PopSugar

Sunspire Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Goodness

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Dark chocolate is my weakness. I'm the first to admit it. It's delicious on its own, but even better if it's combined with other tasty morsels like nuts or fruit.

I discovered these Sunspire Organic Dark Chocolate Cranberries and they're so delicious. They're made by the same company that makes those chocolate chips I love to use when I bake.

This treat is like Raisinets, but made with dried cranberries instead. Plus the chocolate is dark and organic (much healthier). It's the perfect combination, and eating just a few definitely satisfies my craving for something sweet.

Want to see the nutritional info of these delicious gems? Then read more

Serving Size	1 bag (about 20 pieces)
Calories	160
Total Fat	6g
Saturated Fat	4g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	0mg
Carbs	24g
Fiber	2g
Sugar	20g
Protein	1g

Sunspire also makes chocolate covered raisins, blueberries, and coffee beans. These are great if you're looking for a quick and easy treat. I love that you can eat a few and save the rest for later. I have to admit that this isn't the best tasting chocolate in the world. It's not as sweet and decadent as other organic dark chocolates I've tried, but the cranberries add an awesome chewy texture that makes up for it.

Celebrate Chocolate-Covered Cherries in a Cookie

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:18:31 -0800

Like so many bizarre food holidays, I'm not sure we really need a National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day. But that day is today, and I can't argue that chocolate-covered cherries are worth celebrating. I used to be a big fan of syrupy chocolate-cherry candies like Cella's, but as I've gotten older, I gravitate toward more sophisticated and less artificial cherry flavors.

For an adult take on this sweet candy treat, I recently found a tremendous recipe for Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies; this dessert blends bittersweet and semisweet chocolate with dried cherries for a bold, decadent flavor. The consistency falls somewhere between a cookie and a fudgy brownie, and the flavor is more reminiscent of candy. To celebrate this weird food holiday, get the recipe, just read more.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
From the San Francisco Chronicle

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°.
In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and fluffy (ribbon consistency). Remove bowl from mixer, add cooled chocolate and vanilla, and stir the mixture by hand to incorporate.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, and stir until just combined. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chunks and cherries.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment, and bake for 8-10 minutes, until tops are shiny and cracked.

Per serving: 70 calories, 1 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 16 mg cholesterol, 18 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Print recipe with images | without images

Source

Homemade Chocolate-Covered Bacon

partysugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:15:33 -0700

A little while back the Internet went crazy for chocolate-covered bacon. Like every bacon lover, I fantasized about tasting the ultimate salty-sweet combination of bacon and chocolate. Instead of hopping in a car and heading to the Santa Cruz store that makes the pork-chocolate treat, I decided to experiment with my own variation. If I've been making chocolate-covered strawberries since I was 13, I can most certainly make chocolate-covered bacon! The process is straightforward: it involves two simple ingredients and an even simpler cooking technique. The result is an oddly delicious dessert with a rich, delicate balance of sugar and smoke. So scrumptious, homemade chocolate-covered bacon is the ultimate edible gift. To see the recipe, read more.

Chocolate-Covered Bacon
Original recipe by PartySugar

Ingredients

6-8 slices thick cut, best-quality bacon
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces white chocolate, melted, optional for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven, until bacon is cooked to your liking. 15 minutes for soft bacon, 20 minutes for crispy bacon.
Let bacon cool on the parchment paper for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Meanwhile set up a double boiler. Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.
Set a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a fork until smooth and completely melted.
Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using tongs, carefully dip the bacon into the melted chocolate turning to coat all sides in chocolate. Transfer to the clean sheet of waiting parchment paper. Repeat with remaining slices of bacon.
Drizzle with the white chocolate, if desired.
Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.
Once cool, enjoy!

Makes 6-8 slices of chocolate-covered bacon.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 12 Photos ›

A Day for Chocolate Covered Cherries

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:47:04 -0800

Call me sentimental, but there's just something about a box of chocolate covered cherries that makes me all giddy. When I was a kid, my family had this tradition of piling in the car, with thermoses of hot cocoa and a box of chocolate covered cherries, to go out and look at all the neighborhood Christmas decorations. I recall getting one cherry at the beginning of our adventure and one near the end. Each bite was a gooey, exciting experience.

This year, while I was perusing the aisles of my local Safeway, I discovered that Queen Anne (the company we would always buy), has concocted a "Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cordial Cherry." So naturally, I had to pick up a box. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to go look at the Christmas lights, and I now have a box of 9 treats burning a hole in my pantry (it comes packaged with 10, but I had to try one right away).

Lucky for me, today is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day. If you can find them still (according to the Queen Anne website, this product is seasonal), I would recommend going out and picking up a box. They're similar to the regular chocolate covered cherries, but with a hint of peppermint and a richer cacao taste. Suggested retail price is $1.49.

If you're looking for something different and think Queen Anne isn't exciting enough, you could always try these Vegan Chocolate Covered Cherries from Rose City Chocolates.

Go Bananas For Frozen Chocolate-Covered Banana Bites

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:09:22 -0700

Every so often I come across a simple recipe and wonder - why on earth didn't I think of that?! While browsing a recent issue of Bon Appétit, this was the case with frozen chocolate-dipped bananas. Frozen chocolate banana Popsicle are a fave, but, with their variety of toppings, these bites are even better!

The banana bites are quick to make and once the dipping and coating starts, things get messy. Kids would have a great time preparing them.

Toasted hazelnuts, shredded coconut, crushed creme-filled cookies. and chocolate covered pretzels were my toppings of choice. Be sure to remove the bites from the freezer at least 10 minutes before serving, so the frozen banana can slightly soften. If you have extra candy from Easter lying around, melt it down or crush it up to get started on your own scrumptious banana bites! For the recipe, read more.

Frozen Chocolate Dipped Banana Bites
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons canola oil
Assorted toppings (such as crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, toffee bits, Butterfinger candy bars, chopped salted peanuts toasted shredded coconut, crushed chocolate dipped pretzels, crushed pretzels, chopped hazelnuts)
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions

Stir chocolate and oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes to cool.
Place each topping in separate shallow dish. Line baking sheet with foil. Arrange banana slices on foil. Using fingers or utensil, dip 1 banana slice in chocolate, coating completely. Shake off excess chocolate.
Drop dipped banana in 1 topping. Using clean hand or utensil, sprinkle more topping over banana to coat; transfer to foil-lined sheet.
Repeat with remaining bananas, chocolate, and toppings. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours, then serve.

Makes 36 banana bites.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 7 Photos ›

Would You Eat These Chocolate Covered Insects?

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:30:22 -0700

While browsing online, I came across these chocolate-covered insects. Although insects are a category of food that Americans aren't accustomed to eating, they have long been a prized delicacy in places like Thailand, Australia, and China. The purveyors of this delicious product, which includes both crickets and larvae, describe it as tasting "like chocolate-covered popcorn." I think chocolate-covered popcorn is absolutely delicious, so I would want to try one of these. What about you: Would you try one? Which would you eat first, the larvae or the adult cricket?

Source

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: All About Chocolate

partysugar — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:41:12 -0800

A box of chocolates is the quintessential Valentine's Day gift. What says Valentine's Day more than a beautiful box of delicately decorated truffles? If you're looking to give chocolate, here are my top picks:

For the single princess who has yet to find her prince charming, this box of frog prince chocolates is perfect. It's a hopeful reminder that love can be found in the most unexpected places and in the moments when we least predict it. They are on sale for $20, so hurry and order a box soon.

You know I'm mad about minis and I love this tiny little box of two chocolate truffles. You won't have to feel guilty when you give this box of chocolates because it has only 2 chocolates! Indulge in chocolate and moderation.

For more tempting chocolate-y gifts, read more

One of America's top chocolatiers recently published a book filled with their secret recipes. The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger has over 100 chocolate recipes and explains the process behind making couture quality dark chocolate. At $35, this book is so beautiful it can rest on the coffee table of a non-baking chocolate lover.

For the gal who always like to have a little piece of chocolate at her finger tips, a clear glass jar (tied with a red satin ribbon) filled with chocolate covered cherries ($13) is an ideal gift. She can pop one (or two, or three...) in her mouth for quick sweet munching.

Vosges' Red Fire Tortilla Chips

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:58:19 -0700

I really enjoy Vosges Chocolates (at least the two exotic candy bars I've tried have been delicious) and really need to hunt down some of their (new?) Red Fire Tortilla Chips. I read about them yesterday and have been drooling ever since. They're organic corn tortilla chips, covered in chocolate and topped with ancho & chipotle chiles.

Um, chocolate covered tortilla chips with a hint of chile?? Sign me up! A 6oz can is available at Vosges for $20.

Anyone tried these? How do they taste?

Source: Trendhunter

Valentine's Day Treat With a Twist!

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:00:15 -0800

When a special occasion calls for something sweet and savory, satisfy your youngsters with Simple Put Gourmet's decadent crispy treats! The mama made chocolate-covered pretzels come in all sorts of flavors - from white chocolate and M&Ms to dark chocolate sprinkled and toffee crunch and peanut butter versions. Whether you are looking for a unique Valentine's Day gift or a way to celebrate a new baby's birth, these goodies will set you back $10 - $12 for half a dozen and are shipped in boxes with a bow.

Speak Up: What Are Your PMS Food Cravings?

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

I try hard to eat healthy most of the time, but when PMS strikes, it's hard for me to stay on track. I end up craving everything sweet and salty like ice cream and mozzarella cheese-covered french fries. What about you? What are your fattening, greasy, creamy, fried, sugar-coated, chocolate-covered PMS cravings?