According to American Food Holidays' list, today is National White Chocolate Day! So, for Chocolate Friday, we're celebrating white chocolate.
White chocolate actually isn't considered to be chocolate at all. Although both originate from the same plant - the cacao tree - according to the FDA, 'chocolate' must contain chocolate liquor, and white chocolate doesn't. Liquor? From the Food Reference website:
"According to the FDA, to be called 'chocolate' a product must contain chocolate liquor, which is what gives it the bitter intense chocolate flavor (and color) to dark and milk chocolates.
The Cook's Thesaurus says it this way:
"...white chocolate doesn't have any cocoa solids. Since the FDA won't let American producers label a product "chocolate" unless it has those cocoa solids, domestic white chocolate is known by a hodge-podge of different names. "
Well, ok, whatever. It still comes from the cacao bean, so I'm all for it. But what IS in white chocolate?
"White chocolate contains cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin and flavorings (usually including vanilla). Cocoa butter is the fat from cocoa beans, extracted from the cocoa beans during the process of making chocolate and cocoa powder. Cocoa butter has very little 'chocolate' flavor."
I remember summers, slathering cocoa butter on myself, trying to get that freshly cooked, just-short-of-crispy shade of brown. Me and my little group of friends, smelling like yummy human cookies baking in the sun. Lord, the stupid things we did to our skin.
Anyway, here are some recipes that use white chocolate for you to try:
- White Chocolate Butter - this would be great with scones, muffins, etc for brunch or afternoon tea parties. YUM!
- White Chocolate Mousse - sounds totally decadent
- White chocolate and pecan nanaimo bars - from the Domestic Goddess
- White Chocolate Eggnog - Eggnog? I can't wrap my brain around this one. Must try it. Uses white chocolate ligueur.
- Key Lime White Chocolate Coolers Recipe - I think it's a cookie, but I'm not sure...
- White Chocolate Macadamian Nut Cookies
- Macadamia Nut Chewies with White Chocolate
I found an awful lot of recipes combining white chocolate and macadamia nuts, so I'm gonna guess that's a good flavor combo. I want to try the mousse though, especially after yesterday's pudding-fest. My mouth is wanting more smooth-and-creamy.
Happy White Chocolate Day!!
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