Tony's Chocolonely ~ Chocolate Bars

 

Not knowing much about Tony's Chocolonely however seeing this brand pop up while browsing the internet had me subconciously keeping it in the back of my mind and you can see why. Bright bold colourful packaging that cannot go a miss. A thick mass of a chocolate bar, and the retro font name; a nickname and or the English language version named after the Dutch founder and co-owner, Tuen van de Keuken aka Tony. 

The word Chocolonely is a combination of two words, "chocolate" and "lonely" and signifies not only his initial lone fight against exploitation within the cocoa industry but represents his feelings of feeling alone in his efforts to address the issues of child labour and modern slavery within the cocoa industry.

The chocolate bar itself is not section into uniform squares as the unevenness of the bars texture and presentation comes down to representing the inequality within the cocoa trade industry. It's also a reminder of the company's mission of supporting fair and sustainable conditions. They offer chocolate bars of milk and dark chocolate as well as vegan. We tried the milk chocolate pretzel toffee first and it was rich and creamy with a sweet salty crunch. We found their milk chocolate to be a bit more dark than compared to other milk chocolate chocolate and had more of a cocoa flavour than sweet milky chocolate flavour. I know it's hard to discern the richness of the chocolate from a photo, I took it in a bright lit room.         

The inside packaging explains their mission statement which reflects the company's stand on issues linked within the cocoa industry. I know not everyone wants to think about such issues while munching on something chocolatey however like chocolate it needs to be shared and talked about, and ultimately addressed. By raising awareness and opting for change is a start, in hopes other companies within the cocoa industry will follow this leading example. 

To find out more about Tony's Chocolonely, the co-operatives and affiliated cocoa farmers they source from in Africa, visit their website tonyschocolonely.com  

Double Chocolate Lime Cupcakes

These cupcakes are rich however delicate, and velvety with a subtle lime flavour. Truly a chocolate lovers delight.   

Double Chocolate Lime Cupcakes

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makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separating the yolks and whites of each egg

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

grated lime zest of 1 lime

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin/cupcake tin with reusable liners or baking paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl add the egg whites and using an electric hand held mixer, with a whisk attachment, on high speed beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Remove the whisk attachment and attach the beaters.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar, with the electric mixer, with the beater attachments, until pale and somewhat fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the vanilla and the lime zest. Then with the mixer on medium low gradually beat in the flour and milk, alternating each until ending with flour.

Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites, then fold in remaining egg whites and the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin/cupcake cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to rack to cool completely. 

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, we did! - JD  

Chocolate Water Biscuits ~ for cheese

Rifling through cookbooks, I stumbled across this recipe from the Adventures with Chocolate cookbook by Paul. A Young. Unusual however very decadent with a variety of cheeses. A subtle cocoa flavour that enhances the cheese board experience any time. 

Chocolate Water Biscuits ~ for cheese

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2 1/4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon English mustard powder, optional

Your choice of spice or herbs, optional 

6 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup ice-cold water, as needed

Place the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, including any flavourings, in a large bowl and mix well. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until evenly combined. Gradually add enough ice water to form a pliable dough; this must not be too sticky, so be careful when adding the water. Knead the dough gently until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest and relax.

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Roll the dough on a well-floured surface to 1/8 inch thick or thereabouts. Use a round cutter to cut out circles of your preferred size, e.g. a 1 inch cutter for canapé-sized biscuits, or 2 inches for cheese biscuits; alternatively, use a sharp knife to cut into squares or rectangles. Prick each biscuit with a fork. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10 - 12 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

Notes: I found that I needed to add a bit more ice cold water than the recipe stated.

It was great to have such a nice break. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! - JD  

Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake

My daughter decided that a Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake was the perfect Springtime recipe and a great way to have more chocolate. The cake itself is moist and... of course, chocolatey! I suppose that you do not have to icing this cake however my daughter was feeling rather decadent and wanted a double chocolate taste and the chopped walnuts on top gave us a peek as to what was inside. I supervised mostly and if need be her brother was there to lend a helping hand. 

Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake 

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1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup caster sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3 sq. unsweetened chocolate (3 oz), melted 

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Grease and flour a square baking pan (9"x9"x2ish") and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom. 

Sift the flour into a large bowl and then add the sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine together.  Add the oil, milk and vanilla. Beat with a hand held mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed. Scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl constantly. Add the eggs and the melted chocolate. Beat for 2 more minutes; scraping the bowl frequently. Stir the walnuts into the batter; then pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Easy Chocolate Icing

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 to 2 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder

1 to 2 tablespoons milk or low fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a hand held mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Adjust with more milk if necessary. 

99% Cocoa

Over the weekend I decided to try some 99% cocoa. I wholeheartedly tried one square and quickly came to the realization that this isn't like any other chocolate I have tried. The texture was somewhat smooth. The taste slightly bitter and strong. One wafer thin square is all your need. On the package it said *dark* but I think intense is another key word that should have been used. This kind of chocolate would be good with coffee or possibly a very good red wine. -JW