do We Love Chocolate So Much?
Chocolate is certainly of the world’s favorite flavors, if not the most loved taste across 7 continents. Often referred to as the magic bean, it definitely deserves to be celebrated. Everyone loves it, and the recipes that come with it are nothing less than amazing!
You don’t need to be told to indulge in this treat, as and when you want, however, the chocolate day most definitely gives us a special day to indulge in the rich, creamy glory that is chocolate. You will find many bakeries, individuals, and candy stores joining in on the celebrations and you can expect to find some delicious recipes, from meringue pies, milk chocolate pudding through to giant decorative cakes in shop windows you are sure to find something to tickle your fancy.
Why not get the cookbook out of the cupboard, scour the internet for some ideas and get yourself in the chocolate day spirit, baking and creating some wonderful chocolatey creations?
Or failing that, stock up on chocolate biscuits, ice-cream, and enjoy a day of secret treats and indulgence…
So in honor of this day here is one of my favorite ways to make a chocolate treat that you can have for any time.
Take one sheet of (thawed) puff pastry.
Several bars of your favorite chocolate.
one egg beaten with bit of water (optional)
some sugar (optional)
Cut the pastry into two by three rectangles.
Place a 1 by 1 1/2 piece of chocolate on each piece of pastry.
Fold the pastry around the chocolate like you are folding a towel. DO NOT PRESS
Place on a parchment paper lined pan (makes clean up easier)
If you like brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar
Put into 425 degree oven for ten minutes
Remove and let cool.
Best when eaten still a bit warm but good when cold too.
What's up with that?
Yesterday was International Fried chicken Day!..................................
Racist!.................
And it has it's own special day on September 22.
All Chocolates Matter!
Even that stuff that is so full of wax you can burn it like a candle.
Btt fl8r
This reminds me of the time I made puff pastry from scratch, and one of the goals was a chocolate croissant.
Puff pastry from scratch, please God, rescue me.
Unfortunately, I’ve developed an allergy to chocolate. ...waaahhhh
Mmmm-Mmmm!
Will not ever do it again. You really need bakery equipment and room to do it properly. And if you get the real butter frozen kind it is good.
Can you still eat white chocolate?
Well...it just isn’t the same....actually sugar is the problem...but I used to be able to eat dark chocolate w/o problems (72-90%)...now I cannot even do that.
Always thought having Chocolate Day in the middle of the summer heat was poor planning on someones part!
However, I will still partake! :)
How racist can an article get???!
Eating chocolate ice cream as I saw this thread :-)
Happy Chocolate day!!!
Not real chocolate IMHO. Love the dark stuff. Especially covering almonds. Like it too much.
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