In addition to sharing a killer chocolate fondant recipe, Crave has compiled some cool tips and facts about the velvety queen of desserts. Camel milk chocolate? Hmmm… not so sure about that one, but we’re willing to try!
- Chocolate comes from the cocoa tree, where cocoa beans are extracted from pods before they’re transformed into smooth velvety chocolate; 70% of cocoa hails from West Africa.
- Considered healthier than milk and white chocolate, dark chocolate has more cacao and less sugar.
- The smell of chocolate increases the brain waves, which trigger relaxation.
- The three largest names in the chocolate world are Hershey’s, Cadbury and Lindt – but Ferrero Rocher tops the list as number one.
- White chocolate is derived from chocolate, but consists of cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar.
- Al Nassma, founded by Sheikh Al- Maktoum in Dubai, is the first company to manufacture camel milk chocolate. Full of vitamin C, it’s considered ‘liquid gold’ in the Middle East.
- The process of melting chocolate for cooking is called “tempering”; always do it over a hot water bath/bain marie (steam from a water bowl), otherwise it will curdle and go lumpy as it has very delicate cooking temperatures.
- Breaking up chocolate into pieces or using chocolate chips in baking/cooking is best because it helps the chocolate melt faster.
- Adding a teaspoon of coffee brings out the intensity of the chocolate flavor in a cake.
- Ganache is a culinary term for creamy chocolate icing/frosting that consists of melted chocolate, cooking cream, butter and vanilla essence.
