My Romance with Chocolate

Yes, I admit it. I’ve been having a love affair with chocolate for a very long time.  My earliest memories are when I was a young girl sitting around the campfire somewhere in northern California burning my marshmallows into a charcoal stage and smashing it between a piece of Hershey’s chocolate bar and graham cracker squares.  Life didn’t get better than that! At that time, I was naïve about all the things you can do with chocolate.  In our house, we had chocolate candy bars and other pure chocolate candies (kisses etc.).  On occasion when fondue became a big rage in the 1970’s, I stepped out of the ordinary and had my first chocolate dipped fruit and bread.  It was a learning experience for me and opened a few new doors of possibilities. Then, one day, I got a real education on the coolest use of chocolate when a new girl in my neighborhood who had just moved here from Sweden invited me home for lunch.  Her mother served me a chocolate sandwich!  Did I hit the jackpot on that lunch!  These Swedish kids certainly knew how to live!  What is a nine year old supposed to do but eat what’s served to her and compliment the cook by asking for seconds?  I thought it best not to tell my Mother what I ate for lunch that day and I never did. Today, nothing surprises me anymore as everything is covered in chocolate.  I still consider myself a chocolate purest and haven’t yet jumped off that cliff to taste all the wacky things dipped, mixed or fried with chocolate.  Eating chocolate sandwiches is one thing but I draw the line at chocolate covered bugs!  No thank you.  I’m good with what I know and love…honestly. Everyone has their “go to” chocolate, whether it is the high-end stuff or shall I say the “economically” priced stuff.  Personally, I have no complaints with high-end chocolate.  However, if I really need a hit of chocolate, a plain Hershey’s Kiss or a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar does the trick.  No fancy added stuff other than slipping in an almond. On the other hand, if you ask my Mother what her all-time “go to” favorite brand of chocolate is, she will tell you its Sanders.  She grew up in Detroit and Sanders was a local chocolate and ice cream shop that was known for its unbelievably delicious chocolates.   If you mention any other brand, she will argue with you until the cows come home that Sanders IS THE ONLY CHOCOLATE WORTH EATING.  There is no other company in the world that meets her chocolate standards other than Sanders! Sanders was founded by German-born Frederick Sanders Schmidt on June 17, 1875, when he opened a candy store on Woodward Avenue at Gratiot in downtown Detroit.  (For more information about the Sanders chocolate company click on this link.) I agree that, for the most part, Sanders does make a wonderful milk chocolate fudge sauce.  It’s light years better than that canned liquid syrupy stuff that Hershey’s makes, which I refuse to touch.  However, while we waited for a few coveted jars of Sanders chocolate to arrive from our Detroit relatives, my Mother would often make a homemade chocolate sauce that was a lot better than any store bought version we could buy in our dusty high desert town.  In fact, I prefer this sauce over Sanders (shh, don’t let my Mother hear this). Yes, I realize I’m talking heresy and could be disinherited.  Sander’s chocolate is close to a religion in my family.  But seriously, Grandma’s homemade recipe is pretty darn good.  It’s easy to make, the ingredients are simple.  I’ve even tried swapping out the evaporated milk for high quality heavy cream, and it’s not the same.  You can’t mess with perfection!  The evaporated milk just works for some reason. So my gift to you is share with you my Grandmother’s Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe.  I think you will enjoy the simple taste of chocolate as much as I do. Grandma’s Homemade Chocolate Sauce 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 tablespoons butter 2/3 cup or 1 small can of evaporated milk Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium to low heat for about 2 – 3 minutes.  Just to low boil and stir constantly.  It will burn if you let it boil too long. Serve hot immediately or let it cool and it will set up to a nice thick spreadable fudge.

 A New Spin on Grandma’s Recipe – Vegan Style

I have also created a vegan version of this recipe out of necessity.  I’m now allergic to dairy products and I’m sad to say I have to limit my consumption of grandma’s chocolate sauce.  I created the next best thing.  A coconut, chocolate, almond version which I think it tastes pretty good. Brenda’s Vegan Chocolate Sauce      ½ cup sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil (see note below) ½ cup Almond milk unsweetened Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium to low heat for about 2 – 3 minutes.  Just to low boil and stir constantly.  It will burn if you let it boil too long. This sauce is not as thick as the other sauce but it still is pretty nice.   Note:  I purchase this oil from Amazon.com

Expanding Chocolate into an Out of Body Experience …

Do you love to bathe in chocolate?  I do!  Well… not like the woman in the picture above.  To bathe in a tub of chocolate is more of a fantasy of mine.  However, the next best thing to being in a bath of chocolate is to wash with a nice decadent bar of chocolate soap! I worked hard on creating this chocolate soap recipe.  It had to have that wonderful chocolate smell and feel, plus have the health benefits of leaving your skin moisturized.  I use a high quality organic fair trade cocoa powder (70% + cacao) along with fresh local goat’s milk and 3 different oils, which I call my Mediterranean recipe.  Nothing is more decadent than bathing with a bar of solid chocolate – you won’t be disappointed!  Oh my! Oh my! The smell, the feel! Mmmm – pure heaven. In addition to washing with a bar of chocolate, try giving yourself a chocolate moisturizing mask. According to Discovery Health and Fitness website they state chocolate is very healthy for your skin. It may seem counterintuitive, but using a chocolate face mask can help keep skin clear and hydrated, according to Jessica Wu, M.D., a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face. The key is using the right ingredients. "Since prepackaged face masks may contain salt or sugar particles with jagged edges that can scratch your skin, I recommend making your own chocolate face mask at home," says Wu. "They're cheap to make and all natural so if you accidentally lick your lips, you know its safe enough to eat." So here is their recipe for a chocolate face mask. However, I would recommend that you use locally produced honey and organic yogurt from a local farmer instead of using commercial brands.  Most large commercial brands contain additional ingredients to prolong shelf life, which may affect your desired results.  Check your local co-ops they always have these ingredients in stock. Chocolate Face Mask 2 – 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (70% cacao or more) 2 – 3 tablespoons of local organic yogurt (add more or less to get the right consistency of a brownie batter) 1 teaspoon of local honey (to keep skin hydrated) 1 teaspoon of olive oil (for really dry skin) Apply with fingertips to clean, dry skin and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes; rinse with lukewarm water.