The recent release of Warner Brothers’ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to Blu-Ray got me thinking — which Willy Wonky and the Chocolate Factory (or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) do you prefer?

Both adaptations of the book by Roald Dahl have their merits, of course, but personally, I prefer the current remake with Johnny Depp. I grew up with the Gene Wilder original from the 70’s and to be honest there was just always something about it that creeped me out. It was great fodder for the imagination (a chocolate and candy factory all to yourself? Yes, please!) but …read more

Chocolate truffles are one of my most favorite things in the world. Just one of the rich balls of chocolate, for me, satisfy even the most intense craving, and I don’t feel bad because I haven’t downed an entire candy bar or half a batch of chocolate chip cookies when that particular craving hits!
This series of videos by professional party caterer Lauren Taylor show the step by step process of making chocolate truffles at home. They’re really very easy to do, and the variations — from coatings to fillings — are practically endless.
In the second part, she …read more

I was doing one of my weekly searches on Youtube this morning to see what I could find for chocolate, and came across the just-uploaded video by Isa Chandra on how to make vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. I was instantly intrigued!
First, why had it never crossed my mind to add chocolate to snickerdoodles? (This must be remedied immediately.) Second, not only is chocolate added to the sugar-cookie-y snickerdoodles, but she also adds cayenne for the Mexican hot chocolate kick, and then manages to make the whole thing vegan by using almond milk and no eggs!

After doing a little more …read more

My daughters are really showing an interest in being with me in the kitchen lately, and I’ve figured out that the way to nurture that is to have them help me make the “fun” stuff like desserts or do the fun parts like spreading sauce or sprinkling toppings. Over time they’ve come to not mind the less-than-exciting things like stirring or cleaning up as we go. I really don’t want them to view it as a chore, and so far, so good!
One thing I love doing with them are desserts that are geared specifically toward kids. These aren’t necessarily things …read more

This week, the tech blog Gizmodo is featuring tech items that have been mashed up with cuisine and food, and yesterday’s post was about the World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain, located here in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel.
I’ve never had a reason to even step inside the Bellagio, so I haven’t seen this in person, but the videos give you an idea of how large this thing really is.
Standing 27 feet tall, the machine, created by Chef Jean-Philippe Maury, circulates 2100 pounds or about 120 quarts of white, dark and milk chocolate per minute.
While fully functional, the fountain is …read more

In just two days, on August 27th, it’ll be National Pots de Crème Day! But… what are pots de crème?
Translated from French, pots de crème means “pots of cream.” It’s a French dessert of a usually baked then chilled custard served in small dishes, or ramekins. It’s traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk and vanilla, and chocolate is easily added.
The video above shows you how to make a version of chocolate pots de crème using chocolate chips, egg substitute, vanilla and scalded cream. The ingredients are placed in a blender and blended until smooth. The mixture is then poured into …read more

Chocolate with a spicy kick has been a trend for a couple of years now, and though it’s nothing new in some parts of the world, the novelty for the rest of us still hasn’t worn off!
This video is from a news station in Wisconsin that featured a segment with pastry chef Lindsay Brooks. Her recipe is a silky chocolate mousse with chipotle caramel sauce, and as soon as I find some chipotle powder I’m making this for my husband!
Lindsay managed to come up with a chocolate mousse that is both sugar- and egg-free, but her version does contain …read more

It’s not a secret that I’m a sucker for any kind of dessert with a non-traditional chocolate pairing. Paula Deen’s Chocolate Pecan Pie does just that with the classic southern dessert and decadent chocolate.
Chocolatier Max Brenner joined Paula for the episode of Paula’s Best Dishes, and though pecan pie is usually too rich for me this is one I might have a hard time pushing away from! Paula adds about four ounces of chopped chocolate and a couple tablespoons of bourbon as well.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
from Paula Deen
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 …read more

Baker Katie Banks shares her recipe for Southern Chocolate Cupcakes in the video below. What makes them special? The addition of beaten egg yolks gives the cupcakes a very light, moist texture. You can even add your favorite frosting when you’re done!
Southern Chocolate Cupcakes
6 oz semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup butter
8 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
~ Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave and mix until combined; set to the side to cool.
~ Separate egg yolks …read more

I stumbled across this video of the award-winning Chocolate California Goldrush Cake while searching for something else, and I was immediately hooked.
The award competition was sponsored by Ghirardelli, so you know some good chocolate was going into these creations!
The method for the cake is actually pretty simple and looks amazingly delicious: two melted bars of Ghirardelli 100% cacao bars, butter, flour, salt, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Once everything is mixed into a batter, she puts about half of it into a bundt pan, and then layers Ghirardelli caramel squares, toasted pecans, and then the rest of the batter on …read more