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I had oh-so-helpfully corrected "Ghirardelli" in Carol's quote to remove the 2nd r...only prob? Turns out, it belongs there!

Hey, Edna, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who corrects other people's quotes!  (And you're not even an A.   )

Most of the changes I make to quotes are merely to delete the portions that I'm not responding to, and sometimes to tighten up the portion that I *am* responding to.  But I also correct any obvious typos, spelling errors, etc.

I used to fret that I was acting the obnoxious know-it-all, but now I've rationalized the corrections as follows:  The original poster may notice their error if I draw attention to it by quoting it verbatim.  They will presumably edit their post if it's recent enough.  But they will be unable to correct the quote in my post.  Therefore, I am merely saving them the potential embarrassment.

Actually, I suspect that most people don't even notice.

Quoted from Peppermint Twist

Is this (link) it?  It doesn't say premium, but it does say unsweetened:

http://www.amazon.com/Ghirardelli-Chocolate-Baking-Unsweetened-Units/dp/B0001M0ZO8


Or is this (link) it?  This second one says 100% cacao...people, don't let your dogs near it:

http://shop.ghirardelli.com/product-exec/product_id/344/nm/100_Cacao_Unsweetened_Baking_Bar

It's the top one, Edna.  And it does say "Premium" -- it's those little teeny letters just above the mixing bowl.

I use the second one, with blue on the label.  

I don't think anyone sells 100% cacao as a candy bar.  It's bitter.

I can take pieces of this one and put them on rice cakes with almond butter, or mix them into sweet kinds of fruit like bananas (or cherries pre-Hunter), and eat it that way.  I don't put any sweetener of any kind on it.  But then I never use sweeteners of any kind now, so sometimes even fruit tastes overly sweet to me. But I am a Supertaster and I can still eat it, though I prefer the 85% kind.

Anyone know the difference between cacoa and cocoa?

Quoted from Carol the Dabbler

Hey, Edna, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who corrects other people's quotes!  (And you're not even an A.   )

No, but I'm an ACOA (adult child of alcoholics), Virgo, INFJ, which combine to make me an honorary A.    In short, I need a lot of hatha yoga!

Honorary A.  

Ghirardelli is what I use, the unsweetened chocolate.  Haven't tried the cocoa bar.  One of the fudge recipes I posted uses it.

Twin, if you want to try chocolate in your chili, just do as GCG suggested and add a square of unsweetened chocolate to the pot. Cacao and chiles go together like you wouldn't believe. You can also check at the Food Network site and look for chocolate mole recipes. Turkey and choccy mole are fabulous!

If you want even more chocolate taste in your homemade bars, add some cacao nibs. They're crispy little bits that deliver a slightly bitter but intensely chocolate-y taste to whatever you put them in. It's a little like eating a Nestle Crunch bar, but ten times better and not nearly as sickeningly sweet.

I make my own 'Chunky' bars with tempered dark chocolate (usually straight 85%, or 60% blended with 100% cacao to cut the sweetness), chopped figs, and toasted almonds or walnuts with cacao nibs thrown in if we have any around. One bite and you'll think you've gone to chocolate heaven. This might be too bitter for some, but I've come to like my chocolate almost unsweetened.

The one I used was the top one.  I tried it last weekend up at the ski house.  I just broke off a few pieces and melted it in the microwave, then added a little agave.  It was almost like fudge.
Jane

Brig,
I wondered about the choc. nibs.  I saw some at WFs the other day.  I'll have to buy some.  I like very dark chocolate but the 100% is a little too bitter for me.
Thanks for the recipe for the "chunky's" though.  Did you use some kind of mold or just cut it into chunks (no pun intended)?
Jane

Jane--I usually put the chocolate in a small casserole dish or loaf pan lined with parchment or wax paper. I wait until the chocolate is almost room temperature but still soft, then add the other ingredients and pile it into the paper-lined container. It takes time for it to set, but after the chocolate has solidified I cut it into squares. I tried dusting the freshly-cut squares with cocoa powder and a little cinnamon and it was really good--a good hit of slightly bitter intense cinnamony cocoa flavor, followed by the smooth rich chocolate, fruit and nuts. Wow! A bit messy to eat, but well worth the cleanup afterwards

I've also coated toasted whole almonds with the 60/100% chocolate, then rolled them in cocoa powder, and they are a total sin. Not sweet at all, with a gorgeous blend of roasted nut and dark chocolate/cocoa flavors. I have to limit myself to a handful of the nuts or I'll eat the whole batch! Hazelnuts are good done this way too.

I make a hot chocolate like this

Ingredients:

1/4 C chocolate powder
1/2 C hot water
4 tablespoons 100% Organic Agave Nectar
Pinch of cinnamon
3 squares Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3/4 C Heavy whipping cream
Directions:

Combine agave nectar, cinnamon, chocolate powder and hot water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Mix until incorporated. Add Ghirardelli chocolate squares and then the cream, heat until its smooth. Froth with an immersion blender. Do not not add marshmallows if you want to keep the GI low.
I had my rather fussy toddler give it a try and she loved it, even though it was made with grown-up unsweetened chocolate. She liked it with and without the marshmallows.

Btw if you were going to cheat the closest thing to sugar free and best chocolate bar out there is

http://www.rapunzel.com/products/rapunzel/index.html

Chocoperfection is outstanding

http://www.dadamo.com/bloggers/h/archives/00000605.htm

http://xylitolnow.com/choco.html

Larabar has one Jocalat bar that contains dates, almonds, cocoa mass, cocoa powder, vanilla flavor, and peppermint flavor

Try making your own bar

Or - mix up nut butter with some ghee, carob powder and sweetener, and any other compliant treats, then roll into small egg shaped balls, refrigerate for 1 hour, then dip in melted unsweetened dark chocolate and allow to harden on parchment paper.

Ooooh chocolate! Just reading this thread makes me feel like I've eaten a bunch

Before I found out that I am an Explorer and not allowed chocolate for  a few months I bought a bag of "raw chocolate beans"by Navitas Naturals. It says  "Cacao (theobramam cacao) beans are the source for all Cocoa and Chocolate products. It is organic but doesn't say it is "Fair trade".

I try and limit my chocolate choices to "fair trade" because otherwise I think of the child slaves that harvest it. Eergh! I eat a Cadbury bar once in a while because they are the only regular bar that get a "B" rating for their company. Fair trade chocolate bars , such as Green and Black's, get an "A".
This does keep down my chocolate intake, needless to say!

I haven't opened the bag yet but the beans look a bit like almonds. Anyone know what to do with them?

GCG!

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When making a large pot of chili I would add 1 square(1 ounce) of baker's chocolate

think you might have some Mexican curious genetics lurking somewhere along your GT line!!!  

Quoted from Whimsical

Actually, I use between 1/4 and 1/2 cups and it used to say that in the recipe...  Not sure how it got changed, but just sweeten it to your liking.

OK, I'm now noticing that this whole recipe is screwed up...  This is what it SHOULD be:

1/2 cup butter or ghee
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup puffed quinoa or millet or rice
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable glycerine

I just checked this recipe Kate's Walnutty Chocolate in the recipe database and it appears to be correct.

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I had oh-so-helpfully corrected "Ghirardelli" in Carol's quote to remove the 2nd r...only prob? Turns out, it belongs there!

A light bulb just popped up (belatedly) over my head.  Edna may have been pronouncing "Ghirardelli" the way a lot of Americans do, as "gee-ar-delly" (with a soft "g" and only one "r").  But (as the old ads point out at their original factory/museum in San Francisco) it's actually "gear-ar-delly" (with a hard "g" and another "r").

[End of semi-irrelevant picky A-nonnie Teacher commentary.]

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Anyone know the difference between cacoa and cocoa?

I believe cocoa is correct, or cacao, not cacoa.......same thing.

My impression is that cacao is the name of the plant and is sometimes used also for the bean, whereas the powder or the beverage (and sometimes the bean) is cocoa.  This applies only to English, of course.  Some products may have names from other languages.

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beans look a bit like almonds. Anyone know what to do with them?

I eat those whole......called cacao nibs......that is by far the purest chocolate around.....it is the bean without being processed.
a enjoy the bitter chocolaty taste, others may differ.

Quoted from Carol the Dabbler

My impression is that cacao is the name of the plant and is sometimes used also for the bean, whereas the powder or the beverage (and sometimes the bean) is cocoa.  This applies only to English, of course.  Some products may have names from other languages.

Yes, I just read this yesterday or the day before.  Also, the shelled cocoa bean is sometimes called a "nib."

What about adding crumbled up basmati rice cakes to Katy's Walnutty Chocolate?

Quoted from Drea

I just checked this recipe Kate's Walnutty Chocolate in the recipe database and it appears to be correct.

Yep, Lola fixed it!

Quoted from 1323

What about adding crumbled up basmati rice cakes to Katy's Walnutty Chocolate?

Sounds yummy!  Just be sure to use Lundberg (the only brand worth eating), and give them a light toasting first (with a nod to Victoria), using the tray that comes with the toaster oven (since they occasionally self-destruct).

We Teachers had better use Lundberg's regular brown-rice cakes, though -- and skip the chocolate!