Newsletter Archive
February 2007 Cocoa
Club Newsletter
We’ve gotten a lot of press and we are so grateful to
our friends at the State newspaper! Here is the latest press:
Chicks Love Chocolate® is
Jolie Magazine Editor’s Pick for Valentine’s Day! Pick up a copy
of Jolie at stands around the Midlands and see!
We were pleasantly surprised to
be featured in the State newspaper on January 5th
as a new local business in
"cyberspace"!
We have worked with Carolina
Bride magazine and we are now able to make our Belgian chocolate
boxes customizable for bridal, gift, or corporate favors for any
bride or businesswoman! Our chocolate fortune cookies are also
available as personalized wedding favors/client gifts. We will be
posting ordering information on the site soon.
Local events: See our new
daily blog for more information!
The Chocolate Tour in Charleston is still going on for Fridays in
February. Don’t miss it! We had a ball!
The Chocolate Affair in Charleston on February 10th.
Chicks Love Chocolate® has donated an item for their silent auction.
Money is raised for the drop out prevention programs in Charleston
schools.
Fine Arts Silent Auction of Brockman Elementary here in Columbia on
February 24. Money is being raised to raise funds for their Fine Arts
Program. Chicks Love Chocolate® has donated an item for them too!
Latest additions:
We have a new chocolate dipped heart fizzie for the bath! They come
in chocolate dipped raspberry and chocolate dipped strawberry for a
great gift for any girlfriend!
***Don’t forget to register for a "Day at the
Chocolate Spa" gift basket full of goodies from our chocolate spa
line!****
Cocoa Club Recipes for February 2007
Chicks Love Chocolate® Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops with White
Chocolate Sauce
*The key to this, is to go lightly on the coffee rub and make sure it
is ground finely
Sauce:
3 Tbsp butter 1 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
3 tsp all purpose flour 3 oz white chocolate
Pork:
3 Tbsp butter 6 Tbsp finely ground coffee
4 boneless pork chops salt and pepper
To make the sauce:
Melt 3 Tbsp butter in saucepan and when melted add the flour.
Incorporate the broth into the butter/flour mixture and cook on low for
15 minutes until thickens. Take off the heat and add the white chocolate
and salt to taste.
For the pork chops, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium
high heat. Salt and pepper the pork chops and dredge in coffee lightly.
Cook the pork chops about 5-6 minutes per side until no pink remains.
Serve with white chocolate sauce.
This makes a delicious and unique dish for any Valentines’ Day! Our
friends were skeptical but then so impressed!
Chicks Love Chocolate® Dark Chocolate Cake
½ cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2/3-cup vegetable oil
1 and 1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously oil an 8-inch round pan or
spring form pan. Dust the bottom of the pan with flour.
In a small saucepan, boil about ½ cup water. Sift the cocoa powder
like you would flour. Stir 6 Tbs. of the boiling water into the cocoa.
If the mixture is very thick, add another 1-2 Tbs. Stir well. Stir in
the vanilla and almond extracts into the cocoa mixture. Set aside to
cool slightly. In another small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and
salt, set aside.
With a blender, combine the eggs and yolk, oil, and sugar. Beat on
medium speed until thick and creamy, around 2-3 minutes. Gradually add
the warm cocoa mixture until it is well combined then gradually add the
dry ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick
comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it but no wet batter-55-60
minutes. Put the pan on a rack and carefully run a knife around the
inside edge to release the cake. Let cool 10 minutes. Using a second
rack or plate to sandwich the cake pan, flip the pan over. Carefully,
lift the pan from the cake, and let the cake cool completely.
Before serving, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar.
Serves 8-10 and keeps for up to 4 days at room temperature. This cake
is so simple and so elegant for any occasion.
Chicks Love Chocolate® Raspberry Truffles
1-cup fresh raspberries
1 and ½ cups heavy cream
1 lb. Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Small pinch table salt
1 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
Force the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds
and mash in a wooden bowl. This makes a nice raspberry puree.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream just until boiling. Put the
chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the
chocolate and whisk. Add the raspberry puree and the salt. Refrigerate
until completely chilled, about 1-2 hours. Pour the cocoa on a plate.
With a melon baller, scoop the chocolate and shape it into 1-inch balls.
Place the balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate briefly before rolling
in the cocoa. Coat thoroughly. Seal and refrigerate. Careful not to seal
so as to allow moisture to condense and ruin the chocolate! They are
best eaten in a week!
Have a Happy Valentines' Day everyone and enjoy
the ones that mean the most to you on that special day!
Melanie
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