How Much Chocolate Do You Need for Halloween?

Tomorrow is Halloween, and as many as 41 million trick or treaters may be out and about.

This figure is from the U.S. Census Bureau, and we're not convinced that they really know. We suspect that they are just fobbing us off with the number of children in the country -- not a good way to determine how much candy you need to buy.

At the very least, you'd need to know the number of kids in your neighborhood, or trick or treating area. Or you can start with the number of parents in your neighborhood, and multiply that number by 66.66% -- the percentage of parents who intend to allow their kids to trick or treat. Without knowing the numbers of children per parent and the relationship of parental strictness to size of family, this number doesn't really help either. Recent reports that the percentage of parents allowing trick or treating varies by ethnic background (European American families are up to 73% approval while only 56% of Hispanic parents allow it) further complicates the math, unless you already know these demographics for your neighborhood.

83% of kids say they plan to trick or treat -- far more than you'd guess based on parental approval rates. We're not sure what to make of this.

What's more, researchers have found that parents are most likely to snitch chocolate from trick or treat bags, and also that kids trick or treat more heavily in affluent neighborhoods because it's thought that they give out "the good stuff" (that is, chocolate). In fact, 68% of kids say chocolate is their favorite, so if you distribute chocolate at Halloween and want to match your supply to likely demand, you may need to adjust upward.

There are other ways to plan. For example, the average expenditure for Halloween among Americans is just about $60.00. Unfortunately, we're not told what percentage of this is for trick or treat candy and what percentage goes toward pumpkins, costumes, or recordings of "Monster Mash." Keeping up with the Joneses may not be any easier mathematically than trying to meet demand.

On the other hand, there is also concern about flu this year, and many people may choose to keep their children home once they start thinking about all the little ghosts and goblins pawing through your candy bowl to make up their minds what to choose.

Between the mathematical uncertainties and the flu, it's hard to judge.

We'll have recipes next week for using up leftover chocolate.

Happy Hallowe'en!

White Chocolate

Here are some bones -- nice for Halloween. To make these, you impale marshmallows on straight pretzel sticks and dip the resulting barbell shapes into white chocolate, keeping them imprecise enough to look sort of like bones. Let them dry on waxed paper.

Combine these with other spooky goodies for your Halloween parties. They're fun, they have the trendy salty/sweet combo of flavors people relish, and both kids and adults like them.

There is, however, confusion about white chocolate. White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, and milk solids. There is no cocoa or chocolate solids in it, so many people would say that it isn't chocolate at all.

In fact, cocoa butter without cocoa may be best suited to external use -- it's great in lotions and shampoos and, since it's edible, it's also good for lip balms. It's used pharmaceutically as well, and is a better choice for medical and cosmetic uses than petroleum jelly. It's one of the most stable fats around, so it doesn't turn rancid in heat or with age.

Cocoa butter contains no cholesterol, but it has lots of saturated fat (though there's evidence that the type of fat in cocoa butter is not as unhealthy as the type in animal fats) and the only nutrient it offers is vitamin K. Still, since the white chocolate you eat contains only 30% cocoa butter (good quality white chocolate) or less (most grocery store varieties), the amount of cocoa butter in your average white chocolate confection is small. White chocolate is about half sugar, with the remaining 20-30% of the ingredients being milk, vanilla, and lecithin. There may be other oils (coconut or palm oil) as well. Basically, we're talking candy here, not chocolate.

Still, many people love it. The bones shown above are fun and have an interesting variety of flavors. Here's a recipe for White Chocolate Truffles, and one for Caramelized White Chocolate, if you want to give the stuff a fair shake in serious confectionery.

Nuts in Chocolate

Sweetique Eggs contain hazelnuts. Almonds and peanuts are among the other popular nuts found in chocolates and desserts made with chocolate.

From the standpoint of eating pleasure, nuts go very well with chocolate. Whether they just add complexity to the flavor, as in the Sweetique Eggs, or give crunch and interest to the texture as well, nuts are a plus.

What about from the standpoint of health? We know that chocolate itself has health benefits, but we're also often warned that additions to chocolate can limit the health value.

Fortunately, nuts are low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and contain antioxidants, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Studies suggest that eating nuts regularly is beneficial for health in a variety of ways.

Finally, in the context of chocolate in particular, nuts are good guys in the pantheon of chocolate fillings. Nougat, caramel, marshmallow, and similar candy bar fillings are composed entirely of sugar -- or sometimes of fat and sugar, and the fats in question are generally either tropical fats or butter, so we're talking about saturated fats. Fine chocolate with nuts is a healthier choice for those occasions when you decide to indulge in sweets.

Sunflower Mix Cookies

The Sweetique Sunflower Mix makes a delicious cookie with an extra hit of fiber and vitamin E.

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 c. Sweetique Sunflower Mix

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and cocoa powder and beat in. Stir in Sweetique Sunflower Mix.
Drop by the tablespoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

Sweetique Sunflower Mix is a multicolored mixture of natural sunflower kernels coated with fine milk chocolate and then given bright candy shells in a mixture of colors. Admittedly, they show up better if you leave the cocoa powder out of this cookie. But the rich chocolate cookie with the crunchy sunflower kernels is certainly delicious. Try it both ways and tell us which you like best.

Sweetique Egg

The Sweetique Egg is amazing -- see for yourself!

Shopping for a Wine and Chocolate Party

We found this shortcut to a wine and chocolate tasting party at our local Target store -- disks of different kinds of chocolate imprinted with "dark chocolate: good with port" and things like that. We liked the concept, but not the limitations.

Still, if you're not sure how to start your party preparations, you could buy this box of chocolate and the wines listed on the box, and be ready fast.

We decided to pair chili pepper chocolate with a Zinfandel,



and Sweetique Eggs with a light Riesling.



We had a very dark chocolate with champagne and a chocolate with orange peel paired with a Sauvignon Blanc.

We went with half a dozen chocolates, four wines (two sparkling and two still), and two sparkling juices for the non-drinkers in the group. Two guests brought bottles, so we had plenty of options.

We ended up with one Italian, one French, one German, one Argentinian, and two California wines. Since we also had chocolates from Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Austria, and California, we thought the international flavor was perfect.

For us, the pairings were a big part of the fun, but if you're not sure, we recommend that you choose your chocolates first and take them to the wine shop with you. You can get expert advice about pairings from your wine merchant.

Awesome Booth!

The company that manufactures the Sweetique Egg is Gut Springenheide, a major German food producer. They've been busy at Anuga, the annual enormous food manufacturers' trade show in Cologne.

This is in fact the world's largest exhibition of fine foods. Gut Springenheide will be in the German Sweets Exhibition, one of the most delectable areas of the show.

Last year, Gut Springenheide walked away with the Gold for Convenience Foods. This year, Anuga was the place for everything from the Bob Marley Beverage Company to air-dried ham to Pineapple on a Stick.

We think the Golden Egg was the best part!

Chocolate Fights Against Malaria?

The health effects of chocolate are being more solidly proven every day, but the newest suggestion is surprising: chocolate may help fight against malaria.

Bill Gates is sponsoring studies of the possibility that chocolate may be effective against the widespread tropical disease, according to a story in The Telegraph. Chocolate contains compounds that can bind fats in the blood, which are the food of the malaria parasite. Researcher Steven Maranz will use grant funds to test the idea.

The World Health Organization estimates that malaria kills 3,000 children a day, making it one of the most significant public health issues.

Chocolate and Climate Change

If you needed another reason to be environmentally responsible, you've got one now.

Cacao grows under the canopy in rainforests with a high level of biodiversity, so it is one of the crops most threatened by climate change. Some experts fear that chocolate could be "as rare and as expensive as caviar in 20 years."

Increasing demand and economic distress in cocoa-producing countries has led to unwise farming practices which not only limit the sustainability of cacao production in the near future, but also add to the overall environmental dangers for the long term.

While some agriculturists are working to change cacao's needed growing conditions, consumers can help by going green and choosing shade-grown chocolate when they have the option.

The Nest Egg

Sweetique's custom imprinted chocolate eggs are great for all kinds of organizations.

We like the idea of a Nest Egg -- a golden egg imprinted with your logo or message -- for banks and other financial institutions, CPAs and financial planners, and even for casinos! Of course, they're also great for fundraising -- doesn't your nonprofit need its own nest egg?

The process of getting your own custom Nest Egg is simple:

• Decide what you want to say on your egg. And image or slogan will work, in a solid color or full color -- it's entirely up to you.
  
• Email your digital artwork to us. See the specifications at our Private Label page.
• Let us know the quantities you need. You can call us at (888) 4LOGO-EGG to discuss your specific needs in detail, or use our pricing chart to estimate your costs.

Get ready for the next trade show, for corporate giving, or for ongoing promotional item needs.

Chocolate and Opera

While Stylelist wasn't wowed by the chocolate fashion show at Salon du Chocolat, taking place right now in Paris, we're thrilled by the fact that they had opera singers introducing their impractical chocolate dresses.

Chocolate and opera have a long tradition, after all. From Opera Creams, a chocolate cream that makes an ideal quiet sweet for the opera to the classic Gateau Opera of the Paris Opera House to the delicious Opera Coffee at the San Fransisco Opera House.

Here are our favorite chocolate opera recipes:

• Opera Cake
  
• Peanut Butter Opera Cake
• White Chocolate Opera Cake
• Pistachio Chestnut Opera Cake
• Opera Creams (old recipes)
• Opera Creams (modern recipe)
• Opera Fudge
  

Also don't miss Opera Chocolate, a blog combining reviews of chocolate and opera. I think that the writer needs to take a Sweetique Egg to a performance of Die Fledermaus.

Newest Trends in Chocolate

The Paris Salon du Chocolat is reporting a broad spectrum of new trends in chocolate this year, from earth-friendly chocolates to those using beans from a single source of origin, like wines. Fruit and flower essences are big in chocolate this year, too.

But the most unusual new concept in chocolate for 2009 may be Le Whif, a chocolate experience with zero calories which definitely won't melt in your hand.

Le Whif is a tube of chocolate flavor particles. Open it carefully, breathe it in through your mouth, and you have the flavor of chocolate without actually eating anything. Le whif comes in dark chocolate, chocolate mint, and chocolate raspberry, and will run you about $3.00 per experience.

Souvenir Chocolates

In stores, at performances, at the counter of your restaurant or spa or gallery, a fun souvenir will tempt your customers to buy -- and give them something to take home to a loved one or to extend their own happy memories of their visit to your town.

Sweetique Sweet Shapes of Nature are realistic seashells, rocks, and pebbles made of fine chocolate. They come in keepsake jars with labels showing the best of your geographical region.

Salon du Chocolat

"The world of chocolate," says the Salon du Chocolat, "opens its doors to you."


Chocolatiers from three continents are creating chocolate on the floor of the 15th annual salon du Chocolat, but that's not all that's going on. Click the "play" button to see the fashion show of garments made from chocolate.

Chocolate clothing may have logistical issues, but the Salon, taking place this week in Paris, is the beginning of the annual round of chocolate shows -- New York is next, beginning on the 30th of the month.

You can read the details at the Salon's blog, but -- in case you don't read French --I'll be bringing you the news this week.

Best Chocolate Fudge Recipe

We've had links to fun chocolate recipes that'll remind you of your childhood Trick or Treat pleasures, and sophisticated recipes for adults, but there are always some overachievers in the group, so here is the essential recipe for homemade Halloween chocolate treats:

Old-Fashioned Homemade Fudge

2/3 c. half and half

1/3 c. light corn syrup

2 c. sugar

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

4 T butter

1 t. vanilla or pepermint

Combine cream, syrup, and sugar in saucepan. Cook, stirring, till sugar dissolves. Stir in chocolate till melted. Bring to boil, then cook to 238 degrees without stirring. Remove from heat and cool to 100 degrees without touching. Stir in butter and vanilla. Beat till it loses its sheen, or your arm falls off. Pour into buttered pan and let cool slightly. Score. Cool completely before cutting.

Once you've had this, you'll never again want those modern substitutes made with convenience foods. People will expect you to make this every year, and will pout if you skip a year.

You have been warned.

Halloween Chocolate Recipes for Grown Ups

Childhood trick or treat and costume parties at school are one aspect of Halloween. Parties for adults are another. For your party this, year, make these sophisticated treats -- bit sized for convenient cocktail party noshing or buffet table display, but with a powerful chocolate punch.

Chocolate Tarts

tart shells:
6 oz good quality chocolate, divided
2 T butter
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c flour

Melt chocolate with butter. Stir in sugar, egg, and flour. Bake in tart shells or in mini muffin tins at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Once tart shells have cooled, fill with a selection of fillings below.

fillings:

chocolate ganache
lemon curd
heavy cream whipped with sugar and a little Cointreau
frangipane

Top each tart with a curl of chocolate or a tiny slice of candied orange peel or crystallized ginger.

Frankly, once you've done this, it doesn't matter what else you serve. Your guests will feel cherished.

Halloween Chocolate

96% of us are going to buy candy for Halloween.

The other 4% are going to make their own -- that's the only possible explanation. Here, then, are some recipes for making your own Halloween-type chocolates:

• Recreate favorite childhood candy bars with better quality ingredients.
• Scroll down on the page for creepy Eyeball Truffles.
• Chocolate Spiders
• Chocolate-Covered Toffee with Pumpkin Seeds
• Chocolate Slime is a Halloween take on Chocolate Fondue. If you want the childish, over-the-top feel of Trick or Treat, make Rice Krispy Treats to add to the fondue dipping items.
  

Now, the idea of Halloween-type chocolate here is that we're not going with elegant, healthy stuff (though the pumpkin seed toffee is good enough for grown ups), but seeking to recreate the childhood feel of running up to the door of the next house in the moonlight and discovering that they were giving out chocolate rather than the more common confections.

This might not be your idea of Halloween. Maybe you want something more elegant -- like the Halloween-themed Sweetique egg up there, with its filling of milk and dark chocolates with hazelnut.

Come back tomorrow for more serious party chocolate.

Chocolate and Physics

I suppose we all think about chocolate and physics sometimes. Around here, we think about chocolate approximately all the time, so whenever our thoughts lightly turn to physics, there it is: chocolate and physics. You may only think about it when you try to make fudge and end up with something resembling chocolate-flavored sand. But it's just about inescapable, because chocolate has some particularly interesting characteristics as a substance.

For one thing, there are six different crystalline states cocoa butter can take. This is why chocolate sometimes does such peculiar things, like seizing up if a bit of steam gets into it during the melting process.

Here are some of my favorite links on the subject:

• Every single little detail of why water messes with melted chocolate.
  
• Understanding physics lets you cheat on tempering.
• The Physical Chemistry of Making Fudge is completely practical -- don't make fudge without it.
• Measuring the Speed of Light with Chocolate is more theoretical, but you can try the experiment yourself.
  
• And in case you get too serious, read the argument that chocolate is an element.
  

Bagged Sweet Shapes of Nature

Sweetique's Sweet Shapes of Nature are available in keepsake containers and gift-ready cellophane bags, as well as in custom packaging of various kinds.

They're also available in cases of 3-pound bags for retailers and for organizations. Here are just some of the ways you might choose to use these delectable chocolate treats:

• Add them to your own creative packaging for fundraising, gifts, and events. Perhaps you need "coal" for Christmas stockings, dishes of rocks for the buffet table to establish the idea that your organization rocks, or your own organza bags of Love Rocks for a wedding or Valentine's Day event.
  
• Combine them with other items for very special Trail Mix.
• Use them to decorate creative cakes and pastries.
• Keep them in the classroom for rewards, special days, and fundraisers. Match them to your classroom theme!
• Keep them in the office, salon, or lobby candy dish for a memorable touch. Use seashells or rocks to go with your local geography, or echo your color scheme.
  

The Columbian Exposition

Among the Great Dates in Chocolate History is the year 1893, when the World's Columbian Exposition took place in Chicago. Among the exhibitors there was a German chocolatier, who demonstrated all the machinery involved in making eating chocolate.

At that time, chocolate had been available in the United States for more than a century -- but very few people knew about it. After observing the 1500 lb Venus de Milo sculpted of chocolate in the Agriculture exhibit, people couldn't forget it. A young man named Milton Hershey bought all the German machinery and began making chocolate himself.

Fortunately, there was more chocolate machinery available in Germany. Sweetique Eggs are made in Germany, with the attention to detail and the long tradition of chocolate-making for which German confectioners are famous.

Chocolate Makes You Better at Math

There is just no end to the wonderful effects of chocolate!

A study conducted at the University of Northumbria in the U.K. found that subjects who consumed chocolate containing high levels of flavanols did better on calculations, and were able to do them without feeling tired or stressed.

Have a mentally taxing job to do? Bring on the chocolate!