Hot Chocolate Bar

Life kind of slows down when you sip hot chocolate. It’s almost like the cup you hold in your hand creates a barrier to noise, interruptions, and worries. You become mellow and in love with the world. What’s that? You don’t experience this when you drink hot chocolate? Hmmm… maybe that’s because you haven’t tried this recipe.

It’s rich. It’s decadent. It’s life changing. Set your cell on silent, light every candle in your house and get yourself to the kitchen. It’s time you experienced Hot Chocolate Bar bliss!

HOT CHOCOLATE BAR

1 smooth milk or dark 3oz. Endangered Species Chocolate bar, chopped
1oz. water, room temperature
1 tablespoon hot water
1 1/2 cup hot milk

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In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and 1oz. room temperature water until melted. Stir until smooth.

Remove from heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon hot water. Stir in milk (you may wish to use less milk than the recipe calls for. Experiment.) Pour into 2 demitasse cups. Smell, sip, savor. Sweeten to taste if needed.

Creates 2 servings.

Question: To garnish or not to garnish? Comment below on how you top off your cup of hot chocolate.

Cookie Bars

This recipe is one of my favorites! It’s easy, quick and most likely you already have all these ingredients on hand. These cookie bars travel well – a great way to pack a bit of homemade love on your next hike, picnic or packed lunch.

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 bar (3oz.) Endangered Species Chocolate Dark Chocolate with Almonds & Cranberries, coarsely chopped into 1/4″ chunks
• 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

CREAM together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour, salt and oats. Stir in chocolate and almonds.

SPRAY an 8″ square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour mixture into baking dish and spread evenly.

BAKE for 35-40 minutes, until top is slightly browned. Let cool. Cut into twelve 2″ squares or 24 bars.

Want another on-the-go homemade chocolate snack? You’ll use three 3oz Endangered Species Chocolate bars in this recipe, Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bark with Sea Salt.

What is your favorite dessert to take on outdoor adventures? Share by commenting below.

S’more Technique

Over the years, I’ve managed to alienate boyfriends, good friends, my husband and (for shame) my 5-year old son with my die hard S’more beliefs. So be forewarned, I fear I may come off a tad pretentious in this post.

S’mores are seriously delicious and should be approached with as much culinary mastery as you can muster in the woods. Making a stellar S’more comes down to perfecting two things:  your chocolate choice and marshmallow roasting technique.

Chocolate Choice 

Be it bitter sweet or true blue milk, the key is to find a quality chocolate that has the perfect thickness – or should I say thinness. The chocolate needs to be thin enough to be able to melt under the fleeting heat of a marshmallow. I swear by bite-sized chocolate squares(like these from Endangered Species Chocolate).

Marshmallow Roasting

Repeat after me, “coals are key.” Unlike flames, coals slowly heat the marshmallow from the inside out, producing a hot gooey center under a toasty brown crust. For the love of the great outdoors, do not set deliberately set your marshmallow ablaze over the flames of the fire! As kids, we all experienced this camping faux pas, blew out the flame and ate the evidence. People that claim to love the taste of charred marshmallow, in my opinion, are confusing good taste with childhood nostalgia.

See, told you I would come across a tad persnickety. But surely there are others out there that hold strong opinions (aka love) for the S’more. I implore you – comment below and share your S’more techniques. Show my husband and child that I am not the only one that can kill a campfire kum ba yah vibe when S’mores aren’t taken seriously!

For ideas on dressing up your S’mores, throwing a S’more party and more, visit Endangered Species Chocolate’s S’mores photo album on Facebook.

Chocolate Caramel Apples

I love going to The Apple Store!   No, not the one with the flashy iPhones.  The Apple Store is a seasonal fruit stand (+ tons of other tasty treats) in Fishers, Indiana – not too far from Endangered Species Chocolate’s factory.  Open for two precious months each year (Sept-Oct), this is a spot to fall in love with the tastes of fall.  Fresh, crip, locally grown apples – available by the bushel or peck – just imagine the smell that greets you when you walk in!

Apples are the best.  But caramel apples are even better!  That’s why I make a bee line for the rows of apples enrobed in buttery rich caramel and artfully garnished with (yum) chocolate.  Speaking of my favorite topic, chocolate, this year my love affair of The Apple Store has deepened thanks to their new display of Endangered Species Chocolate bars!  Live in our area?  Plan your trip to Conner Prairie Interactive History Park here.

If you don’t have a place like this in your neck of the woods don’t fret.  Caramel apples can be made at home with ease.  And who couldn’t use a new family recipe/tradition that involves chocolate?

Chocolate Chunk Caramel Apples

Remove apple stems and insert wooden stick into each apple.

Cook caramels and water in saucepan on med-low heat until caramels are completely melted.  Stir frequently.

Dip apple or spoon caramel over apples to coat.  Roll caramel-coated apple in broken chocolate pieces, gently pressing chocolate into caramel to secure.

Place your apple masterpieces on a waxed paper covered baking sheet; let sit for at least 20 minutes or until caramel is firm.

Tip:  The only tricky part is coaxing the caramel to not slide off the apple as you are pressing on the chocolate chunks.  To make life easier, refrigerate the apples (while you are cooking the caramels) to cool them slightly – this helps the caramel adhere better.