Photo by John Suh

Eat them by the handful.

​First, a quick and dirty lesson on the varieties of chocolate:

• Unsweetened chocolate is all cacao and no sugar, making it incredibly bitter. It is also known as baking chocolate and is usually found in the baking aisle of grocery stores in the forms of blocks or bars. The sugar is added separately when baking brownies or cakes.
• Bittersweet, extra dark, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate, at least in the U.S., are often used interchangeably and should contain no less than 35 percent cacao. (Bittersweet and extra dark tend to have more cacao, while semi-sweet and dark have more sugar.) Unlike the cacao, however, sugar content is not regulated so sweetness may vary between brands.
• Milk chocolate contains milk (duh) either in the form of powder, liquid, or condensed.
• White chocolate uses cocoa butter instead of cocoa solids as its main ingredient. As a result, white chocolate lacks many of the health benefits found in darker chocolate.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's dive into the most delectable of chocolates: the dark variety.

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Mark Woolcott, used with permission from Fluff Bake Bar

Buy a box of Rebecca Mason's famous Fluffernutters and help homeless dogs at the same time.

​Want something better to give on Valentine's Day than a last-minute heart-shaped box of mediocre chocolates from the drug store? Several local bakers are offering baked goods and other items that you can order in advance and pick up when the big day is closer.

Fluff Bake Bar and Fat Cat Creamery

One of Houston's best-known pastry chefs, Rebecca Mason of Fluff Bake Bar, has joined forces with Fat Cat Creamery to offer an array of goodies available for pick up. Rebecca's famous Fluffernutters are an option, as well as an intriguing Sweet Treat Gift Box that contains four each of brownies, cupcakes and cookies. Gorgeous French macarons are available, and Rebecca says her new chocolates are yummy.

Fat Cat Creamery is offering a special ice cream flavor as well: Vanilla with Chocolate Covered Cherry.

As an added bonus, when you indulge in these sweet treats, you're helping a good cause as well. Forty percent of sales go to Lucky Dog Rescue, a non-profit fostering organization that finds homes for stray and abandoned dogs. Altruism makes everything taste even better.

These are just a few of their offerings for the Valentine's Bake Sale, so check out the rest of menu at the Lucky Dog web site.

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Photo by Groovehouse

As seen at our Cupcake Smackdown, people go nuts over tiny cakes.

​For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants.

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Photo by Mel Sharlene

Touchdown!

​Earlier, we brought you a Super Bowl Buffalo Chicken Dip big enough to feed a game day crowd. Now for the sweets (I mean, you need something to counteract all of the spicy wing dip and beer, right?). With only four ingredients, these Oreo Truffle Footballs are delicious, so simple to make and even easier to shop for.

A sort of heaven-sent hybrid between a cake ball, a cookie and a truffle, these little guys make the perfect bite-size sweet.

Here's how to make them:

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Photo by Bill Dorris

​In January, we brought you a Month of Oatmeal in honor of National Oatmeal Month. That was nice and all, but February's here. And in February, it's all about the chocolate baby. From complimentary s'mores at a poolside bar to a Snickers beignet (is this real life?), here are 29 ways to indulge:

Wed. Feb. 1: Swap your regular cup of Joe for a Cinnamon Spice Mocha at Inversion Coffee House.

Thurs. Feb. 2 : Warm up with Quattro's S'more Winter Happy Hour. Head to The Four Seasons' fourth-floor pool bar for cocktails and two complimentary s'mores.

Fri. Feb. 3: Sip on a Godiva Chocolate Martini and enjoy the artsy, European vibe at Zimm's Martini & Wine Bar.

Sat. Feb. 4: Celebrate Valentine's Day early with a trip to the wineries. The Blue-Bonnet Wine & Chocolate Trail offers two wine tastings paired with a chocolate delicacy at 10 different wineries for only $25 (or $45 for two!).

Sun. Feb. 5: Pick up Superbowl treats at Crave Cupcakes. The store is offering Giants vs. Patriots cupcakes for game day.

Mon. Feb. 6: Wash down some Bangers and Mash with a Chocolate Stout at Red Lion Pub.

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Chuck Cook Photography

In need of a chocolate fix? Keep your eyes open; this van may be on a street near you.

​After a great deal of planning, faith and up-front investment, Chocolat d'Arte has driven into Houston's burgeoning food truck scene with a new, spotless van. Rich graphics laden with photos of some of the chocolates on offer adorn the sides.

Entrepreneur and artisan chocolatier Nancy Burke, of Chocolat d'Arte, has been making high-quality chocolate truffles for about a year now. I think I may have been one of the earliest recipients when my husband asked her to make boxes of custom chocolates for my birthday last year. I remember being absolutely awed at their beauty as they twinkled at me in glints of gold, green and red.

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary.

Oh Doughboy, I wish I could quit you.

​Damn you, Doughboy. You pop that hip and giggle and pose with giant cookie, and suddenly I'm $3.39 poorer. I didn't even notice until I was at the checkout that you were proffering "special edition" baked goods, which in my mind is dangerously close to that siren call phrase, "limited edition."

While most packages of break-and-bake cookie dough are divided into 24 squares, the MegaChip inflates the cookie's overall size in addition to its component parts, and thus provides only 12 pre-cut cookies. But to my gluttonous eyes, even these "mega-size" cookies seemed "normal," which gives you some indication of the degree to which the American conception of portion size is distorted.

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Photo by ginnerobot

How NOT to lighten up a birthday cake.

​My birthday is coming up, and after the shit ton of holiday sweets I devoured last month, I'm trying to watch what I eat. But that doesn't mean I can't have my (birthday) cake and eat it too. In fact, my inner fat kid will probably try to shank me if I don't have at least a bit. So I've put together a list of my favorite tips for lightening up my one of favorite indulgences: cake.

Try any or all of these easy tricks for delicious cake without the added calories:

Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for half the sugar. Splenda is my favorite of the bunch (I tricked my fiancé into using it in his coffee instead of sugar and he's never turned back). But bakers beware: not everyone may love the taste of artificial sweeteners.

Cut down on the sugar called for in the recipe. Sugar also plays an integral part in the texture of cakes, but test it out - there are some recipes where cutting back on the sweet stuff by ¼ really won't hurt.

Use whole-wheat flour in place of half the white flower. The extra fiber will improve digestion and increase fullness.

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Photo by holycalamity

Anything can go on these babies.

​Open letter to Dutch baby pancakes:

My sweet, sweet Dutch babies,

Where have you been all my life? Seriously, I've been lost without you. You're delicious... and so easy to make...and you're so full of love...and so full of powdered sugar. I love you, Dutch baby pancakes. I love you with all my heart.

xoxo,
B

So...that was awkward. Now that I've reached a new level of creepiness, we can all move on.

I just discovered the godsend that is the Dutch baby pancake last weekend thanks to my friend Jessica and a day full of brunch, football and mimosas. You may know them as German pancakes, Bismarcks, Dutch puffs, or high-rise pancakes...but I know them as little clouds of heaven. Although you can find them in diners and chains like The Original Pancake House, these babies are too simple not to make at home.

Be prepared to wow your guests. Almost soufflé-like, this light and airy treat rises up in the oven and falls to create a puffed pancake crust. I can already hear the oohs and aahs around the room. It makes the perfect brunch dish - it's easy and versatile, and you can use the recipe to make mini pancakes.

Here's how to make them:

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Photo by Joanna O'Leary

The giant cupcake casts an impressive shadow.

​A few weeks ago, Katharine Shilcutt issued predictions for 2012 Houston food trends. Commenters wrote in with their own suggestions, including one from Stacy Zane:

I was just in NY and saw that Doughnut Plant. But something else I saw was Baked by Melissa - quarter-sized cupcakes! I know the last thing we need is another cupcake trend but I was really into them! They're so teeny tiny and you can sample a lot of flavors without feeling like a complete fat ass.

Stacy, you're right: the last thing we need is another cupcake trend. However, with regards to the rise of the "tiny cupcake," I respectfully disagree. In fact, I foresee the very opposite trend: Giant Cupcakes.

The giant cupcake is, of course, a contradiction in terms, as a cupcake by definition replicates a cake in smaller (cup) form. Enlarging this baked good is akin to making a large "shot," filling a pint glass of straight alcohol to quaff in one swallow instead of the standard one-and-a-half ounces.

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