This is fantastic: these guys decided that if you’re going to take a break, take a BIG break and while you’re at it, make it yourself!

They gathered 30 packages of Saisbury’s Luxury Belgian Milk Chocolate, 3 ScotBlok Chocolate Flavour Cake Coverings and 6 packages Loacker Quadratini chocolate wafers, and with the help of a wallpaper trough and a floor tile made a humongous Kit Kat bar!

The end product actually looks pretty tasty and you can see how proud they are of it too! Would you attempt something like this?

[image: sxc]

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This is the Shockolate Vault and believe it or not it’s being sold as a “dietary aid!”

You’re supposed to set the timer in the lid for how long you think you can go without chocolate (up to 24 hours, and you can use it for other treats) and then stay away or receive a shock when you try to unlock it before the time is up!

I love the idea of this but I think it’d go completely unused in my house! I don’t gorge on chocolate or other treats all day, though, which is what it’s trying to curb. Those few days I do crave it madly you better believe nothing’s going to get in my way!

Would you use something like this?

[shockolate vault product image]

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I’ve spent a lot of time over at MonkeySee, which was recommended to us by Sandy. It’s so much more professional than Youtube, and a lot of the videos are split up into segments so you can see just the parts you want or need to!

Anyway, I came across these quick videos on how to make and assemble “dirt cups.” With summer break starting next week I want to start spending some more time in the kitchen with my daughters to get them started on some of the basics, and I think something fun like this will really appeal to them!

I think these would also be yummy after ten or so minutes in the freezer on an especially hot day!

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I totally spaced on yesterday being National Nutty Fudge Day! Did you celebrate?

Nutty Fudge

1 1/2 Sticks butter
1/3 c Evaporated milk
1/4 c Sugar
1 c Milk chocolate
1 c Semi-sweet chocolate
1 c Marshmallow cream
1 c Peanut butter chips
1/2 c Chopped peanuts

Blend butter, milk and sugar in a med. saucepan. bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 miniutes. add both chocolates and the marshmallow and blend. Let cool. Then add the peanut butter chips and peanuts. Place in a buttered and foil lined pan. Chill at least 1 hour and serve.

[image: stock.xchng]

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This cute (and quick!) instructional video shows you how to make chocolate brownies from scratch. Why do chocolate brownies always sound so good?

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4 ounces (squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®)
6 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate (Hershey’s® recommended)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Place unsweetened chocolate chunks, butter, and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on High for 1 minute, until butter is melted. Whisk until smooth, then blend in sugar and salt. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Blend in flour, half at a time, until well-mixed. Fold in chopped peanuts and miniature chocolate chips. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with baking liners or parchment paper.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1-1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookies will become crispy rather than chewy. Let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze: Break chocolate into large chunks and place in a 4-cup glass measuring cup or deep micro-safe bowl. Add half of whipped topping and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir for 1 minute. Add remaining whipped topping and microwave another 30 seconds. Whisk until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar, beating until there are no lumps. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to thicken up.

Swirl the tops of the cookies in the chocolate glaze and place on waxed paper. Let stand, uncovered, 3 to 4 hours to dry and set glaze.

Yield: about 72 cookies

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I was fortunate enough to get an invitation in my email not too long ago to try some chocolates from Sucré in New Orleans. They’ve been sitting on my desk since they showed up because I’ve had a head cold but that’s finally gone so a quick thanks to Blake for his patience! Now on to the chocolate!

The first one I tried was the Meuniere: A brown butter infused white chocolate ganache molded as a fleur de lis. I wasn’t sure about this one at first but it won me over with the second bite, which was a shame because then it was gone! Very smooth and tasty.

The second was the Blange: White chocolate ganache finished with fresh banana and a hint of rum. I wasn’t crazy about this one – though it was tasty I’m not a big fan of white chocolate or banana flavoring.

Next was the Magnolia: Pecan ganache flavored with praline liqueuer. Definitely my favorite of the bunch so far! The chocolate is rich and creamy and perfect with the pecan. YUM.

The Sucré Dark is their signature, “showcasing our single bean chocolate from the Maracaibo region of Venezuela.” This one was also very creamy and buttery. Definitely something I’d go to if I needed a little bite of good chocolate.

Sicilian Pistachio: Roasted Sicilian pistachios compliment a smooth white chocolate ganache, finished with a hint of cinnamon. Again, I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate but the cinnamon balanced it out and gave it a nice kick. The pistachio wasn’t strong, just a hint.

The next one I wasn’t able to identify but it’s probably my second favorite so far. Spicy and dark, very tasty!

Torrone: Double cream milk chocolate paired with sweet hazelnut wafer crunch. I love a slight crunch in a smooth chocolate and this one hit the spot. Hazelnut perfection!

Lemon confit: A zesty dark chocolate ganache with candied lemon. This one threw me a bit – it’s very lemony which I associate more with white chocolate than milk. The texture inside is a bit chalky but it actually works with the citrus flavor.

The last is Avery: Caramel and milk chocolate ganache enhanced by salt from the Avery mines. This was another one that took me a minute to warm up to, but I love the combination of salt and chocolate and could have easily had another one when I was done with the first!

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Green Chocolate Slimedoo
2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces sugar
2 ounces butter
2 pounds white chocolate
6 to 12 drops green food coloring
Strawberries, bananas, pineapples, apples, pretzels for dipping

Make a ganache: In a non-reactive double boiler set over medium-low heat, bring the cream, sugar, and butter to a boil. Meanwhile, chop the chocolate into small chunks – a serrated knife works best for this.

Add the chocolate chunks to the cream mixture in the double boiler, whisking, until it is melted and incorporated into the cream. Finally, add the food coloring until it is the desired shade of green.

Keep mixture warm in a fondue pot. Set out the fruit and the pretzels for dipping with long wooden skewers next to the fondue pot. Guests can dip their pretzels or fruit into the fondue.

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I’ll be the first to admit that doesn’t look terribly appetizing. Even knowing that it’s all chocolate (the pasta, chocolate sauce, and a little scoop of thyme ice cream on top) doesn’t help much, but you know I’d try it!

FXcuisine.com has a fantastic, hi-res, step-by-step post on how to make your own chocolate pasta. They take you through each step – and each step has a picture, which, if you’re a visual learner like me, helps tremendously if you plan on giving it a shot.

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Now, I happen to love the sweet, domesticated fancy rat. However, I know that’s not up everyone’s alley, so to speak, so guess what I dug up! Check out these chocolate rats to help celebrate the Year of the Rat!

Burdick Chocolate has gifts of good luck in the shape of adorable little rats. They also have chocolate-dipped fruit and assortment boxes.

Chocolate Fantasies has a lot of Chinese New Year chocolates, including the molded rat above, as well as chocolate lollipops and Good Wishes chocolate.

Wineshop.uk has cute little Belgian chocolates in the shape of little mice brushed with golden powder.

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