| Thursday, June 21, 2007 |
| Chocolate Gift Baskets for Everyone |
Gift baskets are a lovely way of creating a special gift that shows the receiver that you put thought and effort into their favorite things. A very popular basket anytime of the year is a chocolate gift basket for the chocolate lover.
Various Chocolate Gift Baskets
As many different types of chocolate are out there, you will find just as many ideas for a gift basket. During the cold winter months a hot chocolate gift basket is a perfect gift for anyone who likes to cozy up to a nice fire and a movie.
Simply include a favorite brand of hot chocolate along with one or two large mugs and of course don’t forget the marshmallows, and maybe even some chocolate sprinkles to top it all off. On a cold winter night this will be a much appreciated gift. For the friend who is feeling down or just needs an added pick-me-up, why not create a chocolate gift basket that has all of her favorite chocolate candies along with a good book or a funny movie?
Are you looking for a romantic chocolate gift basket? Then include some chocolate scented candles, soap, and bubble bath. Make sure you don’t forget the chocolate-shaped roses! You will find that your chocolate lover is going to love you even more than the chocolate treats you have provided.
There are many specialty store and even online retailers that offer a wide of array of unique and romantic chocolate gifts. This will make it easy for you to create a wonderfully romantic chocolate gift basket.
One can’t forget your favorite children when creating chocolate gift baskets. Include a copy of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” along with their favorite chocolate bars, chocolate syrup, and some chocolate mix for their milk at dinner time.
Chocolate lovers are easy to please without putting in a great deal of expense. If you do want to get extravagant for your favorite chocolate lover, then just add a bottle of champagne, some chocolate truffles and some chocolate covered strawberries.
Whether you budget is small or large, there are enough chocolate products and ideas out there to please any chocolate lover of any taste or age. Put your imagination to work and create your own personal chocolate gift basket for all of the chocolate lovers in your life. Chocolate gift baskets are easy to create, and always a sure way to please those that you love. |
posted by Brownie @ 6:21 AM  |
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| Baking with Milk Chocolate |
Unlike dark chocolate, milk chocolate is extremely sensitive to heat because of its high sugar content. Milk chocolate is generally a mix of chocolate, sugars, and milk, and so it is much more commonly found in candies.
For this reason it may be difficult to use milk chocolate in recipes that ask you to melt chocolate for sauces, or in desserts that will be cooking or baking for an extended period of time. Milk chocolate is best suited for desserts can be baked relatively quickly.
Cookies, Etc.
Milk chocolate is a great addition to all kinds of cookies, which typically only need to bake for ten minutes or so. You can add chocolate chunks by cutting up candy bars, or use milk chocolate chips for a quick and easy addition.
Add chocolate to your favorite peanut butter, oatmeal, and sugar cookie recipes. Next time you’re baking brownies, sprinkle some milk chocolate chips and marshmallows on top half way through baking and you’ll have a new rendition of an old favorite.
Muffins & Breads
Milk Chocolate can be a great additive to muffins as well. Add a little decadence to your traditional breakfast muffins, or create a fun dessert version to go with coffee. Add chocolate chunks or chips to muffin batter, or melt in the microwave and drizzle over top.
Milk chocolate can also be a welcome addition to many dessert breads, like banana bread. You could even mix some chocolate chips into peanut butter and have a really nice spread for both muffins and bread.
Candies
Milk chocolate is probably most well known for its use in a variety of different candies, and is fun to experiment with at home. For a really simple treat, melt some milk chocolate and dip it in bite size pieces of your favorite fruit, nuts, cookies, even cakes. Let the chocolate harden on wax paper and then enjoy. You can also use milk chocolate in fudges and truffles.
Other Ideas
Shave this kind of chocolate candy bar over some vanilla ice cream for a quick after-dinner dessert, or on top of some whipped cream topped hot chocolate or coffee. Make an easy snack and mix the chocolate chips into a trail mix with nuts, pretzels and dried fruits. Or even better yet, just enjoy milk chocolate plain by the handful as you’re waiting for a fresh batch of cookies in the oven! |
| posted by Brownie @ 6:20 AM |
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| What Are Chocolate Truffles? |
Many people won’t eat a chocolate truffle because they confuse them with truffles, which many know to be a fungus. But alas, a chocolate truffle is not really a truffle at all, and therefore not a fungus. Yes, it is true chocolate lovers, no need to get squeamish or uncomfortable about a chocolate truffle, it is all made in a kitchen. So if a chocolate truffle isn’t really a truffle, then just what might it be?
More Information About Chocolate Truffles
A chocolate truffle is actually a mixture of chocolate, liquids and flavorings called a ganache. Chocolate truffles for many years were considered a treat only for the very rich and famous. Even today the mention of a chocolate truffle brings images of a Hollywood movie star in a lavish robe laying on a chaise lounge sipping champagne while eating her exquisite confectionary.
The truth of the truffle is that now you can find them in supermarkets, candy stores, chocolate shops. You can even place them on your own coffee table while watching and old black and white classic on the television.
Chocolate truffles come in just about every imaginable flavor. You can choose from a simple dark or milk chocolate as well as white chocolate, there are also fruit flavors added to the chocolate and for those who enjoy certain liqueurs you can also find it in Kahula, Frangelico and many brandy flavors. Whatever your taste, there is a flavor out there and yes, they are reasonably prices in most places.
If you have trouble finding truffles locally, then why not make them yourself? There are numerous websites with recipes, tips and ideas for many different flavors of chocolate truffle. Imagine your family’s delight as you serve to them the layers of rich and creamy chocolate temptations and your neighbors envy when you offer some up to them.
You don’t need any fancy ingredients for a basic chocolate truffle just some heavy whipping cream, butter, cocoa and light corn syrup. Most of that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Now that you know chocolate truffles are not just for the rich and famous nor is it a fungus, give one a try, and discover the mouth watering richness of one of the oldest chocolate treats in the world. You deserve a treat, and you deserve to savor every bite without having to share; enjoy your newly found chocolate truffle addiction. |
| posted by Brownie @ 6:19 AM |
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