Chocolate pudding

Who doesn't love chocolate pudding? If you can't stop by the store to try some of our velvety, rich, decadent chocolate pudding with dulce de leche, here's a recipe for a delicious pudding that you can make at home!

Chocolate Pudding

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  

Directions

Put 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, about 2 or 3 minutes more.

Pour the pudding into 6 small cups. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight until set.

(recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com)

We're Celebrating!!!

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Bittersweet Cafe's first store in Oakland! For those of us on this side of the mountain, we are celebrating by having an "Anniversary Special" of our own!

All day today, you can get 2 of our "Classic" hot chocolate drinks for $5.55!
(These drinks are excellent over ice as well...)

Come bring all your friends and family down to the store and celebrate with us!

Our Second Acoustic Show!

On Friday, January 22nd, the Bittersweet will be holding it's second Acoustic Show featuring young talent from throughout the Diablo Valley! From 7-9 pm we will have great music, great friends, and drink specials throughout the night!

Happy Anniversary Bittersweet Rockridge!

This week, it will be 5 whole years since the very first Bittersweet Cafe opened up on College Ave. in Oakland. Isn't it amazing how time flies?!?

To help celebrate this momentous occasion for our company, on Thursday, January 21, we are offering 2 of our delicious "Classic" Hot Chocolate Drinks for $5.55!

Please stop by and celebrate with us!

Puerto Plata Bars for Haiti!

We here at Bittersweet want to do our part to help the people of Haiti. Our own Bittersweet Origins Puerto Plata Bar comes from the Dominican Republic and that is why, starting tomorrow and for the next week, we are donating all of the profits from the sales of that bar, both 65% & 75%, to the International Rescue Committee's Haiti Fund.

The International Rescue Committee has deployed its Emergency Response Team to Haiti to deliver help to the devastated city of Port-au-Prince. Their team includes experts in emergency health, shelter, and children’s welfare. They will be working with local aid groups to provide vital help to survivors of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti January 12. Meanwhile, the IRC has committed to raising $5 million for reconstruction work in Haiti over the next year.

Please help us help others in their greatest time of need.

The many faces of ganache

A question I hear a lot of customers ask at the store is, "What is ganache?"

Simply put, a ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream that is used to act as a filling, an icing, or a glaze. I personally make ganache to pour over a cake when I don't have time to spread frosting. What makes it so great is that when chilled, a ganache can be used to make delicious truffles for your friends and family.

Ganache Recipe (Courtesy of joyofbaking.com)

8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cognac or brandy (optional)

This simple recipe can be tweaked for your own personal tastes by substituting other flavored liqueurs such as Grand Marnier or Chambord, or various spices such as cinnamon or cayenne pepper (but not too much!)

The magic that is the Barcelona Bar

The Barcelona Bar takes you on a magical journey...first you are swimming through the deep blue ocean and then you find yourself frolicking through a mystical forest...wherever it takes you, we can guarantee you'll be satisfied! This bar has the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with hickory smoked almonds and grey sea salt. The rich, deep milk chocolate effortlessly blends the flavors into one succulent treat!

Start a new journey this year, and let the Barcelona Bar guide your way!


Melissa Love
Lead Supervisor

It's time for the next Chocolate Club meeting!

Want to extend your knowledge of chocolate? How about having some private time with Bittersweet's own chocolate guru to discuss the different nuances between chocolates and the art of chocolate making? Well we have something for you! The next wave of Bittersweet's quarterly Chocolate Club meetings!

The Rockridge Chocolate Club will be on February 4th, the Danville store’s next meeting will be on February 25th and the San Francisco Club will have its second meet on March 18th!

Each location's Chocolate Clubs will be limited to 18 regular members plus seven open spaces reserved for on-the-spot sign-ups for each meeting. Spots are only $5 per person and are sure to fill up quick, so make sure you sign up now!

For more information about our clubs, check out our post from the first meeting!

Time To Get Healthy In The New Year!

It's that time again. Time for resolutions and changes to keep healthy and stay on track. This recent article by RealAge.com spouts, yet again, the health benefits of chocolate and why we should be making it a part of our regular diets.

Apparently there are 3 new reasons to keep eating dark chocolate.

• Chocolate makes you smarter. Ample research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which in turn may trigger the creation of new blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. Talk about a nourished noggin! (Here's why opting for semisweet or unsweetened chocolate may be even better for your brain.)
• Chocolate weakens heart attacks. Although more research is needed to confirm this one, a new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with the people who didn't treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff. (Here's more on chocolate's heart-smart qualities.)
• Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound. Okay, so you don't necessarily want to trade in your toothbrush for a chocolate bar. But some interesting new research shows a compound in chocolate -- theobromine -- may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. So the compound could find its way into toothpastes and mouthwashes one day. Until then, keep in mind that most commercially prepared chocolate has lots of sugar in it. Get healthier teeth and gums with these three easy dental tricks.

Most of us knew it was good for your heart, but fighting cavities and making us smarter? There is no reason not to eat dark chocolate, in moderation. That is the key. Anything you eat can be overdone and it is easy to do with the delectable taste of chocolate, but keeping it to a daily moderate level will still give you all the health benefits you need.

Happy and Healthy New Year!