Wooohooo! I just received the first two of my recipe videos, edited and uploaded to YouTube! Yep you heard right I am now officially a techno geek on Youtube! lol!

To view my debut as the next Nigella (lol) click here!

The written recipes from these videos can be found on the recipes page. I have another 4 videos still to be edited which I will be working on over the next couple of weeks, they include:

• Dark Chocolate Coated Strawberries
• Dark Chocolate Bites
• Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

with more recipes yet to be filmed! If you have any special requests of what recipes you'd like to see me make add a comment or send me an email!

PS To keep an eye on the Videos page you won't need to hunt out this post to click the link. If you look to the left of your screen you will see a Videos link in the Pages box in the left hand column!

This recipe is very simple, easy and so incredibly divinely rich you'll think you died and went to chocolate heaven! I strongly recommend you serve this with plain unsweetened yoghurt to cut through the beautiful sweet richness of this roll.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Roll

Ingredients:

5 Eggs, separated
4 ½ oz Castor Sugar
7 oz Dark Chocolate
75ml Warm Water
2 cups Dark Chocolate Ganache

Method:

1. Grease and line an 8”x12” baking tin and sprinkle with a little castor sugar
2. Preheat the oven to 400F
3. Combine the egg yolks and sugar with a mixer until light and creamy
4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave
5. Beat the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until it forms stiff peaks
6. Fold the melted chocolate into the yolk mixture
7. Stir one tablespoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mix, then gently fold in the rest of the whites
8. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes
9. Remove the cake from the tin and cover with a tea towel to keep moist while cooling
10. Whizz 1 ½ cups of the ganache in a food processor until its light and fluffy (5-10mins)
11. Smother 2/3 of the cake with ½ of the whipped ganache
12. Roll the cake starting from the ganache covered end
13. Place the roll on your serving dish and smother the outside of the roll with the remaining whipped ganache
14. Drizzle the melted ganache over the roll

Serve at room temperature with plain unsweetened yoghurt

For a step by step video guide to this recipe go to my video page where I show you easy recipes and tips to make your chocolate creations easy!

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

8oz Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup Double Cream
2oz Unsalted Butter, whipped

Method:

1. Heat the cream gently in a saucepan, stirring until it comes to the boil
2. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir gently until the chocolate has melted
3. Add half the butter, stirring gently till melted and do the same with the remaining butter until all the butter is incorporated
4. Use as is or place in the fridge for a more solid ganache

Keeps in the fridge for 2 days and the freezer for up to a month

Check out the how to make this recipe on my video page where I show you step by step how to get the best results!

Here is an incredibly simple and sinful dessert recipe for your next dinner party. You can make these in the morning for a dinner party that night!

10fl oz Cream
3 Egg yolks
9oz Dark Chocolate bits
3 Tbls liqueur (cointreau, kahlua, brandy or malibu)

Heat the cream until its just about to boil making sure to stir. Throw it in the blender with all the other ingredients and whizz until the racket stops! Pour into little espresso cups or liqueur glasses and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or preferably 8 hours (give or take, its no big deal)

These are fantastic and so incredibly easy, serve with biscotti for a bit of bite. Yum yums!

Hershey profit falls on higher costs - San Diego Union Tribune

19 Apr 2007 at 3:32pm

Hershey profit falls on higher costs
San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 4 hours ago
Net sales rose 1.2 percent to $1.15 billion, helped by growth of new Hershey products and dark chocolate .. Sales were slowed by weak sales of single-serve ….
Dark Chocolate Boosts Sales at Hershey Wall Street Journal (subscription)
UPDATE 2-Hershey 1st-quarter profit falls Reuters.uk
Hershey Meets Targets TheStreet.com
CNNMoney.com - Reuters.uk
all 61 news articles

Lowering blood pressure (The Buffalo News)

19 Apr 2007 at 7:32am

Q. A lot of press attention has been given recently to the benefits of dark chocolate for lowering blood pressure. A banner at the bottom of the television screen said that eating chocolate is as good as some blood pressure medicines.

Information provided by Google and Yahoo

Kiss and tell: chocolate wins - Brisbane Times

17 Apr 2007 at 2:45pm

The Age Kiss and tell: chocolate wins
Brisbane Times, Australia - 8 hours ago
Recordings of brain activity and heart rate were taken as the volunteers tasted dark chocolate and as they kissed their partners. ….
A kiss is just a kiss, chocolate gives better buzz NutraIngredients-usa.com
Study rates chocolate better than kisses HULIQ
all 66 news articles

Sweet Success Billerica candy man's secret? He's cracked the code for a bette…

17 Apr 2007 at 11:54am

BILLERICA — It's good for cholesterol health, high in antioxidants and promotes blood flow. But up until now no one has been able to make dark chocolate palatable without sugar. For the past year, that has been Santi Falcone's mission.

Information provided by Google and Yahoo

by:

This new [tag]dark chocolate[/tag] range looks absolutely amazing. I'm going to have to find out more about this and see if its claims are true.

Orem, UT (ContentDesk) July 26, 2006 — Phytobase Nutritionals has released its latest delicious organic dark chocolate based creation Chocollissima, an amazing new chocolate treat that increases energy levels, reduces stress, elevates your mood, and even boosts your libido. "We are in the business of developing functional foods which are delicious, exciting and truly amazing. Chocollissima is another product developed especially for women. Chocollissima is an extraordinary chocolate packed with a unique combination of wild harvested exotic rain forest plants including Clavo Huasco and Jatoba, known among Indigenous people of the Amazon Rainforest for having aphrodisiac and natural energy boosting qualities without stimulants, and the highly touted Borojo fruit for total chocolate satisfaction,” said Phytobase founder Sam D. Gur. This delightful dark chocolate treat provides a powerful punch of energy and vitality in every bite-size morsel with just 56 calories. Chocollissima’s hallmark ingredient is Borojo, the highly energetic and nutritious fruit grow only in the Amazon and well-known for its energy enhancing, aphrodisiac qualities. Borojo fruit contains exceptionally high levels of protein, phosphorous, essential amino acids and B Vitamins. Chocollissima also provides uninhibited chocolate pleasure as it naturally increases the libido. Chocollissima was developed by a PhD in biological science and created by a woman for women as a “pick – me – up” product to chase the blues away. Not only does it help lift your mood, but it adds extra energy and vitality to spice up your love life and feel good day or night. This sweet morsel is made with only the highest quality organic dark Belgium chocolate. Gur says, "At Phytobase, we think everything is better with chocolate. We’ve established a record for producing innovative delicious products such as ChocoLeans and LeanCaffe. Chocollissima is another wonderful creation we are very proud of and is already garnering rave reviews upon its release.”More information can be found at www.chocollissima.com About Phytobase Nutritionals, Inc.Phytobase Nutritionals, Inc., is a research-driven company that specializes in developing cutting-edge functional foods as well as nutritional and personal care products. Chocollissima is a perfect addition to Phytobase Nutritional's satiety-based product line which includes Chocoleans- dark chocolates with appetite control, Hoodia DeLite, a patent-pending chocolate meal replacement shake; BonJava-LeanCaffe organic, fair trade coffee and HoodiaLean capsules. All Phytobase products can be ordered through the company's Web site at http://www.phytobase.com, through Drugstore.com, Amazon.com and at fine health food stores everywhere.Contact:Sam D. GurPhytobase Nutritionals, Inc.801-705-0555http://www.phytobase.com

If you have any more information on [tag]chocollissima[/tag] I would love an email or post a comment! Thanks!

Mass-market chocolate goes upmarket - BBC News

15 Apr 2007 at 9:04am

BBC News Mass-market chocolate goes upmarket
BBC News, UK - 5 hours ago
"The recipe for Bournville Classic was the ideal dark chocolate 100 years ago and it still has a strong group who love the taste and have grown up with it," ….

Dark Chocolate, But Not Tea, Takes a Bite Out of Blood Pressure (HealthDay vi…

9 Apr 2007 at 4:03pm

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) — Cocoa-rich products such as dark chocolate may help lower high blood pressure, but tea won't do much, according to a new survey of the medical literature by German researchers.

Information provided by Google and Yahoo

by: Gary Gresham

Wow I've heard about this, it was in O Magazines Oprahs favourite things. Seeing as how I live in New Zealand I wasn't about to be heading into Serendipity's any time soon to taste it. Now I can at home, this ones made it to the fridge door for the grocery list!

Serendipity frozen hot chocolate; is a signature dish at the Serendipity 3, nestled in the heart of the upper east side of New York. The place is a general store and restaurant combined with a coffeehouse and soda fountain and serves the most famous dessert in New York. Serendipity New York was founded by Stephen Bruce and his two partners, Calvin Holt and Preston Patch Caradine in 1954. Since that time Stephen Bruce has been asked constantly to divulge his secret about his Serendipity frozen hot chocolate recipe. Jackie Kennedy even wanted to serve the dessert at a White House event and he would not give his secret away. Serendipity frozen hot chocolate is an icy-chocolate type of dessert served in a fishbowl-shaped goblet, topped with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and served with a spoon and two straws. This frosty creation is made with more than 14 kinds of chocolate and exotic cocoas blended into a rich slush. One taste of this frozen concoction and Oprah wants to "dance on the chandeliers!" The Queen of Daytime TV has named this one of her "Favorite Things". This Serendipity frozen hot chocolate secret recipe has finally been revealed after 50 years. The Serendipity 3 restaurant in New York City has actually given out the recipe so you can make this unbelievable drink at home. It's very simple. Serendipity frozen hot chocolate recipe created by Serendipity 3 Restaurant.
INGREDIENTS 6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates 2 teaspoons of store-bought hot chocolate mix 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups milk 3 cups of cups of ice Whipped cream Chocolate shavings
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and slowly add cup of milk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room-temperature chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
To make this even more simple you can buy a Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate gift box on line. It comes in a whimsical box that includes two pouches (four servings) of the chocolate-cocoa blend mix, one signature goblet, a souvenir spoon and colorful straws. Just add milk, the chocolate mix, lots of ice and blend. It makes a perfect gift for any chocolate lover or splurge and buy one for yourself. You're worth it. Copyright © 2005 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

I went to their website to buy some of the mix but theres none available at the moment, I will keep checking back and will let you know when they have some more in stock!

by:

Oh yumyumyum! [tag]Chocolove[/tag] have done it again! I can't wait to get my hands on some of these [tag]chocolate bars[/tag].

Boulder, CO (ContentDesk) July 30, 2006 — Chocolove premium chocolate continues to set the bar with their third annual release of Chocolatour single origin, vintage chocolate bars.Chocolatour single origin chocolate bars offer a world tour of chocolate from exotic destinations including, Java, Sao Tome, Grenada, Tanzania and Dominican Republic. Eating Chocolatour chocolate is like tasting a fine wine. Tasting notes on the back of each wrapper make it easy to select a bar with the aroma and flavor that appeals to your palate. “In a single origin chocolate bar, all of the character of the cocoa bean variety, the land, even the weather that year come through in the flavor so clearly that you get a much bigger experience. It's a cleaner flavor profile [then a blend. You get more characteristics, and can better develop your understanding of chocolate,” says Timothy Moley, Chocolove’s chocolatier. Because Chocolatour is made from single origin cocoa beans and weather affects the quality of the cocoa bean from year to year, Chocolatour will be made exclusively from origins and vintages that have high quality cocoa beans. Consequently, Chocolatour is made in limited productions and some origins may be available only once in a few years.Each Chocolatour bar is individually numbered and indicates the vintage (year the cocoa beans were harvested and made into chocolate) and cocoa content on the wrapper. Printed inside each wrapper is an delightful travelogue featuring insight into each destination.Available direct from Chocolove, select gourmet grocers including Whole Foods and Balducci’s, and online at Chocosphere.com – while supplies last. About ChocoloveBased in Boulder, CO, Chocolove produces 18 delicious chocolate bars under the brand names Chocolove and Chocolatour. Flavors range from a sweet, creamy Milk Chocolate bar with a 33% cocoa content up to an Extra Strong Dark Chocolate bar with an impressively strong yet smooth 77% cocoa content. The cocoa content is boldly indicated on each bar for easy identification. Independently owned and operated, Chocolove has been producing delicious chocolate bars since 1994. Visit

www.chocolove.com

for more details.

I'm off to hunt down these [tag]dark chocolate[/tag] bars of heaven and will let you all know the best place to buy!