Tag Archives: chocolate

Love, Chocolate and Montezuma’s Christmas

Posted on 21 November, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Do you love hot chocolate?

Christmas Drinking Chocolate

Christmas Drinking Chocolate

I do!

I must average about 3 hot chocolates a week at least and my quota definitely goes up during the winter.

So, I am very eager to try Montezuma’s Christmas Drinking Chocolate. (The Christmassy part consists of organic nutmeg and cinnamon, plus organic, vanilla flavoured, dark chocolate.)

Truth be told, I love Montezuma’s eccentric use of spices. (Oops I’ve just used the word love twice in a blog about chocolate – my self control must be slipping.)

Chilli, lime, sea salt, orange, ginger, geranium! – And they dare to do it with white chocolate too. You may also need to add some of their suitably spiced white ‘chocolate snowballs’ to your basket next time you’re shopping.

Monty's Advent Calender

Monty's Advent Calender

It’s probably my own opinion but Montezuma’s do Christmas with just the right amount of panache. If you’re looking for a gluten free advent calendar the question Montezuma’s will ask is if you want that in dark, milk or white chocolate? (Montezuma’s chocolate is usually gluten free and organic and not uncommonly vegan too.)

If it’s a gift you want then you can choose from a Mini Bar Gift Box, a Truffle Box or a 12 days of Christmas limited edition gift box or a stocking filler of chocolate snowmen or their Chocolate Library and more…

But, whatever your chocolate fancy, I do have one polite request, please just don’t get in between me and my hot chocolate. I can’t promise to be responsible for my consequential actions.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Organic, Vegan

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Don’t stop me now… vegan chocolates crack the milk-choc flavour recipe

Posted on 11 November, 2011 by | 2 Comments

A new chocolate is breaking all the rules.

Vegan chocolate has to be dark – that’s the rule. Anything which tries to taste like milk chocolate ends up too oily or watery to compare.

Then came Moo Free and it shocked the world. One television review summed it up…

We don’t know how they’ve done it but Moo Free have created a milky-tasting bar without any dairy content.

It was dairy free, lactose free, gluten free, wheat free, egg free, casein free and vegan. Moo Free’s advent calanders sold out – suddenly parents of children on restricted diets were able to give their children something they would love.

The ingredients were simple and organic : sugar, cocoa butter, rice powder, cocoa mass, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) and natural flavouring.

MooFree have 3 new flavours

MooFree have 3 new flavours

So where has the milk gone? It seems to be something to do with using rice powder as an alternative although, of course, the true recipe is a closely guarded secret.

There is a social context to this. Leading chefs like Chris Horridge are regularly finding new ways of improving the flavour of foods while cutting back on sugar, dairy and gluten in an effort to feed a rapidly expanding free-from market. It is opening up a whole new world of food experiences and products, introducing ingredients like rice flour, which Moo Free has been able to take advantage of.

Meanwhile, other chocolatiers are working hard to catch up. Organica have produced a much raved about Vegan Milk Chocolate Couverture – it too uses rice as a major substitute ingredient. And another challnger for great tasting vegan milk chocolate may be ‘Celtic Chocolates’ though, personally, I have yet to get my hands on these. Chocolates from Booja Booja and Montezuma are excelent too of course, but here we are firmly back in the dark lands of plain chocolate goods.

Now Moo Free are upping the ante with three new dairy free flavours: Organic Banana Chocolate (Can you imagine? Though, currently, the honeyed glaze isn’t vegan.) Organic Cranberry and Hazelnut Chocolate or Caramelised Hazelnut Chocolate.

Finally, a bit of conspiracy, if you check Moo Free’s facebook page it should be the case that you could see how popular the new flavours are – unfortunately, someone hacked their details and they had to start again – not everything is love and fairness in the world of fairtrade vegan chocolate.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Uncategorized, Vegan

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Spread the love with Detox Your World’s raw and organic chocolate spread

Posted on 26 October, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Shazzie’s time in the kitchen is never wasted, coming up with more organic Raw Food wonders for you to indulge in – and when I say indulge, I mean it: we’re talking about luxuriating, pampering, gratifying your senses – beacuse that’s what these foods were made for…

For example, have you come across Almond Butter yet? It’s similar to peanut butter but with a sweet and more delicate almond taste. Detox Your World has a white almond butter or a wholemeal version.

Then, perhaps even more exciting, is Shazzie’s Detox Your World chocolate spread. The innovative sweet and smooth raw almond butter is mixed with lots of cacao (unprocessed cocoa) to provide a spread of instant chocolate indulgence.

A little love to spread around

A little love to spread around

What is more it’s a chocolate spread with a low GI, and it’s low in saturated fats, sodium and refined sugar – in fact there’s no added sugar, just some syrup-ticious agave syrup.

Finally, Shazzie has also brought out a raw Tahini (creamed sesame seed) and ‘Hempini‘ (creamed hemp). Unlike normal seed and nut butters, none of the nuts or seeds in these spreads are roasted which means they keep their original raw and highly nutrtional properties. And they’re dairy free and vegan, of course

All these organically nutritious spreads are perfect for smoothing over crackers, or dipping with carrots, cucumbers and celery. Just try a dollop in a smoothie or bake it in cookies – heaven!

So go ahead, try a jar of Detox Your World and help spread the love.

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Posted in General Food, Nuts, Organic, Raw, Uncategorized, Vegan

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Do you dream of chocolate heaven? Double blessings come with Green & Black’s

Posted on 19 October, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Butterscotch choc, raisin choc with hazelnuts, creamy milk chocolate, almond chocolate, ginger chocolate, espresso chocolate, chocolate with orange and spices, mint chocolate, vanilla white chocolate, dark chocolate with cherries, milk chocolate with a soft caramel centre… the list goes on… and on…

But when you dream of chocolate heaven, what more could you want? Whether it’s 30%, 32%, 34%, 60%, 70% or 85% of cocoa solids – there’s so much choice!

You could just possibly transcend seventh heaven with Green & Black’s eight new Organic and Fairtrade collections.

Starting with the largest, there’s The Ultimate Collection – 15 bars of intense and refined chocolate tastes. Then there’s The Tasting Collection with 25 tantalizing flavours including an exciting new Dark Chocolate with Burnt Toffee bar.

Green & Black’s after dinner style chocolates ‘Conversations’ come in two varieties: a mixture of 40 Milk, White, Dark or Butterscotch textures or 27 squares of dark chocolate infused with peppermint oil. Both Conversation boxes are full of chocolates decorated with ingenious questions designed to intrigue and inspire after dinner conversation.

Finally the chocolatiers have organised their Miniature Bar Collection into four cornucopian pleasures. Depending on whether your friend loves a majority of dark or milk or white chocolate you can bestow 12 little blessings on them, or not bother with the choice and give 24 miniatures with a selection of chocolate bites from each.

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Posted in Chocolate, Fairtrade, Organic

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Want a stunning and simple gift? You’ve got to have Faith in Nature

Posted on 5 October, 2011 by | Leave a comment

If you want to give your friends something to treasure you really can’t go wrong with Faith in Nature’s bodycare giftbags.

These cute bags of goodies are incredibly popular. Inside are organic shampoos and conditioners of a choice of 3 different fragrances. They are ideal for friends who love natural and vegan toiletries. Also, the small bags come in jute and the larger size have gorgeous bamboo handles.

Naturally perfect gifts

Naturally perfect gifts

There’s…
Aloe Vera (for those with fair hair)
Chocolate (great for brunettes)
Lavender & Geranium (great for everyone with a wonderful aroma)

The larger bags also contain matching shower gel/foam bath and a bar of soap.

Faith in Nature fill their shampoos with high levels of essential oils and herbal extracts to care for your hair. The complementary conditioners gently coat and lubricate each strand of hair, leaving it soft and manageable.

The bags make such perfect gifts because Faith in Nature pride themselves on the purity of the natural ingredients they use. All their products also carry the White Rabbit logo to show Faith in Nature ‘s dedication to prevention of animal cruelty in the production of toiletries.

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Posted in Lifestyle, Organic, Vegan

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New Booja Booja flavours – I’m so excited

Posted on 28 September, 2011 by | Leave a comment

There are 3 new flavours of Booja Booja chocolate truffles.

Is there any more reason you need to get excited?

Booja Booja have created the Rum Sozzled Sultana – a divine flavour explosion, the Stem Ginger – a gorgeously juicy pleasure, and the highly anticipated Banoffee Toffee.

Stunning and ethical in design and taste

Stunning and ethical in design and taste

If you don’t know anything about Booja Booja then you have a brand new world of wonders to discover. Booja Booja make gorgeous truffles and vegan ice cream but these are all organic and dairy free and gluten free, organic – and they taste fantastic!

Not only that you can find them in such exquisite packaging. Booja Booja also have a range called the Artist’s Collection. These are stunning wood-painted chocolate boxes and, in my opinion, now they have a new source of dairy free chocolate, these new truffles taste even better than before.

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Posted in Chocolate, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Organic, Vegan

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Detox your world with Shazzie’s naked chocolate bars

Posted on 21 September, 2011 by | Leave a comment

“I am chocolate therefore I melt. Keep me cool or be prepared to get dirty with me.”

Organic Vegan Chocolate

Organic Vegan Chocolate

Such is life from Shazzie’s perspective. Her love of chocolate is well known as is her sense of fun. But her passion for raw health ingredients has shaped a movement.

Shazzie’s unique organic chocolate range is suitable for chocolate munchers who are dairy free or vegan,  and for those who avoid refined sugar and fibre.

They are handmade raw chocolate bars with a hint of pink Himalayan salt. And they’ll always leave you wanting more!

You can start detoxing your world with 6 different flavours.

Desire The intense chocolate bar with a sensation of orange oil and star anise.
Goddess A smooth chocolate bar with lacuma and lashings of hempseeds.
Intacta A pure cacao confectionery bar with a touch of maca and vanilla.
Siren An alluring bar with a splash of AFA algae and spirulina
Empress A regal bar bestowed with purple corn and pineapple
Temptress A heady handmade bar with a licking taste of strawberries and rose petals

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Posted in Chocolate, Organic, Raw, Uncategorized, Vegan

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Chocolate spread – it’s nut free! Shout about it!

Posted on 10 May, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Plamil have brought out 2 more chocolate spreads! It deserves to be shouted from the rooftops!

Now you can have:
■ Organic Chocolate Spread
■ Organic Chocolate Orange Spread
■ Organic Dairy-Free Alternative to Milk Chocolate Spread
■ Organic No Added Sugar Chocolate Spread

But the more important question is… What will you do with it?

Of course you can spread it on toast, but there are so many other things to do with chocolate spread, it seems a shame to waste the moment. Here are a few suggestions, but what would you do?

Nut free chocolate spread!

Nut free chocolate spread!

Chocolate spread on pancakes
Chocolate spread on cake
Chocolate spread bread and butter pudding
Chocolate spread blended milkshake
Chocolate spread banoffi pie
Chocolate spread fondue
Chocolate spread on banana bread
Chocolate spread on ice cream
Chocolate spread fudge
Chocolate spread on its own…

And being Plamil you can trust that this chocolate is Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet, Kosher, Lactose Free, Organic, Vegan, Wheat Free, Yeast Free and Nut Free – but it does contain soya.

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Posted in Allergy, Chocolate

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A sophisticated Easter collection of chocolate eggs from Green & Black’s

Posted on 15 April, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Never go shopping with me! I always take ages to make up my mind. So when you’ve got mountains of Easter Eggs to choose from, I can get a bit befuddled. What is certain is that it’s got to be top quality chocolate, and Green & Black’s are right at the top of the list.

Green & Black’s themselves have a big range of chocolate Easter eggs. Such a large range in fact that it is still difficult to make that final decision.

 

Real 'chocolatey' chocolate

Real 'chocolatey' chocolate

But once I am decided and ready to eat, all that will remain is to break through the hard, extra thick “chocolatey” chocolate shell and onto the Green & Black’s accompanying bars.

“Chocolatey” chocolate
When referring to Green & Black’s there is just no other way to describe it other than “chocolatey” chocolate. I’m sure you know what I mean. It is an indication that Green & Black’s organic chocolate is high in cocoa butter.

 

Now, if you want your family and friends to be in on our “chocolatey” chocolate secret you can send them an egg for Easter. Green & Black’s eggs have the most lovely packaging too making the recipient feel very special. They are definitely too good to hide.

All Green and Black’s Easter products are made with organic ingredients so you can’t go wrong. Treat yourself and your friends to a indulgence this Easter. Green & Black’s have been the No. 1 luxury egg brand for the last 2 years. It’s not surprising that it’s a range that gets my vote.

Check out the ultimate gift eggs!
Easter egg Gift collection
Thick dark chocolate egg with bars

Then the classic choice of Green & Blacks first class normal Easter eggs…
Milk chocolate egg 110g
Dark chocolate egg 110g

Thick shelled butterscotch egg
Thick shelled dark chocolate egg
Thick shelled Maya gold egg
Thick shelled Milk chocolate egg

Simple, but indulgent mini eggs. Perfect for added alongside your easter gift.
Milk chocolate mini eggs
Dark Praline filled mini eggs
Butterscotch milk chocolate mini eggs

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Posted in Chocolate, Organic

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Chocolate helps your tummy feel better (Obviously! But we’re talking about serious tummy trouble)

Posted on 6 April, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Tummy trouble? Well chocolate has now been shown to increase all those ‘friendly bacteria’ which help make you healthy.

Diarrhoea, yeast infections, poor immune system, vulnerability to disease all increase when we have less of the friendly bacteria, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in our digestion system.

The cocoa flavanols in chocolate (pay attention, we’re really only talking about dark chocolate here, that’s 70%+ cocoa solids) not only increases helpful bacteria but also decreases dangerous bacteria such as clostridia (associated with inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer).

Along with other studies, this latest study (published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) has found that cocoa flavanols have a significant benefit to the health of the individual.

But check the label
It’s a good idea to read the label before buying your chocolate, as some have additives which, if eaten regularly, would do more harm than good.

You might want to try The Raw Chocolate Company’s improved recipe Pitch Dark bar or Montezuma’s new  Ecuador Dark Chocolate with Juicy Orange.

Many of us look for excuses to enjoy chocolate, so knowing that flavanol-rich cocoa may improve the balance of healthy intestinal bacteria could be all the reason you need. (As if you needed an excuse…)

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Posted in Antioxidants, Chocolate, Digestion, General Food, Raw

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