Candy Dish Blog

Andy McCormick of The Hershey Company paid a visit to Ghana farming villages late last fall. A report on his experiences was published yesterday in the Lancaster, PA newspaper and we thought you might like to read it.

Nearly 20 years ago Andy was a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Ghana where he taught science and English and coached a high school basketball team. During Andy’s tenure from 1982-84 the schools operated only half of the time because of lack of food. Medical clinics were shuttered and the government was unstable. “There were hungry children everywhere,” he notes.

Much has changed since 1982, according to Andy. Now Ghana is blessed with international business investment, highway projects and opportunities to attend schools throughout Ghana. Andy has kept in contact with a former student, Adjei, who is a skilled rice farmer with several employees to help with planting, weeding and harvesting his five acres. Adjei and his family grow most of their own food, including the potato-like cassava, plantains, mangoes, pine nuts, okra and tilapia, a fish which is a great source of protein for his family and others.

His house is fortified against malaria-carrying mosquitoes and his five children attend school in the village. Still, the family home does not have electricity and nor does the family own a car or even a bicycle.

Adjei and his family live a life similar to cocoa farming families in Ghana. Life has improved greatly but hardships remain. Like Hershey, NCA supports a program through Family Health International in support of educational efforts to control malaria infections. Malaria is the most frequent cause of consultation and hospitalization in Ghana. NCA’s program also works to educate cocoa growing communities on causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS, as 17 percent of all confirmed cases of AIDS in Ghana are individuals involved in the agriculture sector.

Throughout cocoa growing areas of Ghana there are ongoing efforts to educate community members on better farming methods to improve crops as well as to ensure safe labor practices, preventative health measures, and better more accessible school education. These efforts are sponsored by NGOs such as the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative, the government of Ghana, the U.S. and European governments, and individual chocolate and cocoa companies.

Let us know if you or your company are involved in efforts to assist cocoa growing communities. We’ll be happy to let our blog readers know.

Cocoa Grower by SidewalkSundays.

Angela D’Urso of Echo Pilot published a great recipe for a low-calorie cocoa sauce. D’Urso says she learned about the positive health benefits cocoa can offer while in pastry school. She talks about the antioxidant properties as well as the iron and potassium content. In short, it’s clear that she loves all things cocoa.

And just to reward the world, she offers a low-calorie coca sauce recipe. Here are the ingredients to make about a quart of the good stuff:

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup semisweet Baker’s chocolate or chips

To get the steps to make it (yes, it’s more complicated than mixing it all together with sunshine and love), go read the article.

Chocolate Sauce by gelskitchen.

Thanks to Savory Seattle for publishing this recipe. It feels like the right weather to have lamb. The gamey flavor makes it a perfect dish for days like this, when we are entering into the time of cold weather. Adding the deep, rich flavor of cocoa and the nutty crunchiness of cocoa nibs must be a heck of a great way to enjoy it.

We have talked about cooking with cocoa nibs before, as well as Jacques Torres’ cocoa nib salmon. Nibs and lamb? A new one on us, but we are very open minded!

Ingredients:
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 6-ounce lamb chops
salt
1 to 2 tablespoon’s olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup zinfandel or syrah
1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon mustard (I used Walla Walla Sweet mustard)
2 tablespoons Cocoa Nibs
pinch of sugar

You will have to go to the original page to get the full recipe.

Have you cooked with cocoa nibs? How did it turn out for you?

Cocoa Nibs by Caro’s Lines.

Loyal readers know that I am a big fan of incorporating cocoa and chocolate into savory cooking.  My husband and I served chocolate dusted scallops as a starter and chili and cocoa-rubbed flank steak as an entrée at our wedding back in May.  When we grill red meat or pork, we often use cocoa in the marinade or as a dry rub.  Until recently, I took the easy way out and purchased pre-made cocoa rubs, but the source of those rubs seems to have gone out of business.

Thankfully, it’s really easy to make your own … and the bonus is that they make great gifts for the holidays and you can make them in advance.  Before you make your rub, buy some air tight spice containers like these magnetic tins.  

 If you start with fresh spices, the rub should last about 6 months before it starts to lose its flavor.

 Here’s the recipe:

Cocoa and Chili Spice Rub

1/4 cup coarse salt
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

This recipe makes about a cup of rub, so adjust accordingly.  When it’s time to use your rub, the ratio is about 3 tablespoons per pound of meat (I tend to use a little more – it gets a little crunchy in an extremely pleasant way on the grill). 

As a little bonus treat for Candy Dish blog readers, I made a label that you can stick on your containers to label the spicy goodness contained within.  Print the PDF of the labels on a full size label sheet, trim with scissors or a paper cutter, and affix to your spice jars.

Steak … on the Grill by Another Pint Please

It’s the baking time of year, as we all know, so here is yet another way to enjoy baking with chocolate. Thank you, Maillard browning, and to Candy Science Laura, who introduced me to this concept!

This recipe and more are online on the CandyUSA Web site. Go check it out!

You will need:
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
Additional Sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to butter mixture.
Using ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly in center.
While cookies are on cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 1 dozen cookies.

*To sour milk: Use 1 teaspoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1/3 cup.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies by jamieanne.

Cocoa adds an extra flavor dimension to a classic angel food cake. Serve this accompanied with a scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Sorbet, or drizzled with Hot Fudge Sauce. Fresh fruit is also a good accompaniment. The cake travels well, too, so pack some slices in with your next picnic.

Makes one 10 X 3 ½-inch cake, 14 to 16 servings

• 1 cup sifted flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups superfine sugar
• 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a 1-quart bowl, thoroughly blend the flour with the cocoa powder, salt, and ¾ cup of the superfine sugar. Set this mixture aside. Place the remaining ¾ cup superfine sugar in a measuring cup near the mixer.

In the grease-free bowl of an electric stand mixer using the wire whip or in a mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed until they are slightly frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whip the egg whites until they begin to mound. While the egg whites are whipping on medium speed, slowly sprinkle on the remaining ¾ cup of superfine sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, then continue whipping the whites until they are firm, but not dry. Blend in the vanilla, then remove the bowl from the mixer.

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the whipped egg whites, 3 tablespoons at a time and gently fold them into the whites, using a long-handled rubber spatula.

Turn the batter into a 10 X 4-inch tube pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Use the rubber spatula to smooth and even the top. Tap the pan on the countertop gently a few times to eliminate any air bubbles.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven until it is golden brown, springs back when lightly touched, and a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately invert it onto its feet, or hang it by the center tube over a funnel or the neck of a bottle. Leave the cake to hang for several hours, until it is completely cool.

To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and around the tube. Gently loosen the cake from the edges and push the bottom of the pan up, away from the sides. Run the knife between the bottom of the cake and the bottom of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate, then reinvert, so it is right side up. Angel food cake is best cut with a serrated knife using a sawing motion.

The cake will keep at room temperature, well wrapped in plastic, for 3 days, or it can be frozen for up to 3 weeks. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Recipe from CandyUSA.com.

Cocoa by elana’s pantry.

There is nothing cozier in the winter months than the aroma of baking treats while your oven kicks out enough heat to remind you of the warmth of summer. My personal favorite smell is my mother’s chocolate chip cookies. Cocoa and chocolate are essential ingredients in any baker’s kitchen. Chocolate baked good are loved for their rich delicious flavor, but these ingredients may provide benefits beyond pure enjoyment.

Cocoa and chocolate consumption have been associated with decreased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, reduced blood pressure, improved immune function and better cognition and memory. The class of antioxidant chemicals that is most likely responsible for these favorable health effects are flavanols. Flavanols have extremely potent antioxidant activity and are present in the non-fat solid portion of the cocoa bean. Initial concentrations vary based on the species of bean. Normal processing into cocoa powder and chocolate typically causes degradation of a portion of these disease-fighting little molecules. Nonetheless, the final products usually still contain a healthy amount of antioxidant activity.

Recently, a study by several Hershey scientists investigated the effects of baking on cocoa’s antioxidant activity. These chocolate researchers baked a bunch of different cookies and cakes and made frosting and hot cocoa. They then measured the final amount of health-promoting activity in each baked good product and ranked them from best retention of antioxidant activity to least. Chocolate frosting won the contest, closely followed by hot cocoa. Cakes and cookies, however, displayed interesting results. Some recipes lost essentially all of their favanol activity while others retained almost all of it.

So what about these various recipes influenced the differing final antioxidant activities? The variability was attributed to the pH, which was most severely impacted by the type of leavening agent (i.e. baking powder vs. baking soda) used. Flavanols can’t survive well in high pH environments. Recipes using baking soda result in a much higher pH and greater loss of favanols, while baking powder, being more acidic, helps retain flavanol concentration. So as you select tasty-looking recipes to bake during the holidays, keep in mind those best suited to retain antioxidant activity.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by elana’s pantry.