Skip to main content

Cocoa-Mo: Black Onyx Cocoa Powder #BlendsBash #SongBlends #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Book Club Cookbook.
I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development,
but all opinions are honest and they are my own. This page may contain affiliate links.

I recently heard from my contact at The Book Club Cookbook, asking if I would be interested in trying our a couple of their new spice blends. Ummm...yes! Did you really have to ask?!? I am always up for some culinary adventure; and when it ties reading to cooking...well, let's just say I will make time in my calendar for that no matter what. 


So, I perused the choices - of their Book Blends, TV Blends, and Song Blends - decided on Cocoa-Mo, a Black Onyx Cocoa Powder and Of Spice and Men, Indonesian Korintje Cinnamon. I selected these based on spices I needed for upcoming recipes, but I love the play on words for all of the blends, especially The Sage of Innocence, Dried and Prejudice, and Of Cumin Bondage.


I had never heard of Black Onyx Cocoa before, so I did some reading to find out what makes it different from other cocoa powders. And, certainly, I was humming the Beach Boys' Kokomo as I did!

It turns out this is just cocoa powder has been alkalized to the extreme, resulting in an almost purplish black powder. The resulting cocoa powder lacks the natural bitterness of some cocoas, but it also lacks a percentage of the fat content. So my research cautioned that I might need to add more butter or fat to a recipe or use a heavier milk.


I used this in my version of a German Chocolate Cake for a joint birthday party on Friday - Cocoa-Mo chocolate layers with coconut-pecan filling and a coffee buttercream. I'll share that recipe soon, but, for now, are a few pictures from our party. Happy birthdays to Pia and Mike!


Everyone loved the cake, by the way...even the smallest of us who also happens to be the pickiest eater. Comments about the cocoa powder, with which I dusted the cake, were that it was almost smoky. So, it lent an interested, savory aspect to the cake. I loved it and can't wait to try it in a batch of holiday cookies I'm testing today.


Find the Sponsor
On the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Instagram
*Disclosure: I received product for free from the sponsor for recipe development, however, 
I have received no additional compensation for my post. My opinion is 100% my own and 100% accurate.

Comments

  1. I took the cinnamon too. Can't wait to start baking with it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love these!! What great spice mixes to work with! The cake is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event."  Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry by Sn