Chocolate Creations: Spooky Treats for Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Think Halloween and the following activities come to mind: spooky decorations and images, carving jack-o'-lanterns, trick-or-treating, costume parties, apple bobbing, playing pranks, telling scary stories and watching horror films.

Spooky decorations and scary costumes. Normal homes become haunted houses on the day with homeowners decorating their porches or home entrances with plastic spiderwebs, paper skeletons, scarecrows, and eery jack-o'-lanterns. The more realistic, the better. In invitation for those brave enough to come knocking on the door.

Sweet History: Early 1800s … Chocolate Becomes An Industry

Chocolate could never remain as it was; it had to move on, shared en masse. That's what all good creations do, least of all, chocolate creations. And were chocolate creators innovatively inventive!

It must be remembered that in the 1800s there wasn't much utilities available, mostly manpower.

Chocolates were mostly handmade. But that didn't stop a man called Casparus van Houten who, in 1815, set up a small cocoa mill in his house in Amsterdam kept in motion by laborers running around in circles. Now, that's what I call: thinking outside the box.

Chocolate Creations: Appreciating Them

Since the days of the Aztecs, chocolate has evolved into innumerable chocolate creations of many tastes, shapes and forms. The concept of Chocolate has become captivating and fun. And whether we like it or not, chocolate creations are not simply for drinking or eating. Chocolate has become an entire world on its own. And I have have heard that – like wine and cheese tasting – there are technical ways of appreciating chocolate. Here are a few tips on how best to enjoy your chocolate creations more:

Sweet History: 1755 … Chocolate Takes off: I Love Chocolate Creations

Ironic, isn't it, that a man named Baker started America's baking-chocolate industry?

Better late than never, but in 1755, America finally discovers chocolate. Why so late? Perhaps because America was not yet the land of plenty.

But once they discovered it, America could not be stopped. Baker-Hannon was the unusual collaboration at the forefront of this charge. Dr James Baker was a doctor regularly prescribing chocolate to his patients, while John Hannon was an Irishman who knew how to make chocolate, sweet chocolate creations colonists were willing to pay for generously.

Chocolate Creations: That Masterchef Gingerbread House and Sweets Challenge

It might have been the cook-off from hell – “meaner than a macaroon mountain, crueler than a croquembouche” – but it took me back years to memories from childhood.. Of Hans and Gretel, of The Gingerbread Man, of playing with doll houses. But most of all it brought back memories of the smells of the kitchen.

Sweet History: 1753 … Food of The Gods, Chocolate

Heart Of Cacao Sacred Organic Raw Chocolate

Affordable and readily available, from the wealthy to the everyday-person, chocolate, by the middle eighteenth century, had secured a place in a person's life. Many varieties chocolate creations – from drinking to eating – were readily available in coffee & tea shops, pastry shops and food shops. But where does chocolate actually come from?

Sweet History: -1500 ... Ancient Beginnings

Everybody just loves chocolate!

My first memories of chocolate was on the Sunday morning – every Sunday without fail – when my Dad would take out this heavy-bottom pot, start beating a tune with his steel ladle to wake up the kids. Then he would take out his tin of cocoa powder and proceed in concocting his special hot chocolate drink. It was a truly comforting drink, a wickedly creamy treat. Though I thought that was it, it was always the best. Growing older, I learned that chocolate wasn't limited to the chocolate drink. I became truly captivated from the small brown squares to cakes, fudges, chocolate truffles, pralines, caramels, and numerous chocolate creations. I just keep wanting and coming back for more.