Graeter's Ice Cream and Candy

I haven't posted anything on this blog since November of last year. Well, I hope that dry spell is over, thanks to 2 things:

1. I decided to expand the scope of this blog a bit. Instead of just blogging about chocolate, I will blog about baking in general. Uh, I doubt I will write about cooking because my true interest is in sweet treats . . .
2. I tasted the best dark chocolate I've ever had in my life. I will expound on this below.

A co-worker brought Cincinnati's finest to the office today -- in the form of Graeter's dark chocolate bars. I tend to be skeptical of dark chocolate because it's usually bitter and waxy. Actually, that's probably because I rarely eat gourmet chocolate. I'm used to cheap dark chocolate, like Hershey's and Dove. (Dove dark is pretty good.)

Oh, but Graeter's dark chocolate has so much genuine chocolate flavor. The texture is amazing; it's so, so smooth and creamy. My co-worker brought their milk chocolate as well, but it just didn't hold a candle to the dark. Not even close.

Well, I looked Graeter's up online, and from the looks of it, the company's big draw is ice cream. Louis C. Graeter began the business in 1870 as an ice cream shop. He started in Cincinnati, and as the range of sweets grew to include candy, the number of shops grew. Graeter's now operates in 7 U.S. cities and has an online store. (Though, they are not shipping anything at the moment due to warm weather -- shucks.)

But you can read all about the company's history online. What I want you to take away from this post is that all I know about Graeter's is their chocolate, and it's good. Very good. Bottom line? Graeter's is greater. Get some.

Hershey's Sticks

Just call me Louis. Or Clark. Because I just discovered a new chocolate product for you!

It seems that the folks at Hershey have jumped on board the small-portion-size marketing strategy (e.g. 100-calorie packs). They've created Hershey's Sticks -- smooth and creamy, perfectly-sized, 60-calorie chocolate sticks. The sticks come in 4 varieties: milk chocolate, caramel-filled milk chocolate, rich dark chocolate, and mint chocolate. They really are the perfect snack size! I'm telling you -- if you have a hankering for an after-lunch, but before-work-ends sweet snack, keep these on hand. You'll satisfy your chocolate urge, but with only 60 calories. Not bad! (Of course, you do need to make sure you only eat one . . .)

I think the psychology behind it is in the shape. They are long and skinny sticks. So you almost feel like you're eating a candy bar -- just a skinny one. But those little Hershey miniatures? Fuhgedaboudit. They make me think I need to eat about 10 before I'm satisfied . . .

Basically, I think if you're a chocoholic like me, this is a great development in the industry for you.

Bonus: You can use these sticks in hot chocolate!

Recipe for Some Good Hot Chocolate

Okay, so this isn't really an original recipe, but if you need some great hot chocolate fast, this is what you have to do:

1. Buy Archer Farms Hazelnut Hot Cocoa Mix from Target.
2. Buy a box of Hershey's Sticks, the Mint Milk Chocolate variety.
3. Make one cup of hot cocoa, according to the directions on the hot chocolate tin. (This means you'd be using 4 tablespoons of cocoa mix.)
   
4. Add half of a mint Hershey Stick to the mixture, and stir until it's thoroughly melted.

And that's it! You can add whipped cream if you want, which I almost always recommend -- the fatter, the better, I say!

So this recipe seems pretty boring, but just try it. It'll knock your proverbial socks off! The thing that's so great about this recipe is that it's minty, but not overly minty, which is the problem I have with many mint chocolate mixes. Also, I used only water for this mix, whereas usually I use milk for hot chocolate. Milk is my favorite, but then you have to deal with that curdled layer on top when you heat it -- gross! But I guess what you trade off for milkfat in this mix is sugar -- 'cuz there's a lot of it!

Go make yourself some hot chocolate!

Watch Out -- These Little Buggers Will Get You Every Time

That's right -- I'm talking about the Mint Chocolate M&M's. They only come out at Christmastime, and it's difficult to find them just anywhere. I usually can't find them at any other store besides Target. I was finally able to get three bags last night at $2.98 a pop! But that's $2.98 well-spent, I say.

The bags are really pretty this year, too, and "Limited Edition" is printed next to the logo. So I'm tempted to buy a huge box and freeze them. I mean, you never know -- Mars, Inc. could very well decide they don't want to produce anymore. Sadly, that was the fate of the Hershey Cookies 'n' Mint bar . . .

I'm hopeful this won't happen, though, because candy that only comes out once a year seems to fair better, usually. Plus, I think the mint and chocolate combo is addictive. Addictive, I tell you.

Please, go to your nearest Target and pick up a bag or two. And come back to tell me what you think of the divine red, white, and green Christmas candies.

World's Tallest Chocolate Fountain

I never really cared about Las Vegas, even after "Ocean's Eleven" came out. Sure, the Bellagio sounds cool and hip, but what do I care about casinos? Well, I just found out that this is what I care about casinos:




That's right, folks -- it's the World's tallest chocolate fountain at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. I found these photos on Flickr (Thanks, lesliebyk and shookiemookie!). Here are the facts:

• Designed by Montreal artist Michel Mailhot
  
• It's the world's tallest and largest-volume chocolate fountain.
  
• The glass-encased fountain contains about 2,100 pounds of flowing chocolate.
• 6 pumps circulate close to 2 tons of chocolate.
• Over 500 feet of stainless steel piping
• Chocolate circulates at 120 degrees Farenheit.
• 2 years of engineering, planning, and design

Now, scroll back up to those images. You know you want to.

Making Chocolate: A Video

If you love watching chocolate products being made, you really ought to check out the "Making Chocolate" video on the Hershey Corporation Web site. It's incredible.

Could it be real? Could it be true? Could the Hershey candy company have begun producing Cookies 'n' Mint again?

Well, folks, believe it. Because it is true. I spotted them a week ago at Cowboys gas station, and today I actually bought one. It was as delightful as it ever was.

I'm not sure what brought this small miracle of capitalism about, but I have an idea it has to do with Steve Almond's book Candy Freak. (If you've found this blog about chocolate, you probably already know about the book.) I'll save the discussion of this book for another post, but I'll just say that in his 2004 publication, Almond describes candy that has gone into . . . extinction. One of them was Cookies 'n' Mint. He bemoans the loss of this candy within the first 3 pages, and the book had pretty good reviews. So I just bet that Hershey took some notice.

Thanks, Mr. Almond.

Update: Since writing this post, I have searched for information on Cookies 'n' Mint production, and sadly, I have to wonder if it is too good to be true. I noticed the other day that the words "Limited Edition" were printed on the stash of bars at the gas station I had been buying them from. What does this mean? I don't know. But I have a feeling it doesn't mean that Hershey is producing an entire line. I'm sorry chocolate-lovers and Pro Chocolate readers; I should've checked my facts thoroughly first.

The Rules of Chocolate

I found this list on Smile of the Day, and actually, I think I received it in a forward once . . .

So. These are the rules of chocolate:

1. If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
2. Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices, and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
3. The Problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. Solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
4. Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It will take the edge off your appetite and you will eat less.
5. A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy?
6. Money talks. Chocolate sings.
7. Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
8. Chocolate is a health food. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived either from sugar beets or cane, both vegetables. And, of course, the milk/cream is dairy. So eat more chocolate to meet the dietary requirements for daily vegetable and dairy intake.
9. Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you will get one thing done.

Can you think of any other chocolate rules?