Chocolate Mascot?

Are you excited about the bake off? We are! In fact, we even had a chocolate pep assembly at our January staff meeting! While the staff chanted "Chocolate! Chocolate!" our Chocolate Mascot made an appearance. Bursting through a very tough paper banner and leaping over a giant Hershey kiss obstacle, Chocolate Man arrived. It was great!

We are excited for good reason! This year's event boasts the first ever DJ to MC the night while playing Big Band and Jazz music in between announcing door prize winners. Furthermore, the judges will be making a special appearance mid-way through the event that you won't want to miss. Last, but not least, the night ends with a prize give-away totaling over $350 plus trophies and ribbons. If that's not enough -- you actually get to sample the best chocolate desserts in the county for free. Hope to see you Saturday, Feb. 21st at 6:30 p.m.

Ganache with Panache

That rich, smooth, glossy coating that makes cakes and candies (nearly) too pretty to eat? That's ganache! Is it a frosting, or is it a candy? It's both! Ganache is two treats in one.

According to Wikipedia, the first ganache was a result of a happy accident, when an apprentice spilled cream on some chocolate he was chopping. Ganache means "fool" -- the epithet that the master chocolatier exclaimed!

For such a versatile compound, Ganache is made with relatively simple ingredients: hot cream and chocolate. The character of the ganache will depend on the type of chocolate used, the proportion of chocolate to cream, and how much the mixture is beaten.

Check out the Joy of Baking for an in-depth article that describes frosting a cake with ganache, as well as whipping the confection into truffle filling.

A Sophisticated Palate

A sophisticated palate, under the proper guidance, begins at a tender age. Amy Kalchik, the library’s Youth Services Assistant, recently introduced her seven-year old daughter to the wonders of Sjolind’s Chocolate House. As Amy described the intense, blissful look and the profound silence that came over Ella when she took her first bite into a truffle, I knew another chocolate aficionado had been created.

It began for me when I was six-years old and my family just happened to be in Brussels, Belgium. My father, gleeful, invited me to walk with him to purchase bread, cheese, and fruit. And then, a quick stop, at a little shop on the corner, changed my world forever. It was the fragrant chocolate air, the sparkling glass cases, the tiny, dark, artistic squares laid gleaming on trays, and then….a single bite of a buttercream praline made by Leonidas, the Belgian chocolatier, and I swooned. I understood nirvana. Carefully, I carried the small box to the hotel room where, a bittersweet lesson commenced; I had to share with my siblings.

And so, imprinted forever, like Ella's first real chocolate experience, I’ve never forgotten my initial, satisfyingly delicious, taste of some of the world’s finest decadence.

Forget Me Not

Do you like reminders? There's a certain sense of security that comes from knowing you'll be reminded about an upcoming event. It means you don't need to keep reminding yourself!

In the spirit of freeing up more of your mental space, the Mount Horeb Public Library is now offering an email reminder service called MHPL Library Update, where we'll send you a calendar of events each months, as well as notices about upcoming events and scheduled closings. You can sign up for MHPL Library Update through this link, or on the main page of www.mhpl.org.

And here's a reminder for today: There's less than one week left to get your early-bird entries in. Don't miss out on two-for-one entry fees, or $1-off library fine coupons. Sign up by Saturday, February 2 to take advantage of the early-bird special!

Final due date for all baker entries is February 14.

Mmmelty...

Anyone who's accidentally left a candy bar in their car in the summertime knows it's not exactly rocket science to melt chocolate.

Or is it? (Food science, at least.)

According to Godiva.com, chocolate that is overheated may scorch, lose flavor and turn coarse and grainy. Here are two methods Godiva Chocolates recommends for velvety smooth melted chocolate:

With Either Method
Stir melting chocolate after it has begun to liquefy. Because of the sensitivity of milk solids to heat, milk and white chocolates should be stirred almost constantly while dark chocolate need only be stirred frequently during melting.

In a Microwave Oven
Place coarsely chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe container and microwave at MEDIUM (50 percent power) for 1 1/2 to 4 minutes, until the chocolate turns shiny. Remove the container from the microwave and stir the chocolate until completely melted. Stir milk and white chocolates after about 1 1/2 minutes. Because of their milk proteins, they need to be stirred sooner than dark chocolate. (If overheated, these chocolates may become grainy.)

In a Double Boiler
Place coarsely chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove the top part of the double boiler from the bottom.

Check out Godiva.com for instructions on tempering chocolate!

Hungry Girl

Recently my health conscious sister clued me into a fabulous little website. Check it out: http://hungrygirl.com. Next, she bought me the Hungry Girl cookbook for Christmas. So, what's the deal? Hungry Girl has tons of recipes with a creative healthy twist. Who knew you could bake Death by Chocolate muffins with pumpkin and they taste GREAT! How fitting?! Need some inspiration to fire up that oven? Head on over to Hungry Girl!

Don't Bite Down on That!

Since I'm the one who manages the serials (magazine) collection at the library, I happen to know that Mount Horebites love CRAFTS! Our popular selection of crafting magazines slake the following craft urges:
Quilting - American Patchwork & Quilting, Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting
Scrapbooking - Paper Crafts, Simple Scrapbooks
Knitting - Vogue Knitting
Kids' Crafts - Family Fun
And for those unclassifiable crafting projects, there's always Crafts 'n Things.

For the crafters among us -- among whom I count myself in spirit, if not in actual time spent crafting -- I present the ultimate in no-calorie chocolate decadence. The chocolate bead!



Find more mouthwatering beads at dragonbeads.com

Singing with the Angels

Death by Chocolate. A fantastic concept, really. Think of all the ways you could go. That’s what I’m talking about. So, personally, I intend to say sayonara over a particularly decadent piece of chocolate cake. Just like my 94 year-old great-grandmother. She ordered chocolate cake for dessert and 20 minutes later she was with the angels in heaven.

Not that I’m ready to exit the planet just yet, but I am always on the lookout for the perfectly delicious bite of chocolate worthy enough to send me on my way. Besides the exquisite chocolates of David Bacco or Markus Candinas, I may have found just the dessert: A Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate-Rum Cream Filling. I discovered it, several years ago, while drooling over the December 2001 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. I couldn’t resist serving this cake to usher in 2002. The dessert received rave reviews. What’s not to like about chocolate-rum cream filling?

I hope someone (since I can’t) will give this recipe a whirl for the Death By Chocolate Bake Off. You may find it at epicurious, the web site that hosts recipes from Bon Appétit and Gourmet magazines. Here’s the link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mocha-Layer-Cake-with-Chocolate-Rum-Cream-Filling-106023

The Candy Man Can

Homemade candy. You can always tell the difference, can't you? Candymaking involves many skills. Tempering chocolate. Watching the thermometer like a hawk. Keeping your family members from licking things until you're done. But the results are always worth it. And unless you bungle the job really badly, someone's always willing to eat your mistakes!

The Land O' Lakes website has over ninety candy recipes posted. Look at this amaretto truffle bar. Don't you want it? Right now? (Seriously, someone make this.) If you're thinking about entering the candy category this year, cruise on over to Land O' Lakes for some inspiration. (And if you happen to make a batch of mistakes, I know a group of people on Perimeter Road who would gladly take them off your hands.)

If you need a reason . . .

Alright. So I’ve started to notice a trend in responses when I begin encouraging people to participate in the annual bake off. Here are the top 3 responses:

1. “Yeah. Like that’s just what I need,” he or she states with a fierce glare shot in my direction.
2. “My New Year’s resolution is to lose weight,” stated with a grimace.
3. “That is so unhealthy. I could never come to something like that,” the person says while guiltily glancing around to see if anybody heard them even mention such a sinful thought aloud.

I think there is a misunderstanding going on here that I need to clear up.

Tasters: If you are a taster at the bake off, you are only tasting bite-sized pieces. By the end of the evening, you may have consumed the equivalent of one or two cookies. How bad is that? Not very! And, everything you try is guaranteed delicious so you’re not wasting calories.

Bakers: If you are a baker, you will be busy handing out your dessert all night rather than tasting (unless you actually make the time to taste – which, believe me, you should!) That said, you might actually burn calories and lose weight just by being here! ☺

So don’t let your fear of the calorie intimidate you from attending this fun event!

It's All in the Details

Talk about a well-accessorized cake! This beauty comes from the King Arthur Flour website, where you, too, can obtain the fixings to give your cake pizazz.

This heart-shaped cake was baked in a disposable paper pan. No flipping the cake out of the pan only to have it tear in half; no hunting down your pan when you've left it at your friend's house after a party. And look at those pearls. They're edible. And you can get them at the King Arthur Flour site, too!

Chocolate Raffle

Wouldn’t it be great if you could sample the judges’ delicious, handcrafted chocolates? Can you imagine how good the creations of the best of the best must taste? I drool just thinking about it. If you’re interested, we have just the deal for you!

Three lucky chocaholics will win chocolates valued at $15 or more from our illustrious judges’ shops: Candinas Chocolates, David Bacco Chocolats, and Sjolinds Chocolate House. Prizes will be drawn at the bake off. Winner need not be present at the drawing. Raffle tickets are on sale for $1 and can be purchased at the checkout desk.

Decadence

Death by Chocolate. The name of the game; a.k.a. Decadence. Pure, unadulterated decadence.

Are you man enough? Are you woman enough? To place your best chocolate recipe up against others; to test the outer limits of your baking skills; to locate the iron will needed to taste well over 90 desserts in an evening? These are the questions to ask yourself during the long, dark, and bitterly cold days of February. A Wisconsinite says, “YES”. A true chocolate aficionado says, “ABSOLUTELY”.

The 4th annual Death by Chocolate event is scheduled for Saturday evening, February 21st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Bakers: begin selecting your favorite chocolate recipe now! Bakers must submit an entry form and $5.00 entry fee by the deadline: Saturday, February 14th, 5:00 p.m.

Tasters: begin a rigorous practice schedule starting NOW! I recommend a visit to Sjolinds, our local coffee and chocolate shop, if you need help getting started.

Happily, our slate of celebrity judges will be returning, apparently undaunted by the challenge of tasting ALL of the desserts submitted and deeming one, and only one, the Judges’ Choice Award.

Welcome back Markus Candinas of Candinas Chocolates (2435 Old PB, Verona WI and 11 W. Main St., Madison, WI), David Bacco of David Bacco Chocolates (550 N. Midvale Blvd., Madison, WI) and Mount Horeb’s own, Tracy Thompson of Sjolinds Chocolate House (219 E. Main St., Mount Horeb, WI).

New in 2009 will be music, Big Band and Jazz, provided by DJs T and Greg of Isthmus DJs, LLC, who will also MC the event.

Remember, this elegant event is for ADULTS only. Adults ages 16 and up are invited to participate as bakers and/or tasters. Please find childcare for your younger children; the library will not be providing childcare for the 2009 event.

Death by Chocolate presents a distinct opportunity to rebel against winter, and cabin fever, in particular. It’s also a fantastic way to reconnect with friends, neighbors, and family whom you may have only caught a glimpse of this winter, all bundled up, while shoveling snow.

Another batch of white stuff in the forecast? Think DECADENCE.