I consider myself a bit of a chocolate covered popcorn expert. I’ve tried everything from Boy Scout popcorn to homemade chocolate popcorn balls. But this year I found my all-time new favorite, Popcornopolis! Although they have a number of great flavors (some of the odd people in my family prefer the savory over the sweet), by far my favorite is their signature Zebra.
Zebra Chocolate popcorn is caramel popcorn drizzled with stripes of dark chocolate and white chocolate. Normally I am not a fan of white chocolate, but there is something about this combination that makes it the absolute best popcorn I have ever tasted. I’m not even the type that gets popcorn at the movie theatre. If it doesn’t have the right kind of chocolate on it, I don’t bother. Zebra Chocolate is definitely the right kind of chocolate.
If you are more of a purist, Popcornopolis also has a Chocolate Caramel that is the same but without the white chocolate. But I really encourage you to try the Zebra, because it’s 10X better than it even sounds. They also have a Rocky Road if you like nuts (almonds in this case) in your caramel corn. The Rocky Road also has pieces of marshmallow. For a limited time, they have Candy Cane Crunch, which is dark and white chocolate infused with peppermint and a dusting of crushed candy canes. I have not tried that one yet, but it is on my list!
Lastly, they have a chocolate with peanut butter. I’m not a fan of peanut butter, so I did not even try it. I did buy a bag of it for the rest of my family and it disappeared within a day, so I am guessing that it was pretty good!
I do have to caution you about the “pickers” in the group. When you put out a bowl of this chocolate popcorn, keep an eye out for the people who immediately try to grab the big chunks of popcorn stuck together with extra chocolatey goodness. You’ll know what I mean when you dig into the bag. And if you are one of the “pickers,” make sure that you grab the bag first and pull out those big chunks before anyone else has the chance.
If you are looking for a great gift idea, Popcornopolis is the way to go. I actually buy it now every time I am entertaining groups of friends and have become kind of known for serving it. They have great coupons on their site and you can also use this code of ours DELISH20 to take 20% off any order if they are not running a better deal on their site.
Jelly Belly is branching out! Although they are best known for their jelly beans, they have been taking their candies to a new level by dipping them in chocolate. Chocolate covered jelly beans and orange slices? Watch the video review below and you will be sold!
The Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips are different flavors of jelly beans dipped in chocolate. Flavor choices are mint, coconut, orange, raspberry, strawberry, and very cherry. You can get them in individual flavor bags or the combination box seen here:
The consistency of the dipped jelly bean is a little bit like a chocolate covered raisin only with a yummy flavored jelly bean on the inside rather than a dried out grape.
You can order both chocolate dipped products from the Jelly Belly website in different combinations and sizes. You’ll get the best prices when you buy in bulk. You can find Jelly Belly coupons and deals at Sunshine Rewards.
Watch the video below to see a full review of the Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips and Dark Chocolate Orange Slices.
Chocolate fondue is a fancy treat that everyone always thinks is difficult to make. The key is not to burn the milk or chocolate. Here is an easy fondue recipe that anyone can make. Serve it with angel food cake, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, brownie bites, or many other dippers.
Simple Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound chocolate broken into pieces (milk or dark, your choice!)
Directions
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the heavy cream and chocolate slowly. Stir until the chocolate melts.
Pour the chocolate into a serving bowl placed in the middle of a tray with the dippers surrounding it. Easy and tasty!
Everyone knows that chocolate is heavily associated with Valentine’s Day. But why?
Although there isn’t an official “chocolate for Valentine’s Day” story, chocolate has always been considered valuable and decadent. Even early on it was associated with romance and passion, and the Aztecs believed that it elevated sexual prowess. Chocolate drink was served at weddings and special ceremonies.
Richard Cadbury was the first to invent chocolate candies in the 1860s and marketed them for Valentine’s Day in the heart-shaped box that we have all come to know and love. His hope was to increase the sale of chocolates by putting them in more eye-appealing packaging. The trend caught on and they became the quintessential Valentine’s Day gift (along with red roses).
So a very simple story with not much to it. Does it surprise that over $1 billion in chocolate is purchased for Valentine’s Day each year?
It’s that time of year where everyone is looking for gifts, and Chocolate Gift Baskets are perfect for many people on your list. The ideal gift basket will be some kind of reusable container with an assortment of different items in it. If you are trying to save money, skimp on the basket and focus on the quality of the items inside the basket. They can always throw away the box it comes in but they will be disappointed if the chocolate doesn’t taste good.
While you can get gift baskets just about anywhere, you will need to go to specific merchants to get chocolate gift baskets. Here are a few of my favorites:
Ghirardelli is one of the most well-known names in chocolate for a good reason. Their chocolate is of incredibly high quality but at affordable prices. Their gift baskets come in a variety of sizes and feature mainly chocolate bars of different sizes and flavors.
If you are looking for chocolate gift baskets with more variety than just candy, Gourmet Gift Baskets is a great option. Some of the items in their various baskets include red wine, chocolate covered fruits, and chocolate cookies. Plus, you can save save $10 on orders of $50 or more with code HOLIDAY10 (good through 01/31/11).
A final great place to order gift baskets is 1-800-BASKETS. They have quite a few chocolate gifts as well as many different baskets. Although they do not have a specific category for Chocolate Gift Baskets, many of their Towers include chocolate. You will find a lot of branded chocolate there including Fannie May, Cheryl’s, and Godiva. You can save money-15%- (and order a bigger basket!) with code BSKTSAVE15 (ends 12/31/10)
Wherever you decide to shop, remember that you can’t go wrong when you order a great selection of quality chocolates!
