Category Archives: Chocolate

Holiday Goodies For You (Or Others), Part I

Posted on by Leave a comment
A peek inside the Ofner Le Cordon Bleu creme brulee panettone.
A peek inside the Ofner Le Cordon Bleu creme brulee panettone.

Ofner Le Cordon Bleu Creme Brulee Panettone

It’s guaranteed to be a sweet holiday with Ofner Le Cordon Bleu Creme Brulee Panettone.

It’s one of the new flavors this season by the Brazilian company, which also manufactures in the United States, that’s been turning out specialty sweets for 70 years.

I had a chance to try the new creme brulee version of the classic holiday Italian bread. Made with a naturally fermented dough, it’s moist, tender, and a little bready in texture.

There are gobs of cashew nut praline and creme brulee within it, and it’s topped with a coating of white chocolate, cashew nut praline, and bruleed sugar. It is quite sweet, so you do have to like your panettone on the sugary side.

Read more

Irresistible Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Posted on by 2 comments
Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.
Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.

Get ready for a cookie that will flat-out seduce you.

Think chocolate chip cookie — but one made extra special with hazelnut flour in the dough, oodles of chopped chocolate, and streaks of creamy Nutella.

If you aren’t smacking your lips yet, you absolutely will when a tray comes out of your oven.

“Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies” is a recipe from the new cookbook, “Zoe Bakes Cookies” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Zoe Francois, the Minneapolis pastry chef, creator of the Zoe Bakes website, and star of her own series, “Zoe Bakes,” on the Magnolia Network.

Read more

Red, Red Wine — As In Brownies

Posted on by 2 comments
A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.
A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.

Have a splash of red wine leftover?

Sure, you could just drink it.

Or you could stir it into the batter of these dreamy, fudgy, rich brownies.

OK, now we are talking.

“Red Wine Brownies” is a recipe from the new “Sweet Tooth” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Sarah Fennel, a New York City self-taught baker, photographer, and creator of the website, Broma Bakery.

Read more

Holidays Mean Lebkuchen

Posted on by Leave a comment
Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.
Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.

Soft, cakey and a little chewy, they’re fragrant with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. They taste marvelously Old World, too.

Lebkuchen, German spice cookies made with honey, are especially beloved at Christmas time.

For more than 90 years, Lebkuchen-Schmidt has been baking these popular treats in Nuremberg. Now, you can enjoy them in this country, thanks to New Jersey-based European Deli, its exclusive U.S. partner.

They come packaged in various options, including an embossed blue and gold tin ($49.95) depicting scenes from that German city, of which I received a sample.

Read more

Handcrafted Indulgent Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels

Posted on by Leave a comment
(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry's Handmade Pennsylvania Duch Pretzels.
(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels.

When it comes to snacks, I do love a good, crunchy pretzel.

And Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels are definitely some of the best around.

Founded by Jerry Skolnick in 1988 in Lancaster, PA, it took only two years for his family-owned business to win a “Best of Philly” award, the first time that honor had ever been given to pretzels.

His youngest daughter Misty joined the fold in 2008 to help launch the company’s e-commerce sales. And lucky me was fortunate enough to receive some samples recently.

These pretzels are made with a sourdough starter. The dough is rolled and kneaded rather than extruded under pressure from huge machines, and the pretzels are hand-twisted. They are made without oil, sugar or preservatives.

Read more
« Older Entries