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?

Can You Guess This Candy?

It is the best-selling confectionery item between January 1st and Easter; over 200 million are sold annually, 3 for every person in the UK.

Yep, that's right -- the Cadbury Creme Egg.

The Cadbury Creme Egg plant at Bournville can produce more than 1.5 million eggs per day. If you laid all the eggs made on the Creme Egg plant end to end, they would stretch all the way from the Bournville factory in Birmingham UK to Sydney in Australia -- that's 12,000 miles.

Besides these interesting facts, the Cadbury Creme Egg site tells us this about the history of the Cadbury chocolateers:

In the 19th century the Cadbury family were members of the Society of Friends or Quakers, one of the many non-conformist groups developed in the 17th century in protest against the formalism of the Established Church. Quakers held strong beliefs and ideals which carried into 'campaigns for justice, equality and social reform, putting an end to poverty and deprivation'.

As nonconformists, Quakers weren't allowed to enter the Universities, which in the 19th century were closely linked with the Established Church. So entry into the professions was impossible, and pacifist principles precluded the military as a career. Their energies and talents were therefore directed towards business, social reform and the transformation of social and industrial society in Victorian Britain.

And so, the Cadbury's got into the chocolate business. Maybe it's a good thing they weren't allowed to enter the universities?

And the Survey Says . . .

Okay, I think it's about time that I post the results of my chocolate blogpoll. It's been up for about 2-3 months, and it still only got a grand total of . . . wait for it . . . 14 votes! (Looks like it's time for me to start paying attention to my chocolate blog!)

So the question was: Which is your favorite chocolate combination? Chocolate and mint? Or Chocolate and peanut butter? Here are the results:

1. Chocolate and mint -- 9 votes, 64.3%
2. Chocolate and peanut butter -- 5 votes, 35.7%

Chocolate and mint won! That's the one I voted for. For one main reason: Chocolate and peanut butter is a brilliant combo, no doubt. One of my favorite treats is to eat Hershey's Kisses with a dollop of crunchy peanut butter. And who can doubt the power of the Reese's Peanut Butter egg at Easter? It makes my mouth water. But then the memory of the special Christmas mint M&M's pop into my head . . . They're just little, unassuming red and green candies, but they are the most addictive junk food I've ever put into my mouth. I wonder if mint is addictive . . . I'll have to do some research on that . . .

Anyway, mint is the winner. And this is a very scientific survey . . .

Lindt Balls

I asked my sister Summer to model a milk chocolate Lindt ball for 2 reasons:

1. It looks like the medicine ball Miracle Max makes Westley in The Princess Bride.
2. It is an extremely delicious piece of food. I had actually never had Lindt chocolate before Valentine's Day '06, and I must say that I feel I've been left out of the full chocolate heaven for the majority of my life. There are other chocolates I still like better, but I now think that a platter of the finest chocolates must always include at least one Lindt ball. Try one; you'll like it.
   

*Regarding the picture, I have to tell you that I took a few more. Summer actually shot me the bird in one of them . . . It's a crazy funny picture, but I'm not posting it on my blog. You'll have to ask me for it in person.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, INDEED!

I saw this article on MSN and jumped on it! It's an article about the health benefits of chocolate. Yeah, we've all "heard" that before, but I thought I'd at least post the article. And here are some excerpts:

According to the diet doc [Arthur Agatston of South Beach Diet fame], studies show that high concentrations of cocoa found in dark chocolate -- at least 70 percent -- help improve vascular function by relaxing blood vessels, keeping cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels and reducing the risk of blood clots.

Others agreed. Jeffrey Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition, in Boston, said dark chocolate contains flavanols, plant-based antioxidants that may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular function. These benefits might extend to improving heart function and lowering blood pressure, he said.

"However, even if you're eating 80 percent cocoa, flavanol-rich dark chocolate, you're still eating a high-calorie, high-fat food," the Boston expert warned. "It is not a 'health food.'"

Nevertheless, he and a team of researchers published a study last August in Hypertension that found that eating a dark chocolate candy bar once a day for 15 days significantly lowered the blood pressure of 20 people suffering from hypertension.

There was a catch: The participants had to lower their caloric intake of other foods to accommodate the nearly 500 calories they consumed every day by eating the candy bar.

"You choose whole grain bread instead of white bread, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, and when it comes to Valentine's Day, choose dark chocolate-covered almonds rather than milk chocolate or white chocolate," Agatston said.

"You want to make the best choices, even when you're cheating a bit," Agatston advised.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Chocolate: The Exhibition

On February 11th, 2006, Fernbank Museum of Natural History opened the doors to Chocolate: The Exhibition. That's right -- an exhibit all about chocolate. How could I not post about it?

I haven't even seen it yet, but I don't expect it to be bad! I will make time to go soon enough, but until I post my reactions, I think you should find out yours. The exhibit lasts until August 13th. That's 7 whole months of chocolate!

Guys: Take your girlfriends to this exhibit for Valentine's Day!

Japanese Chocolate

I found a link to Engrish.com through a friend's blog. It's all about Japanese/English culture. So check out these Japanese chocolate wrappers I found:

This is the mini "Big Bar."


These look like little colons. I love that Japan has "Hello Kitty" plastered everywhere.


They couldn't come up with a name for these, so they just called them what they are.

My Favorite Chocolates In the Whole World

One of my sisters-in-law's parents just sent my family some See's chocolates! YAY! I hadn't eaten lunch yet, but I ate three chocolates anyway! How could I resist? See's is my favorite candy company. If I could get a lifetime supply of anything, it would probably be See's chocolates -- the ones I've circled below.


What's YOUR favorite gourmet chocolate or candy?

Favorite Chocolate Bar?

I've closed the most recent Pro Chocolate Poll, "What is your favorite chocolate Bar?". Here are the results (out of 19 total votes):

Snickers: 4 votes, 21.1%
Mr. Goodbar: 4 votes, 21.1%
Kit Kat: 3 votes, 15.8%
Other: 3 votes, 15.8%
Heath: 2 votes, 10.5%
Butterfinger: 1 vote, 5.3%
Baby Ruth: 1 vote, 5.3%
3 Musketeers: 1 vote, 5.3%


I thought you might like to know what the top 10 candy brands in the U.S. were in 2000 (2000's data is the most recent I could get my hands on.). The source is The Manufacturing Confectioner ("The Business Magazine of the Global Sweet Goods Industry"), and the research actually covers brand/sales in dollars for the first quarter of 1998.

1. M&Ms 26,128,204
2. Hershey 18,721,350
3. Reeses 16,876,411
4. Snickers 15,565,099
   
5. York Peppermint Patty 6,971,883
   
6. Butterfinger 5,645,239
   
7. Three Musketeers 5,283,848
   
8. Nestle Crunch 5,213,076
   
9. Russell Stover 4,615,111
   
10. Almond Joy 4,358,023

So Nestle Crunch, really? And Three Musketeers? Who buys those? Also, number 10 tells us that people feel like a nut more often than not.

Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter Cookies

I think Hershey's Kisses cookies are the prettiest kind of cookie. Look at that chocolate sheen. YUMMY.

You can get the recipe for these cookies on the back of any Hershey's Kisses bag (I think the Hershey company calls them Peanut Blossoms.) If you want a bigger batch and a more peanut buttery taste, though, try my sister-in-law's recipe:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
2-3 dozen Hershey's Kisses (There are more than enough in one regular-size bag.)

1. Mix ingredients.
2. Roll dough in sugar and place on cookie sheet.
3. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
4. Put Hershey's Kisses on top before the cookies cool. (Right after they come out of the oven works the best.)


I'd like to add a baking tip here. That is, it's almost ALWAYS best to mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Make sure you beat your butters and sugars for a few minutes so that you get a really fluffy, creamy mixture. Then add the egg and vanilla. Again, mix the dry ingredients. Then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating only until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet mixture.

This really is a good way to get smooth and fluffy dough. I promise! I've read about it over and over again in all of my recipe books!