The Non-Chocolate Chocolate
What's the best way to consume white chocolate, however the form? Slowly and with someone you are very fond of (okay, that one may be a little bit PG).
Here's the Superfast, Surfing Version of "In Praise of White Chocolate"
But I'd appreciate it if you'd read beyond the Table of Contents
- What is it?
- White Chocolate Cranberry Bark
- Is it Really Chocolate? Who Cares
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
- White Chocolate on Flickr
- History
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe
- Best Sites on the Web about White chocolate (besides this one, of course)
- White Chocolate Coffee Recipe
- Recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies on YouTube
- Dark vs. White
- Beware of Imitations
- How Is White Chocolate Made?
- Don't Make Trouble
- I Hope You'll Visit Some of My Other Lenses
- White Chocolate Mousse
- It's Your Turn
What is it?
White Chocolate Cranberry Bark
High quality white chocolate with cranberries and orange peel
INGREDIENTS
6 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper, or use a silicone baking sheet, and set aside.
Melt white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the cranberries and 1 tablespoon of the candied orange peel.
Pour chocolate mixture onto the lined baking sheet and spread very thin into a roughly 12-by-10-inch rectangle. Sprinkle remaining cranberries and orange peel over top. Let set in a cool, dry location. Once bark is hard, break up into shards.
Is it Really Chocolate? Who Cares
We're talking semantics here. I think the chocolate guys should just let white chocolate into the club as an honorary member and stop all the arguing.
More fun information about chocolate.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
INGREDIENTS2 cups crushed Oreos
1 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust.
Microwave raspberry jam on high for 30 seconds. Spoon 3 tablespoon over batter in pan. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry jam over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry jam.
A tip for prettier cheesecakes: Wrap foil around the bottom of the pan and place the pan on a cookie sheet. Fill the cookie sheet with water. Bake the cheesecake for an hour then turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour. This prevents the cake from cracking and sinking in the middle.
History
Read more about the history of chocolate.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe
I think this may be the recipe that really put white chocolate into the mainstream. Thanks, Mrs. Fields.
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. white chocolate chunks, chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 F (350 F for dark pans). In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir together flour, and the baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. (Edges are golden brown and center is set.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.
Best Sites on the Web about White chocolate (besides this one, of course)
Godiva Need I say more?
Bittersweetblog.wordpress.com Hannah Kaminsky has a great blog. Also has beautiful photos and very tasty recipes.
Aphrodite Handmade Chocolate Shop and learn at the same time. Read all about the aphrodesiac properties of chocolate.
The Best Chocolate Dessert Recipes Ever The name doesn't lie. Classic recipes like brownies and truffles, oh my.
The Nibble.comWhich brands of white chocolate are tastiest, creamiest, yummiest?
White Chocolate Coffee Recipe
This is heavenly (and I'm not even a coffee person)
3 oz white chocolate, chopped
2 cups half n half
2 cups hot coffee
Whipped cream
PREPARATION:
Heat the milk and chocolate together in a saucepan until melted and smooth. Stir in coffee and serve with whipped cream on top.
Serves 6
Recipe for White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies on YouTube
This is a simple and delicious recipe.
How-to make White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
How-to make White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies. This is a simple cookie recipe you can bake as a dessert 24/7.
Runtime: 1:57
6803 views
3 Comments:
Dark vs. White
It seems people have a strong opinion about the color of their chocolate
Which is Better?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byDark Chocolate
kaplan says:
Aaah, in the battle of chocolates, the dark one wins. Nothing racist about that though :D
Posted April 23, 2008
cappuccino136 says:
I love both. My favorite is to have a dark chocolate Lindor truffle followed by a white chocolate Lindor truffle. But overall, dark chocolate is my favorite and what really satisfies when I need a chocolate fix.
Posted April 18, 2008
beeobrien says:
chefkeem, did you bring enough truffles to share with everyone?
Posted April 14, 2008
chefkeem says:
How would you define "better"? More nutritious? Dark. More stimulating? Dark. More antioxidants? Dark. Sexier? Dark. Sexier when colorized with pink food color? White. Still better when of low quality? Dark. Better when presented in combination with dark chocolate? White. Better just because I say so? Dark. Better just because the good folks across this column say so? White. LOL
Better for my over-all sales? Dark. Better for my niche sales? White. Better for avoiding grossly visible stains on my bed pillow? White. Adding it all up......while melting a dark truffle in my mouth....Better? Dark. (Fank wu.)
Posted April 14, 2008
EelKat says:
I'm afraid I have to vote for dark chocolate, even though this is a white chocolate lens. Sorry, buy I just love extra dark, dark chocolate best of all! I love it's smooth texture and bitter flavor. Milk and White chocolate are good too, but sometimes they are just a bit too sweet for my taste.
Posted April 13, 2008
White Chocolate
RichLeigh says:
White chocolate is by far the best kind of chocolate that there is. Dark chocolate is horribly bitter, white chocolate is however beautifully brilliant!
Posted July 29, 2008
The-Vassal says:
Gah, I LOVE white choclate! In college I tried to go broke everyday by ordering the white hot choclate twice a day!
Posted June 21, 2008
JasonE says:
Although I am normally a dark chocolate fan, I'd be willing to cross over to the dark . . . er . . . white . . . side long enough to try that delicious-looking white chocolate raspberry cheesecake that you have pictured above!
Posted April 21, 2008
charukishnani says:
I love these white chocolates.. yummy.. n seems more wantings after ur reading ur recipes..
Posted April 19, 2008
clouda9 says:
I'd gorge myself on white chocolate wayyy before the stuff with cocoa!
Posted April 13, 2008
Beware of Imitations
Not all that glitters is gold
Some products look like white chocolate. White chocolate contains cocoa butter. These imitations are made with vegetable oil. Don't be fooled. Taste them side by side sometime, and you won't need any more persuasion. The cocoa butter gives white chocolate a unique mouth feel. It's alot like that incredibly creamy feel of good milk chocolate in your mouth, except way more. Really. It's that mouth-feel that people love. You just don't get that with vegetable oil. Not convinced? Go ahead, I'll wait while you go into the kitchen and take a chug of Mazola and swish it around in your mouth. Wear Your Chocolate Proudly!
Apparel that let's the world know you love chocolate
White Chocolate Women's Plus Size Scoop Neck Tee
Price: 32.99 
Women's White Chocolate Tee-shirt Dark Colored
Price: 27.99
Black T-Shirt
Price: 22.99
Weapon of Mass Addiction Mousepad
Price: 14.99
chocolate awareness White T-Shirt
Price: 20.99
How Is White Chocolate Made?
Hint: It has nothing to do with albino cacao trees.
The chocolate liquid can also be pressed to extract the cocoa butter. The cocoa butter can be recombined with sugar, milk solids, vanilla and lecithin to make that rich confection that we know as white chocolate.
With the fat removed, the cocoa becomes a powder that is blended with the cocoa butter and other ingredients to make different kinds of chocolate. Plain chocolate is made of cocoa powder, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. Milk chocolate, of course, has milk added.
Don't Make Trouble
Cooking and baking with white chocolate can be tricky
It can also seize up. Doesn't that sound awful? If you heat it too fast or get just a tiny bit of water into the chocolate while you are melting it, you'll end up with a lumpy, grainy mess that will never melt, no matter how long you stand there.
Use a double boiler. Water goes in the bottom; chocolate goes in the top. Don't put too much water into the bottom, and don't boil the water; simmer gently.
If you melt by microwave, use 50% power and start with 30 to 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate well, and microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after every trip into the oven. When the chocolate is almost melted, just keep stirring and let the residual heat melt the rest.
Buy a Book or Two
I love books about food
The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book: From Chocolate Melties to Whoopie Pies, Chocolate Biscotti to Black and Whites, with Dozens of Chocolate Chip Cookies and Hundreds More
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $15.25 (as of 07/11/2009)
For the Love of Chocolate (Hallmark Gift Books)
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
I Hope You'll Visit Some of My Other Lenses
Secrets of Soup Recipes and tips for the ultimate comfort food.
Velveeta...Unwrapped An irreverent look at one of the world's most infamous processed foods. Recipes too.
White Chocolate Mousse
6 ounces white chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
8 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
shaved semisweet dark chocolate (to garnish)
Directions:
Slowly melt the chocolate in a double boiler over very low heat.
Whip the one and a half cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Whip the egg whites in a bowl with the cream of tartar, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat).
When the melted chocoloate has cooled slightly, add the two tablespoons of heavy cream and stir to achieve a pouring consistency. Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the whipped cream, folding gently. Fold the egg whites and the chocolate/cream mixture together.
Chill for at least two hours. Garnish with shaved semisweet dark chocolate.
Pamper Your Body and Spirit
Products for your skin and your soul
DELON Intense Moisturizing White Chocolate Body Butter 6.9oz/196g
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/11/2009)
Organic Cacao Cocoa Butter (White Chocolate) - 16 Ounces
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 07/11/2009)
Roux Fanci-full Mousse #13 Chocolate Kiss
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 07/11/2009)
Upper Canada Soap & Candle Belgian White Chocolate Truffle Candle, 6-Ounces (Pack of 2)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
It's Your Turn
Let me know you stopped by, and leave ideas about what else you'd like to see here. Oh, and please rate this lens.
Share your favorite white chocolate recipe, or tell me your favorite white chocolate anecdote. Or just let me know you stopped by. Please remember to rate this lens.
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
I prefer white chocolate to dark chocolate any day of the week.
Great lens
Lizzy
Posted December 16, 2008
EverythingMouse wrote...
I love white chocolate. Blessed by a Squid Angel.
Posted September 07, 2008
RichLeigh wrote...
I shall definitely try making some White Chocolate Cranberry Bark! I'm a massive fan of white chocolate, can't beat a good Milkybar/White Chocolate Ritter Sport with hazelnuts! Accept no imitations; I'm with you on that one!
Posted July 29, 2008
jasmineann wrote...
Lovely yummy lens :) I love white chocolate and dark chocolate, just depends on my mood really. Love your recipes-delicious!
Posted July 04, 2008
