The flavonoids in chocolate can help prevent brain cell death and thus be included in a diet that can help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease (Livestrong.com).

High consumption of chocolate leads to a significant decrease in risk for stroke, heart disease & reduction of blood pressure (NYTimes.com)

Germans consume the highest amount of chocolate per year (International Cocoa Organization)

Most of the world’s cacao beans are grown in Ivory Coast (Food Network Magazine)

God Gave us Chocolate to Make up for Brussels Sprouts (Barkeater Chocolates)

Have an awesome February and a great Valentine’s Day!

Enjoy your December holidays and New Year celebrations wherever you are! Here in our corner of the Adirondacks – there may not be much snow yet – but there is a mountain of chocolate still to be made.

Beer is to chocolate like a hand is to a glove. Not just a welcome treat, but perhaps a necessary one.

Barkeater Chocolates of North Creek announces its collaboration with Davidson Brothers Brewing Company in downtown Glens Falls. Diners are now able to end their meal with five decadent dark chocolate truffles using Davidson’s Red, IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Scotch & Smoked Porter brews.

The confections debuted in early December and have already proven to be extremely popular. The staff at Barkeater Chocolates is making hundreds more to keep up with demand.

Barkeater Chocolates, located in the Adirondacks, is an artisanal chocolate manufacturer that specializes in handcrafted European-style chocolates made in small batches using wholesome, often organic ingredients. While select retailers throughout the Capital Region, Hudson Valley & Adirondack mountains sell a variety of Barkeaters’ many confections, the Truff-Ales will live at Davidson Brothers’ downtown location.

Combining beer and chocolate is not a new concept to Barkeater Chocolates. They have been producing Ubu Truffles for the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery for nearly a year. Interestingly enough, when Barkeater Chocolates first opened their doors in early 2008, one of their first truffle flavors was the Stout Truffle.

For more information on Barkeater Chocolates & their gourmet confections, check out their website at www.barkeaterchocolates.com or call 518.251.GIFT.

As for the crickets; we don’t plan on offering that line of confections any time soon. However, much of the world does enjoy a feast of insects. Western civilization has pretty much shunned the much loved grub & fly larvae panini; but those in Asia, Africa & Australia don’t seem to be hung up on whether they eat fire roasted ants with their tomatoes.

We pride ourselves on unique chocolate confections (Wasabi Ginger Truffle, anyone?), but at this time, we’re not bringing scorpions into the test kitchen. At least, not yet…

So…maybe women are simply hard wired for survival. Interesting.

And what kind of chocolate do women (and men) like? According to our own Facebook feedback on gourmet chocolates; 53% of our dark chocolate lovers eat it because they love it unconditionally – and another 34% will eat it because it’s healthy. But simply on a taste comparison…46% of our loyal chocoholics will choose the sweeter milk chocolate versus 40% who will choose the more decadent dark. That leaves 14% of Barkeater fans who stick with white chocolate and are proud of it.

So what kind of chocolate do YOU like?

Percentage of cacao will be present on most gourmet chocolate bars. But here’s the thing – they will most likely be present on only dark chocolate bars. And what really is a dark chocolate bar? Does it mean there is no milk fat in it at all? No. In fact, there are many dark chocolate bars with some milk fat added in for texture and taste. So let’s back up for a second. The percentage of cacao in a bar refers to the ratio of cacao to other ingredients (such as sugar). A 60% bar will have more sugar than a 70% bar. The higher the percentage – the more bitter the chocolate. Good for you health wise – but depending on your personal taste preferences – maybe not good tasting. Some people will eat a 90% bar – most of us prefer to use that for baking cakes.

That said – in the US – there isn’t any magic number that defines what percentage of cacao has to be present in order to define chocolate as dark. Usually, we consider it dark chocolate at 60% or higher, but lower percentages have also been referred to as “dark.” Milk chocolate generally comes in at about 30-40% cacao, but again, this varies widely depending on brands and other ingredients like cocoa butter. Either way – you will almost never see a cacao percentage on a milk chocolate bar.

So what’s the deal with semi-sweet or bittersweet? Again, there are no set guidelines. Typically, bittersweet is darker than semi-sweet; but one brand’s bittersweet might be sweeter than another brand’s semi-sweet.

Wow – now that was helpful wasn’t it? Your best bet is to just read the ingredients. If chocolate is the first ingredient, you’re in good shape. If sugar is the first ingredient – that’s a big clue you’re not exactly getting the best chocolate money can buy.  Stick with chocolate that tastes delicious, and you won’t go wrong.

Though bloom may very well happen in production (or on the store shelves), when you have a piece of chocolate at home and it blooms – it is typically the result of where and how it was stored.

The next question you probably have is (we pride ourselves on reading minds): Can you refrigerate or freeze chocolate? The short answer is yes. But in order to prevent sugar or fat separation – you must take steps when cooling your chocolate. If you purchased chocolate and left it in your car – or your bag on a very warm and sunny day – you may be quick to throw it in the refrigerator before eating. While doing so won’t make your chocolate toxic – it will make it bloom. Drastic temperature changes are a quick way to get that whitish film on top of your chocolate. The best solution (provided your chocolate didn’t melt into a gooey soup) is to simply get the softened chocolate to room temperature (preferably in a room that’s about 70 degrees or less). Once you have done so – if you still wish to refrigerate it to firm it up – do so in a sealed bag (or it’s original packaging) for just a few minutes – then put it back to room temperature without removing the bag unless you plan on eating it right away.

If you are hoping to freeze the chocolate to extend it’s life or to resist temptation – freeze it in an airtight bag. When you take it out – do not remove the bag until it has reached room temperature. Condensation will separate the sugars in the chocolate and they will dissolve along the top – causing the same whitish tint.

If these steps still don’t prevent the bloom – it’s entirely up to your preference as to whether or not you eat it. Though the texture may change – there is nothing at all bad about eating bloomed chocolate.

What do pumpkin pies, cider doughnuts, maple sugar & browned butter & sage all have in common? They’re chocolate truffle flavors of course (and you were thinking Thanksgiving!).  Even better, they’re truffle flavors that are all included in Barkeater Chocolates’ Autumn Truffle Collection – which has just been released after a nine-month hiatus.

According to Deb Morris, who, along with her husband Jim, owns the chocolate company headquartered in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, “The Pumpkin Pie truffle has become the most popular seasonal flavor we create. It’s common for customers to put in special requests for the fall flavors mid-year.” In 2010, the company upped the truffle ante by debuting the 1 pound, 4 ounce Giant Pumpkin Truffle in either Pumpkin Pie or Dark Chocolate. Morris adds, “I had visions of Linus sleeping beside a row of our Giant Pumpkin Truffles waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.” The giant pumpkin truffles were added to complement their wildly successful line of Giant Truffle Easter Eggs they release in March every year.

Barkeater Chocolates, located in North Creek, NY, is an artisanal chocolate manufacturer that specializes in handcrafted European-style chocolates made in small batches using wholesome, often organic ingredients. While select retailers throughout New York’s Capital Region & Adirondack mountains sell several of Barkeaters’ confections like artisan chocolate bars, peanut butter cups and nibbles, the Autumn Collection will primarily be sold through their website and at shows & events throughout the season.

Jim Morris, who heads their social media campaign notes, “Something happens to people this time of year. They want to spend more time breaking bread with family. Or in our case, breaking truffles.” Though you don’t technically have to break a Giant Pumpkin Truffle, it does take some precision to cut equal pieces for everyone to share.

WOW, spicy chocolate has been around for a long time!  We like ours with Cayenne