Today I’d like to introduce you to Blackwell’s Organic! They make delicious gelatos and sorbettos that are “Better for your body, your soul and the planet ®”.

About the Company:
Founded in 2005 by Marcia & Tom Blackwell.  Tom is lactose intolerant and had been making these recipes at home for several years. Neither was happy with the non-dairy desserts on the market. They both wanted to create a product and a company that was a reflection of their personal values and their lifestyle. They live in a 100% solar powered home, organic garden and drive a prius.

About the products:
Their delicious gelatos and sorbettos are certified organic, kosher and FairTrade. 

The “Blackwell’s Organic” Difference:

• Delicious flavors: A deep dark bittersweet chocolate gelato that is to die for.  A strawberry sorbet that tastes like strawberries fresh from the field.  They are all so incredibly delicious, you won’t even know they are better for you!

• USDA Certified Organic and Star-K Kosher Certified: Their products are 100% Organic and Kosher– dairy-free, preservative free, gluten free and vegan. Nothing artificial! They are the perfect indulgence for the educated and health conscious consumer who is craving a delicious dessert that meets their health and dietary needs.

  Traditional Italian Dairy gelato is made with cow’s milk and contains less butterfat than traditional American ice cream. Gelato is usually at 2-4% butterfat and American style ice creams 10% to 18%. Blackwell’s Organic is made with soy milk which is cholesterol free and has much less fat than even traditional gelato. Only 2- 6 grams of fat per ½ cup serving.

• Certified Fair Trade: Blackwell’s Organic is the only frozen dessert company that has FairTrade certified ingredients in every flavor. A Fair Trade Certified label on a product ensures consumers that a fair price was paid for the product, fair wages were paid to the workers producing the item, monies were invested in the communities in which the product was produced for vital projects such as schools and health clinics, and that the goods were produced in a sustainable manner; protecting both the workers and the environment.

Where to purchase: at Whole Foods in NY, NJ, PA, CT, KY, MD, OH, VA and Washington DC or via mail order at www.gelatobymail.com

To learn more about Blackwell’s Organic, please visit their Web site: www.BlackwellsOrganic.com.

GIVEAWAY

Blackwell’s Organic has generously donated 4 pints of gelato/sorbet to be shipped to a winner anywhere in the continental USA via their gelatobymail.com website.

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

How to enter (required): Visit  Blackwellsorganic.com  and then come back and leave a comment telling us your favorite flavor!

For additional entries (leave a new comment for each additional entry):
- one additional entry if you are or become our fan on FACEBOOK;
- one additional entry if you grab our button from the sidebar and post it on your blog, please post the link;
- one additional entry if you follow us on Twitter;
- one additional entry if you send a tweet about this giveaway (once a day only); make sure to include @1happyblogger.
- one additional entry if you fave us in Technorati;
- one additional entry if you blog about this Giveaway with a link back to 100CafeStreet.com and Blackwellsorganic.com
- one additional entry if you follow 100CafeStreet.com via email.

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The giveaway ends on Monday, March 15, 2010 at the end of day, Pacific Standard Time. Blackwell’s Organic will ship the prize.

*Please make sure you leave a comment for each additional entry so you get credited.
*Also, please make sure you typed in the correct email address.
*The winner will be announced via e-mail and has 2 days to get back to us or other name will be chosen.
*Incomplete entries will be disqualified & deleted.

photo courtesy of purrfectly_kittenish

There is very little present in the foodie world more adorable than the sassy cupcake, unless of course you consider the sassy mini-cupcake. And while it is typically frowned upon for a person to devour a entire tray of neatly decorated regular cupcakes, the same cannot be said for the miniaturized version. In fact due to its bite-sized nature, people are often encouraged to eat more mini-cupcakes at an event without judgment or hassle, perhaps making mini-cupcakes one of the greatest culinary innovations of all time.

Although significantly smaller, mini-cupcakes retain an enormous amount of creative potential. You can dress up a mini-cupcake for any occasion, and they are especially well suited for children’s parties, as they are pretty enough to capture attention, yet small enough to eat with minimal mess.

But how does one make a mini-cupcake? There are several pans available on the kitchen market, designed specifically for baking mini-cupcakes, which are simply filled and throw in the oven to bake as per usual. However, if kitchen gadgets are more your style, you could invest in a Mini-Cupcake Maker, retailing for approximately $32.99. This non-stick, easy to use appliance snaps shut to bake and produces seven mini-cupcakes per baking session – ideal for a small child’s birthday party or catered affair.

photo courtesy of chriki24

You can dress up mini-cupcakes as well, by simply using some tailored to size cupcake-skirts (also known as mini-cupcake liners.) Bold or pastel colours, smiley faces, dinosaurs, stars, and many more prints are available on mini-cupcake skirts. And of course, mini-cakes are fair game for whatever impressive icing you can paint them with.

So there you have it. Sassy small bite-sized cupcakes, perfect for sweet amuse-bouches that are sure to pack a punch at your next soirée.

Truffles. Photo courtesy of mhaithaca

Any true chocoholic has spent a lot more time then they’d care to admit either pressing their noses against the front window of a chocolaterie, or drooling over a beautiful glass display case, housing the most beloved and cherished chocolaty treat of all time – truffles. 

Invented in 1625 by John Labarge, the humble chocolate truffle is traditionally a sphere like entity with a chocolate ganache center, encompassed by more chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. However, history has seen several changes made to this cute confectionery – cream, nuts, liqueurs, berries, nougat, toffee, caramel, marshmallow, even wasabi has made its way into the recipes and hearts of chocolate lovers around the world. 

But one need not wander a chocolate shop dreamily, wishing for lots of money to throw down on a $4 or $5 taste of heaven. In fact, these delightful delicacies can be made right in the comfort of your own home at very little expense. 

THE BASIC TRUFFLE:

The trick is to begin with something simple, like a plain chocolate truffle, nothing fancy, but still sinfully good. Then later, once you have perfected your truffle technique, you can add different extracts and flavours to modify the original recipe. 

Ingredients:

- 12 ounces of chopped or broken bittersweet chocolate 
- 1/3 cup of cream (heavy cream is ideal, but ordinary cream will suffice) 
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

photo courtesy of photojenni

Method:

1. Heat cream and chocolate together in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture luxuriously smooth.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add vanilla extract and whisk, whisk, whisk!
4. Pour into a new container or dish and leave to cool in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour, until sufficiently cooled, but not hard.
5. Roll into balls and roll in the topping of your choice.
6. (TIP: When rolling truffles, keep placing your hands on a package of crushed ice to keep your hands cool. This helps avoid melting the truffles into gooey messes.)

And there you have it – truffles galore right in your very own kitchen! Also, truffles make excellent gifts if packaged in tissue paper and presented in a pretty little box. Nothing says love quite like a homemade truffle (and nothing tastes quite as sweet either)!

From enhancing the taste of coffee to elevating confections, crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur that adds to the flavor of desserts and beverages without overpowering other ingredients. Sometimes added during the preparation of recipes, crème de menthe also serves as a syrupy topping for cakes, pastries, fresh fruit, and ice cream. Since the flavoring is concentrated liqueur syrup, you’ll find that a small amount of crème de menthe goes a long way. When you’re looking for a dessert or drink with a minty flavor, consider the following suggestions that take full advantage of crème de menthe:

* Grasshopper Pie

Using a graham cracker crust or cookie crust made out of chocolate wafers (or Oreos), Grasshopper Pie (shown above)  is a chiffon pie served cold that offers a distinct chocolate and mint flavor. The crust is typically baked for a short time and then chilled before adding ingredients. Depending on the recipe, you may use marshmallows, cream cheese, and whipping cream when making the pie filling.

* Crème de Menthe Parfaits

For a frozen sweet treat perfect for dinner parties, create a parfait using 1 pint fresh raspberries, ½ cup crème de menthe liqueur, and 2 pints of French vanilla ice cream as layers – all topped with whipped cream. Many recipes exist, which make use of other ingredients, such as white creme de cacao, chocolate wafer crumbs, crushed pineapple, and fresh mint leaves.

* Crème de Menthe Coupes

Coupes are usually ice cream or fruit-flavored ice sweet treats served in a special dessert glass. Haagen-Dazs offers a recipe for Crème de Menthe Coupes that uses a carton of their Mint Chip Ice Cream layered with green creme de menthe syrup and chopped pistachio nuts. Fresh mint leaves, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream serve as delicious toppings.

* Crème de Menthe Cheesecake

The options in cheesecake know no bounds and there are plenty of variations that take mint flavors to new heights. For example, you can use 2 tablespoons of green or white crème de menthe liqueur to enhance the flavor of filling for a creamy cheesecake that uses mint candies as a garnish. Land O Lakes has a recipe with a crust that uses finely crushed chocolate graham crackers.

* Creme De Menthe Brownies

When you crave a chocolaty sweet treat with a little kick, consider the minty blast of Creme De Menthe Brownies. Use a package of Creme de Menthe baking chips to heighten the taste of the brownies. A chocolate frosting makes a delicious cover for the dessert. Since shaved Creme de Menthe thins serve as a topping, using Andes is a convenient and inexpensive way to decorate the brownies.

Crème de Menthe for Drinks

Crème de menthe allows you to add a mint flavor to your favorite coffees and teas. From a variety of hot and cold beverages, just ½ teaspoon of the liqueur will do the trick. Another way to include crème de menthe in your drinks is to add ¼ teaspoon over ice before pouring a glass of soda. The flavoring also adds pizzazz to an assortment of after-dinner drinks and fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages, including daiquiris and margaritas.

Courtesy of Espresso Hobbyist

What’s so awesome about a latte?  Why the art of course!  An increasingly popular practice of pouring freshly steamed milk into an espresso shot to create a wondrous design on the surface, called latte or coffee art is a sensation sweeping barista bars throughout the nation!

The origins of this innovative art form are shrouded in mystery.  Some say the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians partook in the activity for recreational amusement.  Others believe that the extravagance of the Renaissance birthed the beautifully decadent decor, and that even the great Leonardo da Vinci mastered pouring exquisite designs atop his morning coffee for kicks.

Courtesy of SPRINGLEAP.COM

Courtesy of Espresso Hobbyist

Courtesy of www.weirdomatic.com

Courtesy of the Espresso Hobbyist

But the truth is nobody really knows where or why the practice developed.  The only certainty is that this quick slight of pouring hand is breathtaking when done properly.  Flowers, leaves, faces, swirls, caricatures, geometric patterns, solar systems, almost anything can be depicted in a latte if one knows how to pour, prick and shape.

So what’s the trick, apart from practice, practice, practice?  The secret is in the foam.  A lot of the end result depends on how the milk is steamed and how much froth (or foam) is created.  Not enough foam results in a mucky brown surface, while too much foam creates an all white one — a balance of both colours is needed to achieve patterning.

Courtesy of worldoflatte

The ideal constitution of milk for latte art is almost goo-like and possesses a melted marshmallow-like texture.  The espresso shot too calls for special consideration, requiring a surface of thick creamy brown foam, referred to by baristas as the crema.  Science dictates that once poured, or while in the midst of being poured, the idyllic white foam rises and sort of meets the light brown foam of the espresso shot, creating a pleasant contrast between light and dark.   The perfect canvass for making latte art.

Although with skill a talented barista can bring forth a latte design just by pouring in a specific manner, several latte artists choose to etch extra details into the foam using a thin metallic instrument, like the side of a small spoon or a coffee stirrer.  This allows for more elaborate and intricate depictions to take shape.

Check out the video below for several amazing examples of people strutting their stuff in the coffee art world.  It is truly a sight to behold, in any shape or form, and is sure to make you crave your ever important 8AM latte or cappuccino all the more.

For coffee supplies, please visit our sponsors at: BocaJava.comand Cafe Britt.
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When it comes to indulging in an expensive cup of Joe, did you ever think it would involve $50-per-cup prices, animal waste, and Swarovski crystals? As we take a look at the most expensive coffees in the world, you’ll encounter magical brews from Indonesia, Panama, Brazil, Jamaica, and the island of St. Helena.

The Ultimate Expense for Coffee

When you think of expensive coffee, Starbucks has nothing on the Indonesian luxury of Kopi Luwak, where just a small amount carries a $50 price tag. This costly brew actually comes from the droppings of the Common palm civet – a weasel-like creature that eats, partially digests, and then excretes the most expensive coffee beans in the world. During the digestion process, the raw red coffee beans lose its soft outer part, causing the beans to shed its bitter taste and receive an enhanced flavor. Can you believe a pound of the coffee beans can cost up to $600?

Other pricey cups of coffee include:

Island of St. Helena Coffee Company

About 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa, you’ll find the island of St. Helena, where the demand is high for the exclusive coffee that fetches $79 per pound. The tea originates from a varietal brought to the island from Yemen in 1730 with yearly production quite low – only 12 tons. Interestingly, the island has a fascinating historical past, as it is the location where the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte spent his exile.

Hacienda La Esmeralda

On May 30, 2006, the Hacienda La Esmeralda’s Geisha unroasted coffee sold for more than  $50 dollars per pound at an online auction. Grown in the shade of old guava trees in Boquete, Panama, the flavor and aroma of the beans is distinct – commanding up to $104 per pound.

Fazenda Santa Ines

Earning the highest rating in Cup of Excellence history, you can only enjoy cups of this Minas Gerais, Brazil brew at specialty shops around the world, and at Caffe Artigiano – an independently owned café in Canada that purchased 132-pound bags of a limited production of green beans. At the auction, one pound of the coffee cost $50.

Jamaica Blue Mountain

There’s plenty of imitations on the market, but beware of the coffee that claims a ‘Blue Mountain style’ or ‘Jamaica Blue Mountain Blend’ because you won’t be receiving the Wallenford Estate, Jamaica treat that sells for about $49 per pound. Delivering a mild taste and aroma, around 85% of all Blue Mountain is sold to Japanese buyers.

Expensive Coffeemakers

From espresso makers to personal grinders, ever-evolving technology allows us to prepare fresh cups of coffee within the comforts of our own homes. However, with the demand for bigger, better, faster and flashier home gadgets, it’s no wonder some coffeemakers have followed suit.

Imagine a coffeemaker retailing around $2,000. What do you get for such a price? The Prima Donna ESAM 6600 has the ability to memorize your favorite cappuccino, cafe latte and other preferences. With the press of a button, the machine also cleans itself.

If you prefer an eye-catching brewer, Nespresso’s Crystal Coffee Machine (~$4,000) features more than 3,000 Swarovski crystals. Other features include a built-in cup warmer and convenient removable grate for making latte macchiato. Nespresso also produced limited edition Essenza models in Brilliant Black and Sparkle Pink – costing around $1,000.

Image Credits: Richard Dudley (coffee sketch), Zsuzsanna Kilian (coffee beans)

photo courtesy of Bittersweetcafe.com

Today, Bittersweet is announcing the launch of its own micro-batched, locally roasted coffees.  Just as the company has taken the hand-crafted approach to chocolate, it is now doing the same for a line of coffees.  This coffee is roasted in the Berkeley production facility by an expert coffee maker and the coffees will be sold in the three Bittersweet Cafes as well as online.
 
Bittersweet is creating espresso, drip (both blend and single bean) and decaf using beans from Kenya, Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Sumatra. 
 
As Penny Finnie, co-owner of Bitttersweet puts it:  “Our coffees follow the same hands-on approach we use for our Bittersweet Origins chocolate bars, This is another amazing varietal product and we are taking the same interest in the farms and cooperatives where the coffee beans are grown as we do with our cacao sourcing.”  
 
Thought you would be interested to learn of this new offering.  Bittersweet is one of very few companies offering micro-batched coffee.

About Bittersweet  Origins and Café
Bittersweet Origins is a manufacturing and retailing company which creates craft chocolate and coffee in handmade, micro-batches to engage the senses and the mind.  Bittersweet Café retail stores’ ambience and furnishings reflect the one-of-a-kind nature of its chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and coffees.  The warm and welcoming spaces furnished with unique tables, benches, carts and artwork from local craftspeople and artists create a gathering place for the community to savor locally made chocolate delicacies, coffee and tea.  The Bittersweet Cafes are located in San Francisco on Fillmore Street, College Avenue in Oakland and the Rose Garden Shopping Center in Danville.  For more information, visit www.bittersweetcafe.com or call 510-705-1860.

The Fillo Factory’s Organic Mini Fillo Shells (available in small and large) provide the perfect pastry for a quick and easy dessert. Enjoy Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlets with this simple recipe for Thanksgiving dessert.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlets
Ingredients: 
½ cup jarred hazelnut spread
24 Fillo Factory Mini Fillo Shells
Garnishes:  sweetened whipped cream, roasted salted hazelnuts
 
Preparation:
Spoon hazelnut spread into a 1 quart heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag (do not seal).  Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole.  Pipe hazelnut spread evenly into flaky Tartlet Shells.  Top each with sweetened whipped cream and a roasted salted hazelnut.
 
Note:  For testing purposes only, we used Nutella for hazelnut spread.
 
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

The recipe and photo are courtesy of The Fillo Factory.

Ingredients
450g/1 lb of strawberries
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup fresh cream
1 tub (250g/9 oz) mascarpone

Directions:
Wash strawberries and grind in food processor, set aside.
Add the confectioners sugar to marscapone and whip for only a minute.
In a separate bowl, beat fresh cream until stiff peaks.
Now, fold in fresh cream into mascarpone a little at a time.
Do not add all the fresh cream, leave a small amount for piping.
Lastly fold in the ground strawberries.
Spoon into bowls and pipe fresh cream on top and garnish with sliced strawberries.

Enjoy!

Crust ingredients:
250g butter
250ml (1 cup) sugar
2 x-large eggs
500g (3 1/2 cups ) cake flour
10ml (2tsp.)baking powder
pinch salt

Filling ingredients:
750ml (3 cups )milk
cinnamon stick
45 ml (3Tblsp) custard powder
15ml (1 Tblsp) cornflour
condense milk (according to taste…I used a little over 10 Tblsp.)
pinch salt
15ml (1Tblsp) butter
3 x-large eggs, separated
Directions:

Preheat oven to 180c.

Crust
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs and beat well.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Add to the egg mixture, beating well.
Press into two greased pie dishes or cut out rounds and make minis and place in mini foil trays or muffin pans.
Bake for about 10mins.

Filling
Heat the milk and cinnamon together.
Combine the cake flour,cornflour,condense and salt.
Add a little milk to the flour mixture and make a paste.
Then stir the paste into the hot milk and bring to the boil stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Add the butter.
Beat the egg yolks and add to the milk mixture .
Remove from stove.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and add to the filling.
Pour the filling into the crusts and sprinkle with a little cinnamon powder.
Bake for 10 mins.