Make your own flavor extracts!

Obviously I am a big fan of flavor. Chocolate on its own has a strong flavor, so adding flavors to it can sometimes be a challenge. This challenge causes me to be on the forever lookout for new and natural flavor enhancers. Which is why I have just discovered how to make my own extracts!

You wouldn't believe how simple it is. Sometimes I pay up to $7.00 for a natural extract, but after discovering how to make my own I will NEVER pay that again. ...and I hope you don't either.

What you'll need:
-mason jars
-plastic wrap
-vodka, any kind will do
-fruit or herb that you want to extract the flavor from
-cheese cloth
-(optional) amber glass bottles

So here's how it is done. First you pick the flavor that you want to make into an extract. I chose a few flavors that I regularly use such as blueberry, raspberry, rosemary, cilantro, and bacon. Yes, bacon! For the fruits and the herbs it is quite simple. You take your flavor, raspberries for example (about 2 cups), and mash them up really good, into a pulp. I used mason jars, but you can use whatever jar you want. Fill the jar about half way with your mashed fruit or herb. Then fill the rest of the way with vodka. Put the lid on the jar and shake it well to get everything mixed together. Take the lid off and place a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the jar and put the lid back on. This prevents the lid from rusting. Let this mixture sit in a dark place for about 3-4 weeks. (If you can remember to shake it every few days, that helps too.) With herbs you may have to fill the jar with more vodka over time as the herbs will absorb the liquid. After 3-4 weeks use a cheese cloth to strain out the fruit or herb and you'll have your extract! The optional amber glass bottles help to keep the extract for longer, but that step can be left out as long as you keep your extract in a cool dark place.

For BACON! extract you do something slightly different. Cook some bacon and keep the bacon grease. Pour about a half cup of bacon grease into a mason jar along with a few pieces of bacon. Top it off with vodka and shake it well. Leave the jar in a cool dark place for 1-4 days, then place it in the freezer for 1-2 weeks. When you take it out of the freezer the bacon grease will have solidified making it easier to separate it from the flavored vodka. When the vodka is separated from the bacon and frozen grease you'll have your extract. Store it in a cool dark place.

Chocolate Shop Review-French Broad Chocolate Lounge

Since I am in the business of creating and selling chocolate, I like to stay up to date with other chocolate businesses. Sometimes there are obvious trending things that I like to keep up with, sometimes I just like to taste someone else's chocolate and look inside their pretty shop.

This last week was slow for chocolate as I am still working on finishing my chocolate kitchen for inspection. So I took the week to travel with my mom to the small city of Asheville, North Carolina. The purpose of the trip was to pack up her house since it was being sold, but we also had some fun. The city of Asheville is a wonderful place that sits right in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. They have 2 chocolate shops downtown (that I know of) so the first one we went to was the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. The river that runs through Asheville is called the French Broad, thus the name of the chocolate place.

This place is newer, but has just as much of a reputation as the other chocolate shop. The inside is warm and friendly with plenty of places to sit- a whole second and third floor of seating too! The chairs are plush leather and the tables are intimate; a perfect place for a date.

Upon first approaching the counter, we were greeted by lovely light blue boxes filled with truffles. This is their display case for truffles they have on hand. All truffles were round, while the caramels were square. Their flavors ranged from single origin dark chocolates, to more exciting things like the Thai Truffle, which was my favorite. It is a dark chocolate with lemongrass, ginger, lime, and green chili. Such awesome flavors combined with chocolate!

The second case of goods that greeted us was filled with brownies and chocolate dipped cookies. I didn't sample any of these, but they were all beautiful and I'm sure they tasted heavenly. The last case held pots de creme, puddings, parfaits, and creme brule's that would be fixed upon ordering. They were all tempting, I'll have to go back and try more next time!
Overall, I was impressed with this chocolate shop. I enjoyed the fact that they had plenty of seating for people to order their dessert, a cup of coffee, and then hang out. I felt like I could go there for a variety of things, just to buy a box of chocolate, to enjoy chocolate while reading, or on a date with my mom or husband. I rate this chocolate shop a 9 out of 10.

Painted chocolate

Chocolate is one of those forever kinds of things for learning. The chemistry of it is complex, the tastes are abundant, and the looks of chocolate creations are ever changing. I love all of those things about chocolate! I probably enjoy the looks just as much as the taste. I think the prettier the chocolate, the better it tastes.

One of the current most popular chocolate truffles at Zest Chocolat is the Chai Spice. Yes chai is a great flavor and goes wonderfully with chocolate, but that particular truffle is also quite pretty. It has an intricate cocoa butter design on the top that seems to lure people to that particular flavor. You can see it on the website here: http://www.zestchocolat.com/Truffles.html. The chai truffle uses a design that is ordered from a special place that can print cocoa butter pictures with its high-tech printer. This got me thinking about creating my own designs though.

I set out to see how it would be possible to make my own cocoa butter designs. I decided the design would be for a basil-lemongrass truffle, so I wanted a green/yellow color. The color created ended up being more of a turquoise, but this was my first time after all which means there is plenty of room for improvement in the future. I painted very simple designs on an acetate sheet and was quite pleased at how they came out.

Once the acetate sheets were dried and cut to the right size I applied them to the wet chocolate. This was the part that I was unsure about because you just never know about something until you try it. When the chocolate cooled though, the acetate sheets practically fell off leaving my painted design behind. I was overjoyed, it had worked!!

So now that I know how to create my own designs for transferring onto the chocolate let the fun begin! There is still a lot of skill and technique to be learned and I'm sure not every batch will come out right, but now I have yet another way to beautify chocolate.

Benefits of Chocolate

Recently I have been asked a lot about the benefits of chocolate. One man asked me if my truffles were made of the 'real stuff'. I was a little confused and replied, 'well yes, it's made of real chocolate'. Then he said, 'no, like the real chocolate that has good stuff in it'. So I replied, 'yes, my chocolate is real and it has great antioxidants in it'. He still wasn't convinced, so he asked if I used the same chocolate as a snickers bar. Now this comment almost made me laugh out loud, but I held it back and politely replied that no, my truffles were not made with that same kind of chocolate, but in fact a better kind that has more health benefits. I wished that I could have sat down with him and explained the whole process of how chocolate is made and the wonderful benefits of dark chocolate, but there just wasn't time for that. So I will explain it here! :)

Dark chocolate is the closest you will get to actual pure chocolate, therefore dark chocolate is where you will find the wonderful benefits. The higher the percent of chocolate, for example a 70% chocolate bar, the more actual chocolate and beneficial flavanols you are getting. The percentage stands for cacao to sugar ratio. So a 70% chocolate bar has 70% cacao and 30% sugar. The higher percentage you have, the less sugar and the more cacao.

roasted cacao beans

Milk chocolate is always a less percentage of cacao because it has more cocoa butter and sugar in it, therefore you get far less benefits from it. Milk chocolate has less cacao and more cocoa butter and sugar, also making it more fattening. Milk chocolate is a milder and sweeter taste of cacao making it less bitter and easier to eat. Just because it still has cacao in it though, does not make it good for you.

White chocolate is in fact, no chocolate at all. It uses the cacao butter that has been pressed and separated from the cacao bean. In the process of making chocolate from a bean to a bar, the cacao beans are roasted and pressed, which separates the oils and fats from the actual dark cacao pulp. Those oils and fats are the white cacao butter, which are then mixed with sugar to make white chocolate. It is the dark cacao that contains the beneficial and healthy flavanols, and because white chocolate does not use the actual cacao, it does not contain the healthy flavanols in it.

Another thing about chocolate is the amount it is processed. Usually the chocolate that is used by candy bars has been through quite a few processes. Those processes highly decrease the beneficial flavanols that you find in purer dark chocolate. Major chocolate candy bar manufacturers also pump the chocolate full of fat and sugar to make it taste better, thus making people buy and eat more of it. Don't be fooled though, that chocolate is NOT good for you.

60% dark chocolate

So here are the awesome benefits that you get from a higher percentage of dark chocolate:

1. High in antioxidants: Chocolate is high in flavonoids, an antioxidant in the polyphenol category. Antioxidants can help to prevent cell damage and have been linked to prevention of cancer and other degenerative diseases.
2. Helps with cholesterol: Scientists at Penn State found that dark chocolate and flavonoid-rich cocoa powder reduced LDL ("bad" cholesterol) oxidation.
3. Reduces inflammation: An Italian study showed that when volunteers ingested small amounts of dark chocolate, their levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker) decreased.
4. Lowers blood pressure: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that dark chocolate had an effect on lowering blood pressure.
5. Helps with mood: Chocolate contains tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, which can help with depression. Research also shows chocolate can increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine (PEA) known as the "love chemical."
6. Improves blood flow: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that cocoa has anti-clotting, blood-thinning properties that work in a similar way as aspirin. Nobody is suggesting to replace your aspirin with chocolate, but the research is compelling.
7. It's delicious! Research shows that enjoying food and life is beneficial for your health.

You can read more about it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-patricia-fitzgerald/7-healthy-reasons-to-enjo_b_257159.html

Lavender!

Yesterday was my first time at White Oak Farm! In Zest's milk chocolate lavender truffle I have been using lavender from the White Oak Farm, but I have not yet been to visit the farm. So on the warm overcast day yesterday I made a little trip to see this lavender farm.

What a great place! Not only was the drive out Port Republic Road beautiful, so was the farm. When I pulled up and stepped out of the car I could hear birds chirping, horses neigh'ing, and a wonderful soft breeze blew by.

The lavender buds were just barely starting to come out, no purple color was showing yet though. There were however, many other beautiful purple flowers scattered around the farm. This place not only grows lavender, but they seem to love the color. The contrast of the red barn and green grass was also nice and gave the place a comfortable homey feel.

I walked around for a while admiring all the different kinds of lavender bushes growing. (I had no idea there were different varieties!) I also checked out the animals. They have a petting farm, what fun! I didn't pet any animals, but I did admire some cute miniature horses, a llama (I think) eating his lunch, some goats, and some horses.

Finally, I went inside the main store. It was a very friendly atmosphere of joyous laughter and talk of lavender. Lavender oils, soaps, teas, recipes, bath wash, lip balm, sachets...the list goes on and the place was full of it! I was almost overwhelmed with how many lavender products they offered. I did find my way to the culinary lavender though and was able to restock my supply.

It was so great to finally visit the local farm that supplies my lavender. They were great, friendly people, and I enjoyed learning about the farm and how they produce lavender. Most of all I was happy to bring home a bunch of new lavender to work with. This time I made dark chocolate lavender truffles. The dark chocolate may be a better compliment to the lavender rather than milk chocolate. We'll see how well they fare!

Check them out yourself: http://www.whiteoaklavender.com/ 

Brownie Pop Sensations!

Cake pops!...They are everywhere these days. First it was cupcakes, and oh the dedication of the consumers, it was overwhelming! Then there was 'Cupcake Wars' and 'Georgetown Cupcakes' on TV. I actually went to Georgetown Cupcakes in DC once and there was a line around the block! I did not eat cupcakes that day. It seemed as though cupcakes were taking over until French macaroons entered the scene. Not only were they as vibrant as a bouquet of flowers, but they were delicious and decadent like a cupcake, yet not. Macaroons also seemed more high class and pretentious because they are French. Oh Je t'aime! Macaroons are not for everyone, the same for cupcakes, so then enters the Cake Pop! The cake pop is a fun and simple way of eating cake. Kids love them, they don't require utensils, and you can definitely class them up for more formal events.

So because I am in the business of chocolate I decided to cash in on this 'cake pop' fad and create a brownie pop. They are really quite easy to make, just time consuming. I decided that the best brownie for these cake pops would be my Grand Mariner Orange Zest Brownie. This brownie is not only a good consistency of moist and cakey, but they have an awesome flavor! I love a good chocolatey brownie, but one with a little extra flavor is even better in my books.

Like I said, these were time consuming! My zesty brownies looked so pretty until I had to rip them apart to create these brownie pops. Somehow it should be a crime to bake something beautiful and then tear it apart...luckily I was crumbling up my brownies in order to create something even more beautiful and delicious. The brownie balls pictured above are the crumbled brownies mixed with chocolate butter cream icing and then formed into balls with sticks.

 

 

Then came the fun part! I got to dip my funny looking brownie balls into dark chocolate. Because they are attached to a stick this was incredibly easy. The problem then comes with the cooling. Once a brownie pop has been dipped into chocolate what do you do with it?! I only have two hands, therefore I could only hold two cooling brownie pops at a time. At that rate I'd be making them all week! Luckily I am smart and was able to set up a cooling system in no time. Brownie pops saved!

So like I said, brownie pops can be easy, fun, and classy for any type of event. I made the brownie pops pictured above for the J. Ellis Wedding Show and they were very much enjoyed. (If you need a wedding photographer John is awesome! J. Ellis Photography.) I love watching formally dressed people eating a brownie on a stick, it makes my day.

Whiskey Caramels

I've had the idea for a while now to add some type of liquor to my caramel recipe. I haven't been sure of what liquor that would be though. I am definitely not a fan of whiskey, in fact I hate the stuff. My husband on the other hand, loves it! I also have quite a few friends who enjoy it too. So I figured I would make something more in their realm of enjoyment and step outside of my comfort zone.

When I am in a liquor store I am like a deer in headlights! No joke, I just don't know where to go or what to look at. There is so much liquor that it is overwhelming. It took me probably 30 minutes to pick our this bottle of Evan Williams bourbon whiskey. Next time I'll take a whiskey expert before making my decision because I know absolutely nothing about whiskey. I assure though, I am learning.

The first time I created my whiskey caramel recipe it was very dainty. Probably the most dainty delicate taste a caramel could have, which surprised me! I thought whiskey was supposed to be a harsh strong flavor, but this was nothing of the sort. Even though I really like the flavor I tweaked the recipe again and now the whiskey shines through a little stronger. It is still just a slight taste, but I now think that bourbon whiskey is the perfect compliment to caramel. I love this caramel flavor, it is my current favorite of everything that I make.