Past Newsletters
Vol 3 No 10

In Pursuit of Chocolate

A Taste As Rich As Gold

Your delectable taste sensation this month is derived from some of the best chocolate in the world. This unique offering is the Goldkenn chocolate cigars in three mouth-watering flavors: milk chocolate, dark chocolate and cappuccino. Whether eaten as a satisfying dessert or a blissful indulgence, your Swiss praline cigars from Switzerland are the perfect way to satisfy a chocolate craving. The combination of Swiss chocolate wrapped in a crisp wafer cookie is a temptation we dare you to resist. Each “cigar is infused with an amazing selection of decadent Swiss chocolate and placed in its own foil humidor for optimum freshness.

A Sweet Tidbit Of History

Although the Swiss were not the first Europeans to manufacture chocolate, they were the people who mastered the art and transformed chocolate into the divine confection it is today. Since 1819, the time that the first Swiss chocolate factory opened, the Swiss pursued absolute perfection in chocolate making.

Their passionate quest for innovation led to the marketing of the first milk chocolate in 1875 and the first "melt-on-the tongue" chocolate in 1879. With advances in technology, the finest ingredients, competition between brands, and a national passion for chocolate, the Swiss have ensured that their chocolate remains the best in the world.

The Swiss government has deemed chocolate an important product to their economy, so much so that an association of Swiss chocolate manufacturers has been established. This association is known as Chocosuisse, to promote the Swiss chocolate industry and maintain the high quality that has become synonymous with Swiss chocolate.

Now That's A Lot Of Chocolate!

The present world production of cocoa beans is somewhere around 2,200,000 metric tons. The chocolate that is made from this cocoa is over 5,000,000 metric tons. The preference for dark or milk chocolate varies from country to country and has changed over the years with the preference currently leaning toward dark chocolates.

Chocolate 101

Are you curious as to the makings of Swiss chocolate? The delectable chocolate bar that makes your mouth water has historical roots in a tropical rain forest. After extraction from the cacao fruit, cacao beans undergo a complex fermentation process, are dried, and shipped to one of Switzerland's renowned chocolate factories.

The term cacao, essentially a botanical name, refers to the tree, the pods and the unfermented beans found in the pods. The word cocoa, by contrast, refers to the fermented cocoa beans in bulk, and also to the manufactured powdered product used for drinks and in food manufacturing.

After adhering to a strict quality control test, the raw cacao is cleaned, shelled, roasted and crushed. Next, the crushed beans are weighed and blended in accordance to special, YERY secret recipes, which take into account the unique characteristics of the different varieties of cacao beans.

Once blended, the beans are ground and separated into two component parts… cacao paste, which is transformed into cacao butter, and powder. These ingredients form the basic staple for the various forms of chocolate we enjoy.

To make milk chocolate for example, milk and sugar are combined with cacao paste and cacao butter. The ingredients are then kneaded, rolled, heated and stirred by special machines. The chocolate is finally ready to be shaped and molded into delicious, irresistible treats. We think you will agree that treats are always more enjoyable than tricks!

It's Like Comparing Apples To Oranges

If you were to compare a Swiss chocolate bar to that of an ordinary supermarket variety… you'll discover a difference as marked as that between the pristine, snow-covered Alps and a little grassy knoll.

To the naked eye, there is not much noticeable difference other than the Swiss chocolate's unblemished, silky sheen. However, if you break off a piece of the chocolate you will begin to notice the differences. Look carefully at how the high quality Swiss chocolate breaks firmly and crisply; the edges are clean and the surfaces of the break don't crumble. Smell the chocolate and engage yourself in the full and rounded, yet unobtrusive scent of high quality chocolate. It smells like chocolate, not cocoa.

Now, for the real moment of truth, taste it. Quality Swiss chocolate melts in your mouth like butter. It is smooth and delicious. There is no grit. It does not cling or stick to the palate or leave any after-taste. Its flavor is fine, delicate, and unique…a simple piece of heaven.

The Ghoulish Delights Of Halloween!

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Having lived more than 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. The new year marked the end of summer, the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter… a time of year that was often associated with human death.

It was a widely held Celtic belief that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. Therefore, on the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the deceased returned to Earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To celebrate the event, Druids constructed huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the course of the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the festivities were over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By 43 A.D., Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first festival was entitled Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The festival was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" has its beginnings back with the early “All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's deceased relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money. Hot diggity whatever happened to this custom? A perfect treat for the goblins in your life can be found on our website at www.monthlyclubs.com.

Helpful Tips on Cooking with Chocolate

MELTING CHOCOLATE
Chocolate scorches easily, so always melt it over hot - not boiling - water. It is best to use a double boiler, but you can improvise by using a cup or bowl in a small saucepan over very gentle heat. The water must be kept below simmering to prevent steam from curling up and hitting the chocolate. If steam gets into the melted chocolate it will immediately thicken the mixture to a stiff mass. If this does happen, however, you can rescue the chocolate by softening it again. To do this, add 1-2 tb of vegetable shortening (never use butter as it contains moisture which will cause the chocolate to stiffen even more!) to the chocolate and stir vigorously. You can also melt chocolate directly over very low heat in a heavy gauge saucepan, but you must watch the mixture carefully.

HOW TO GRATE CHOCOLATE
Be sure that the block of chocolate is cool and firm. Grate on hand grater, cleaning the grater often so that the chocolate doesn't clog the surface of the blade. You can use a blender, but be sure to cut the chocolate into small pieces first.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS
Use a vegetable peeler with a long narrow blade and a chunk or bar of chocolate. Warm the chocolate and blade slightly. Be sure your peeler is absolutely dry. Draw the peeler along the smooth surface of the chocolate.

HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE
Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dry place at a temperature of about 60? F. If the chocolate becomes too warm, the cocoa butter rises to the surface and forms a dusty gray film known as "bloom." This "bloom" is not harmful and, once the chocolate is melted, it returns to its natural rich brown color. If you do store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer, take in out and let it stand until it returns to room temperature before you use it in a recipe. Chocolate is very sensitive to sudden changes of temperature and you will not get the best results if you do not treat it with respect. Properly stored in a cool, dry place, unopened packages of Swiss chocolate will retain their quality for a long time - 8 to 12 months (but who can really keep it around that long!).

Halloween Recipes!

Rocky Road Halloween Treats

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 cup dry roasted peanuts (Allergic to peanuts? Use pretzels pieces, rice crispies, etc.)
1 (10 1/2 oz.) pkg. white miniature marshmallows
Assorted soft Halloween candy pieces; e.g. as candy corn, M&M's, gummy bats, rats, etc.
Wax paper OR Halloween Decorated Paper Cup Cake/Candy Cups
13" x 9" Pan

How to Make:

In top of double boiler melt: Chocolate, Condensed Milk & Butter.
Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine: Nuts & Marshmallows.
Mix in the Chocolate mixture.
Line a 13x9 inch pan with the waxed paper.
Pour the entire mixture in & press it down.
OR scoop into cups.
Top it with candy pieces.
Chill until firm and cut into squares.
Store at room temperature.
Easy Halloween Cookies
? Ritz crackers
? Creamy peanut butter
? White chocolate -- melted
? Orange sprinkles

Take Ritz Crackers and make sandwich cookies out of them using peanut butter for the filling. Then coat each one in melted chocolate "almond bark" (without almonds). Place on wax paper. Put some orange sprinkles on top and put in the refrigerator to cool.

Store in an airtight container. No need to refrigerate once they set.