Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time for chocolate, and it’s never too early to plan for the sweet stuff. These recipes are all quick and easy to prepare. The first two make a single serving, so they’ll work well whether you celebrate with someone else or alone. Simply double the recipe for two. One of the following desserts is made in a slow cooker, so you can start it midday and it will be warm and ready for after-dinner consumption. The last two recipes make enough for seconds. You’ll want to keep them handy because you’ll be asked to make them again soon.

Cake in a Mug

* 4 tablespoons flour

* 4 tablespoons sugar

* 2 tablespoons baking cocoa

* 1 egg

* 3 tablespoons milk

* 3 tablespoons oil

* 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional

* a splash of vanilla

Put the dry ingredients in a mug, and mix well. Add the egg, and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil, and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Microwave for three minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool, and tip the cake onto a plate if desired — or eat right from the cup. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Peanut-Butter Spread

* 1 tablespoon smooth or crunchy peanut butter

* 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

* 1 teaspoon cocoa

* few drops water (boiled and cooled)

* few drops vanilla, optional

In a cup, place the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and a few drops of water. Add vanilla, if desired. Stir vigorously until blended, and add more drops of water until consistency is reached for spreading. Spread on bread to desired thickness.

Slow-Cooker Cake

* 1 box chocolate cake mix

* 1 box instant chocolate pudding

* 16 ounces sour cream

* 4 eggs

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil

* 1 cup water

Mix all the ingredients together well. Spray the slow cooker well with nonstick spray. Pour the batter into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for six hours. Serve with ice cream. Cook’s note: I slid a sharp knife around the edge of the cake, and it slid out quite nicely onto a plate.

Chocolate Layered Dessert

Crust

* 1 stick butter

* 3/4 cup pecans

* 1 cup flour

Filling

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 12 ounces Cool Whip

* 8 ounces cream cheese

* 1 small box of chocolate pudding (make as pudding)

* 1 small box of vanilla pudding (make as pudding)

Melt butter in a 13-by-9-inch pan in a 375 F preheated oven. Add the pecans and flour. Mix well, and spread out. Stick back in the oven until slightly browned. Let cool.

Mix 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 6 ounces Cool Whip and cream cheese. Spread all over the crust, add the chocolate pudding (make the pudding first) spread, and then add the vanilla pudding (make first), and over the top add 6 ounces Cool Whip and pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Optional: Use your favorite pudding flavors, such as butterscotch, banana, lemon, etc.

Chocolate-Peanut-Butter Balls

* 1-1/2 cups peanut butter

* 1 cup butter, softened

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

* 4 cups milk-chocolate chips or chocolate candy wafers

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Roll into 1-inch balls, and place on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball, and chill in the freezer for a half-hour or the refrigerator for an hour to firm them. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or slowly in a microwave. Stir frequently until smooth and fully melted. Dip the chilled peanut-butter balls into chocolate. Remove toothpick. Put back on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet, and refrigerate until serving.

Source:  Frugal Village

Chocolate Chocolate, recipes, Valentine's Day

Factors such as ease of opening and resealable closures rather than sustainability of materials are driving upcoming packaging developments, claims Mondi Consumer Flexibles.

The supplier, in collaboration with Fuji Packaging, launched a packaging concept at the industry trade show, Pro Sweets, in Cologne this week that it said is informed by a growing demand for convenient formats in addition to product differentiation at the retail level.

Swift Up, according to Kim Pihl, product manager at Mondi Consumer Flexibles, is suitable for a huge range of sugar and chocolate confectionery. It can employ any type of film or laminate and is not restricted to any particular type of format, size or shape.

“Positioning of the fin is at the end of the packaging where traditionally it has been in the middle. The end-user simply pulls on the fin to fully open the pouch and an optional reclosable strip enables resealing to ensure the content stays fresh for longer,” he said.

The material, added Pihl, is applicable to a wide range of existing packaging lines such as vertical and horizontal Form-Fill-and-Seal (FFS), with only slight adjustments to the machinery required.

He told ConfectioneryNews.com that Mondi saw in Fuji a partner that was willing to take chances and experiment with new packaging concepts, which he stressed is vital for encouraging innovation. The two are collaborating on bringing the pack to market and said feedback from Pro Sweets has been more than positive.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the packaging supplier, the German Packaging Institute claims that sustainability is still critical when it comes to factors dictating the buying habits of a new type of consumer group called the LOHAS, which means Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability.

The Institute said this market segment is focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice.

Thomas Bastian, who represented the Institute at the trade show, told this publication that confectioners need to consider this group in terms of design and the incorporation of environmentally friendly materials into their packaging as they value services and products that make sense in terms of a balance between the economy, health and ecology.

“Research has shown that these consumers have high earning potential, and are enticed by visionary design and biodegradable packaging materials. They are five consumer types within this group. Some are status orientated and they want to be perceived as buyers of premium products – but others are more genuine in their “green” habits,” he continued.

LOHAS consumers are also used as predictors of upcoming trends, as they are early adopters of many attitudinal and behavioral dynamics, explained Bastian.

He said that 15 per cent of the German population subscribe to this new lifestyle and market research has shown it is a developing trend elsewhere in Europe. And subscribers are estimated to be at 30 per cent in the US.

According to Bastian, confectioners have LOHAS products in their portfolio – such as sugar free products and those using natural colours – but the packaging they are wrapped in is not appealing to the LOHAS group as it is either not biodegradable or the design is not innovative enough to attract this consumer.

He said the Institute is aiming to set up round tables involving packaging converters, suppliers and designers in addition to manufacturers to press home the factors required to attract this core group.

Confectionery, packaging new trends, packaging developments, Pro Sweets

All fats are made of various mixtures of saturated and unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fatty acids. All fatty acids are composed of chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Fatty acids are named and numbered based on how their carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are arranged. “Omega-3”, “Omega-6”, and “Omega-9” are actually chains of unsaturated fatty acids categorized based on where the double bond between two carbon atoms occurs. Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 have a carbon–carbon double bond in the #3 position, the #6 position, and the #9 position of their carbon chains, respectively.

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important to health because they help suppress inflammation, an underlying cause of many diseases. There are a number of omega-3 fatty acids. They can be categorized according to short chain or long chain configurations. One important short chain omega-3 fatty acid is alpha linolenic acid (ALA). It is essential to health; however, our bodies cannot make it, so we must get this fatty acid from our diets. It is a nutrient most Americans do not get enough of as relatively few foods are good sources. Canola and soybean oils are two widely available dietary sources of essential ALA so their inclusion in the daily diet is healthful. Longer chain omega-3’s are found in fatty fish, which also have health benefits.

Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential to health and are nutrients that our bodies cannot make. The most familiar omega-6 fatty acid is called linoleic acid (LA). Many oils contain omega-6 fatty acids, including safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, and peanut oils so it is much easier to get the amount needed through our daily diet. There has been some debate regarding the importance of a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, but others feel that it is the absolute amounts of each fatty acid in the diet that matters. The current recommendation for omega-6 fatty acid intake is 5-10% of total calories.

Omega-9 fatty acids are found in various vegetable oils and animal fats. Unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, they are not essential, but they too are important to health. Oleic acid is one of the main omega-9 fatty acids, and emerging evidence is showing that it may be important in metabolism and weight regulation. Oleic acid is the main component of olive oil, as well as, some of the new generation, heat stable oils, including high-oleic canola and sunflower oils. Another term for high-oleic oils is Omega-9 oils. Omega-9 oils refer to a category of oils that have over 70% oleic acid and less than 3% linolenic (ALA).

When it comes to frying, the fatty acid composition of the oil determines how well it stands up to the high heat of frying. Oils high in oleic acid are very heat stable. Omega-3 fatty acids are not very heat stable however they impart an important flavor profile to the oil so when there is just enough (above 1% or so), taste perception of the cooked food product is improved. New generation, low linolenic (ALA) soy oils also have enhanced heat stability and improved frying performance.

Ingredients fats, fatty acids, omega 3, omega 6, omega 9, saturated, unsaturated