VOLUME 1 | 2020
The Allure of
CHOCOLATE From Pod to Plate The Story of Chocolate Delectable Recipes
Cacao-Trace: Sustainability in the Chocolate World
Chocolate knows no boundaries; speaks all languages; comes in all sizes; is woven through many cultures and disciplines . . . it impacts mood, health, and economics, and it is a part of our lives from early childhood through elderly years. — Herman A. Berliner
Photo by Morgan Rhodes 1 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
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Page 29
In This Issue Page 39
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The Story of Chocolate
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Chocolate in the American Colonies
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Chocolate: 19th Century and Beyond
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Saved by a Kiss
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The Future of Chocolate: The Bittersweet Reality
Special Feature: The Puratos Group Page 37
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The Process
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Cacao Trace: A Sustainable Sourcing Program
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It All Starts with the Farmers
Recipes 15
The Original Toll House Cookie
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Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Lemon Truffles Dipped in Chocolate
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Bananas Foster with Chocolate Ice Cream
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Coconut Macaroons Drizzled with Chocolate
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The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
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Classic French Chocolate Macarons
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The Story of Chocolate Page 5 There are few foods that people feel such passion for, a passion that goes way beyond the love of eating something sweet. Chocolate is in a class of its own. Just the thought of chocolate can evoke a real desire and pleasurable response.When you ask around, very few people dislike chocolate. As a matter of fact, most people love chocolate and have a very particular sense of what kind of chocolate they like best. So, dig into your chocolate stash and enjoy!
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The story of chocolate
begins with a tree, a small tree of the tropical understory . . . It grows in the forest to a height of 6 to 12 meters (20 to 40 feet). Its oblong, leathery leaves measure up to 30cm (12 inches) in length. Cacao trees are found in limited geographical zones. These trees grow only in hot, rainy tropical areas within 20° north and south of the Equator. They thrive in areas that receive rain almost daily and have temperatures that average 80°F year-round.
Top: Aztec men at a feast from The Florentine Codex, is a 16th-century ethnographic research study in Mesoamerica by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún.
According to Cornell University, in 1735 Linnaeus designated this tree Theobroma cacao, a scientific name that handily links two ancient cultures a world apart. Theobroma, the genus name, is from the Greek and translates “food of the gods,” a designation that chocolate lovers would agree is fitting. Although Linnaeus was reputedly fond of chocolate, he would have been familiar with early Spanish writings describing the Mayan and Aztec beliefs that cacao was a gift from the gods. Cacao is the Mayan root word retained by the Spanish colonizers of Mesoamerica to describe the tree and its products. Its flowers are either foul-smelling or odorless; they can be present at all times, but appear in abundance twice a year. The flowers grow in clusters directly from the trunk and limbs and can be white, rosy, pink, yellow, or bright red, depending on the variety. They are pollinated exclusively by tiny flies called midges.
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Cocoa flowers either smell bad or are odorless; they can be present at all times, but appear in abundance twice a year. The flowers grow in clusters directly from the trunk and limbs and can be white, rosy, pink, yellow, or bright red, depending on the variety. They are pollinated exclusively by tiny flies called midges.
Above: A Theobroma cacao tree, photo courtesy of Puratos, an international group offering a full range of innovative products, raw materials, and application expertise to the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate sectors. Their headquarters are just outside Brussels, Belgium, where the company was founded in 1919. The Puratos Cacao-Trace is the only sustainable cocoa sourcing program that redefines the standard for chocolate. More than any other program, Cacao-Trace benefits the cocoa farmers. By working side by side, Cacao-Trace empowers cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast, Vietnam, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Mexico to obtain the highest possible income and to manage their plantations with greater autonomy. ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
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After four years, the mature cacao tree produces fruit in the form of elongated pods; it may yield up to 70 such fruits annually. The pods, or cherelles, range in color from bright yellow to deep purple. They ripen in less than six months. Each pod has numerous ridges running along its length and holds 20 to 60 seeds or cocoa beans arranged around the long axis of the pod.
Because of the hazards of disease and pests, most of the world’s cacao is grown on small, labor-intensive farms of less than two hectares (five acres) instead of on large plantations through which these hazards can rapidly spread. However, even with the protection of their isolated farms, cacao growers frequently experience losses ranging from 30 to 100 percent of their crops, usually because of disease. Other tree crops such as banana, palm, or rubber are often planted with the cacao to provide shade and wind protection for the young trees. Floral buds are removed from the trees until they are five years old. Commercial cocoa bean crop yields may vary from under 100 to over 3,000 kg per hectare (110 to 2,700 pounds per acre), with the world average being between 340 and 450 kg per hectare (300 to 400 pounds per acre). After four years, the mature cacao tree produces fruit in the form of elongated pods; it may yield up to 70 such fruits annually. The pods, or cherelles, range in color from bright yellow to deep purple. They ripen in less than six months. Each pod has numerous ridges running along its length and holds 20 to 60 seeds or cocoa beans arranged around the long axis of the pod. The oval seeds are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and are covered with a sweet, sticky white pulp. The plant itself has no mechanism by which the pods can open and the seeds disperse; only humans in stands of domesticated cacao, or monkeys or squirrels in stands of wild or feral cacao can open and disperse the seeds.. The animals are most likely attracted to the sweet pulp, not the beans, which are made bitter by alkaloids. The seeds, called cocoa beans, are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate. A Brief History of Chocolate
Many people believe that the Aztecs first developed chocolate in the 16th century, but it was actually the ancient Maya, who inhabited parts of southern Mexico and Central America. In fact, the word “cacao” is Mayan. As early as 500 A.D., the Mayans were writing about cacao on their pottery. Some think chocolate may be even older, dating back to the Olmec civilization that preceded the Maya. According to history.com, in the 1500s Spanish conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés, who sought gold and silver in Mexico, returned instead with chocolate. Although the Spanish sweetened the bitter drink with cane sugar and cinnamon, one thing
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Photo by Nancy Suttles
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For some 3,500 years this delicious confection has been at the center of world history. From its beginnings around 1500 B.C.E. as a ceremonial drink in the ancient Olmec, Maya, and Aztec cultures to its multifaceted forms and uses today, the story of chocolate leads us on a fascinating journey through many places and times. remained unchanged: chocolate was still a delectable symbol of luxury, wealth, and power. Chocolate was sipped by royal lips, and only Spanish elites could afford the expensive import. Spain managed to keep chocolate a savory secret for nearly a century, but when the daughter of Spanish King Philip III wed French King Louis XIII in 1615, she brought her love of chocolate with her to France. Chocolate grew popular among the kings and queens of France, and confectioners were appointed by the nobles and the royal family to make their daily cup of chocolate. Confectioners, thus, were highly trained and regarded in this period. King Louis XIV was known to be a great lover of chocolate. He was the first one to introduce chocolate to the Court of Versailles. When Marie Antoinette married King Louis XVI and arrived at Versailles, she brought along her personal chocolate maker. She started the day with a cup of thick hot chocolate topped with cream. She is also the one who started consuming chocolate with some sugar so that it toned down the bitterness and became easier to take in (when meant to be taken as a medicine). The popularity of chocolate quickly spread to other European courts, and aristocrats consumed it as a magic elixir with salubrious benefits. Top: Aztec men at a feast from The Florentine Codex, is a 16thcentury ethnographic research study in Mesoamerica by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Bottom: Frontispiece illustration for New and curious treatises of coffee, tea and chocolate, Philippe Sylvestre Dufour, 1685.
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The spread of the cacao tree started during the age of Colonialism, as did the spread of cacao beans and of chocolate itself. Christopher Columbus was the first European to come in contact with cacao. On August 15, 1502, on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas, Columbus and his crew encountered a large dugout canoe near an island off the coast of what is now Honduras. The canoe was the largest native vessel the Spaniards had seen. It was “as long as a galley” and was filled with local goods for trade—including cacao beans. Columbus had his crew seize the vessel, its goods, and its skipper as his guide.
Top: Archaeological evidence shows cacao beverages were consumed at least as early as 1000 B.C.E. This example from nearly 2 millennia later is one of only three known of a type of squat jar with screw-on, locking lids. The lid that once fit this vessel has not been preserved. It has four glyphs in the ancient Maya language around the outside. Three describe the place of origin, owner, and shape of the vessel; the fourth–illustrated above–is the glyph for “cacao,” confirming its ancient function as a chocolate pot. From Art of Africa and the Americas, Minneapolis Institute of the Art. Right: When Marie Antoinette married King Louis XVI and arrived at Versailles, she brought along her personal chocolate maker. She started the day with a cup of thick hot chocolate topped with cream. She is also the one who started consuming chocolate with some sugar so that it toned down the bitterness and became easier to take in (when meant to be taken as a medicine).The popularity of chocolate quickly spread to other European courts, and aristocrats consumed it as a magic elixir with salubrious benefits.
Above: Chocolate grew popular among royal families during the 1600s. The Family of the Duke of Penthièvre (“The Cup of Chocolate”). By Jean-Baptiste Charpentier the Elder was a French Rococo portrait painter, associated with the Royal Court. He is best known for portraits of Marie-Antoinette and Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre. He also painted members of the Duke’s family. His early works were mostly genre scenes.
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As one of the men with Columbus observed, “They seemed to hold these almonds [referring to the cacao beans] at a great price; for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods, I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up, as if an eye had fallen.” What Ferdinand and the other members of Columbus’ crew didn’t know at the time was that cocoa beans were the local currency. In fact, in some parts of Central America, cacao beans were used as currency as recently as the last century. While it is likely that Columbus brought the cacao beans he seized back to Europe, their potential value was initially overlooked by the Spanish king and his court. Twenty years later, however, Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez is said to have brought back three chests full of cacao beans. This time the beans were recognized as one treasure among the many stolen from the conquered Aztecs.
When the Spanish first brought chocolate back to Europe, it was still being served as a beverage, but soon went through an evolution where the chili pepper was replaced by sugar. The newly sweetened chocolate beverage was a luxury few could afford, but by the 17th century the drink was common among European nobility.
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An officer serving with Cortez observed Motecuhzoma, the ruler of the Aztecs, drinking fifty flagons of chocolate a day. The frothy beverage, which was sometimes made with water and sometimes with wine, could be seasoned with vanilla, pimiento, and chili pepper. It was thought to cure diarrhea and dysentery and was believed to be an aphrodisiac. Cortez is said to have tried the beverage, but found it too bitter. He did, however, write to King Carlos I of Spain, calling “xocoatl” a “drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue.” Soon chocolate would make its way across the Atlantic—first to Spain and then to the rest of Europe. The first official shipment was made in 1585 from Veracruz to Seville. When the Spanish first brought chocolate back to Europe, it was still being served as a beverage, but soon went through an evolution where the chili pepper was replaced by sugar. The newly sweetened chocolate beverage was a luxury few could afford, but by the 17th century the drink was common among European nobility. During the 17th century, when Belgium was still ruled by the Spanish, explorers brought cocoa beans from South America and introduced them to the Belgian community. At the time, cacoa beans were mostly used to make “hot chocolate” for nobility or to impress new visitors. Henri Escher, the mayor of Zurich, was
The shape of this vessel makes reference to the gourd which was, and remains today, the primary food-service and drinking container among the Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples. The painted bowl is decorated with four seated human figures. Source: The Walters Art Museum, Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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The first people to grow cacao trees were the Maya, one of the oldest civilizations on the American continent. They used the cocoa beans as a barter currency to exchange for food or clothes as well as for preparing a bitter drink known as Xocoatl, which was nothing like the hot chocolate that we drink today. This beverage was made of roasted and ground cocoa beans mixed with water and spices. The chocolate-flavored drink was reserved for the nobility and for warriors.
served a cup of this delicious drink when visiting the Grand Palace of Brussels in 1697. He immediately fell in love with it, took the recipe home with him, and introduced his own country to chocolate. Switzerland is now considered Belgium’s biggest competitor regarding the production and distribution of chocolate. During the 18th century, Dutch merchants controlled virtually the entire trade in cocoa beans. Amsterdam developed into the most important cocoa port in the world and thereby stimulated a local cocoa industry. As cacao became more commonly available, people began experimenting with new ways of using it. Chocolate began to appear in cakes, pastries, and sorbets. But it wasn’t until 1828 that the “modern era” of chocolate making and production began. Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chemist, invented and patented a hydraulic press removing most of the cocoa butter from the processed beans, leaving a powdered chocolate. To improve the powder’s ability to mix with liquid, Van Houten treated it with alkaline salts, a process which became known as “Dutching.” The introduction of cocoa powder made creating chocolate drinks much easier; cocoa powder also made it possible to combine chocolate with sugar and then remix it with cocoa butter to create a solid. Others began to build on Van Houten’s success, experimenting to make new chocolate products. In 1849, English chocolate maker and Quaker Joseph Storrs Fry produced what was arguably the world’s first eating chocolate. The greatest innovation came when they devised a means of mixing cocoa powder with sugar and cocoa fat into a paste which could be molded into a bar. This was the first chocolate bar in Britain. It transformed chocolate from a drink into a portable snack. In 1866 they produced their famous cream bar and also the first pure cocoa powder called Chocolate Essence.
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The introduction of cocoa powder made creating chocolate drinks much easier; cocoa powder also made it possible to combine chocolate with sugar and then remix it with cocoa butter to create a solid. Nourish and Flourish
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One of the great inventions of the 20th century . . .
The Original Toll House Cookie Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheets ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved into 1 teaspoon hot water ¼ cups sifted all purpose flour 1 teaspoon table salt 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) 12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method Preheat your oven to 375°. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the beaten eggs. Add the baking soda dissolved in hot water. Sift together the flour and salt and add to the butter mixture. Then stir in the nuts, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Chill the dough [Editors’ note: We usually skip this step]. Drop by the tablespoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake until browned at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
Ruth Graves Wakefield (June 17, 1903 – January 10, 1977) was the inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie, which she created c.1938. She was also a college graduate and educator, a business owner, a chef, and an author. She was educated at Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924.
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Photo by Morgan Rhodes 15 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
Chocolate in the American Colonies Chocolate arrived in Florida on a Spanish ship in 1641. It is thought that the first American chocolate house opened in Boston in 1682. Historians have located shipping records from the late 1600s detailing imports of chocolate beans from Jamaica, and a 1773 ship’s manifest lists a shipment of 320 tons of cocoa beans. That’s enough to make 32 million cups of chocolate! Bonbons and brownies came later, but it turns out that chocolate was a source of pleasure for the seemingly abstemious Puritans. (source: newengland.com)
Chocolate played an integral part in World War II. The military in the first half of the 20th century had a problem. Men were fighting on the front lines in conditions where field kitchens could not be established. Sustenance would have to be shipped in, and it would have to be compact and portable. It was to this end that Captain Paul Logan, of the office of the U.S. Army Quartermaster General, turned to chocolate.
DID YOU KNOW?
During WWII, US soldiers from Massachusetts who were stationed overseas shared the Toll House cookies they received in care packages from back home with soldiers from other parts of the US. Soon, hundreds of soldiers were writing home asking their families to send them some Toll House cookies, and Ruth Wakefield, creator, was soon inundated with letters from around the world requesting her recipe. Thus began the nationwide craze for the chocolate chip cookie.
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Captain Newark Jackson opened a chocolate shop in Boston’s North End in the 1740s. He was a member of the Old North Church and a successful mariner and merchant. His wife Amey maintained their home and shop while raising their children. Today, you can visit Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate Shop in the Clough House at the Old North Church in Boston. According to the Boston Globe, the first chocolate made in this country was manufactured in 1765 in Dorchester Lower Mills by John Hannon and James Baker, who brought cocoa beans home from the West Indies. Baker’s Chocolate is still a staple of home bakers everywhere. And “white chocolate”? It’s another local creation, thanks to Frederick Hebert of Herbert Candies in Shrewsbury, who concocted the creamy confection by mixing sugar and milk solids with cocoa butter. Then there is Ruth Wakefield, the founder of the famous Toll House cookie. In 1930, she accidentally invented this cookie at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. A former dietitian and food lecturer with a passion for quality cookery, Ruth was experimenting in the kitchen one day when she decided to take a bar of Nestle semisweet chocolate and break it up into bits, which she added to a butter drop cookie batter. When she took them out of the oven, she was surprised to see that the chocolate hadn’t melted, and the firm bits gave the cookies a unique (and addictive) crunch. She liked the texture so much she called them Chocolate Crunch Cookies and added the recipe to her collection. The chocolate held its shape and creamy texture and
voila: The chocolate chip cookie was born. The recipe, published in Boston newspapers, became an immediate hit, and Nestle began selling chocolate morsels in 1939. With Ruth’s permission, Nestle began printing the recipe on the bar’s wrapper. In 1939, they started selling the chocolate bits in their own in bags, calling them “morsels.” The recipe, nearly identical to the original Toll House Cookie recipe, is still printed on each bag today. As the story goes, Mrs. Wakefield received a lifetime supply of chocolate chips in exchange for her recipe, which still graces the packages today. By 1773, cocoa beans were a major American colony import, and people of all classes enjoyed chocolate. During the Revolutionary War, chocolate was provided to the military as rations and sometimes given to soldiers as payment instead of money. Chocolate was so esteemed as a medical supply that in 1780, Continental Army surgeon Dr. James Mann sent a desperate letter to the military hospital in Danbury, Connecticut requesting “cortex” (a kind of tree bark) and a “pound of chocolate for the use of the wounded men at this place.” During World War II, the snack that helped power the Allies before, during, and after the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy was Hershey’s chocolate bars. In 1937, the U.S. Army approached the Hershey Company about creating a specially designed bar just for its emergency rations. According to Hershey’s chief chemist Sam Hinkle, the U.S. government had just four requests about their new chocolate bars: They had to weigh 4 ounces, be high in energy, withstand high temperatures, and “taste a little better than a boiled potato.” The army didn’t want the bar to be so tasty that soldiers would eat it in non-emergency situations. The final product was called the “D ration bar,” a blend of chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, skim milk powder and oat flour. The viscous mixture proved too thick to move through the normal chocolate bar manufacturing setup at the Hershey plant, so initially each bar had to be packed into its 4-ounce mold by hand.
Did You Know? • There are a reported 80 million Hershey’s Kisses are produced in one day. • Because Hershey was unable to have children, he decided to found the Milton Hershey School in 1909. About $60 million was left to the school after Hershey died, and before his death he made sure that 30 percent of all future Hershey profits would go to the school. Today, the school, which provides free boarding, education, health care, and counseling to 2,000 students from lower-income families, has more than $7 billion in assets. • While it’s not known exactly how KISSES got their name, it is a popular theory that the candy was named for the sound or motion of the chocolate being deposited during the manufacturing process.
Sources: The Daily Meal, The Candy Professor, and Hershey’s
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Today, military chocolate is issued to troops as part of basic field rations and sundry packs. Chocolate rations served two purposes: as a morale boost and as a high-energy, pocket-sized emergency ration. Military chocolate rations are often made in special lots to military specifications for weight, size, and endurance.
19th Century and beyond The Swiss are famous for their chocolate, and rightly so. In the late 19th century, they developed a number of processes that contributed greatly to creating the solid chocolate candy that we all enjoy today. Two major developments occurred in 1879. First, Daniel Peter, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer, had the idea of using powdered milk (invented by Swiss chemist Henri Nestle in 1867) to make a new kind of chocolate: milk chocolate. Chocolate had come a long way during the 19th century; however, it was hard to chew. In 1879, another Swiss chocolatier, Rudolf Lindt, invented the conch machine which mixed and aerated chocolate, giving it a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency that blended well with other ingredients. By the late 19th century and early 20th century, family chocolate companies such as Cadbury, Mars, Nestle, and Hershey were mass-producing a variety of chocolate confections to meet the growing demand for the sweet treat.
It was Jean Neuhaus (ironically, from Switzerland) who first put Belgian chocolate on the map. In 1857, he moved into a pharmacysweet shop in the Galérie de la Reine in Brussels, where he sold plaques of dark chocolate. Gradually, the apothecary transformed into a real sweet shop, and the first praline was created there in 1912. The bite-size hollow chocolate shell was filled with a sweet filling invented by Jean’s grandson (also named Jean), who also invented the Ballotin, the box in which pralines are wrapped. The Jean Neuhaus store still exists to this day and is deemed a mustsee when visiting Brussels.
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Saved by a Kiss Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty had booked a first-class cabin on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, but they had to cancel their plans at the last minute due to business matters. They were perhaps saved by a kiss, so to speak.
Photo by Morgan Rhodes
The Future of Chocolate: The Bittersweet Reality Modern-day chocolate production comes at a cost. As many cocoa farmers struggle to make ends meet, some turn to low-wage or slave labor (sometimes acquired by child trafficking) to stay competitive. This situation has prompted efforts for large chocolate companies to reconsider how they get their cocoa supply. It has also resulted in appeals for more “fair trade” chocolate created in an ethical and sustainable way. The challenges to the meet rising demand for chocolateconsuming markets such as North America, Asia, and Europe are overwhelming. Cocoa is grown on plantations concentrated in a small number of developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Production is fragmented among many small family farms whose owners typically earn a subsistence living. The condition of cocoa farmers, the disparities in the distribution of value across the supply chain, and the supply-demand imbalance pose significant concerns. The solution requires the involvement of everyone who loves chocolate. (source: Puratos) According to Dr. Kirsty Leissle, author of Cocoa, there is today a far wider, more exciting range of chocolate bars available than we knew even a decade ago, and consumers can exercise a certain amount of ethical practice in buying them. Putting faith in a blue-and-green Fairtrade label alone is, perhaps, too simple. Through their different models, Fairtrade-certified companies, direct-trade companies, and artisanal producers are pushing each other to rethink standards for the entire chocolate industry. In her book, Leissle asks what the future of the industry holds. African growers are fighting the threat of changes in the climate and of cocoa diseases. Multinationals, meanwhile,
still want access to a cheap product. So, what is to be done? She argues that the most essential ingredient to achieve sustainability is that farmers come to regard their work as honorable and valued and that their children see the worth of staying in the business. As for those of us who are far removed from the point of production, the book is an educational reminder that, in the author’s words, “chocolate starts on a tree.” How can you make a change? You can ask that chocolate makers and retailers provide straightforward information about their products. Ask some hard questions about the chocolate on your store shelves: how much did farmers earn for the cocoa in this bar? Was it higher than the world market price or about the same? What country did the cocoa beans come from? Expect to get correct information, and if someone answers you “Switzerland,” start shopping somewhere else. (Source: Dr. Kirsty Leissle, Author of Cocoa) According to Research and Markets, the global chocolate market is forecasted to reach USD 139.94 billion by 2024. The global chocolate market is highly competitive, with the presence of numerous leading players accounting for the major share. The increasing demand and growing popularity of dark and organic chocolates are fuelling the market’s growth. Furthermore, the seasonal demand plays an important role in the chocolate sales. Various companies are launching a wide range of chocolate varieties during occasions. For craft chocolate makers, there are many exciting things on the horizon. Each year at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle, Washington, artisan chocolate makers from all over the world come together to share their latest creations while offering attendees many educational programs.
Sources: A Brief History of Chocolate, Smithsonian.com • Child Labor and Slavery in the Chocolate Industry • The Food Empowerment Project • Chocolate-Making Conch • The National Museum of American History • Chocolate Use in Early Aztec Cultures • International Cocoa Association • History of Chocolate: Chocolate in the Colonies • The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation • The Bittersweet History of Chocolate • Time • What We Know About the Earliest History of Chocolate.
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Photos courtesy of Puratos Group
The Process
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No matter what the level of technology, the following basic sequence has been in force for at least four millennia and still is followed in the modern world. Harvest and Fermentation
Photos 1-4: Workers typically harvest and cut open the pods using a machete to expose the beans. Each pod usually contains 30 to 50 beans. The beans and pulp are removed from the pod and placed in wooden boxes or on banana leaves and covered. The beans will start to ferment and the “sweatings” drain from the boxes or banana leaves. During this process, the chocolate flavor develops in the beans. The fermented beans are then left to dry in the sun before being bagged and shipped. Drying
Photo 5-6: Once the fermentation is complete, the beans are dried, traditionally on mats or trays left in the sun for typically about two weeks, depending on the weather. During this time, the beans lose more than half their weight, and the enzymatic action initiated by the fermentation process continues. Roasting
Roasting lasts from 70 to 110 minutes and is necessary for the development of flavor and aroma. During this step, owing to chemical changes and further loss of moisture, the nib becomes a richer brown, more friable, and even less astringent. Winnowing
Next, the outer shell of the beans is removed. Then the machines or workers break the cocoa bean meat into small pieces called “cocoa nibs.” The roasting process makes the shells of the cocoa brittle. Cocoa nibs pass through a series of sieves, which strain and sort the nibs according to size in a process called “winnowing.” This is where the thin shell is peeled off and removed.
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Photos courtesy of Puratos Group
Cacao-Trace: A Sustainable Sourcing Program Imagine a region where each cocoa farmer grows, harvests, ferments, and dries his own cocoa beans. Each will use his or her own skills and customs to produce different types of cocoa beans with different qualities to make chocolate. This is what commonly happens. Although fermentation seems by no means to be of the highest priority among many companies in the cocoa industry, that process is key. The chocolate industry traditionally focuses on an increased quantity of dried cocoa beans, but Cacao-Trace takes a different approach. This sustainable cocoa-sourcing program was founded by Puratos and aims for chocolate with superior taste. The program focuses on creating value for all through taste improvement. Improving fermentation via post-harvest centers in sourcing regions is key to delivering a superior taste for chocolate lovers and more income to the cocoa farmers. Based on years of research, new criteria for the fermentation process have emerged. Growers collect the finest fresh beans and bring them to Puratos centers who ferment them. It allows Puratos to produce consistent high quality. Experts take control of the natural fermentation process to let the beans’ original taste potential develop. They closely monitor the whole process and adapt the fermentation sequence, time, moisture, and temperature. This level of control allows Puratos to produce only the specific flavor combinations desired–even different chocolate
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flavors made from the same beans. As fermentation is an essential step in producing delicious chocolate, fermentation makes the difference between average and superior quality. Properly controlled fermentation is the key to great tasting quality chocolate, much as guided fermentation in wine produces high quality. After the successful introduction of Cacao-Trace in Vietnam, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, Puratos recently launched the program in Papua New Guinea in June 2019. Mexico, its fifth region, has now started to ferment with Cacao-Trace standards. Its first chocolate will be produced before the end of 2019. The Cacao-Trace program has all the elements of sustainable certification programs such as farmer field training, fair pricing, and diversification of the farmers’ production and revenues. Cacao-Trace does not stop there. Additionally, every year farmers receive an added Chocolate Bonus. Per kilo of Cacao-Trace chocolate sold, C14¢ (10 eurocents) goes to a Chocolate Bonus Counter which is redistributed every year entirely among members of the cocoa farmer community. The goal is to inspire at least 50 per cent of its customers to switch to Cacao-Trace chocolate solutions by 2025. Puratos is also looking to set up two new post-harvest centers in cocoaproducing regions yearly, thereby also considerably growing the number of farmers supported.
“The Cacao-Trace program goes far beyond the average industry standards for sustainable chocolate by creating value throughout the supply chain, starting with the cocoa farmers down to customers. We are there on the ground, alongside farming communities to coach farmers to grow higher-quality cocoa and give guidance to run plantations in a more sustainable way.”
~ Liesbet Vandepoel, Director of Marketing for Puratos Canada ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE 26
Photos courtesy of Puratos Group
It all starts with the farmers...
The focus on superior-tasting chocolate contributes directly to better living conditions for the farmers and their communities. The farmers pictured are part of a network of 7,800+ farmers supported by Cacao-Trace. Puratos helps them create more income thanks to higher quality beans, and Puratos collects 10 cents per kilo of chocolate sold on their behalf. The farmers benefit from individual coaching to grow higher quality cocoa and receive guidance to run their farms in a more professional way.
Once the farmers have collected the fresh cacao beans, the beans taken to a Cacao-Trace post-harvest fermentation center, giving farmers extra time to spend on other crops on the farm. Thanks to the high quality of beans, they get an additional quality premium. In addition, the farmer receives an extra Chocolate Bonus every year. This amount can add up to an additional 1 or 2 months of salary.
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Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Ingredients ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature 1½ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 half gallon of vanilla ice cream Rainbow sprinkles or chopped nuts (optional) 6 to 12 ounces of milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate (optional) Method Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer and mix until just combined. Scoop by the rounded tablespoons onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake until edges are crisp, about 9 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Let vanilla ice cream sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Place a large scoop of ice cream on 1 cookie. Top with another cookie and gently press together. Roll in sprinkles, if using. Freeze until ready to serve or serve immediately. Ice cream sandwiches will keep in the fridge for a few days. If storing in the freezer for longer than one day, I recommend wrapping each sandwich in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. EDITOR’S NOTE: If dipping in chocolate, melt 6 to 12 ounces of milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate in a small pan on low heat. Remove ice cream sandwiches from freezer and dip one side into chocolate, then add sprinkles or nuts. Place ice cream sandwiches back into the freezer for up to 30 minutes for chocolate to harden before serving. Recipe inspired by: www.completelydelicious.com
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Sweet Treats ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE 30
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Chocolate + Lemons = A Burst of
Fresh Flavor
Photo by Morgan Rhodes ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE 32
Ingredients ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream 12 ounces white chocolate chips 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 4 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest Yellow food coloring (optional) ½ cup powdered sugar for coating 24 ounces of semi-sweet or dark chocolate Method Heat heavy cream in a medium-size pan. When it starts to boil, remove from heat and add the white chocolate. Cover with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir mixture until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in 1 cup of powdered sugar, then lemon juice and zest. Combine. Stir in the rest of the powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours so mixture is firm enough to scoop. Coat with powdered sugar: Scoop out truffle mixture using a small cookie scoop (I used a teaspoon measuring spoon), roll into a ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Store truffles in refrigerator until served. Coat with chocoloate: Scoop truffles, roll into balls, place into freezer for 1 hour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Melt 24 ounces of chocolate in a microwave or by using a double boiler on your stovetop. Use a fork, a toothpick, or a candy dipping tool to dip truffles into the chocolate. Place each truffle on the baking sheet and allow to cool and harden. Refrigerate until served. Notes: Add 1 drop of yellow food coloring to the mixture before refrigeration if you would like to make the truffles a darker yellow. 33 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
Photos by Morgan Rhodes
Lemon Truffles From Morgan’s Kitchen
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Bananas Foster with Chocolate Ice Cream
Photos by Morgan Rhodes 35 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
Adapted from Brennan’s original recipe Ingredients ¼ cup (½ stick) butter 1 cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved ¾ cup raw or toasted pecans, chopped ¼ cup dark spiced rum Chocolate ice cream Method Combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a skillet. Place pan over low heat on a separate hot plate (if you are going to flambé) or a stove top, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add bananas and pecans. When bananas soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When flames subside, scoop bananas out of the pan into prepared bowls of ice cream. Spoon more sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve. For Brennan’s original recipe, add ¼ cup banana liqueur before adding the bananas and leave out the pecans. Use vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate. You may use any rum 80 proof or higher. Using 100 proof spiced rum adds flavor and ignites easily.
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NOTE: Be cautious when igniting alcohol. Make sure you have an open space for the flames and a fire extinguisher on hand if needed. Non-alcohol alternatives that can also flambé: You may use ¼ cup grape juice, pineapple juice, or apple juice in place of dark rum. Add a small amount of almond and vanilla extract to the juice before adding it to the recipe. You may leave out the banana liqueur completely. History of the dessert: http://www.neworleansrestaurants.com/new-orleans-recipes/recipes_ brennans.php ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE 36
Coconut Macaroons
Photo by Morgan Rhodes 37 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
Ingredients 1 14-oz bag sweetened flaked coconut, such as Baker’s Angel Flake (see note) ⅞ cup sweetened condensed milk (see note below on measurement) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon salt 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate - use a high-quality product such as Ghirardelli, chopped (optional) Method Preheat the oven to 325° F. Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If dipping the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30-second intervals until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. Notes: There is a lot of variability in coconut depending on the brand you purchase. We recommend Baker’s Angel Flake. ⅞ cup = ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Make sure to use parchment paper (NOT wax paper) on the baking sheets. The macaroons will stick to wax paper. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The macaroons can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Cake recipe inspired by My Baking Addiction Ingredients 2 cups sugar (400 grams) 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams) ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (64 grams) 2 tablespoons black cocoa, optional (11 grams) 2 teaspoons baking soda (12 grams) 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams) 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 grams) 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk (240 mL) 1 cup strong black coffee ½ cup vegetable oil (120 mL) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (4 grams) Method Heat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting I cup unsalted butter, softened 3½ cups confectioner’s sugar 1 teaspoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon salt + up to 1 tablespoon of raspberry simple syrup + 2 drop of pink food coloring for the flowers
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In a bowl add sugar; then add butter. Beat till blended. Next add salt. Then add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Visit Morgan’s Kitchen to see substitutions and try her Raspberry Simple Syrup.
www.morganrhodes.com Photo by Morgan Rhodes ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE 40
Classic French Chocolate Macarons
K CLIC O T HERE N LEAR ! E MOR 41 ALLURE OF CHOCOLATE
Ingredients Macaron Shells 1 cup (100 grams) almond flour ¾ cup (100 grams) powdered sugar 2 tablespoons (10 grams) cocoa powder 3 large egg whites (100 grams) at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar Ganache Filling ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips ⅓ cup heavy cream Method Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. You may want to trace 1-½” circles spaced a couple of inches apart on the back of each side of the parchment paper as a guide for piping macaron shells later. Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder through a fine mesh sieve, discarding any pieces of almond meal that are too large to go through. Sift a second time to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and light. Then set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whisk the egg whites and waiting 20 seconds or so between each addition. Once all the sugar is added, continue to beat the egg whites on medium to medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should create a thick, fluffy meringue that holds its shape when you stop the mixer and lift the beaters out. If the peaks don’t hold their shape well, continue to beat a bit longer, but be careful not to mix at too high of a speed or for too long. Doing so can cause the meringue to break. Add the sifted almond/cocoa powder mixture to the stiff egg whites and begin to fold them in by mixing with a spatula from the bottom of the bowl and lifting it up to drop onto the top of the mixture. Continue to pull the spatula through the mixture by hand, lifting and dropping in a j-shaped folding motion until the mixture begins to loosen and reaches a consistency similar to flowing lava. If you lift a spatula full of batter from the bowl, it should drizzle off in a thick ribbon and melt in on itself within about 10 seconds. If it falls off in blobs rather than a ribbon, keep mixing the batter. You should be able to make 1 or 2 figure-eight patterns with the ribbon of batter. If the mixture immediately
melts in on itself like honey or shampoo, then you have probably mixed a bit too much. Transfer the macaron batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Or use a large heavy-duty Ziploc bag with one corner cut off. Pipe the macarons into 1½” circles on the prepared parchment or siliconelined baking sheets, spacing them a couple of inches apart. When the trays are filled, rap them a few times on the counter to help remove air bubbles from the shells. Then let them sit out for 30 to 60 minutes until the tops are dry to the touch and don’t stick to your finger. Preheat oven to 300° degrees F. Bake one tray of shells at a time for 16 to 18 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing the shells from the parchment paper or silicone mats. Meanwhile, make the ganache by combining the chocolate chips and cream in a medium microwavesafe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds; then stir well. Heat again in another 30-second burst; then stir, repeating until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the ganache to the fridge and let it cool completely. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip, then pipe onto the bottom side of half the macaron shells. Match up with top shells to finish the macarons. You can eat them right away although macarons are best the next day. NOTES: I’ve had the best, most consistent success with macarons when I use aged egg whites. To age them, separate the whites and yolks; then put the whites in the fridge overnight. The next day, let them sit out on the counter for 1 to 2 hours before making the macarons. I don’t always have time for this and will sometimes skip the overnight period in the fridge, but I always let the egg whites sit out for 1 to 2 hours so they really are room temperature at the very least. Store macarons in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. When filled with ganache, these can even be frozen for up to 3 months, but some other fillings (like jams that have a higher moisture content) don’t freeze as well. Sources: houseofnasheats.com/chocolatemacarons-recipe/ thespruceeats.com/easy-macaron-recipe-435221
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