Archive for February, 2010

What's The Difference Between Dark, Milk And White Chocolate?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Is there a Difference Between Dark, Milk and White Chocolate?

All of us have a favorite whether it’s white, dark or milk chocolate but is there a difference between these three types of chocolate?

To start with white chocolate isn’t truly chocolate at all, in fact white chocolate is made from cocoa butter and sugar and zero cocoa liquor at all. Many individuals who like white chocolate over dark or milk cite it’s sweetness and creaminess as the reason why. Funnily enough the lack of cocoa liquor which causes this sweet sugary flavor is usually precisely why many chocolate connoisseurs believe that white chocolate shouldn’t be called chocolate in any way!

Milk chocolate is the most often used chocolate in confectionary and cited by the majority of chocolate lovers being their favorite of the three types of chocolate.

Dark chocolate manufactured from cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and sugar. The increased level of chocolate liquor in dark chocolate compared to milk chocolate is what causes the bitterness of the chocolate. As the amount of chocolate liquor used goes down the bitterness of the chocolate goes down also.

What exactly is cocoa liquor? Cocoa liquor is the paste that is formed when cacao beans are ground so finely that they turn in to a thick hot paste. Beans are ground inside of a mill where they undergo a number of grinding stones which cause the beans to heat up and grind right down to the cocoa liquor. Cocoa liquor is very bitter much like the cacao beans themselves before they are merged with sugars and cocoa butter. A lot of people confuse cocoa liquor with cocoa liqueur; however cocoa liquor does not contain any alcoholic content and it is merely the product of ground cacao beans.

What about cocoa butter? Cocoa butter is a fat that’s extracted within the cacao bean or from the cocoa liquor itself.

Of all the components in the three varieties of chocolate one of the most important factor in determining what the end result is, is the utilization of cocoa liquor. When more cocoa liquor is utilized dark chocolate is produced, when less is employed milk chocolate results and when none will be used white chocolate is the name of the game!

Other great chocolate sites to check out:
how is chocolate made


All of us have a favorite type of chocolate whether it’s white, dark or milk however , not some people know what the difference between these 3 types of chocolate is. As it turns out there’s one precise element of chocolate that determines which of the three different kinds of chocolate end in production.
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The History of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

History

Reese’s Peanut butter chocolate was first manufactured in America in the 1920s when H. B. Reese’s Candy Company introduced a specially processed peanut butter filling with Hershey’s chocolate. The peanut butter cups were the first to be produced, a popular item that has now grown to become a well-known and loved confectionary product enjoyed by people across the globe.

The Reese’s name has a unique heritage. Harry Burnett Reese was born in 1879 on a farm in Frosty Hill, Pensylvania. He was a former dairy employee working for Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey’s Food Corporation. Inspired by Hershey’s success, H. B. Reese left the dairy started his own confectionery business.

Although H. B. Reese’s decision led to the introduction of a now world-famous product that still represents something unique in the candy industry, he experienced much adversity before building a company that thrived on a single product – his peanut butter blend.

Timeline

1879 H. B. Reese is born in Frosty Hill. Pennsylvania 1917 H. B. Reese moves to Hershey, Pennsylvania Early 1920s Reese introduces Johnny Bars (caramel-like molasses) and Lizzie Bars (Coconut Candy) with some success Mid 1920s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups introduced and sold in bulk for use in chocolate assortments Mid 1930s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups sold individually for a penny a piece to the assortment line 1939 – 1945 H. B. Reese discontinued other Reese’s lines to concentrate on peanut butter cups 1940s & 1950s Reese’s Cups gains distribution through wholesalers, vending machine operators and syndicated stores 1957 100,000 sq. ft. Reese’s factory built in Hershey, PA 1963 Hershey purchases H. B. Reese Candy Company 2004 D&D Snacks selected as distributor to Hershey’s Reese’s in the United Kingdom selling Reese’s Cups and Nutrageous into all major UK trade and retail outlets 2008 Reese’s Pieces introduced to the United Kingdom with great success

H. B. Reese was not very fond of farming when he was young, in spite of his family heritage. As a youth, he took a variety of jobs including a country butcher and oil burner selling before moving to the town of Hershey in 1917.

He started working at the dairy owned by Milton S. Hershey. Here Reese became inspired by Hershey’s confectionery range and decided to enter the market himself.

After a short time he left the dairy, moving to Hummelstown and Palmyra, where he started a number of new ventures. He enjoyed some success with Johnny Bars and Lizzie Bars, but eventually moved back to Hershey, living just a few blocks from the Hershey’s manufacturing facility.

Reese sold his peanut butter cups in bulk in the mid 1920s, selling them to the trade in five-pound boxes for use in chocolate assortment boxes. By the mid 1930s, Reese Cups were being sold individually for a penny a piece to the assortment line.

During World War II conditions prompted Reese to discontinue other lines in favour of peanut butter cups, supported by consumer advertising.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Reese’s distributed their peanut butter chocolate lines to wholesalers, vending machine operators and syndicated stores. During this time the peanut butter cups gained in popularity across the United States supported in part by their highly recognisable orange and yellow packaging.

The success of Reese’s in the post-war period meant they required a much larger manufacturing facility by the mid 1950s. Reese acquired a tract of land on the western edge of Hershey where they built a state-of-the-art fully automated 100,000 square-foot manufacturing facility. The factory, located on Chocolate Avenue in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened in August 1957.

Six years later, in 1963, the Hershey Chocolate Company, which was formerly known as the Hershey Food Company, bought it’s neighbour, H.B. Reese’s Candy Company for $23.5 million.

Hershey’s Reese’s peanut butter chocolate is distributed in the United Kingdom by D&D Snacks UK Ltd. They won the import and distribution contract in 2004 selling Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Nutrageous bars into all major trade and retail outlets.

Reese’s Pieces was introduced to the UK in 2008. The product has quickly grown to become a consumer favourite and Reese’s Cups, Nutrageous and Pieces now have a growing consumer fan-base in the United Kingdom.


South African born Keith has lived in the south of England for most of his life. After graduating from University with a degree in Business Information Systems Management he decided to start Strawberrysoup; a website design company based in West Sussex and Dorset.
Keith successfully gained entry into the Southampton University Air Squadron and spent over 12 months training to fly. Since then he has continued to follow his interest in flying and has now began his own training in the form of a Private Pilot’s Licence.
Keith also spent 13 months working within the Image and Printing Group at Hewlett Packard in Bracknell. Throughout his time there, he was responsible for many activities including events organisation and website design and maintenance.
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