My house smells like chooooo~colate, at almost midnight on a weekday.
Thank you Dessert Mag.
Excuse me while I go and burn my friggin' tongue off :9
Embrace the incoherency...
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
If I had to eat icing sugar and butter by the spoonful...
Yea, that would be absolutely disgusting.
Now fudge, on the other hand...
My sources tell me Fat Phege's fudge is good, like, very very good. Located in the Market Square, the heart of Olde Victoria, Fat Phege's is a charming little piece of history, much like many other stores in downtown Vic.
The selection of confections and other yummy goodies dazzled me. They even had penuche! However, they were sold by the 1/2 lb. blocks (ranging from $5.50 to $6.50 per 225 grams, weighted on the scale). As much as I wanted to buy the whole store, ending up with 20 pounds of fudge didn't seem like the brighted idea... I had to slap my inner-sugar addict (this 3-feet tall little maniac with pigtails, a maniacal grin, and a diabolical glint in her little eyes) and settled, hestantly, on a lovely block of (surprise) peanut butter chocolate fudge.
Not wanting to wait any further, I almost dashed out the door, but not before the kind little old lady at the cash register pointed me to a bundle of plastic knives. "These'll make sharing easier," she informed. Sharing?
"What sharing?" says the little 3-feet tall sugar-demon. I told the cashier I won't be sharing them, but reluctantly took the damned utensil anyways.
The PB fudge is very creamy... but not as peanut-buttery (Webster, bishplz) as I had hoped. Furthermore, a tad too sweet! I know, I know, I should be complaining when the primary ingredient is icing sugar. I'd liked it a little more salty, maybe with some kosher salt or fleur de sel. The chocolate section was quite alright, because, well, it's difficult to fudge up plain, chocolate fudge. It was very similar to my home-made recipes, so, no-brainer I suppose.
Anyways, I was expecting some sort of gourmet, outta-this-world experience, but I suppose the old-school candy-store experience sufficed.
The website shows their on-site fudge-making, very cool! And they offer mail-orders!
Fat Phege's Fudge Factory
134-560 Johnson Street
Victoria, BC V8W 3C6 (250) 383-3435
Embrace the incoherency...
Now fudge, on the other hand...
My sources tell me Fat Phege's fudge is good, like, very very good. Located in the Market Square, the heart of Olde Victoria, Fat Phege's is a charming little piece of history, much like many other stores in downtown Vic.
The selection of confections and other yummy goodies dazzled me. They even had penuche! However, they were sold by the 1/2 lb. blocks (ranging from $5.50 to $6.50 per 225 grams, weighted on the scale). As much as I wanted to buy the whole store, ending up with 20 pounds of fudge didn't seem like the brighted idea... I had to slap my inner-sugar addict (this 3-feet tall little maniac with pigtails, a maniacal grin, and a diabolical glint in her little eyes) and settled, hestantly, on a lovely block of (surprise) peanut butter chocolate fudge.
Not wanting to wait any further, I almost dashed out the door, but not before the kind little old lady at the cash register pointed me to a bundle of plastic knives. "These'll make sharing easier," she informed. Sharing?
"What sharing?" says the little 3-feet tall sugar-demon. I told the cashier I won't be sharing them, but reluctantly took the damned utensil anyways.
The PB fudge is very creamy... but not as peanut-buttery (Webster, bishplz) as I had hoped. Furthermore, a tad too sweet! I know, I know, I should be complaining when the primary ingredient is icing sugar. I'd liked it a little more salty, maybe with some kosher salt or fleur de sel. The chocolate section was quite alright, because, well, it's difficult to fudge up plain, chocolate fudge. It was very similar to my home-made recipes, so, no-brainer I suppose.
Anyways, I was expecting some sort of gourmet, outta-this-world experience, but I suppose the old-school candy-store experience sufficed.
The website shows their on-site fudge-making, very cool! And they offer mail-orders!
Fat Phege's Fudge Factory
134-560 Johnson Street
Victoria, BC V8W 3C6 (250) 383-3435
Embrace the incoherency...
Friday, August 8, 2008
A Nanaimo (or eight, well almost) in Victoria
i'm in ur capitol, eating ur bar.
OK, that's not true.Though we didn't visit Nanaimo, the lure of the legendary desert was too much. I was faithful to Cakespy's guide. To the Olde Time Deli!
Iz gud, I sayz.
Indeed, indeed it was. I found nothing to write home about (how ironic...) though, perhaps because I was never a huge fan of western deserts. Then again, this was also my first Nanaimo. I guess I will have to do a few (an underestimate, we find out later) more testing before rendering the verdict.
The last time I was in Victoria, I by-passed the Victoria Ice Cream & Fudge Factory with much regret, perhaps because then was April. In B.C, April is rarely a time for ice cream, I guess that was the reason in addition to the hurry I was in to browse Johnson St. in a one and a half hour time-crunch. This time it wasn't going to happen again. We came out with 6 Nanaimo Bars. Blimey!
They offered 6 flavours, but only 5 were seen (the cryptic Nanaimo... hmmm). If I remmembered (they were gone in no time, of course) correctly, we had the Irish Cream, Caramel, Peanut Butter, the Traditional (best tied with PB, no more of course) and one more that I don't recall (the mystery sickens...). They made a great snack while we waited for the ferry.
The overall texture and taste was very similar to the one from the Olde Time Deli, but the base was thicker (which I preferred, meaning I had to wash it down with less of the vileness known as black coffee), taking up about half of the bar while the previous, only one-third.
In Cakespy's review, the Nanaimo that "got away" was apparently a blond (what's a classic mystery without one?) from the Bond Bond's Bakery . I had never intended to stop by, but I discovered it by chance while heading down Blanshard. I had already crossed the street but my tingling NB senses dragged me back. Examining the tantilizing pastry case, there were plenty of NB's (brunets, albeit... even a PB variety... tempting) but no sexy blonds in sight! What horror! I inquired, a little desperately at the bakery clerk, and was told there were none...
And Then There Were None...
Right, right, that's enough references to mystery novels.
Bummer! They had ran out.
Sigh...back to the hotel to finish the other six!
Honestly, I didn't eat six of them in one sitting.
Thank goodnessToo bad I'm going vegitan... gotta make up for it, you know.
Olde Time Deli
1009 Government St
Victoria Ice Cream & Fudge Factory
905 Government Street
Bond Bond's: More Than a Bakery
1010 Blanshard Street
Embrace the incoherency...
OK, that's not true.Though we didn't visit Nanaimo, the lure of the legendary desert was too much. I was faithful to Cakespy's guide. To the Olde Time Deli!
Iz gud, I sayz.
Indeed, indeed it was. I found nothing to write home about (how ironic...) though, perhaps because I was never a huge fan of western deserts. Then again, this was also my first Nanaimo. I guess I will have to do a few (an underestimate, we find out later) more testing before rendering the verdict.
The last time I was in Victoria, I by-passed the Victoria Ice Cream & Fudge Factory with much regret, perhaps because then was April. In B.C, April is rarely a time for ice cream, I guess that was the reason in addition to the hurry I was in to browse Johnson St. in a one and a half hour time-crunch. This time it wasn't going to happen again. We came out with 6 Nanaimo Bars. Blimey!
They offered 6 flavours, but only 5 were seen (the cryptic Nanaimo... hmmm). If I remmembered (they were gone in no time, of course) correctly, we had the Irish Cream, Caramel, Peanut Butter, the Traditional (best tied with PB, no more of course) and one more that I don't recall (the mystery sickens...). They made a great snack while we waited for the ferry.
The overall texture and taste was very similar to the one from the Olde Time Deli, but the base was thicker (which I preferred, meaning I had to wash it down with less of the vileness known as black coffee), taking up about half of the bar while the previous, only one-third.
In Cakespy's review, the Nanaimo that "got away" was apparently a blond (what's a classic mystery without one?) from the Bond Bond's Bakery . I had never intended to stop by, but I discovered it by chance while heading down Blanshard. I had already crossed the street but my tingling NB senses dragged me back. Examining the tantilizing pastry case, there were plenty of NB's (brunets, albeit... even a PB variety... tempting) but no sexy blonds in sight! What horror! I inquired, a little desperately at the bakery clerk, and was told there were none...
And Then There Were None...
Right, right, that's enough references to mystery novels.
Bummer! They had ran out.
Sigh...
Olde Time Deli
1009 Government St
Victoria Ice Cream & Fudge Factory
905 Government Street
Bond Bond's: More Than a Bakery
1010 Blanshard Street
Embrace the incoherency...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The fireplace is on and we're eating frozen yogurt.
It's bloody cold in here... I'm reduced to wearing fuzzy slippers. Vancouver weather usually pampers me, but this year it's highly unreasonable. Either that, or I'm used to complaining every year this time rolls around (or anytime... yea, definitely anytime). But that's OK, a little bit of home-made frogurt makes everything much betta.
I've been really holding out on taking good pictures, with the weather like this. I really hope the sun rolls out around BC Day, because I'm gonna be fixin' something special
Recipe and nutrition after the jump.
Low-Fat Bittersweet Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
Serves 8.
3 cups plain yogurt (I used a whole 750 gram container, fat-free) *see note
1 1/2 cup milk (any kind, I used 1%)
1 tbsp. starch (I used tapioca, but cornstarch or arrowroot powder is fine)
1 cup cocoa **see note #2
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
You will need an ice-cream maker for this! Am I evil for telling you this now?
I have a Krups GVS1 that makes 1 quart at a time.
The day before, throw your ice cream maker in the freezer (turn it to the coldest possible setting to avoid any disappointments the day after... this happened to me).
Dump your yogurt in a few layers of large cheesecloth, tie off the ends (throw away the keys too!) and let it strain in a wee, lonely corner of your fridge. Set a bowl underneath it to catch the whey
In a sauce pan, stir in the milk, cocoa, starch and sugar over medium heat. If you're using vanilla bean, throw it in right now. Get ready to stir like crazy folks, do not let your eyes or that spatula leave the pot of good stuff. If you do burn your pot, some boiling lemon juice during the clean-up should do the trick. When the mix starts to boil gently, remove from heat and stir for one more minute. Congrats! We just made chocolate pudding
If you're using vanilla extract, mix it in the pudding, then fold in the strained yogurt. Give them a good, vigorous stir and forget about the whole thing in the fridge for another few hours or overnight.
Now, the yogurt should be chilled and your ice cream maker should be ready. Go ahead and dump that bad boy in, and watch as the fro-yo goodness unfold before your eyes in
Right out of the ice-cream maker, it has a soft-serve consistency. Some people prefer theirs more firm, so go ahead and freeze it for an additional 30 minutes before serving.
I served mine with some homemade maple creme anglaise (as a part of special BC Day fixin's
Per serving:
173 Cal, 2 g total fat, 1.2 g sat. fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 93 mg sodium, 35 g carbs, 3.2 g dietary fiber, 28.4 g sugar, 8.7 g protein
Note: I find strained plain yogurt makes just the right tanginess. Greek Yogurt is too tangy for my taste, but if that's your thing feel free to switch it up.
Note #2: The cocoa powder is really what gives the bitterness (but also chocolate goodness!) to the recipe. Some people may find it too strong, and should either reduce that amount or increase the amount of sugar.
Embrace the incoherency...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
C&PB Granola Bars
Ah, peanut butter and chocolate, possibly the greatest combination of flavours in the existence of humankind, but feel free to argue. Though these can't beat eating peanut butter by the spoonful (or even better, off your finger straight from the jar), they make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack. Plus, licking the spatula at the end is the best part.
You can get away with any kind of peanut butter here, but I only found Jif in the cupboard (Skippy fans and natural PB elitists, hold your critisms). But, feel free to use that extra-crunchy or organic natural.
Recipe and nutrition after the jump.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Makes one dozen.
1/4 cup milk (any kind, I used 1%)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar (or sweetener equivalent. I used Splenda, will try maple syrup next time)
1/4 tsp. salt (more, if sweet and salty is your thing)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup beanut butter (I used Jif Smooth)
2 cups oatmeal (I used quick-cooking)
Combine milk, cocoa, sugar (or sweeterner), salt and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Mix in the peanut butter and mix it well (I had to microwave it for about 30 seconds after adding the PB)
Finally, add the oats.
Line a 8 x 8 square pan with plastic wrap, hanging over the edges. Spoon in the granola bar mix and smooth it out. Chill in the frige, for 2 hours or overnight.
To cut the bars, lift the plastic wrap out (aren't you glad we did that) and use a large chef's knife.
Each bar:
with sugar - 320 Cal, 12.2 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 49.2 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 36 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
with sweetener - 191 Cal, 12.2 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 15.9 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 2.7 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
with 1 1/2 cup amber maple syrup - 294 Cal, 12.3 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 157 mg sodium, 42.3 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 26.1 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
Embrace the incoherency...
You can get away with any kind of peanut butter here, but I only found Jif in the cupboard (Skippy fans and natural PB elitists, hold your critisms). But, feel free to use that extra-crunchy or organic natural.
Recipe and nutrition after the jump.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Makes one dozen.
1/4 cup milk (any kind, I used 1%)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar (or sweetener equivalent. I used Splenda, will try maple syrup next time)
1/4 tsp. salt (more, if sweet and salty is your thing)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup beanut butter (I used Jif Smooth)
2 cups oatmeal (I used quick-cooking)
Combine milk, cocoa, sugar (or sweeterner), salt and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Mix in the peanut butter and mix it well (I had to microwave it for about 30 seconds after adding the PB)
Finally, add the oats.
Line a 8 x 8 square pan with plastic wrap, hanging over the edges. Spoon in the granola bar mix and smooth it out. Chill in the frige, for 2 hours or overnight.
To cut the bars, lift the plastic wrap out (aren't you glad we did that) and use a large chef's knife.
Each bar:
with sugar - 320 Cal, 12.2 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 49.2 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 36 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
with sweetener - 191 Cal, 12.2 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 153 mg sodium, 15.9 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 2.7 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
with 1 1/2 cup amber maple syrup - 294 Cal, 12.3 g total fat, 2.7 g sat. fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 157 mg sodium, 42.3 g carbs, 3.7 g fiber, 26.1 g sugar, 8.1 g protein
Embrace the incoherency...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
