With the discovery of radium by Marie Curie in 1898, many people began to tout it as a revolutionary health find. It was used by health spas in baths, treatments and procedures, and people were using it in everything from water jugs to toothpastes to suppositories! (I think that right there deserves an “OMG!,” how about you?)

As the video above illustrates, people of the early 20th century were quite taken with the supposed benefits of this pretty much unkown element and until people became severely ill (and of course, died) it was used indiscriminately.

It’s not surprising then that it eventually made its way into chocolate. The chocolate bar in that link was sold for its “its rejuvenation power” between 1931 to 1936 by the Burk & Braun company of Germany.

It makes you wonder – if you had lived during that time would you have fallen for the hype?

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Image details: Health Food Junk Food served by picapp.com

Did you know that? I didn’t!

Following is a recipe that I’ve used several times. Keep in mind, this is in no way any kind of gourmet doughnut. Don’t look at the can of biscuits and go “pshaw!” because that just means you haven’t tried it! I’ve made doughnuts from scratch before and they’ve turned out great as well, but when I want a quick treat for the family this is the way to do it.

I snagged this one from watching a Paula Deen episode and was thrilled to find I had everything already in the cupboard!

Chocolate Dipped Doughnuts

Peanut oil
1 can store-bought biscuits
1 (4-ounce) bar sweet chocolate (recommended: Baker’s German’s)
1/2-ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnuts into fryer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.

Stick a fork through the doughnut holes and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets, about 5 minutes.

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While the chocolate is still somewhat wet on the doughnut, sprinkle with flaked coconut, chopped peanut, sprinkles, etc. A plain doughnut with just powdered sugar sprinkled over the top is yummy too!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Today is National Devil’s Food Cake Day! Yeah, I don’t know who comes up with these but I’m not going to complain!

Devil’s Food Cake is traditionally a rich chocolate layer cake paired with chocolate frosting and is thought of as the counterpart to Angel Food Cake. Makes sense, right?

The first known recipe for Devil’s Food Cake in the U.S. dates back to 1905, and it’s called Devil’s Food Cake not only because of the inclusion of real chocolate in the recipe, but because the baking soda causes the cocoa to redden when baked!

Devil’s Food Cake
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes separately in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup (about) sour cream

Melt unsalted butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder and vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup sour cream. Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in enough of remaining sour cream to form spreadable frosting.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

NCCD always falls on May 15th and is intended to celebrate the wonderfulness that is chocolate chips and their popularity in our cooking and baking. While there is no congressional record or proclamation that today is officially a “national” anything, it’s still a valid holiday in my book! And of course, there are ecards.

The above video gives you some great tips on how chocolate chips should be added to baked goods. I’ve always kept my chocolate chips in the freezer by default (they get too melty in the cupboard), so I was glad to see that mentioned!

What’s your favorite recipe involving chocolate chips? What is your favorite brand of chocolate chips to use?

My favorite recipe is my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and I prefer the Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Arguably one of those most popular comedy bits of all time, the 39th episode of “I Love Lucy” featured Lucy and Ethel working at a chocolate factory, wrapping chocolates as they came down a conveyor belt. The episode is technically titled “Job Switching” but is better known as “Candy Factory.”

It was filmed May 30, 1952 and entails Ricky and Fred thinking that housework is much easier than earning money. Lucy and Ethel feel the opposite so the boys try doing the housework while the girls attempt to hold down a job at a candy factory.

[info via Lucy Library]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Yes, for real! Today is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day! National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day always occurs on March 24 and is a day to celebrate the great combo of the dried fruit and chocolate.

However, even though the day is referred to as “National,” there are no records of it being a legitimate holiday. You can send an e-card, though!

Are you a fan?

Chocolate Covered Raisin Clusters

1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/3 c. butter
16 lg. marshmallows
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 c. raisins

Heat chocolate bits, butter, and marshmallows in 3 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth; remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper and shape into clusters with hands. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen candies.

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Chocolate Covered Raisin Cake

1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. quick-cooking oats
1 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour boiling water over oats in mixing bowl, let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, oil and eggs; mix well. Gradually stir in dry ingredients. Bake in prepared 9×13 inch baking pan at 350 degrees 50-55 minutes or test with toothpick.

Topping:

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 c. coconut
1/4 c. nuts, chopped
1 c. chocolate covered raisins

Warm butter, sugar and milk over low heat in pan, stirring to blend. Mix in remaining ingredients. Spread over warm cake.

[image: stock.xchng]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Chocolate goes well with many holidays, and for good reason! But sometimes I wonder why it’s bigger for some holidays (Valentine’s and Easter) and not others (Fourth of July or Thanksgiving). Anyway, I dug up a little history to explain why chocolate and Easter go so well together:

“It was at about this time (early 1800’s) that the first chocolate Easter egg appeared in Germany and France and soon spread to the rest of Europe and beyond. The first chocolate eggs were solid soon followed by hollow eggs. Although making hollow eggs at that time was no mean feat, because the easily worked chocolate we use today didn’t exist then, they had to use a paste made from ground roasted Cacao beans.

“By the turn of the 19th Century, the discovery of the modern chocolate making process and improved mass manufacturing methods meant that the Chocolate Easter Egg was fast becoming the Easter Gift of choice in the UK and parts of Europe, and by the 1960’s it was well established worldwide.” ~ A History of Easter

What are your favorite chocolate Easter treats?

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Brownies, like many other great inventions, are said to have been the mistake of a careless cook who forgot to put baking powder into a chocolate cake recipe. She ended up with what we now call brownies, and thank heavens she didn’t just toss the pan out without trying them first!

I was watching Food Network last night and caught Alton Brown doing an episode on cocoa, which included him to making the brownies below. I’ve made these before (but didn’t get pictures of them) and they’re delicious!

Cocoa Brownies

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it’s done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.

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Tiramisu is an Italian cake made with mascarpone, custard, and lady finger biscuits dipped in espresso and topped with cocoa.

Tiramisu is said to have originated in Treviso at “Le Beccherie” restaurant by confectioner Roberto Linguanotto. The original cake contained no alcohol as children were expected to consume it, but that’s changed over the years with the addition of rum and Marsala wine in most recipes.

The cake is believed to be a recent invention as there is no record of it before 1983, though other layered cake recipes have been around for decades and the belief that the cake was created in Treviso dates to 1971.

Classic Tiramisu

6 egg yolks
3/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 (12 ounce) packages ladyfingers
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 13-15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon colored.

Add mascarpone to whipped yolks. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into yolk mixture and set aside.

Split the lady fingers in half, and line the bottom and sides of a large glass bowl. Brush with coffee liqueur. Spoon half of the cream filling over the lady fingers. Repeat ladyfingers, coffee liqueur and filling layers. Garnish with cocoa and chocolate curls. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

To make the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler and run it down the edge of the chocolate bar.

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Easy (Alcohol-free) Tiramisu

2 cups whipping or heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup strong coffee or espresso
3 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso
8 oz of marscapone cheese
1/8 cup of cocoa powder
20 lady fingers or sponge cake

Whip 1 cup of the whipping cream into stiff peaks, refrigerate while completing the next steps. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, or to taste.

In a separate bowl, whip the marscapone cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons of espresso. Set aside.

Dip the top sides of 1/2 of the lady fingers in the coffee and place in the bottom of serving dish. You will need to cover the bottom of the dish, so only use as many lady fingers as needed to do so.

Take refrigerated whipped cream and fold into the cheese mixture. Spread 1/3 of mixture over lady fingers and dust with cocoa powder. Repeat steps 3 and 5, ending with the cheese mixture on top.

Take the reserved 1 cup of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar and whip till soft peaks are formed. Spread mixture over top of cheese layer and garnish with cocoa powder. Chill tiramisu for at least 2 hours before serving.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

I’ve often wondered why some holidays lead the pack for chocolate consumption while others aren’t even on the radar. Of course, Valentine’s Day comes out on top, but why?

Since the days of the Aztecs chocolate has been used as a gift. Chocolate is more than food, it not only fills your belly but also makes you feel so good.

Elaine Sherman wrote “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial. Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy … chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.”

What more could you want to say to your lover on Valentines Day? Even the scientific name for the tree from which chocolate is derived, Theobroma cacao, translated from Greek, means “food of the gods”.

There’s also the scientific explanation: chocolate contains phenylethylamine, an endorphin that, once released into the bloodstream, lifts your mood and gives you a sort of natural high, and to a small degree mimics the feeling of falling in love.

It also doesn’t hurt that it’s easy to give – it’s affordable, the variety is nearly endless, it’s small enough to ship or carry, and most everyone loves it so it’s hard to go wrong!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes