So I enrolled in TCHO’s milk chocolate beta. They didn’t want to be judged on texture yet, which made critiquing the creaminess aspect a bit tricky. As of this writing they have yet to release version 1.0. Overall, though the later betas did show remarkable improvement over the earlier samples. But to answer some questions [...]
Tag Archives: chocolate
TCHO: nutty, fruity & chocolatey
Monday, 8 September 2008
This year I’ve been watching the progress of TCHO, a new San Franciscan chocolate maker. We’re lucky there are four chocolate producers within the Bay Area: Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, Guittard, and now TCHO. Ghiradelli isn’t bad, but their flavored varieties are somewhat uninspired and feel waxy-plasticy in the mouth. Scharffen Berger’s chocolate I find too [...]
Chocolate frosting, with mocha & liquor options
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
I’ve often wondered why yellow cake with chocolate frosting is no longer as popular as it was in my childhood. I love the contrast between a simply flavored (vanilla) sponge and a rich frosting of chocolate or coffee. But when I’m at a bakery, grocery store or restaurant, what I usually see is chocolate cake [...]
Orange chocolate chip cookies
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Making chocolate chip cookies is easy, and many recipes exist for this Ultimate of Snacks. Mine is a bit more “adult,” especially if you’re able to find similar ingredients. Darker, more molasses-y brown sugar offers a more deep, almost anise-like flavor (without being too much like licorice, though). Try to nab bittersweet chocolate chips, or [...]
Reconstructing Salvadoran horchata
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
Allow me to offer you a break from the apricot oriented articles. I drank Salvadoran horchata for the first time a couple years ago, and I’ve been keen to figure out how to make it ever since. Unlike Mexican horchata, which is made primarily of rice, cinnamon and far too much sugar (at least the [...]
Variations on hot chocolate
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Hot chocolate is great for dessert, or as comfort on a cold evening. One of my favorite chocolate drink experiences was at Ladurée in Paris: Just barely sweet and thick, slowly and happily relished. My opinion of hot chocolate mixes here in the United States has ranged from kinda interested to very disappointed. It can [...]
No-bake Mexican chocolate pots de crème
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
For me chocolate pots de crème is just another variation on chocolate pudding. Okay, a velvety, chocolatey egg custard pudding, to be exact! I had never made this dessert before, until my friends Sonya and Robert (pots de crème pro’s) suggested I try a no-bake method from Cook’s Illustrated. The trick: cook the cream-milk-egg yolk [...]
Chocolate Chestnut Torte
Sunday, 15 October 2006
Recently updated on 10 December 2011. This newer version does away with having to separate the eggs. This is my variation of Sunset’s Italian Chocolate-Chestnut Torte. I’ve used sweetened chestnut vanilla purée instead of marrons glacées: either the Minerve or Clément Faugier’s brands could be found in European specialty shops, as well as at Whole [...]
Chili with chicken and chocolate
Sunday, 17 September 2006
You can substitute ground turkey for the chicken. But don’t omit the chocolate —it’s the key to the flavor. While I discard the stems from the dried chile peppers (serrano and chipotle), I use the seeds as I savor that heat! But feel free to discard the chile seeds, or even use a milder chili [...]
