Category Archives: Chocolate

And the Winner Is….

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New York Chef Eric Ripert and cookbook author Cindy Mushet complete their task of eating 26 different cookies.

There are far worse ways to spend a Saturday morning than judging dozens of cookies with the likes of Eric Ripert, executive chef of New York’s four-star Le Bernardin; Dominique Crenn, executive chef of Luce in the Intercontinental San Francisco; Cindy Mushet, author of the Sur La Table cookbook, “The Art & Soul of Baking”; and Emily Luchetti, executive pastry chef of Farallon, Waterbar and Epic Roadhouse restaurants, all in San Francisco.

In fact, I can’t think of when I’ve had quite so much fun so early in the day.

The five of us braved sugar shock to help judge the 13th annual “Holiday Cookie Exchange” contest that aired live this past Saturday on “Dining Around with Gene Burns” (KGO Radio AM810).

First place to Swedish Pepparkakor.

The contest received a record number of entries. Burns, himself, spent a grueling 13 hours whittling down the 500 entries to a mere 26 finalists.

Even so, you just try tasting 26 cookies in one sitting. It was a tough job, but we five were up to the challenge.

Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti, and Chef Dominique Crenn can't believe they ate so many cookies.

In the end, we chose these four winners:

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Meet Chocolate Experts at Fog City News in San Francisco

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Sacarmento's Ginger Elizabeth Hahn

San Francisco’s Fog City News is indeed one of a kind — a Financial District newsstand that sells thousands of magazines, and hundreds of premium chocolate bars from around the world. I call that nourishment for the mind and the sweet tooth.

Bonbons by Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates (Photo courtesy of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates)

Best yet, the store often hosts chocolatiers to talk about their confections and answer questions. Noon to 2 p.m., Dec. 15, meet 27-year-old Ginger Elizabeth Hahn of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates in Sacramento. Her handcrafted chocolate bars and bonbons are available exclusively in San Francisco at Fog City News. Some of her signature bonbon flavors include Orange Jasmine Tea, and Caramel Apple Tatin. The event is free.

In 2009, look for more chocolatiers at the store at more free events:

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Deck the Halls With Balls of Chocolate

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Which ornaments are edible? Can you tell?

Look closely. Go on.

See those red ornaments above? Yes, they are chocolate. And yes, they are entirely edible, except for the red ribbons they hang from.

These Chocolate Holiday Ornaments are by Portland, Ore.-based Moonstruck Chocolatier. They are hand-painted with naturally colored cocoa butter. And yes, you can actually hang them on your Christmas tree.

I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money” far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some” middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” supreme ranking.

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Much Ado About Madeleines

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A holiday box of buttery, chic madeleines.

If you’re too swamped to bake this holiday season, the next best thing to homemade might just be Donsuemor Madeleines.

Namesakes Don and Sue Morris have been making traditional madeleines in the East Bay since 1976. Their elegant, scalloped-edged, cakey, buttery cookies are crispy along the edges, and soft and tender in the centers.

They are available in five flavors: traditional, dipped, lemon zest, chocolate, and dipped chocolate. Being the chocoholic that I am, my fave is definitely the chocolate-dipped chocolate madeleine. It’s like having your own tiny chocolate frosted cake in the palm of your hand — a sinful little treat to hoard all to yourself.

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Exceptional Chocolates in Berkeley

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Bright, bold, and beautiful chocolates from Chocolatier Blue.

Artisan chocolatier Christopher Blue has elevated the art of chocolate making to a whole new level at Chocolatier Blue in central Berkeley, which opened earlier this summer.

Blue, who has worked with the likes of Chef Charlie Trotter of Chicago, is the only chocolatier in the United States to use Amedei chocolate from Tuscany that’s made from 100 percent Venezuelan sun-dried cacao beans. He also uses Five Star organic butter, which has the highest fat content of any butter in the world.

His chocolates are organic. What’s more, the fillings are made using such techniques as grilling, roasting, and sous vide. The packaging is all biodegradable, and much of it made from recyclable materials.

Christopher Blue (Photo courtesy of Jessica Steeve)

I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money” far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some” middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” supreme ranking.

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