Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on 50% power in microwave, in 45 second intervals, stirring in between.
Meanwhile, heat soymilk in saucepan on medium heat just until scalding (bubbles forming along the edges of the soymilk) - not a full boil.
Pour soymilk over melted chocolate and stir until fully incorporated. Add almond liqueur, sugar and almond extract and stir to blend.
Pour into a lightly greased 8-10” spring form pan. Top with sliced almonds. Chill in refrigerator until firm, about 3-4 hours. Slice and serve alone or with a scoop of soy vanilla ice cream.
Karen C. of Arizona received the most votes in our Year of Chocolate Contest! Congratulations! Karen will receive her first box of truffles in September, along with a tee shirt with her winning slogan, Without Chocolate...You Have No Life!
It was a lot of fun and we can't wait to see what people come up with next time!
No one is as surprised as we are to find out that our Year of Chocolate Contest ended in a big-fat-tie!
Two slogans received exactly 100 votes when Facebook and Twitter votes were tallied. And even stranger - the two finalists are named Karen.
So now we begin our three-day sudden death match. Don't vote here!!! No posts will be considered in the voting process.
The complete rules are posted on this blog in the right column - but here are the highlights:
1. The top two slogans will be posted on our Facebook page. You must "like" Barkeater Chocolates in order to vote. Simply hit "like" on the slogan you are voting for. Only one "like" counts per fan.
2. OR if you follow us on Twitter - you simply retweet your favorite slogan. Again - only one retweet by a FOLLOWER will be counted.
3. You may only vote once - EITHER on Twitter or Facebook - NOT BOTH!
4. The winning slogan gets chocolate for a year and a tee shirt with her printed slogan.
5. Don't forget - one fan or follower will be selected at random to win an 8-piece box of truffles and a tee shirt.
Here are the two finalists:
Karen P. "Smiles are Made From Chocolate." Karen C. "Without Chocolate You Have No Life."
The voting deadline is 9pm EST Wednesday, July 14, 2010.
This story comes courtesy of one of our retailers, Laurie, at Hudson River Traders in North Creek. Normally Laurie sells Barkeater Chocolates' gourmet truffles in numerous assortments, which are fabulous for gifts and souvenirs. Typically, in the heat of the summer months, the gift giving season wanes and chocolate souvenirs don't always make it home. I offered Laurie some of our gourmet Grown-Up Peanut Butter Cups to sample, knowing that they would sell quickly in small packages when visitors just want a little pick-me-up while they're vacationing.
Laurie took the package of four cups back to her store and ate one. Then another (because who can stop at just one?). She offered one to her employee and was about to start on the last cup when a woman shopping at her store suddenly became faint. Laurie and her staff immediately sat the shopper down in an Adirondack` chair and grabbed her a cup of water. The woman was still dizzy and unable to get up. Laurie, realizing she still had one peanut butter cup left, asked the woman if she thought it would help. The shopper weakly nodded.
One bite. Two bites. Three bites later and the color began to return to the weary shopper's face. Four bites and another sip of water was all the faint woman needed to regain her strength and resume her visit.
The conclusion? While Barkeater Chocolates' gourmet Grown-Up Peanut Butter Cups may not technically be medicinal in nature, they helped restore this woman's energy on a hot summer day. While more studies are needed, we have compelling evidence that our chocolate makes people very, very happy.
Please consult your physician before starting any peanut butter cup therapy. Use only as directed. If you begin to exhibit side effects of extreme happiness and suddenly become pleasant to be around, please see your chocolatier at once to refill your prescription. Peanut butter cups are safe to share among those without allergies to peanuts, milk, chocolate or fun. Enjoy responsibly.
Be a fan of our facebook page or follower on Twitter (@bark_chocolates) to vote for ONE of our finalists! We will award a random fan/follower prize of an 8-piece gourmet box of chocolate truffles and a tee shirt! Here they are:
And God Said, "Let There Be Chocolate." And There was Life. And There Were Smiles. David B.
Air,Water, and Chocolate=Life. Cathie M.
Life Without Chocolate is like a rainy Monday morning. Nanci K.
Life Without Chocolate. You Might As Well Cancel Fridays. Amanda C.
Life Without Chocolate is Too Much to Ask of Vanilla. Will S.
Life is So Much Sweeter with Chocolate From Barkeater. Debbie C.
Without Chocolate You Have No Life. Karen C.
When Life Hands You Lemons, Grab the Chocolate. Dorothy L.
Life Without Chocolate is Best Lived by Someone Else. Mike S.
Last summer, we gave away a 4-piece box of gourmet chocolate truffles every month to a lucky winner out in Idaho. Kathy receives a different boxed artisan truffle collection every four weeks delivered right to her door! And she won this simply by answering the question: What would your life be without chocolate?
As temps soar into the 90’s in the Northeast, we’re back again with another YEAR OF CHOCOLATE CONTEST! Only this time, the stakes are higher!
Not only will one lucky winner receive a year of chocolate, but also a tee shirt with their winning entry printed right on the shirt. This year, we’re asking for a witty & humorous slogan that we can print on promotional items for Barkeater Chocolates. You can use the Life Without Chocolate…(fill in the blanks) template, or come up with one of your own. It must be one line & mention the word “chocolate.”
Staff at Barkeater Chocolates will go through the entries and select up to 10 slogans that they would love to use on their tee shirts and other materials. Then, the fun really begins!!
Those who follow Barkeater Chocolates on Twitter and Facebook will get to vote for the best slogan. You can vote for your own slogan – but you must follow/fan us to do so. This insures that no one votes more than once. Want to win? Promote the Barkeater Chocolates page on your Facebook page or tweet about @bark_chocolates on Twitter. Ask your friends and followers to vote for your slogan. As an incentive to them, we will give out another prize, chosen at random, to one follower or fan who votes. That winner will receive one 8-piece box of artisan truffles and one tee shirt with the winning line!
POST YOUR WINNING SLOGAN IN THE COMMENTS SECTION! Remember, we need to know we can contact you should your slogan become one of the finalists, so posting from “anonymous” won’t make the cut unless you put your name (first is fine) and email address in the body of the comment.
Please read the rules! And don’t plagiarize or tweak a commonly used slogan. For example, no one should post “Got Chocolate?” or “Chocolate…Don’t Leave Home Without It.” Also, material deemed offensive will be deleted immediately. Stay away from copyrighted lines from a recorded song, published book or movie – which means, No Forrest Gump references! If chosen, you will be stating that the line is original and not submitted elsewhere! Thanks and GOOD LUCK!
