Category Archives: chocolate

Cocoa Crisis

by baking, chocolate

Who can resist the rich, chocolaty goodness of a warm mug of hot cocoa or a batch of homemade brownies? If you're like many people, there's something incredibly satisfying about chocolate. But did you know that cocoa powder, the beloved ingredient behind these treats, is facing some significant challenges?

Let's take a closer look at the current situation and how you can be prepared.

Lately there's been a fair amount of news about continuing shortages for cocoa powder; there are a number of reasons this is happening.

Firstly, cocoa is primarily grown in tropical regions like West Africa, where factors like climate change, pests, and disease can impact crop yields. Plus, labor shortages and economic challenges in these regions have further complicated the situation. All of which is coming together for an increase in the cost of cocoa powder and potentially the cost of chocolate products in general.

Here are three headlines to help you learn more about the cocoa powder shortages and how it may affect the cost of your favorite sweet treat:

African cocoa plants run out of beans as global chocolate crisis deepens (Reuters)

In recent news, it's been reported that major cocoa plants in Ivory Coast and Ghana, key producers of cocoa beans, have stopped or reduced processing due to their inability to afford purchasing beans. This potentially could lead to a significant increase in chocolate prices worldwide.

The price of cocoa has doubled over the past year due to poor harvests, and the situation has been worsened by the spread of fungal diseases affecting cocoa plants. As a result, processors are struggling to acquire enough beans to meet demands from chocolate manufacturers.

This disruption in the cocoa market may result in a deficit of cocoa supplies, potentially impacting chocolate production and availability worldwide.

The meltdown in chocolate is coming as prices signal supply shortages (The Japan Times)

In the heart of West Africa, where cocoa beans are grown, decades of low prices have left cocoa farmers struggling, and now, a shortage of beans is driving prices to record highs. Poor farming practices, aging trees, and government regulations have all contributed to the problem. While some farmers outside of West Africa are benefiting from the boom, the situation remains dire for many.

As cocoa prices soar, chocolate lovers may soon feel the pinch at the grocery store. While this crisis presents challenges, it may also pave the way for much-needed reforms in the cocoa industry

Cocoa price soars to all-time high: Will chocolate be more expensive? (Euronews)

Chocolate manufacturers are facing a tough situation as cocoa prices soar to record highs. Part of the impact is due to weather conditions which are affecting cocoa harvests in West Africa. The unusually harsh Harmattan winds in countries like Ivory Coast and Ghana have worsened the situation, leading to a 40% increase in cocoa prices since the beginning of the year.

Hershey's CEO, Michele Buck, expressed concerns that such high cocoa prices could impact earnings and hinted at potential price increases for chocolate products. This spike in cocoa prices is attributed to the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), causing extreme weather conditions that affect cocoa crops, which are already vulnerable to climate changes.

With poor harvests expected to continue, cocoa prices may remain high, impacting not only chocolate but also other confectionary ingredients like sugar, as climate change continues to disrupt weather patterns globally.

If you're a chocolate lover this might sound like scary news, but here's where preparedness comes into play. Just like we stock up on canned goods and bottled water for emergencies, it's a smart idea to have some cocoa powder stashed away in your pantry. Not only does cocoa powder have a long shelf life when stored properly, but it's also incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes.

So, how much cocoa powder should you stock up on? Well, that depends on your chocolate consumption habits and how often you like to bake. I like to recommend starting with a at least two extra containers or bags of cocoa powder to have on hand for those rainy days when you're craving something sweet.

By stocking up on cocoa powder now, you'll be prepared to satisfy your chocolate cravings whenever they strike. Plus, you'll have a delicious ingredient on hand to whip up homemade treats for family and friends.

So go ahead, indulge in a little chocolatey preparedness – your taste buds will thank you!

I've put together a tasty collection of cocoa powder recipes. From irresistible brownies to cozy hot chocolate, there's something to satisfy every sweet craving. These recipes are exclusively available to members.

Join The Kitchen Table today to access these mouthwatering treats and connect with fellow chocolate lovers. Don't miss out – subscribe now!

Sources

Angel, Maytaal and Akalaare Adombila, Maxwell. African Cocoa Plants Run Out Of Beans As Global Chocolate Crisis Deepens. Reuters. 2024-03-13. www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/african-cocoa-plants-run-out-beans-global-chocolate-crisis-deepens-2024-03-13/.

Blas, Javier. “The Meltdown in Chocolate Is Coming as Prices Signal Supply Shortages.” The Japan Times, 13 Mar. 2024, www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/03/13/world/chocolate-meltdown/.

“Cocoa Price Soars to All-Time High: Will Chocolate Be More Expensive?” Euronews, www.euronews.com/business/2024/02/09/cocoa-price-soars-to-all-time-high-will-chocolate-be-more-expensive.

chocolate chip cookies

5 Delectable Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

by baking, chocolate, grains, oats, recipes, snacks, , ,

It's Chocolate Chip Cookie Week!  And if you've been following me for a while you'll know that I love cookies (in moderation of course). There's just something really satisfying about a good cookie. 

In order to celebrate, I rounded up some of my friends and asked them to share their favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (who knew there were so many variations?).

With these options, you're sure to find one that's going to become your new favorite!

No-Flour Cookie Dough

If you're seeing news blurbs about cookie dough and feeling a sense of nostalgia (and a desire to make cookies just so you can eat the dough) consider making my No-Flour Cookie Dough. Just be aware that this recipe does not bake into cookies, it's meant to be enjoyed raw.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1/2 cup creamy almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • generous pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor until mixed well
  • Scoop into a bowl and add chocolate chips by hand
  • Spoon into ramekins or mini-muffin cups and chill 2 hours before serving or enjoy with a spoon straight out of the bowl

Guilt-Free 3-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie

This recipe from my good friend Andrea Green, the Natural Green Mom, is made mainly from bananas and oatmeal, making it healthy enough to serve as a breakfast cookie.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Mash ripe bananas.
  • Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips until well combined.
  • Divide dough into 8 equal cookies on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

20-Minute Oatmeal Peanut-Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies

The honey and coconut sugar combo worked like a charm for this recipe by my friend Beth Ricci! “They were in fine cookie form – round, fluffy, and moist. Chewy, but not crumbly. Just enough chocolate chips to make each bite heavenly.”
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Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup honey
  • ¾ cups coconut palm sugar
  • ¼ cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon whole chia seeds
  • 3¼ cups quick oats1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Place honey, coconut palm sugar, and butter in a bowl, and beat until smooth.
  • Add peanut butter, baking soda, eggs, and chia seeds. Mix well with an electric mixer.
  • Mix in oats.
  • Stir in chocolate chips (or use the mixer if yours is powerful enough. I used my hand mixer and it was fine).
  • Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Let sit for one minute on the pan before removing it to a cooling rack - they are less prone to breaking that way.
  • Once cooled, freeze half of the cookies for a rainy day. Otherwise, they'll all be gone by morning!

Grainless Chocolate Chip Cookies

“Who would have ever thought that chocolate chip cookies without white flour and sugar or eggs, could taste so good?” Well, my good friend and colleague Dr. Cheryl Winter made this recipe possible.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups almond flour (I either use Bob’s Red Mill or I process my own almonds to make my own almond flour)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, salt, and baking soda, then add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  • Fold in the dark chocolate chips, then drop batter by a rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the edges are golden brown.
  • Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature.

Polka Dot Balls

This recipe by another good friend and colleague, Shawn Borup of Show Me Healthy Living, includes ingredients that are superfoods -- quinoa, flax, and oats. This different take on chocolate chip cookies deserves a recommendation, as it is high in fiber and protein and can truly satisfy your sweet tooth.
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Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked organic quinoa(soaked overnight, drain and rinse)**
  • 1⁄2 cup organic peanut, almond, or sunflower butter
  • 1⁄4 cup local raw honey
  • 1 cup organic regular rolled oats
  • 1⁄4 cup golden flax meal
  • 1⁄4 cup carob chips, Equal Exchange or Enjoy Lifechocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Put quinoa in the pan and cover with 13⁄4 cups filtered water.
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover.
  • Cook for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Combine cooked quinoa, peanut butter, and honey in a large bowl and mix.
  • Pulse oats in a blender to make them a bit finer.
  • Stir in oats, flax meal, and chocolate or carob chips.
  • Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Grease baking sheet with organic coconut oil.
  • Use a large melon baller and put Tbsp. balls on the baking sheet.
  • Bake at 325◦F for 18 minutes
  • Makes 20-24 balls.

Notes

Note: To soak and sprout quinoa, put 1⁄2 cup of quinoa in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of filtered water. Let soak 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse. Spread into a colander over a bowl and cover with a light towel. Rinse twice a day and let sprout for about 24 hours or until little tails are the same size as the seed.
 

Do you want more free healthy recipes? Read more on my blog or purchase my ebooks to get in-depth knowledge on how to #readthelabel and understand what’s really IN your food. 

Guilt-free Valentine’s Day Treats

by baking, chocolate, recipes, Valentines, , , , ,

Valentine’s Day may look a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still some ways to enjoy this special day at home. I put together a few of my favorite guilt-free Valentine’s recipes to indulge in with your loved ones. 

  1. Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

There’s nothing better than a really good chocolate truffle.  These decadent treats are unique because they are naturally-sweetened by dates and maple syrup. There are no added refined sugars.  They’re even dairy-free!  It’s important to get the Medjool dates.  Sure they’re more expensive, but they are so tender and make this recipe amazing.

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

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Prep Time 25 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • ½  cup raw hazelnuts
  • 12 Medjool dates, pitted 
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 2 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1½ tablespoon pure maple syrup

    (https://theingredientguru.com/making-vanilla/)

  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tablespoon coarse sea salt
  • Optional Coatings: 

    ¼ cup hazelnuts or almonds, ground

    ¼ cup coconut flakes, finely shredded

    2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + ¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and coarse salt

    2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

    (https://theingredientguru.com/choosing-the-right-cinnamon/)

Instructions
 

  • Place pitted dates in a small bowl filled with warm water and set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes
  • Line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  • Pour each whichever coatings you are using into wide mouth bowls (sufficient to roll truffles in)
  • Add hazelnuts to a food processor and process until finely ground
  • Remove the softened dates from the bowl, draining off excess water
  • Add dates and cocoa powder to food processor blending until smooth, about 3-4 minutes
  • Be sure to scrape the sides, as needed, to make sure ingredients are well combined
    Tip: If needed add a few drops of water to form a smooth consistency (be careful not to add too much).
  • Add coconut flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt to the food processor and blend well until combined
  • Remove the mixture from the food processor, dividing it into 15-18 equal-sized balls
  • Roll each ball into one of the prepared coatings (whichever ones you are using)
  • Once coated, place balls on the parchment-lined baking tray and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

2. Strawberries Romanoff

This updated twist on strawberries and cream is a wonderful and decadent dessert.  Be sure to read the label on the heavy cream to make sure there are no negative ingredients such as carrageenan or polysorbate 80 in the container.  You want a carton that contains only cream.  In order to make the cream whip well, it’s best to put your bowl and your whisk in the freezer for one hour before whipping.  The extra chill helps the cream to whip well.

Strawberries Romanoff

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced lengthwise
  • 1 cup organic heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon cane juice crystals
  • 1 tablespoon grand marnier (or use organic orange extract for a non-alcoholic version)

Instructions
 

  • After slicing, the strawberries can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve
  • Pour heavy cream, cane juice crystals, and grand marnier (or extract) into chilled bowl and whip until firm peaks appear
  • Place strawberries in individual serving bowls and top with whipped cream

3. Almond Valentine Cookies

When it comes to Valentine’s Day treat’s let’s be honest if it’s heart-shaped that’s usually a pretty good start.  Having a set of assorted size heart cookie cutters means you can add a little love to anything brownies, sheet pan pancakes, cookies, and more.  You don’t have to save the hearts for Valentine’s Day either.  Use them anytime you want to let someone know you love them.