Milk of the Gods - Willie's Cacao

I hope everybody is enjoying the Diamond Jubilee!  The Queen must be exhausted all that hand waving, trumpet fanfares, speeches and meals to consume! Hats off to the 12 choir members or should that be drowned rats who continued undaunted, through rain, rain and even more rain. They remained at their posts, smiling some even crying, risking pneumonia, trench foot and running make-up, to belt out song after song at Sunday's Thames pageant. One of the twelve was even berrated by her mother for putting her hood up on national TV! Talk about keeping up appearances. They should all receive a medal as far as I'm concerned. Didn't anybody in the BBC consider it might rain? Where was Plan B? Rule, Britannia!

Before trying Milk of the Gods from Willie's Cacao why not make some Food of the Gods! A quick and easy brunch recipe....

Portebello Mushrooms and Poached Eggs on Toast

Ingredients:

3 Large Portebello Mushrooms
6 tbsp olive oil
1 knob of butter
Several Sprigs of Thyme
Salt and Pepper
3 Whole Eggs
Vinegar
3 Slices of toast (I used Granary)

Method:

1. Line your grill pan with foil.
2. Prepare the mushrooms wiping them gently with a piece of damp kitchen roll.
3. Rub the olive oil over all surfaces of the mushrooms.
4. Season each mushroom well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
5. Grill on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally until the juices start to flow. Use the butter to stop them drying out.
6. Meanwhile prepare the poached eggs. To a pan containing an inch and a half of boiling water add a splash of vinegar and 1/4 tspn of salt.
7. Break the eggs gently into a shallow bowl. Just before adding the eggs to the pan stir the boiling water vigoursly to create a whirlpool effect - this will help to keep the whites surrounding the yolks.
8. Bring the water back to the boil and turn to simmer very gently and cook for 4-5 minutes to your own personal taste.
9. Place the mushrooms on warmed plates and top each with a poached egg. Serve with hot buttered toast and a further twist of black pepper. Yum!

Ok, that's lunch sorted! Now it's time to taste some milk chocolate from Willie's Cacao.  

Rio Caribe 44

Milk of the Gods - A 44% milk chocolate from the Hacienda San Agustin estate near the Rio Caribe, cocoa butter from Barlovento (Spanish for windward), sugar cane from Guadeloupe and British Organic milk. Perfect ingredients indeed.

This single estate chocolate gives off a distinctive caramel and malty aroma which continues through as you bite into your first chunk. The sweetness from the sugar cane is there but it is not overpowering and it doesn't leave that nasty caustic feeling on the back of your throat that you might get with some milk chocolates.  I found that the cocoa flavour was fairly subtle probably because it is being masked by caramel and a 'condensed milk' flavour which is very pleasant and comforting.  Overall a very tasty bar of milk chocolate, 8/10. £1.90 for a 50g Single Square, buy here from the Chocolate Trading Company.