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Product of the Day: Chocolate Jesus

GiggleSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:00:34 -0800

Who says Santa and the Easter bunny have a monopoly on being sculpted in chocolate? Just in time for the holidays, an enterprising confectioner in Germany is making hand-crafted candy Jesus figures. Not surprisingly, German churches have critized the idea as "tasteless" (but did they try the chocolate?!).

According to the company website, the high-quality organic chocolate "is produced without exploitation of our fellow humans or the natural resources awarded to us by God, as this would be unchristian." Biting the head off a chocolate Jesus, however, is a great way to celebrate any Christian holiday, "where they can help to refocus on the real meaning of these events."

Yummy Links: From Chocolate and Espresso to Cracked Crab

partysugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:45:55 -0800

Adding espresso to chocolate will enrich its flavor. — Epicurious
Ten pumpkin ales perfect for sipping now. — Chow
Meet Cookstr, the Internet's newest recipe resource. — The Kitchn
Talking turkey with Food and Wine editor Dana Cowin. — Serious Eats
Learn how to properly crack fresh crab. — 7x7

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You Asked: I Thought Chocolate Was Good For You?

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

A recent post on curing chocolate cravings with a brisk walk left one Sugar user a bit confused. So I wanted to clarify a few things about dark chocolate's new status as a health food. She asked:

But I thought dark chocolate was good for your health, so wouldn't you not want to reduce your craving at least for dark chocolate?
— Pinkzvm

Let me just begin by stating my deep love for dark chocolate. I appreciate that it is satisfying in such small amounts because even though dark chocolate is high in flavonoid antioxidants, it is still a high-calorie food. Two to four small pieces of dark chocolate offer a similar amount of antioxidants as many fruits and veggies, but with more than double to triple the caloric load. Chocolate is also lacking many other benefits found in produce, like fiber, and it contains considerably more fat, especially saturated fat, than say broccoli or an apple.

To learn what happens to chocolate as it is processed,

Walk Away From Your Chocolate Craving

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

If you crave chocolate intensely, know that you are not alone. Considered the most commonly craved food, chocolate now has a new proven adversary — walking. A recent British study involving a small number of chocoholics found that the simple act of walking reduced cravings for this cocoa derived delight. Walking briskly for 15 minutes not only reduced the blood pressure of study participants, but it reduced their cravings as well.

Next time you are craving chocolate, take yourself for a walk. I think this little trick might just work with any craving. Test it out and see.

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Coming to America: Tim Tams

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:45:21 -0800

This month, Tim Tam, the number one cookie in Australia, will be hitting shelves in America. Arnott's Biscuits, the maker of the Australian hit cookie, is partnering with sister company Pepperidge Farm to stock Tim Tams in America for a limited time. "Pepperidge Farm is thrilled to introduce Tim Tam to American consumers. We're certain Americans will soon understand why this scrumptious cookie is all the rage in Australia," a spokesperson from Pepperidge Farm said in a statement.

All the rage indeed: Since its introduction down under in 1964, the chocolate-covered cookie, which is made of two chocolate biscuits and a chocolate cream filling, has been a bestseller. Roughly 35 million packs — 400 million biscuits — of Tim Tams are sold to Aussies every year.

Two Tim Tam flavors will be available at Target beginning this month: chocolate creme and caramel. The biscuits, which will supposedly only be available through March 2009, are being retailed for $3.99. Have you ever heard of or tried a Tim Tam cookie before? When they debut at Target, will you be picking up a package of the cookies?

Source, Source, and Source

Noteworthy Nibbles — Nov. 4-10, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:33 -0800

This week Noteworthy Nibbles includes an international chocolate show complete with chocolate-inspired runway designs. In sunny Florida, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival should be quite the spectacle. Folks who live in Virginia have the great fortune of two oyster events this weekend. Personally, I'm looking forward to San Francisco Wine Week!

Know of anything we've left out? Drop us a line in the comments below!

Orlando, FL: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival — Nov. 4-9
Philadelphia, PA: Celebrity Chef Tour — Nov. 6
St. Helena, CA: CIA Worlds of Flavor International Conference — Nov. 6-8
Palm Desert, CA: The Art of Food & Wine — Nov. 6-9
Ann Arbor, MI: Save a Heart Celebration of Wine and Food — Nov. 7

To see the rest,

Do You Know Your Chocolate?

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:30:21 -0700

Although I think every day should be about chocolate, yesterday was officially National Chocolate Day, so I gave myself permission to indulge a little more than usual. (Not that I needed a reason.)

Given that Americans consume tens of billions of chocolate a year in this country alone, I figured you could use a quiz on the candy. Do you know the tempting treat? There's only one way to find out!

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Is This the World's Oldest Chocolate?

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:00:21 -0700

Considering most people can barely leave chocolate untouched for a week, it's amazing that one set of chocolates has been around for over a century. This box of chocolates pictured above hails from St. Andrews, Scotland, and was made especially to commemorate the coronation day of King Edward VII on June 26, 1902. Although the king died just eight years later, the chocolates survived — 106 years, to be exact.

Martha Greig, the original recipient of the confections, passed down the chocolates to her daughter, who later gave it to her daughter, Freida McIntosh. McIntosh has turned the chocolate, along with its collectible box, in to the St. Andrews Preservation Trust. It is considered a contender for the title of world's oldest chocolate.

I'm amazed that someone had the willpower to preserve the chocolate's historical significance, rather than succumbing to immediate temptation. Do you consider this an amazing artifact, or do you think it ought to be headed for the wastebasket?

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Come Party With Me: Halloween Dinner — Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:00:34 -0700

A ghoulishly good dinner requires an equally devilish dessert. Your guests will be stunned when they see this graveyard cake. Complete with bleeding chocolate glaze and espresso shortbread headstones, it's practically a masterpiece!

There are quite a few steps involved, so get started a couple of days before the dinner. To simplify the procedure, consider substituting store-bought cookies for the headstones. For the recipe,

Ghoulish Halloween Gifts

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:00:03 -0700

There are several reasons why Halloween is one of my favorite holidays: First, it's the only day when it's legitimate to wear the most outlandish thing you can think of and get away with it. Furthermore, it's a permissible excuse for adults to return to their youth, reveling in haunted houses and other spooky surprises. And last, but not least, it's entirely acceptable to exchange (and eat) unlimited amounts of candy. If you're looking for a spooky surprise to give a friend this Halloween (and you need an excuse to buy another for yourself), check out these frightful (and delicious) finds below.