The Chocolate Fudge Cafe

In other words – PLAIN.  Folks were asking for it, so here it is.  The New Gourmet Fudge Bar without walnuts.  Earth’s Sweet Pleasures can’t officially say “without nuts”, because organic almond beverage is used in the ingredients.  So it is NOT nut-free.  But for those folks who prefer their delicious, dark chocolate fudge without walnuts, now there’s a bar for you!  Enjoy!

You can visit Earth’s Sweet Pleasures website to find a store near you that carries the Gourmet Fudge Bars.  If the store doesn’t carry it, have them give the company a call.

www.earthssweetpleasures.com

Chocolate is one of the most addictive foods on the planet and it is not hard to see why. There is no substitute for the rich taste, which is versatile enough to be enjoyed on its own or paired with everything from fresh fruit and pastries to wine. There has been a lot of play in the media recently regarding the supposed health benefits of chocolate and while the media does tend to exaggerate, in this case they`re more right than wrong.

Chocolate contains naturally occurring mood-enhancing chemicals as well as powerful oxidants. The former can help ease a bad day or enhance the rewards of a good one. Antioxidants help scour free radicals from your system, helping you to ward off some of the less pleasant changes that aging brings as well as supporting your body in its resistance to certain types of cancer.

All chocolate comes from the cacao (pronounced, cah-KOW) plant. The fruits of the plant are harvested and split open to reveal small seeds inside that resemble coffee beans. Once the beans and their surrounding pulp have been removed from the outer shell of the fruit, they are placed on banana leaves or in wooden boxes or baskets with bottoms that allow drainage and they are allowed to ferment. Sometimes they are covered with leaves. This is called, “sweating” and can take from six to eight days. During this time, the pulp liquefies and drains away and the beans age into a mellower flavor.

Once fermentation is complete, the beans are gathered and dried. At this point they may be shipped to large chocolate manufacturers, though in
the case of most fairly traded chocolate, the beans are processed on small farms.

The little nibs used to make chocolate are separated from the shells, either by hand or with the use of machinery, depending on where the processing takes place.

The cacao nibs may or may not be roasted, depending on what their end use will be. Roasting the nibs brings out the rich, dark flavor, but many proponents of raw foods prefer their cacao nibs unroasted.

As with so many things in life, not all chocolate is created equal and not all chocolate offers the same benefits. Most commercial chocolate is processed and loaded with fats, sugars and sometimes preservatives. One of the best ways to ensure that your chocolate is of the highest quality is to make it yourself from organic cacao beans, nibs or powder.

One of the main advantages of cacao is that it is easy to store. Place your nibs in plastic lined jute or burlap sacks and store them in a cool dry place for three to five months. Store cacao powder in airtight jars in a cool, dark place to keep it tasting fresh. How long it will stay that way depends on how it was processed, so be sure to ask for guidelines when you purchase it.

Now that you have your fresh, organic, fairly traded chocolate base, have a look at the very best in accessories, as recommended by the chocolate lovers at Chocolate Fudge Cafe, to make cooking with your cacao as fun as it is healthy. http://www.waresofknutsford.co.uk/

Photo of mousse with mango coulis is from the article  “Tips for Pairing Fruits With Chocolate”.  http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2010/08/pairing-fruit-and-chocolate.html

Purchase Fair Trade
and Organic Ingredients for Your Triple Fudge Brownies.

The terms, free trade and fair trade sound a lot alike, but there is a vast difference in what they mean. Purchasing products sold in a free trade market may sound like a good deal, but many of the people growing, harvesting, processing and packaging things like bananas, coffee, cocoa beans and sugar are not free. According to CNN Freedom Project, the small farms along the Ivory Coast in West Africa, where 70 to 75 percent of the world`s cocoa beans are grown, use slave labor in the cacao fields that includes an estimated 200,000 children forced to work against their will.

Purchasing Fair Trade items is one way for compassionate consumers to ensure that field workers and others are paid a fair price, often above the market standard, for the work they do and the products they produce. It also helps to ensure that children are free to enjoy their childhoods rather than working the fields.

Fair Trade chocolate is often also organic chocolate and the large farms using slave labor cannot afford to follow the stringent requirements needed to earn the right to label their products, organic. Buying and using Fair Trade chocolate not only helps hardworking people in developing countries, but also supporting organic farming is good for the environment and the lack of pesticides and chemicals is good for your health and the health of your family.

So, treat your loved ones to Triple Fudge Brownies, a treat that is deliciously decadent while being globally guilt-free.

Triple Fudge Brownies

Ingredients: (all can be purchased organic and/or fair trade)

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 350 F. with the rack set to one level below center.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with enough parchment or aluminum foil to hang out over the long ends to make the brownies easier to remove from the pan, if you like.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Stir the chocolates and butter until all three are melted and smooth.

Whisk in the cocoa, stirring until it is completely incorporated. Set this mixture aside to cool down a bit.

Beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until they are combined.

Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon until they are thoroughly blended.

Add the flour a bit at a time, beating it into the chocolate egg mixture until you have a smooth batter.

Fill the baking dish with the batter and smooth it into the corners with a rubber spatula. Bake the brownies for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife blade inserted into the middle comes out carrying a few moist crumbs but no obviously wet batter.

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them. 

Now that you’ve started with the finest and fairest chocolate, you can bake your brownies in a Rangemaster, one the finest quality ovens in the world.  They come in a variety of really fun colors!

If you’re a fan of hot chocolate, you probably have a favorite organic blend that mixes instantly with hot water. Although today’s organic hot chocolate blends are known for their superlative rich, chocolate flavor, you may have noticed subtle differences in each cup you drink. If this is the case, you may be surprised to know that these differences are caused by the mineral content in the water you’re using.

Water has a natural mineral content that can make certain foods taste slightly salty. You’ve probably noticed how salt and calcium deposits can build up on your shower walls; if so, you’re already aware of the mineral content of your tap water. With the exception of distilled water, which has been boiled to remove mineral deposits, all types of tap and bottled water contain a certain amount of minerals. The trick is to choose water that contains just the right mineral level so that your drinking chocolate isn’t overwhelmed.

The good news is that in order to get a truly flavorful cup of hot chocolate, you need to use water that has some amount of mineral content. If you use distilled water, your chocolate mix will taste decidedly weaker. In this case, that pinch of salt that brings flavor to your food is also necessary to bring flavor to your water and, therefore, to your organic drinking
chocolate. Any type of overly processed, distilled or filtered water (also called softened water) can actually result in a weak, flavorless beverage.

If you decide against using bottled water and turn on the tap instead, you may have inconsistent results. This is because the “hardness” in tap water can vary greatly from city to city. Hardness is the term that is used to identify the level of magnesium carbonate in water. The harder the water, the higher the mineral content and the more deposits it will leave on your bathroom walls or in your coffee brewer. Likewise, the harder the water, the more you’ll be able to taste that subtle saltiness in your chocolate.

Because of the level of hardness found in most tap waters, many hot chocolate and coffee aficionados prefer using bottled water for their beverages. Just about any type of bottle water should taste fine, as long as it’s not distilled. If, however, you’d like to try tap water, you’ll want to get a hardness testing strip from your local hardware store. This will give you an idea of the level of mineral content found in your municipal water supply. In most cases, you’re going to have a much lower content and a much more acceptable flavor for your hot chocolate if you use bottled water instead.

If you use a beverage processor, such as a coffee brewer, to make your hot chocolate, it’s important to make sure that all mineral deposits have been thoroughly cleaned out of the machine; otherwise, they`ll be absorbed into the water and your coffee will taste salty. Likewise, if you boil your water in a pot, make sure to rinse out all mineral deposits after each use.

If  you’re considering a bottled water  for your organic hot chocolate, or for your coffee and tea drinks, try a good brand like Angel Springs.com. You can rest assured that the bottled water you choose will contain a lower mineral content than your unfiltered tap water. Bottled water will also give your hot chocolate, as well as your other beverages, a satisfying consistency so that each cup will taste as good as the last.

The Rainforest Alliance’s little green frog is recognized by consumers around the world as the symbol of environmental, social and economic sustainability. Click on the froggy logo to go to a listing of products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal that are available for direct purchase by consumers.

By now most of us know the benefits of eating dark chocolate…after all, it’s been all over the mainstream news lately…but,  have you ever eaten raw cacao nibs, the natural source for chocolate?  They are quite good for you, and likely better for you than eating a chocolate bar.  Since it is the natural fruit (bean) from which the processed chocolate is made from, it makes sense that eating it in its original form would give you more of the benefits being touted by the mainstream media.  These studies and reports are most likely funded by big chocolate manufacturers who have an interest in advertising the health benefits of dark chocolate so they can sell more of their bars which are taking up quite a bit of space on grocery shelves now.  Many health practitioners of all modalities are recommending a little bit of chocolate every day for their patients.  The next time you’re in a health food store, ask if you can try a sample of the raw cacao nibs.  The health benefits per gram are much more pronounced minus the sugar, additives and fillers used in some dark chocolate bars.  Here is the nutritional information for raw cacao nibs from David Wolfe’s book “Superfoods”:

Raw Cacao Nibs – Nutritional Information

Protein      15.4 grams

Carbohydrate (Total)  29.4 grams

Fat (Total)     48.0 grams

Moisture     3.9 grams

Ash     3.3 grams

Calories      611

Calories from Fat     432

Saturated Fat     27.6 grams

Trans Fat      0.25 grams

Dietary Fiber     22.3 grams

Sugars     53 mg

Calcium     58 mg

Iron     202 mg

Magnesium     342 mg

Vitamin A     20 (IU)

Vitamin C     44 mg

Raw Cacao has a host of other beneficial constituents that are bio-available.  You can visit www.sacredchocolate.com for more information.

1/2 lb. box Rich Rainforest Dark Chocolate Fudge with walnuts

Every year people look for something thoughtful and delicious to give to our sweeties for Valentine’s Day.  Have you thought of this organic, gourmet fudge with walnuts?  It is gluten-free, dairy-free and made with 70% dark chocolate from Ecuadorian rainforest farms, AND the packaging is home-compostable!

Earth’s Sweet Pleasures fudge is made with only 7 all-natural, organic ingredients.  It’s made the old-fashioned way but with 25% less fat and sugar.  There is no gluten and no dairy.  Please call  their toll-free number to order for shipment anywhere in the continental United States: 1-888-999-3191 or order on the website: www.earthssweetpleasures.com.  If you have any questions about shipping charges, please call their toll-free line.  They ship USPS priority mail and can usually find the best price for your shipping area by using USPS flat rate shipping boxes.

   Cacao beans and pod

Processed chocolate “coins”

Not only is chocolate a sweet treat for the stomach, new  research suggests that cocoa can help protect against intestinal diseases like  colon cancer.

In what they claim is the first study of its kind in  relation to intestinal pathologies, a research team out of Spain has concluded  that cocoa can act as a defense system for the body by interrupting the  cell-signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, a process which results  in the formation of tumors.

Their study also found that a cocoa-rich diet can help  increase a natural process known as apoptosis or cell death, in which the body  eliminates old, unhealthy cells, to make way for new ones — a “chemoprevention  mechanism” that helps ward off cancer advancement.

For eight weeks, researchers fed rats a cocoa-rich diet — 12 percent — and then induced the effects of cancer.

For the rest of the article:  Cocoa Prevents Colon Cancer