Chocolate Bread Pudding

By Hklbrries

The economy may have soured, but folks haven’t stopped indulging in something sweet. According to Spokane area chocolatiers, the economic downturn has not substantially affected chocolate sales.

“People want to treat themselves since they are cutting back on other things,” said Karalee Borquin, manager of The Chocolate Apothecary in the Flour Mill.

One of the store’s strongest sellers is the Chuao Spicy Maya bar, Venezuelan chocolate with chili peppers and cayenne.

Marta Johnson, owner of Spokane’s OMO Chocolates, reports that sales are steady. She has made a effort to make her chocolates affordable for her customers by offering five truffles for $10.

Her location near Vino! and Saunders Cheese Market has been beneficial, as chocolate goes well with wine and cheese. People who are shopping for dinner parties hit all three stores.

“People come in and feel relaxed. They take a chocolate break and their blood pressure drops by 10 points,” Johnson laughed. Her chocolates are made fresh daily, a feature her customers value.

Johnson has just relocated to a larger space at 224 S. Washington St., just a few doors down from her original spot next to the cheese shop. After she gets settled, she hopes to have Friday night chocolate tastings.

The current recession is nothing new to Spokandy. Founded in 1913, the Spokane chocolatier has weathered wars, winter storms and the Great Depression.

“We’ve taken measures to protect ourselves,” said owner Todd Davis.

With four retail locations, a wholesale business and corporate clients, when sales are down in one division, sales pick up in another. Spokandy’s sales have remained strong over the years by responding to market trends, such as introducing sugar-free products about seven years ago when the Atkins diet revolution hit. Retail and wholesale sales of sugar-free products now account for roughly 30 percent of Spokandy’s business.

Spokane’s Chocolate Myracles is another company that is thriving despite the economic downturn. Chocolate Myracles is celebrating three years in business by introducing a new chocolate bar.

Owner Julia Balassa-Myracle grew up in southern Mexico and recalls grinding cocoa beans with a hand mill and making chocolate as a little girl.

“Chocolate is a big part of my culture,” she said.

Montezuma and his harem
The ancient Central American civilizations of the Olmecs and Aztecs are credited with cultivating beans from the cacoa tree, or Theobroma cacoa, meaning “drink of the gods.” Prepared by grinding the cacoa beans, adding water and hot chilies, the resulting liquid was poured back and forth or whipped with a wooden paddle to produce a frothy, brown beverage.

“To the Aztecs, chocolate was a source of spiritual wisdom, tremendous energy and enhanced sexual powers. The drink was highly prized as a nuptial aid, and was predictably the favorite beverage at wedding ceremonies,” writes Christine McFadden in “Chocolate.” Chocolate was given to Aztec warriors to sustain them in battle, and also played an important role in religious rituals.

Montezuma, Emperor of Mexico in the late 1400s, reportedly was a great believer in the power of chocolate. It seems he consumed copious amounts of the beverage, served in golden goblets by beautiful women, before retiring to his harem.

The Aztecs used cacoa beans as a form of currency. Folklore has it that when Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World, he was greeted with a bag of cacoa beans by Aztecs hoping to trade them for some of his goods. When Columbus looked puzzled, the Aztecs prepared a drink from some cacoa beans and offered it to Columbus and his crew. They promptly spit it out, not impressed by the bitter, cold concoction. Nevertheless, Columbus took some cacoa beans back to Spain and chocolate was introduced to Europe.

The Spanish added sugar and heated the chocolate drink, and its popularity in Europe surged. It became a drink of the rich and noble, and chocolate drinking houses sprouted up in the 1700s, akin to the coffeehouses of today.

After years of experimentation, chocolate manufacturers in Europe figured out how to separate the cacoa butter from the bean. By melting the butter, adding back some ground cacoa beans and sugar, the solid form of eating chocolate was born. Over centuries, chocolate’s popularity has continued to grow.

It feels good
What is it about eating chocolate that makes us feel so good? For centuries, chocolate has been touted for its health benefits. It has been credited for improving digestion, strengthening the heart, curing fevers, improving complexions, and generally creating agreeable temperaments.

Is there any scientific basis for the use of chocolate in treating our ills? The chemical properties of chocolate would suggest so.

Chocolate contains endorphins, which give us that boost in energy, similar to a runner’s high (without all of the hard work). The same endorphins are elevated when we fall in love, which is perhaps why we feel so good when we eat chocolate.

Caffeine and the alkaloid theobromine are also present in chocolate, both of which stimulate the central nervous system and give us that “pick me up” feeling.

Chocolate 101
If it’s chocolate enlightenment you’re after, check out the Chocolate Apothecary’s classes to learn about chocolate production and history, and try samples from different regions. The next tasting will be at 5 p.m. Sunday and costs $15. The store will also hold a Singles Night 6 p.m. Thursday for $15, and a free open house on Valentines’ Day from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with door prizes, chocolate trivia and samples. Call [phone] for more information.

Learn from the experts at Hallett’s Chocolates. This Spokane institution has been in business for nearly 30 years, and offers tours at its manufacturing facility at 1419 E. Holyoke. You’ll learn about tempering, or melting chocolate properly so it can be reshaped, and enrobing, in which chocolate coating is applied to candies, nuts or other treats. Of course, finished products will be available for sampling. Call [phone] to arrange a tour, or visit Hallett’s new coffeehouse and retail chocolate shop at Riverwalk, 1003 E. Trent Ave., [phone].

Spokane’s hottest chocolate spots
Spokane has no shortage of places to indulge in a tempting chocolate dessert. Latah Bistro (4241 S. Cheney-Spokane Road, 509-838-8338) takes its chocolate seriously. For the purist, there’s the Chocolate Sampler, where you can choose three tastes from a huge selection of the world’s finest chocolate. Or bring your sweetie and share a Bucket of Love, a bag of tiny chili-chocolate cakes. If you don’t want to get out of your car, drive by Latah Latte (4221 S Cheney-Spokane Road, 509-838-5050) for a Mayan Mocha and a chocolate “petite,” a smaller version of the bistro’s most popular chocolate bars.

For an evening out, head to The Melting Pot (707 W. Main Ave., 509-926-8000) and try the Flaming Turtle, chocolate fondue with caramel and pecans, flambéed tableside. Fresh fruit, marshmallows and various cakes are provided for dipping.

Wild Sage Bistro (916 W. Second Ave., 509-456-7575) offers a Callebaut Chocolate Tart with Belgian dark chocolate, and Luna (5620 S. Perry St., 509-448-2383) just added a Flourless Chocolate Cake to its dessert menu.

If it’s quantity you are after, try P.F. Chang’s (801 W. Main Ave., 509-456-2166) Great Wall of Chocolate. This impressive dessert consists of a six-layer chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and is served with fresh berries.

Chocolate tasting at home
One way to beat the winter blues is to have a chocolate tasting party. Prepare a variety of chocolate desserts (or ask guests to bring their favorites) and provide small samples of a variety of chocolates.

The Ghiradelli Chocolate Cookbook recommends ½ ounce of each type of chocolate per guest, selecting five to six different kinds to taste at a formal tasting. You will probably want to purchase some extra bars for decoration and for your guests to take home. You can choose a variety of milk, dark and white chocolates, or stick to darks and compare the subtleties from different countries or regions. You may wish to provide your guests with paper and pencil to take notes, judging each chocolate on its appearance, aroma, texture and flavor.

Let the chocolate warm up to room temperature before serving. Start with the least sweet sample. Look at the chocolate. It should have a glossy sheen, indicating it has been properly cooled and stored. Break the chocolate – it should snap crisply, not crumble. Rub a piece with your fingers to release the aroma. Smell the chocolate and compare with the other samples. Try to detect hints of flavor: spicy, rich, earthy, sweet, dark, subtle and so on.

Finally, taste the chocolate by holding it in your mouth for a moment to assess the texture and let the flavors unfold.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces French bread with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 F. Bring cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk egg and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Cool chocolate custard 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add bread cubes and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips to custard and toss to coat. Transfer to 1 1/2-quart-capacity shallow oval baking dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over mixture. Bake until custard thickens and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Serve warm.