http://www.mochachocolate.com/chocolate/gourmet.html Gourmet chocolate should be used in all of your cooking, the better the quality of your ingredients, the better the final product will be. Next time you do your baking, use gourmet chocolate in lieu of the lesser quality products. en-us Tue, 27 Dec 2005 15:08:21 EST Tue, 27 Dec 2005 15:08:21 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Many of us were raised with all kinds of chocolate treats that Mom would bake every now and then. You probably had a few favorites that she would bake especially for you on some special occasion or when you did something that she wanted to reward you for. And now you might be baking a lot of things that she did for your own children. Part of the nostalgia is often in the ingredients used and we will buy the same things that she did as we remember seeing them in the cabinet. But, you can still savor the memories of Mom's baking while increasing the quality of the final product. Using gourmet chocolate in your baking Instead of the cheaper chocolate ingredients, such as powder, that many recipes call for, pick up the gourmet chocolate version of the things that go into your cake or brownies. You will be very pleasantly surprised by the difference that gourmet chocolate can make in your home-made confections. Since most recipes do not call for huge amounts of chocolate in order to produce a great flavor, you will benefit from the extra cost of gourmet chocolate and much of it can used for many recipes. When you do purchase gourmet chocolate products of any kind, special care should be taken to ensure that the quality is not ruined while it is being stored. here are a few tips to keep your gourmet chocolate at it best: #09 #09 store it in a relatively cool place (about 68 degrees Fahrenheit), the refrigerator is not recommended. #09 #09 do not add water to chocolate, it will change its consistency. #09 #09 when recipe calls for melting, do so slowly - chocolate burns easily. #09 #09 chocolate has a tendency to take on the smells of other things, so be careful what is next to it in storage and what utensils are used in its preparation. #09 #09 when chocolate has been exposed to high temperatures, a bloom of fat can develop on the outside, but this does not affect the flavor or the quality. Anyone who truly loves their chocolate can really appreciate the many differences between gourmet chocolates and the lesser quality varieties. And, as the quality costs more, be sure to take proper care of it while being stored. And, if time is a factor, put a smile on their face with chocolate gifts. Gourmet Chocolate Gifts For those times when life gets hectic and your schedule doesn't allow you the time or effort to bake your own chocolate delectables, why not make everyone happy with a chocolate gift . It's easy to choose the perfect gourmet chocolate gifts based on personality. For the rebel, why not try a Belgian Truffle or a chocolate covered English Toffee. Or, make it really special with a hand-dipped dark chocolate strawberry or marshmallow infused rocky road. There's no wrong answer for the distinguishing chocolate lover. And you can never, ever disappoint with a Godiva chocolate or gourmet chocolate gift ! sf Tue, 27 Dec 2005 15:08:21 EST http://www.mochachocolate.com/chocolate/gourmet-gift.html Do you need the perfect gourmet chocolate gift to show that special someone how much you care? If so, let Mocha Chocolate entice you with the best gourmet chocolate gift ideas on the World Wide Web en-us Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:25:24 EST Tue, 27 Dec 2005 13:25:24 EST Weblog Editor 2.0