It seems that whatever holiday is approaching, chocolate has its place in the celebration. From chocolate Santas at Christmas to Hanukah geld to all kinds of Halloween candies, chocolate seems to make its presence whenever people are celebrating.

Easter is no exception. This Christian religious holiday has merged with old European pagan spring celebrations to create seasonal icons like Easter bunnies and decorated eggs, all of which seem to end up rendered in chocolate. From convenience store candies to sophisticated gourmet creations, chocolate manages to be a big part of the Easter holiday.

These Easter concoctions aren’t limited to kids’ treats, either. The same companies that create children’s Easter baskets also craft more adult versions of gift baskets for the holiday. Burdick Chocolate, rapidly becoming one of the country’s favorite chocolatiers, has put together a selection of their most popular chocolates—six penguins, four dark mice and three each of their milk and white chocolate mice in a classic wood box for the holiday. Whimsical enough for children but classy enough for adults, this treat is perfect for the Easter holiday. They’ve also created an Easter bunny box, selections of chocolate Easter eggs, and many other treats perfect for the season.

So along with your religious celebrations and family get-togethers, think of sending that special friend or relative a small token of your affection during the holidays. Christmas, Easter, or any holiday, nothing says, “Hi” and “I love you” quite like a box filled with delicious chocolate.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.

http://www.burdickchocolate.com/

It is rare that eating chocolate is recommended for health reasons. However, quite surprisingly, dark chocolate is said to contain antioxidants that benefit your body when eaten properly.

People often refer to dark chocolate as “bittersweet” chocolate. It contains roughly 70% cocoa solids and has less or no sugar added.

Since it has less or no sugar, dark chocolate is far less susceptible to heat than milk chocolate.

Some recent studies suggest that eating dark chocolate provides your body with essential antioxidants that could help with getting rid of free radicals that cause premature aging.

Other studies indicate that another benefit of dark chocolates is it could help with lowering bad cholesterol oxidation and reduce the risk of blood clots.

The primary reason why dark chocolate have these benefits is the flavonoids it contains. A flavonoid is a ketone that one can also find in the stems, seeds, and leaves of several plants. These flavonoids are members of a class of antioxidants called polyphenols, which are also found in red wine, tea, and certain fruits and vegetables.

It is estimated that dark chocolate contains eight times the levels of polyphenol antioxidants when compared with strawberries.

More studies have indicated that there are reduced benefits eating dark chocolate antioxidants if it were taken with milk or if milk were part of the dark chocolate mixture. It is believed that the molecules of milk adhere themselves to the epicatechins and prevent the proper assimilation of the flavonoids by the body.

Not all studies favor dark chocolates. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of dark chocolate inducing migraine attacks. However, data to fully support those concerns is still insufficient.

In addition to being a pleasure on the palate, consuming fifty grams of dark chocolate made of at least 70 percent chocolate solids could provide health benefits and supplement your diet with additional iron, potassium, and calcium.

Find more chocolate information at TheChocolatePro.com, including advice on using confectionary coating as a chocolate alternative.

Do you love chocolate candy? Do you ever eat too much? Do you wish candy was calorie free? Does eating chocolate candy make you happy? Do you know where candy came from? Do you know what is the # 1 sellling chocolate bar in the United States? If you answered yes or no to any of these questions, read on.

I love to eat chocolate candy. I love to pretend the candy I am eating does not have any calories. Is that what most of us say to ourselves. When we feel sad we eat chocolate candy. When we are happy we eat chocolate candy. When we are stressed we eat chocolate candy?

Eating chocolate candy is fine but we must know when to stop!

CHILDREN and SUGAR:

When our children eat too much sugar they end up jumping and running around. This could be the reason they have a problem concentrating and sitting still in school. When their blood races from all that luscious, sugar they have eaten their brains can not concentrate on the important stuff.

HISTORY:

The first candy was actually invented by the caveman when they removed the honey from bee hives. 3500 years ago the Egyptians, Arabs and Chinese prepared a mixture of fruit and nuts candied in honey. These are the first candies ever invented. It tastes so good that we kept reinventing it.

All the way back to 1854 the Whitman’s chocolate was created. In 1900 Milton S. Hershey produced the first chocolate Heresy bar in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. These two enterprising companies have changed the candy industry. Now there are too many types of chocolate to count.

The # 1 Selling Chocolate Bar in the United States is the Hershey Bar. It was created in 1930 by M/M Mars.

We can enjoy our chocolate candy. Just use common sense.

Thank you for reading my article. Please feel free to read any of my numerous articles on several subjects.

Copyright Linda E. Meckler 2007

Linda is the author of her first published book, “Ghost Kids Trilogy. “Christy, 12 and her Brother Brad, 16 moves into an old house on top of a mountain and meet two Ghost Kids.

Then we have a mysterious, magical Blue Vase where Uncle Charlie the villain is trapped. He wants out of the Blue Vase and exchange he will tell Christy and Brad where Pirates’ Treasure is Hidden.

Take a walk with Christy and Brad down a dark hall hunting for Pirates” Treasure. You will think were you there right there with them.

Love, Family Values and Charity burst off the pages. http://www.lmeckler.com

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This is proven fact ; although many in our diet obsessed western cultures would have you believe that it is not. Most diets today followed by people unhappy with their weight ban chocolate and categorize it as one of the “bad” foods that people should not eat!

BUT chocolate is healthy, very healthy in fact. Cacao, from which chocolate is made is one of the greatest sources of anti-oxidants, it provides us with magnesium, potassium and other useful amino acids which help our bodies. What is not good for us is over sweet sugar laden chocolate confectionary which contains very little REAL chocolate. (Here I mean mars bars, and all their competition, or chocolate coated “sweets” individually wrapped, you know the ones). REAL CHOCOLATE is a bar or tablet made from cacao, cacao butter and little else besides, but can also include high quality handmade pralines’ which are chocolates filled with chocolate fillings. Pure chocolate is even healthier than milk chocolate and white chocolate, but good quality chocolate of all these colours is infinitely better than the modern confectionary.

Chocolate, derived from the tropical plant Theobroma Cacao meaning “Food for the Gods” was brought to Europe in 1528 by Cortes. Until 1615 it remained a secret of the Spanish until King Louis XIII married the daughter of the king of Spain. She introduced chocolate to the French court, the French love of chocolate has not ceased since.

Several recent studies have confirmed the positive role that chocolate can play in our diets. We are all told we must eat foods laden with anti-oxidants, and we should eat foods high in vitamins or minerals. Chocolate is a product which has a high source of these important elements.

Eating REAL CHOCOLATES which are not too high in sugar can be beneficial to your health. As with all eating this needs to be in moderation but CHOCOLATE is beneficial to your health. TRUE and thankfully so!

So many diets today want us to give up everything and only eat certain foods. But eating a balanced diet with all the food groups, eating smaller portions, yet eating three times a day a full meal is far healthier than the way most people eat today. One exception I know of is the French.

A great French book entitled French Women Don’t Get Fat details exactly why they don’t - yet they eat chocolate, drink wine and eat all food groups. The secret lies in eating smaller quantities of high quality produce, and doing it in a reverent way. If you sit down three times a day to a proper meal then snacking becomes unnecessary as you will never be hungry, always enjoy your food AND be able to enjoy luxury foods like chocolate without having to worry about your figure.

French women eat dessert twice each day! At lunch and dinner, and seldom go a day without eating chocolate in one form or another. Coffee is also a ritual, always one small cup accompanied by (Yes you guessed) one small chocolate. Learn to savour high quality coffee, with high quality chocolate both in small amounts. It is healthy, beneficial to your health and there is no guilt involved since you only had a little of both.

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the small artisanal (traditional) chocolate makers. World over people are beginning to look for more authenticity, higher quality, even organic products. Chocolatiers have responded by opening more and more specialist shops and there are now several companies on the internet who offer to deliver their exclusive handmade chocolates to your door

The Love of Chocolate website(currently under construction) will offers a wealth of information about chocolate and many addresses where to find REAL CHOCOLATES, and many related products. There is also a blogsite www.mylove-of-chocolate.com where the topic is all things chocolaty, and links to other great resources about chocolate. Visit to find out more.

Michaela Verstraeten is the author of this article, the webblog http://www.mylove-of-chocolate.com and the new website http://www.love-of-chocolate.com

This article and these sites promote the consumption of REAL CHOCOLATES, healthy pure chocolate, handmade by reputable quality chocolatiers across the globe.

The term chocolate bar is a popular way of describing a confectionery treat in the form of a bar. This is usually packaged in a bar shape with individual perforations or in a long, narrow, shaped log covered with chocolate. Many types of chocolate bar exist and there are thousands of companies that create chocolate bars. Some of these companies produce many choices of fillings in their chocolate bar, such as nuts, fruit, mint, coconut, marzipan and many more.

The chocolate bar evolved in approximately the late 1900s. Chocolate had become popular many years before the introduction of the bar but the idea of creating a chocolate bar was to provide a more convenient way of consuming the chocolate. The bars could be packaged and sold to eat easily by hand or while on the go. Up to the invention of the chocolate bar, chocolate had been sold by bulk with loose, irregular or formed pieces.

During the Great Depression, the cost of a chocolate bar was five cents. The price rose to ten cents after World War II and remained that price for many years. More advanced packaging and advertising contributed to the increase in cost to the consumer of many types of chocolate bars. Many chocolate companies still make the same bars they started out with, also adding many more varieties. Some popular chocolate bars that are still popular today are Clark Bar 1917, Baby Ruth 1920, The Charleston Chew 1922, Three Musketeers 1932, Fifth Avenue 1936 and many more. The Hershey Chocolate Company makes several chocolate bars that have been enjoyed for many years. The Krackel Chocolate bar was introduced in 1938 and the bars first contained almonds and then in 1939 peanuts were added alongside of the almonds. In 1941 the Hershey company changed the direction of the Krackel bar and removed all nuts and peanuts, which is the way we know the Krackel bar today. The shape of the York Peppermint Pattie may be round but it is still considered a chocolate bar. The Peppermint Pattie was introduced in 1940 and is still enjoyed today.

Chocolate bars can be used for fundraising, as where a sports team, corporation or school uses the chocolate bars to raise money for needed supplies. There are companies that put their corporate logo on the chocolate for use at promotional shows, incentive programs, and customer appreciation or to encourage attendance at board meetings. Wedding favors and other special parties, such as Bar Mitzvahs or milestone birthdays or anniversaries, are perfect occasions to use personalized chocolate bars to mark the day.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist, with a wide range of interests. To read more about chocolate bars - and about chocolate in general - please visit his website: Gorgeous Chocolate!

It is easy to make impressive and delicious homemade chocolates for family and friends at Easter or anytime. You can purchase Easter chocolate molds at most specialty or discount stores and a wide variety of chocolate at your local supermarket. With a bit of time and patience you will soon be turning out gorgeous homemade chocolates.

Types of Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla. It is stronger and richer than milk or white chocolate and is usually the preferred choice for cooking.

Milk chocolate contains the same ingredients as dark chocolate but has added milk solids. It is sweeter, creamier, softer in texture and less intense than dark chocolate.

White chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids, only cocoa butter blended with sugar, milk solids and flavourings, such as vanilla. It is rich, creamy and sweeter than milk chocolate.

Eating chocolate - dark, milk and white - can be used for cooking. Dark varieties include bitter, semi-sweet and sweet. Bitter chocolate has up to 80% cocoa liquor and butter with a minimal amount of sugar. Sweet chocolate has a higher proportion of sugar and vanilla to cocoa butter.

Good-quality cooking chocolate can be found in the baking aisle of supermarkets. It is similar in taste to eating chocolate, but a small amount of cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable fat to make it easier to melt, able to set without tempering. Cheaper than normal eating chocolate.

Compound chocolate is sold in blocks or buttons and can be found in the baking aisle of supermarkets. The cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable fat or oil, making it easier to melt and to set at room temperature without tempering. It lacks the flavour and texture of other chocolates, but is perfect for kids’ cooking.

Melting Chocolate

Chocolate can be melted in several different ways including on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven.

Stove Top – put chocolate in a clean, dry, heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure no water or steam enters the bowl of chocolate, or it the chocolate could seize. Stir constantly over medium to low heat until the chocolate has melted.

Microwave – put chocolate in a clean, dry, microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 1 minute on medium/high then stir. Cook for another 30 seconds then stir again, continue until chocolate has all melted.

Stove – preheat oven to 160 C. Put chocolate in a clean, dry, heatproof bowl. Turn oven off then place the bowl in the oven for 10 minutes minutes. Remove and stir, then place back in oven if required for several minutes, remove and stir again.

Tips for Melting Chocolate

* Break chocolate into even sizes pieces before melting.

* Use a metal spoon to stir chocolate; wooden and plastic spoons retain moisture that can cause the chocolate to seize.

* Always use a metal, glass or ceramic bowl to melt chocolate.

Making Homemade Chocolates

1. Melt your chocolate, (see above), then stir thoroughly to remove all lumps.

2. Pour melted chocolate into the moulds until they are filled to the top.

3. Tap the moulds with your fingertips to remove air bubbles from chocolate.

4. Let chocolates set, until hard.

5. After your chocolates have completely set and hardened, carefully pop them out of the mold.

6. Use a butter knife to trim off any excess chocolate around the edges.

Tips for using Chocolate Moulds

* Never wash your chocolate molds with soapy water. The soapy water will remove the shine of the mold, making it difficult to get the chocolate off. Just wash in hot water.

* Always dry your molds carefully after washing. Water spots can also cause spots where the chocolate won’t release easily from the mould.

* If your molds are sticking, very lightly coat them with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

* If you make a mistake, or if extra chocolate dribbles in the wrong places - don’t touch it while it’s still wet. Place the chocolates in the fridge or freezer to harden, then you can easily just pick off the parts you don’t want there.

How to Store Chocolate

Chocolate should be wrapped in alfoil and placed in an airtight container. Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Do not store in the refrigerator.

Unopened chocolate has a shelf life of 12 months and opened chocolate, properly wrapped and stored has a shelf life of 3 months. (However it would never last this long at my house!)

Chocolate Terms

Seize – Chocolate will seize up when small amounts of liquid mix with it, it becomes a thick grainy mass that cannot be remelted or used.

Chocolate Bloom – White spots that appear on chocolate, caused by the chocolate being heated and cooled too quickly. This can also occur when chocolate is refrigerated, it does not affect the quality and can still be eaten.

Tempering - A technique used to stabilize chocolate with a high cocoa butter content through a melting and cooling process so the chocolate will set firm and shiny at room temperature.

This recipe is courtesy of Sandy Prosdocimo,

Editor of Smart-Mums everything Mums need…

There is an intangible something about watching the creation of chocolate, from beginning with raw cocoa beans to the conclusion, delivering the finished product to the consumer that sets all my senses a-tingling. The smell wafting teasingly through the air, your mouth salivating at the very thought, the texture of the cocoa beans, even the sight and sound of the beans tumbling through the machinery, moving along the assembly line.

There are 16 steps in the manufacture of organic chocolate:

• Buyers source the finest cocoa beans available on the world market.
• The Destoner washes and scrubs the cocoa bean exterior, removing any detritus from the outer shell.
• The Roaster’s function is to pre-roast, allowing the beans to become de-humidified.
• The Winnower separates the bean husks from the nibs (small pointed parts).
• A second Roaster develops the flavor of the nibs.
• The Stone Mill crushes the nibs into paste.
• The Ball Mill reduces the particle size of the cocoa solids in the just-created paste.
• The Mixer adds sugar and/or milk powder.
• The Finish Refiner reducers the particle size of the sugar.
• The Conch has the important job of reducing acid through circulation and oxidation.
• The chocolate moves to the Holding Tank, where it is given a chance to “rest.”
• The Tempering Machine causes a bond to be formed between the cocoa butter and cocoa solids.
• Molds are filled with liquid chocolate by the Depositor.
• The Cooling Tunnel allows the temperature of the chocolate to be monitored, and maintained, at proper levels.
• The Packaging Department wraps the boxes of chocolate with meticulous attention to detail.
• The chocolates are shipped to fine retail establishments.

It is a given that there is always room for chocolate. No room for argument!

Terry Kaufman is Chief Editorial Writer for Niftykitchen.com, Niftyhomebar.com, and Niftygarden.com.

©2007 Terry Kaufman.

You slowly unwrap a chocolate bar. Your mouth starts watering in anticipation. You place the piece of chocolate on your tongue as your eyes close. It begins to melt, giving your mind and body a wonderful sensation. Chocolate has the power to captivate like no other food.

Chocolate cravers need not fear death by chocolate. Chocolate cravers and chocoholics will be pleased to learn that there is a place for it in healthy eating patterns.

Chocolate’s scientific name is Theobroma cacao ~ food of the gods. Studies show that Americans consumed over 3 billion pounds of chocolate which totaled $15 billion in sales last year. Americans spent $1.09 billion on chocolate this Valentine’s Day. More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate were sold this year for Valentine’s Day.

*71% of North American chocolate eaters prefer milk chocolate.

*22% of all chocolate consumption takes place between 8 pm and midnight.

*More chocolate is consumed in the winter than any other season.

*Today, Americans eat an average of 12 pounds of chocolate per person per year.

Recent studies have shown that cocoa or dark chocolate has potent health benefits for people. Dark chocolate is full of flavonoids and garlic acid, which are antioxidants that help protect blood vessels, promote cardiac health, and prevent cancer. It also has been effectively demonstrated to counteract mild hypertension. In fact, dark chocolate has more flavonoids than any other antioxidant-rich food such as red wine, green and black teas and blueberries.

This great news does not give us a license to consume as much dark chocolate as we’d like. Chocolate is also a calorie-rich food, with a high content of saturated fat, so daily intake of chocolate also requires reducing caloric intake of other foods. There is currently no established serving size of chocolate to reap the benefits. However, what is known is that you no longer need to feel guilty while enjoying a little bit of heaven.

How easily it seduces. How readily we succumb. A glimpse, a sniff, a flash of pleasures past, and all resistance melts … we reach for another piece of chocolate.

My Chocolate Favors offers a large selection of unique and personalized chocolate wedding and party favors. Our specialty is personalized chocolate photos - your favorite photo printed right on the surface of delicious chocolate.

So many types of chocolates to choose from! But why buy when you can easily make your own - you’d be stunned to find out how easy it really can be!

You can be as creative as you want with the ingredients, shapes and type of chocolate, even with the packaging.

For example you can create the simplest of chocolates, such as yummy chocolate bark , to the more involved chocolates such as decadent hand-dipped cherry chocolates in creamy fondant or even hand-painted molded chocolates.

Sure it’s easier to run out to the local store and buy a box of chocolates but they’ll definitely remember your thoughtfulness if they receive a box of your delicious homemade goodies. Besides that, it’s so much fun! You can even involve the children. Candymaking is even more fun when done as a family project. Have your children unmold the chocolates after they’re set and place them into the candy paper cups or they can mix up the ingredients for the fondant. They’ll love bringing some of the delicacies they helped create to their friends and teachers at school!

You can even go as far as selling your chocolate creations at craft sales, bazaars, fund-raising events and home parties.

Many recipes need the use of specialized equipment and methods but there are much easier ways to making chocolate without all the fuss and worry that you’ll either overcook your candy or that it won’t turn out at all.

Heather Diodati offers free how-to’s and recipes for homemade chocolates on her website http://www.whimsies-online.com/chocolate-making.htm These are tried, tested and true recipes you’re sure to enjoy. There are many more recipes and handy, easy hints on chocolate making and loads of bonuses in her eCookbook, “Easy Mouthwatering Homemade Chocolates and Other Candies”. She even throws in four free eCookbook bonuses when you order. Check out the whole package on http://www.whimsies-online.com/chocolate.htm

Belgian chocolate biscuits is the biscuit which is covered with creamy Belgian chocolate. The creamy belgian chocolate will be in different varieties such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate and also white chocolate. Because of the demand of the belgian chocolate biscuits there are belgium chocolate biscuits producers all over the world.

There are variety of belgian chocolate biscuits that you can taste at least once. Some of the varieties are

1. Amouretto Chocolate Biscuits

2. Diavola Chocolate Biscuits

3. Grand Biscuit Selection

4. Ophelia Chocolate Biscuits

5. Amandaggio Almond Biscuits

Belgium Chocolate Cookies:

Cookies when combined with the famous Belgian chocolates gives you the best taste. There are cookies available in the market with Belgian chocolate morsels. It may resemble chocolate chip cookies, but instead of the regular chocolate as the cookie morsels, Belgian chocolates are used.

You have to expect that cookies with Belgian chocolate as morsels may be on the expensive side. However, just like purchasing Belgian chocolates, you can be sure that after tasting a Belgian chocolate cookie, you will say that it’s worth every penny.

These are some of the Belgian chocolate biscuits brand that you have to consider buying. It is made from high quality biscuits and also high quality Belgian chocolates.

Chocolates is considered as a great medicine for depression. It is well known that if you present a Belgian chocolate to your depressed friend or family member, or eating yourself one if you feel depressed then you will find that your mood is uplifted by these tasty Belgium chocolates

For more information on Belgian Chocolates visit Belgium Chocolate at http://www.belgium-chocolate.info