Fashion : Chocolate bracelet

Wish to have chocolate with you 24/7?

A wearable chocolate bracelet is currently for sale!

Just click here to know more about it!

Games : Chocolate Shop Frenzy

Wish to own your own chocolate shop?

Click here to play Chocolate Shop Frenzy online!

Wish to play on your iPhone? Click here to download it!

Enjoy your game :D

Recipe : Chocolate Potato Candy

Yield : 36 servings

1 medium baking potato, baked

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

⅓ cup cocoa powder

Chocolate Glaze
1 square baking chocolate
½ teaspoon butter

1. Place waxed paper on a cookie sheet, set aside.
2. Bake potato and mash; should yield 3/4 cup.
3. In a large bowl, combine mashed potato, vanilla and salt.
4. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa, beating until mixture is stiff enough to be shaped into 1-inch balls.
5. Refrigerate balls until cold.
6. Dip balls, one at a time into Chocolate Glaze.
7. Let excess chocolate drip off balls.
8. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
9. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
10. Store tightly covered in refrigerator in a tightly covered container.

Cholate Glaze
1. In top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, melt chocolate and butter.
2. Stir until mixture is smooth.
3. Cool slightly.

Adapted from: group recipes, image from : The Nibble

GIFTaway Monay Contest Time!

This week we will be giving away "Chocolat" DVD, starring by Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp.

How to enter :

Tell us your best chocolate moment, send it to contest@trchoc.designbar.com.my

You have until 14 August, 2010 to enter.

Recipe : Chocolate Oreo Milkshake

Yield : 4 servings

12 Oreo Chocolate Cookies
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups of chocolate ice cream
2 table spoons of chocolate syrup

1.Take your oreo cookies and chop them into small pieces .

2.Add the milk, chocolate icecream and chocolate syrup in a blender,food processor or milkshake maker blend together.

3.Pour into Milkshake glasses and add a sprinkling of nutmeg or cinnamon for decoration and if you feel daring add a delicious scoop of whipped cream.

4.A delicious extra touch is a scoop of smooth whipped cream on top. Decorate with an Umbrella and a whole oreo cookie for a yummy treat.

Adapted from: lucylearns, image from : Corbis images

Recipe : Chocolate Citrus Tart

Chocolate Citrus Tart
Yield : 10 servings

Tart Dough(for 2 tarts)
½ cup (110 g) butter, softened
½ cup (100 g) sugar 2 cups (230 g) all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Citrus Filling
2 cups (440 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
½ cup (1.2 dl) orange juice
¼ cup (0.6 dl) lemon juice
Grated peel of 2 oranges
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Chocolate Frosting
½ cup (1.2 dl) heavy cream or whipping cream
7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)

1. Line the bottom of a springform pan of 9 inches (23 cm) diameter with greaseproof or other non-stick paper and grease the sides of the pan.
2.Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar. Add flour and cocoa powder, and finally the egg. Reserve in the fridge for a few hours or more.
3.Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
4.Using your fingers, pat down half of the tart dough into the bottom of the springform pan (not the sides); keep the rest frozen until next time.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes.
6. For the filling, mix sugar and egg for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
7. Add lemon juice, orange juice, grated orange peel, flour and baking powder, and mix well.
8. Transfer to the springform and bake at 250 deg F for about 30 to 40 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out clean.
9. Using a knife, loosen carefully the cake from the sides of the springform pan. Let the tart cool to room temperature in the pan.
10. For the chocolate frosting, heat the cream almost to a boil, add chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth. Let it cool until it thickens.
11. Spread the chocolate frosting evenly on top and sides of the tart.

Variations
Instead of lemon, you may use 2 limes and grated lime peel, and reduce the amount of orange peel accordingly.

Adapted from: Cacaoweb, image from :Foodnetwork

Chocolate Fun Facts

Did you know?

1. Chocolate is lower in caffeine than tea, coffee and coca cola.

A one ounce bar of chocolate contains about 6mg of caffeine, whereas a five ounce cup of regular coffee contains over 40mg.

2. Chocolate was regarded as an aphrodisiac by Aztec Indians.

3. Chocolate contains antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.

4. Chocolate is the favourite flavour in the United States Of America.

5. The shelf life of a bar of chocolate is approximately one year.

6. In 1842 Cadbury's in England created the worlds first chocolate bar.

7. The Swiss eat the most chocolate. The average person eats 19lbs a year.

8. Chocolate contain theobromine, which is a mild relative of caffeine and magnesium. This chemical is found in some tranquilisers. Because coffee also contains caffeine, it both picks you up and calms you down.

9. It is widely believed that chocolate consumption releases a chemical into your body very similar to what is produced when you are in love.

10. Chocolate manufacturers use 20% of the worlds peanuts and 40% of the worlds almonds.

Videos : Dark Chocolate Good For Health

GIFTaway Monay Contest Time!

This week we will be giving " Making Fine Chocolates: Flavour-infused Chocolates, Truffles and Confections" from Andrew Garrison Shotts.

How to enter:

Send your best recipe of chocolate chip cookies with an image not small than 400*300 to contest@trchoc.designbar.com.my.

You have until 31 July, 2010 to enter.

Recipe : Butterscotch and Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

Makes about 36 cupcakes

3 cups of flour
2 cups of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of cocoa powder
1 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup of buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup of Earl Grey tea
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and have all ingredients at room temperature. Also have your cupcake liners and pans ready.2. Using your stand mixer, is the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa on low speed.

3. Add in the oil and buttermilk, mix on medium speed until well combined.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low.

5. Finally, add the tea (I used two teabags and steeped it quite a bit) and vanilla extract until well combined. Evenly divide your batter into the liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

Recipe from A Baked Creation, image from A Baked Creation

Videos : A milk chocolate love story

Video from Jay and Leah

Health : A chocolate a day

A chocolate a day can help reduce cholesterol levels in patients suffering from diabetes and heart disease, according to a new research.

The research based on the review of eight studies has revealed that patients with either of the two diseases, who ate a small piece of chocolate every day saw a fall in their bad cholesterol level, reports express.co.uk.

The findings also showed eating chocolate in moderation can be good for the heart and the blood circulation as cocoa, a key ingredient of chocolate, contains high levels of antioxidants which help mop up free radicals and prevent them from damaging cells.

Dark chocolate that contains high levels of cocoa is thought to be best among the lot because it provides antioxidants in a small portion, which is more effective.

The research has been conducted by Rutai Hui of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in Beijing.

“Future research should concentrate on higher-quality and more rigorous trials with longer follow-ups to resolve the uncertainty. Then we can really eat chocolate without feeling guilty,” said Hui.

Adapted from : Diabetes News

Tips : Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wish to made some cookies at home but don't know how? Here are some tips for you :

#1 : Use the absolute freshest, highest quality ingredients.

Make sure you handle them properly from the time you bring them home with you to the time you enjoy eating your chocolate chip cookies.

#2 : Experiment.

You can try minichips, maxichips, chocolate chunks, or pieces of candy (like M&Ms or Hershey's Kisses). Plus, play around with different types of chocolate bars chopped up for your cookies.

#3 : Enjoy a chocolate tasting event before deciding what chocolate to put in your chocolate chip cookies.

Buy different qualities of chocolate, and different types of chocolate: milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate and white chocolate. Also, get some chocolate candy bars for the session.

Number the different kinds and brands, and make the tasting as anonymous as possible (so you don't let preconceived ideas get in the way).

Enjoy the tasting experience. Smell the chocolate, taste it, let it slowly melt in your mouth. Savor each one. Drink some water or milk between each taste.

Consider each sample in terms of texture, smoothness (or graininess), sweetness, creaminess, and lack of waxiness.

Rank each one -- make a list of your favorites. You may be surprised at what you like best!

Hint: Also consider combining a couple for different effects. Your chocolate chip cookies will have greater variety and texture if you combine different types of chocolate.

Note: this is a fun way to spend time with some close friends or family members.

#4 : Use unsalted butter in your recipes when using butter

-- it gives a smoother taste. Salt was used as a preservative before refrigeration -- it's no longer needed in your cookies (unless you prefer the taste of some salt).

#5 : Sugar is used to sweeten the cookie dough, as well as to make it more tender.

Most chocolate chip cookie recipes use white granulated sugar. However, brown sugar (either light or dark) produces a different taste many people truly love.

Corn syrup is another option -- it makes for chewier cookies.

Honey is yet another option, producing softer and moister cookies. You can also substitute honey by using about 3/4 the amount of honey as sugar (e.g., 3/4 cup honey is equivalent to 1 cup of sugar).

#6 : Use fresh eggs in your chocolate chip cookie recipes

-- either white or brown are fine. Eggs help make your cookies more tender, moist, and light. Using fresh eggs lets you add more air into the mixture, which produces these excellent results.

Adding additional egg yolk will make the cookies more cake-like.

#7 : The type of cookie sheet or baking pan can affect the texture of your cookies.

Shiny pans help prevent burning and/or browning too quickly. Also, if the metal is too thin, your cookies will burn more easily.

To ensure good circulation, make sure there are 3 or 4 inches of clearing all around your cookie sheets when they are in the oven.

Also, do you grease the pan or use parchment paper? There are lots of differing opinions. We prefer to use parchment paper, no grease, on shiny and heavy cookie sheets.

#8 : Unfortunately, chocolate chip cookies are easy to burn, so you have to be careful.

Make sure you use an oven thermometer. And always set your timer right away -- and for the shortest time suggested by the recipe.

#9 : When you remove the baking sheets from the oven, let them set for a minute or two before you put them on the racks to cool.

If you're using parchment, just slide it off onto the rack. Otherwise, carefully move the cookies using a wide spatula that holds a whole cookie.

Always make sure the pans are cool before you bake another batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Adapted from : Extreme Chocolate, image from Babble

Recipe : Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 10-12 cookies

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

4 oz/100g/1 stick butter

½ cup sugar

1/3rd cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chip

1. Sieve the flour, salt and baking soda together. Keep aside.
2. In a bowl, beat the butter for about a minute. Then add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes until well blended and creamy. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Add in the egg.
4. Reducing the mixer speed to the lowest setting, add in the flour a little at a time, until evenly incorporated.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips. Reserve a handful for later. Refrigerate the cookie dough for half an hour.
6. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a Silpat, spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough.
7. Bake them in a preheated oven at 375°F/190°C for 10-12 minutes.
8. Then a good idea would also be to turn the sheet the other way round so that the cookies will bake evenly.
9. Let cool on a cooling rack. Have them with a tall glass of milk.

Adapted from: Purple Foodie, image from : Purple Foodie

What's the Secret?

We will be launching a new secret flavour soon.

So what flavour you think is it?