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Our finely grated baking chocolate is specially crafted to melt with ease. Replace with powdered chocolate 1:1 in any of your favorite recipes.
Peruse through our curated list of free educational resources from our Historic Site Partners. There’s something for everyone young and old.
Our grant application period for 2023 is now closed.
March is Women’s History month and we want to shine a lot on women’s achievements–past and present–that affect the chocolate that we eat and enjoy today!
Welcome to Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of women throughout history, especially in the world of chocolate! Did you know that women played a crucial role in the cultivation, preparation, marketing, and selling of chocolate from the very beginning? From colonial-era streets to the modern-day chocolate industry, women have been trailblazers in every aspect of chocolate. This month, let’s honor the pioneering women who made history by learning about their achievements and indulging in some delicious chocolate treats inspired by their legacy. At American Heritage Chocolate, we’re proud to be part of this celebration and we invite you to join us on this journey of discovery and enjoyment.
During the Aztec empire between the years 1428-1521, Aztec women were responsible for making chocolate drinks in the capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is the location of the first noted use of cacao beans. They would grind the roasted beans into a paste and flavor them with spices such as chili pepper, vanilla, and bee honey. They would mix corn kernels into the paste, add water to the vessel, strain it, and create a frothy beverage.
Champurrado is similar to Mexican hot chocolate, but thickened with either masa de maíz, masa harina, or corn flour; piloncillo; water or milk; and warming spices such as cinnamon, anise or vanilla. It’s particularly popular to sip on during the holidays throughout Mexico.
In her 1727 cookbook, The Complete Housewife: Or Accomplished Gentlemen’s Companion, Eliza Smith included a reference to chocolate in one of her recipes. This was the first recorded cookbook printed in North America and demonstrated that chocolate was becoming increasingly available.
This historically inspired recipe takes the classic sugar cake—a buttery, short dough cookie of the 18th century—and adds chocolate with warm, spicy flavors to bring it to new heights.
In 1670, Dorothy Jones and Jane Bernard of Boston were granted a license to open a tavern for the selling of coffee and chocolate.
This gingerbread recipe is taken from the era of the American Revolution and can be directly linked to the Superintendent of Bakers in the Continental Army, Christopher Ludwick. The modern approach below is historically inspired by the original ratio with the addition of chocolate to balance the hard spices and caraway.
Upon the death of her husband in 1767, Mary Crathorne ran a family shop, Globe Mill, in Philadelphia where she manufactured and sold chocolate until her death in 1780. She recorded one of the first businesses owned and operated by a woman where she was the primary chocolatier.
This historic recipe for chocolate biscuits is based upon Francois Massialot’s Chocolat Bisket which appeared in the English translation of The Court and County Cook in 1702. This delectable recipe is very close to a meringue, using only egg whites, sugar, chocolate, and a hint of orange. It would definitely have been made during the time of Mary Crathorne.
Emily Bliss Thacher Souder was a nurse volunteer at Gettysburg who wrote about the food supplies that were available to the soldiers recuperating from their wounds from the battle. She served many of the food rations to the soldiers and made the following observation about the importance of preparing and serving chocolate: “The condensed milk is invaluable. The corn-starch, farina, and milk punch are eagerly partaken of, and a cup of chocolate is greatly relished.”
This modern adaption from The Lady’s Recipe Book circa 1847 is the first known preparation for a cake baked with chocolate rather than a cookie dipped into hot chocolate. Delicious!
During her memorable flight (January 11, 1935) Earhart drank hot chocolate from a thermos and then after arriving, sat for an interview and provided the following information: “That was the most interesting cup of chocolate I have ever had, sitting up eight thousand feet over the middle of the Pacific Ocean, quite alone.”
Classic doesn’t have to mean boring! Hot chocolate is comforting and warming and clearly something enjoyed 8000 feet in the sky!
