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Noted Indulgence: Creativity with Chocolate

October 1, 2014October 3, 20153min read227 views

I may be completely alone in this, but as the temperatures drop I find myself wishing to indulge from time to time in some of my favorite little treats, topping that list is chocolate.

I am serious in maintaining a healthy lifestyle however everyone

needs moderation in what they eat while remaining inclusive of their tiny pleasures.

In this post I am introducing some fun ways to enjoy chocolate (I prefer dark.)

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Fondue. Though cheese fondue is exceptionally more popular, melting quality chocolate

in a pot is the perfect way to enjoy this treat with almost anything you want.

With so many fondue kits available, the opportunity is there for not only special occasions (chocolate fountain anyone?) but on a day in which you want to dip a few pieces of fruit, marshmallows, pretzels,

Rice Krispies or even cake pops into your favorite type of chocolate.

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Tempered Chocolate. Tempering chocolate is the process of melting it, after

which it is cooled while making sure it remains smooth. This makes the chocolate

smooth, shiny and creates a good snap when pieces are broken off.

When decorating, tempered chocolate often looks best because of it its less

marred appearance. Chocolate can be cooled by spreading it on a marble slab

but you can also temper chocolate by adding solid pieces to those that have already been melted.

I would always make sure to use the pieces of the best chocolate when making something for someone else.

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This leads me to my next, more adventurous task. Making your own chocolate!

I have attended two chocolate making classes in the Greater Boston area,

where we did temper chocolate but also made our own in chocolate molds.

Using the molds was key as it makes releasing the chocolates easier after they cool

to your preferred shape. After tempering the chocolate, we filled each of the

varying molds – lightly tapping the mold on the surface of our workspace to release any air bubbles.

Sweet Tip: If you want your chocolates to be shiny, set them in the refrigerator and not in the freezer.

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Your Go-To Brownies. While some chocolate brownies are made using just cocoa,

the most indulgent and delicious brownies are made using real chocolate.

This will make them so rich, that a mere small piece will be all your guests require (this is perfect for larger gatherings.)

Other fun ingredient variations include but are not limited to; using white chocolate

to instead make blondies, cheesecake, raspberry, mint and caramel!

Some of my more health conscious friends add black beans for extra protein

and fewer calories or substitute apple sauce for a portion of the butter.

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A New England Essential; Hot Chocolate. Growing up in the ~~Arctic~~ Northeast, our treat after helping our father shovel snow was always a steaming cup of hot cocoa

topped with marshmallows or a scoopful of fluff (same thing, different consistency.)

To make it a bit extra decadent, use dark chocolate or perhaps add some coffee if

you’re enjoying in the morning and require a bit of extra caffeine to start your day.

Do not commit chocolate sins. Reuse your leftovers (this may be a foreign concept for many of you, having leftover chocolate that is.) In reality, we do not eat all of the chocolate we receive as gifts.

Instead of throwing it out, make one of the above recipes or create one of your own! There are limitless uses for your valuable little morsels – do not let them go to waste.

What type of chocolate do you prefer?

If you do not like chocolate, what is your sweet indulgence?