Chocolate for Grown-ups

Friends who've known me for years find it odd that I now have such a chocolate obsession. The reality is I never liked chocolate until I began losing weight about 7 years ago. One day the chocolate lust hit and it hasn’t yet gone away.  And though I now dabble daily in some form of chocolate, the 40 pounds have not come back.  Really.

Running helps.  As does moderation.  And a vegan diet doesn't hurt either, though chocolate (and chocolate cake in particular) is one of my non-vegan exceptions.

Another thing that helps is my maturing chocolate palate.  The overly sweetened stuff has never tempted me, and I am not big on chocolate confections or candy.  I like my chocolate dark and dense, and thus, a little nibble (okay, a few little nibbles) of a good chocolate cake or a few sips of an excellent drinking chocolate will often satisfy me.

As my preferences in chocolate become more refined, they are beginning to discover "chocolate for grown-ups".  I've always enjoy chocolate and alcohol, reflected in my attempt to bake a chocolate whiskey cake last year.  But beyond that I'm discovering some other chocolate-alcohol pairings.

One of my favorite "chocolate for grown-up" discoveries is what I call, "adult s'mores".  My sweetie celebrated a birthday last weekend up in the redwoods.  After dinner, around the campfire, I introduced my version of this "spiked" childhood favorite. Our friends loved them.

The traditional version of a s'more is Hershey's milk chocolate and a roasted marshmallow, sandwiched between two graham crackers.  (Believe it or not, while growing up and not liking chocolate, I used to eat s'mores without the chocolate - just marshmallows and graham crackers.  How times have changed!)

S'mores may be sticky and messy, but they are a campfire tradition and an addiction as the term, "s'more", is a contraction of "some more".  Kids love s'mores, and adults do, too.  But to be honest, they are simply sweet upon sweet, overly sweet.  The adult version takes the s'more to the next level by cutting the sweet in half, creating a better balance of flavors, and providing a sophisticated twist on this childhood snack.

It begins with the ingredients: (1) A good dark chocolate, which is vegan - we used Guittard 91%;  (2) marshmallows or if you want, Sweet and Sara does offer a vegan version;  (3) graham crackers, which are often vegan if you don't buy a honey-added brand; and the pièce de résistance, (4) Kahlúa, a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur, which is also vegan.  (See how easy it is to create yummy, animal-friendly, vegan desserts!)

You begin by first splitting the graham cracker into two, and placing a hunk of chocolate on one side.  You want to have everything ready to go so that when the marshmallow is toasted to your liking, you don't need to wait and have the marshmallow cool down.

Next, place a marshmallow on a stick and then soak it in Kahlúa.  The marshmallow needs to be soft so that the Kahlúa can seep into the center and not just coat the outside.  The longer the soak, the deeper the flavor.  I like to keep it in for a few minutes.

Once the marshmallow has been "Kahlúa-d", toast it over a campfire or coals (or a stove).  Some like their marshmallow blackened and scorched.  I like mine, golden-brown and gushy to the touch all the way around.  This ensures that when sandwiched betwen the graham crackers, the marshmallow  will melt the chocolate as the gooeyness oozes. Ahh... I can just taste it.

The bittersweet notes in the 91% chocolate beautifully cut the sweetness of the marshmallow.  The Kahlúa adds caramel and vanilla undertones, which create a delicious flavor profile that beats out, in my opinion, a traditional s'more any day. You need to give this a try and discover that s'mores aren't just for kids anymore.  Neither are they just for campfires (or non-vegans). 

Another "chocolate for grown-ups" I've found is 360 Double Chocolate, a chocolate flavored vodka, which has won multiple taste awards.  On its website, 360 (the world's first eco-friendly vodka) writes: "Think of everything you love about chocolate. Then double it. Rich. Smooth. Silky. The flavor of temptation. This is chocolate to the intense degree."  And with 360 Double Chocolate, I would agree.

We first sampled this chocolate vodka at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival last year.  What first impressed us was the smell of chocolate which wafted from the vodka.  It smelled heavenly.  But what blew us away was the flavor.  The depth of chocolate is incredible as it seems to enfold the vodka on your palate before the vodka bursts forth and settles smoothly on your tongue.  It is very satisfying, and because vodka is meant to be sipped, a little goes a long way in quenching the desire for chocolate as well as alcohol.  Three sips and I'm done.

But I've found that a teaspoon (or two) of chocolate vodka with a 6 ounce prepared powdered hot chocolate brings a mediocre hot cocoa to the next level.  It makes a kid's drink, an adult obsession.  The smoothness of the vodka adds a silkiness to the flavor, while undercutting the sugar.  When added to a mug of quality hot chocolate, the chocolate vodka makes an excellent drink, even better.  The vodka seems to bring out the best flavor notes in the chocolate.  And on a cold night, hot chocolate with a touch of vodka warms the body and pleases the spirit.

There are many other types of "chocolate for adults" which I am only beginning to discover.  There is a slew of chocolate beers now on the market, while chocolate liqueurs continue to be used in recipes or enjoyed straight.  Chocolate and wine pairing is a big trend, with chocolate wine just beginning to hit the market.  There's  even an Adult Chocolate Milk now, which is a 40-proof alcoholic drink. 

So much adult chocolate, so little time. Yet I'm realizing that I do not enjoy the chocolate and alcohol pairing as much as I enjoy a different chocolate pairing.  To find out what that is, you'll need to check out the blog tomorrow as my celebration of Chocolate Week wraps up with my latest chocolate obsession.