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Sweeter Mornings with Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates

Work at the hospital has gotten crazy as of recent:

  • Conference calls every other day.
  • Running to meetings.
  • The dreaded budget meetings (Ugh!)
  • A particular few work colleagues who never seem to remember the answer to the same question they ask every week. (Really?)
  • Clocks at work are not displaying correct times because its satellite (our atomic clocks are synched that way) is off and everyone is starting/arriving at meetings later. (Insert face palm)

Thankfully, chocolate is my salvation from those hectic days. (And I like my job.)

Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bars
Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bars


As part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program, I had the opportunity to try Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolates. Instead of having chocolates to end my days (and I would presume most do), I thought, why not start the day with them?

Ghiradelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bar: Cabernet Matinee
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cabernet Matinee Chocolate Bar with my cup of coffee

I start my mornings with my current pound of coffee beans a Costa Rican Chirripo Los Crestones – Finca Alaska that has wonderful dried fruit flavors along the lines of raisin and dried plum. As the coffee cools a tartness appears and a beautiful cranberry note comes into play. The finish on this cup is buttery and chocolatey leaning towards raw cacao nibs. It matched wonderfully with the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cabernet Matinee chocolate bar’s lush, tart blackberry flavors and velvety bittersweet chocolate.

Whole grain pancakes with melted Ghiradelli Intense Dark 86% Midnight Reverie chocolate
Pancakes with Ghiradelli Intense Dark 86% Midnight Reverie chocolate and honey sauce

I know it’s sounds crazy for a weekday breakfast but I had to succumb my chocolate craving this morning and whipped up a batch of whole grain pancakes and topped it with a chocolate sauce made of Ghiradelli Intense Dark 86% Midnight Reverie, honey and a touch of heavy cream. It’s not too decadent since the very dark and bitter (in a very good way) chocolate balances the floral sweetness of the honey. To me, this is like having a slice of fluffy chocolate cake for breakfast but healthier, to an extent, and it doesn’t have a lot of sugar. The recipe is below.

Whole grain pancakes with honey and chocolate sauce

For pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix first 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and molasses in large bowl to blend. Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Heat griddle or heavy large skillet over medium heat. Brush with butter. Working in batches, drop scant 1/4 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side, brushing griddle with more butter as needed. Serve with chocolate sauce (recipe below, or maple syrup, if you choose).

For chocolate sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
7 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark 86% chocolate), finely chopped
3 tablespoons honey

Bring cream to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the honey, pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, gently whisking until smooth. Keep warm or at room temperature.

This post is brought to you by Ghirardelli Intense Dark™ by DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program.

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Tina

I shoot, eat, and drink. My full time job is a hospital administrator. Moonlighting as a freelance photographer and food and travel writer.