SustainLane - Chocolate. Chocolate? Chocolate!

June 2008
Edition 57

Greetings!

With summer here, many of us are facing bathing suit season with a pledge to eat healthier and exercise more. That might mean giving up junk food and chocolate... but wait! Chocolate is often mistakenly miscategorized as unhealthy despite its numerous health benefits.

This week, find out what makes Endangered Species, Kopali's Organics Chocolate Covered Goji Berries and Dagoba Organic Chocolate both good and good for you! Learn about the relevance of the "Fair Trade" label to your chocolate purchases, and if you're feeling particularly adventurous, learn how to make your own chocolate peanut butter cups from SustainLane Site Producer Jenn A.

Green Gorilla Goes National (Geographic)

Green Gorilla stars on the Nat Geo Kids homepage!

Our kids and their visionary gorilla friend are turning some heads...check 'em out at kids.nationalgeographic.com!

Featured Product: Endangered Species Chocolate

Nothing accompanies a glass of organic red wine better than a bar of ethically-traded dark chocolate that supports the workers who produce it and saves wild animals. Abendigo R. finds that socially conscious chocolate is top rate in taste!

Click for Endangered Species

Saving the animals never tasted so good

"The branding, the packaging, the fact that 10 percent of net profits goes to support wildlife habitats, the fact that the cocoa is ethically traded, these things would give me enough reason to buy this chocolate. But you know what? The shocking fact is that this chocolate is top-shelf and competes with some of the best on the market, that is, Dagoba and Scharffenberger. ..." Click to read more

Have you ever tried Endangered Species? How about a different
chocolate bar or treat? Write a review at SustainLane.com and tell everyone about your experience!

Have You Seen This Person?

The figure in the graphic (carrying two baskets) is the logo of TransFair USA - the company that manages the certification of thousands of companies and farmers in the Fair Trade program. Fair Trade is more than just ensuring workers rights; it also ensures that products labeled as "Fair Trade Certified" are sustainably produced as well as exploitation-free.

Click to read more about TrainsFair USA

Featured Business: Dagoba Chocolate

If you believe your body is a temple and will only eat the best chocolate, have we got a chocolate for you! Dagoba Chocolate produces some of the finest artisanal chocolates available commercially - you can find Dagoba Chocolate in many grocery stores across the U.S., from neighborhood natural foods stores to big conventional grocery stores (partly because they were acquired by Hershey's).

Send a message to Hershey's about what's important to you by choosing to buy Dagoba Chocolate. Read on to learn why Laura L. is excited about Dagoba Chocolate.

Click for Dagoba Chocolate

Five Stars

Organic Dark Chocolate

"I'm a huge dark chocolate fan and Dagoba makes the best tasting, most innovative and healthful AND organic dark chocolate out there!!! Dagoba also has a Triple Bottom Line business mission..." click here to read more

What do you think of Dagoba Chocolate? Write a review at SustainLane.com and let everyone know!

Staff Pick: Chocolate Covered Goji Berries

Why snack on a single superfood when you can have two? Goji berries also provide antioxidants and other nutrients -- and they taste great covered in dark chocolate. SustainLane's Jay G. is our resident Goji Berry expert and he thinks these are the best movie theater snack to sneak into your next summer blockbuster.

Click for Chocolate Covered Goji Berries

Giddy for Goji

"The combination of goji berries and organic chocolate is a winner. I am the kind of guy that likes to go to the movies and eat something sweet but can't stand buying the corn syrup stuff at the counter." click here to read more

Have you ever tried chocolate covered goji berries? Any thoughts on goji berries or chocolate as superfoods? Write a review at SustainLane.com and share with our community!

Chocolate in the News

Here are some links to more information about the health benefits of chocolate.

A Chocolate A Day Keeps the Doctor Away from WebMD

Dagoba Chocolate's facts on Chocolate and Your Health

Health Benefits of Chocolate from About.com

Chocolate Shown to Lower Cholesterol by University of Illinois Study

Thoughts about these headlines? Email us at community@sustainlane.com and let us know!

Green Video of the Week - Cacao Trees & Beans

Where does it come from and where does it go?

This short video gives a brief introduction to raw cacao with some interesting facts about chocolate consumption.

Watch the video now

Have any ideas for next weeks green video of the week? (the topic is "Hybrid Cars vs. Small Cars") E-mail us at community@sustainlane.com and let us know!

Forward This Newsletter - Win a SustainLane Tote Bag

Do you like greening up from the tips and tidbits you get from SustainLane every Wednesday? Think you know someone else who might like it too?

All you have to do is forward this newsletter to four or more friends/colleagues/associates and copy spreadtheword@sustainlane.com on the e-mail (we won't collect your friends' information; it's for verification purposes only). Then sit back and relax, and see if you're one of this week's lucky three!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Whether you are a chocolate fanatic, aspiring vegan chef or a

culinary hacker who wants to experiment with variety our favorite chocolate peanut butter cup recipe is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and your creative impulse.

Before you begin, you'll need

mini-cup candy mold, mini-muffin mold (optional if you prefer to hand dip)
candy thermometer
double boiler
kitchen scale
small pastry brush or (new) paintbrush
rubber spatula, measuring cups, bowls
parchment paper

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

SustainLane - Peanut Butter Centers

For the filling:
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar)

Optional:
1-2 Tb coarsely ground pink Hawaiian sea salt (big crystals for effect)

Make your centers by sifting the powdered suger through a wire mesh sieve or flour sifter to break up all the lumps.
Blend the filling ingredients in a bowl using a stand or hand mixer, until it resembles cookie dough. Depending on your ingredients, you may want to add more or less peanut butter or powdered sugar. Feel the filling with your fingertips - does it hold together enough (too sticky or too crumbly are not good).
Optional: Add your coarse pink sea salt - this adds a great burst of flavor that goes really well with peanut butter and chocolate.
Make all your centers before you melt your chocolate. Measure out about 1TB for each center - find a spoon or gadget that works. A melon baller makes just about the right size and a shape that fits into the cups perfectly. If you don't have a mold or mini-muffin tin, roll out the centers into balls -- leave them round or press them into patties.

For the chocolate coating:
1 pound chocolate couverture

Melting chocolate doesn't have to be complicated or intimidating. It's true that if you don't temper chocolate correctly, you'll have light gray-ish streaks and it wouldn't be fit to serve on a plate at a fancy restaurant. Let's face it -- you're going to eat it anyway.

TIP: The important thing is not to add water to chocolate (that ruins it) and don't over cook it.

Set up a bowl of ice water that will hold your double boiler or heatproof bowl. This is where you'll cool down the chocolate to stop it from cooking while you are working with it.
Put a cup of water in your pan and start it to boil.
Put about 12 oz of your chocolate in your double boiler or heat proof bowl over the boiling water. Let it melt and keep an eye on the temperature - you don't want it to get over 118 degrees.
Once the chocolate has melted, take it off the heat and add the remaining 4 oz of chocolate. Stir gently until it melts and then put it over the cold water bath.
Once the chocolate has cooled to 90 degrees or so, dip your centers and lay on waxed paper OR use your brush to cover the sides of your muffin tin.
Don't use too much chocolate or it will just drip down and become uneven. If it drips down into the bottom right away, your chocolate is still too warm. Once the sides of your mold are covered in chocolate, coat the bottoms.
Chill the mold a bit in the freezer or refrigerator - check for areas you may have missed and give another coat of chocolate. Chill again to set if necessary but don't chill to the point where the chocolate is cold and will crack.
Add your centers to the mold, press gently -- you don't want to crack the chocolate.
Once all the centers are placed, brush the tops with chocolate - sometimes you can dribble it off the spoon back. You may need to rewarm the chocolate a bit if it has cooled too much. You might even be able to top each one with a goji berry or two...
Cool the chocolates -- in the refrigerator or freezer. Once they are set, turn them out onto a clean dish towel. These will keep for weeks in the refrigerator or longer in the freezer.