One of the ideas I had when contemplating starting a blog was to focus on chocolate. Not a hard thing to do, eh? Not a day goes by that I do not crave some sort of chocolate, mostly in the dark or semi sweet variety. Good thing they say it's healthy for you. But only in small amounts :(
Finding your favorite chocolate is a very personal journey, I think. A lot of people love milk chocolate (ugh! But if I'm desperate....) but the dark chocolates, especially ones with the spices and different flavors added are the best, in my humble opinion. Nothing is better than getting a variety box of exotic chocolates for a gift. There are so many great chocolate makers that testing all of them is a must to find your favorite!
Some chocolate makers to start with:
Baking has long been one of my favorite things to do to relax. How can you argue with the results? Yummm! The above photo is a family favorite I make often. It's called a Southern Chocolate Cream pie. It's so easy you'd think it wouldn't taste all that good. But it does. You can even make it lighter in calories by using skim milk in the pudding. But don't skimp on the whipped cream. Only heavy cream works the best.
Southern Chocolate Cream Pie
2 small pkgs. (3.4 oz) chocolate pudding (I use chocolate fudge pudding)
1 1/2 cup milk, skim or regular
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 chocolate wafer crust shell (Keebler makes a good one)
Whip the pudding and milk together until lumps are gone and mixture is very thick. In separate bowl using a mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff, adding sugar to taste during mixing. Fold half of the whipped heavy cream into the pudding mixture, folding until blended. Fill pie shell with pudding mixture, then added remaining whipped topping (you can use a pastry bag to pipe mixture onto pie for added decoration). Shave chocolate on top, if desired. Keep recipe a secret so no one knows how simple it is!!
"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate."
-Charles Dickens
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