"Boscoe Bakes"......."Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters"

I've learned that there are two types of attendees present each week at my Wednesday evening social get togethers. There are the "Cookie Monsters" and the "Pastry Profiteers", and both camps have their own strategies in place to ensure the biggest score and ultimate victory.  Yes, I am now hosting my own version of "Survivor" and the competition seems to be getting more aggressive and creative as the weeks go by. The "Cookie Monsters" are looking for snacks and luncheon companions for their trip to the office tomorrow, while the "Pastry Profiteers" must amass a collection of goodies to please the sweet tooth of a wife, husband or significant other waiting patiently at home. And of course for the later, their hero status yields benefits that money just can't buy. I won't go into that here, because after all this post is rated PG. 

Tonight, things got a little crazy when I announced that some of the chocolate used in the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters was from the three Amano Artisan chocolate bars I had just reviewed. I chose to share this news and the chocolate in this fashion, since I always have several guests and not nearly enough chocolate so that everybody could enjoy their own piece.  My guests had seen the review, heard me wax enthusiasm over the superb quality, and now ALL of them were determined to sample the same chocolate bliss that I had so quietly enjoyed just a few hours earlier. Never mind the fact that there were several people who had been munching on these delicious cookies and singing their praise throughout the evening, now even the "Pastry Profiteers" who were busy inhaling my banana cake, wanted in on the action. Suddenly these peanut butter infused oatmeal cookies with the gourmet chocolate "chips" were all the rage, and pandemonium nearly erupted.  Thank God, I had 4 dozen of these beauties available, so that in the end, everybody was a winner. The real kicker here is that most of the chocolate chips were from another source, and it was the combination of chunky peanut butter mixed with the other ingredients that truly made these cookies shine. The recipe for these "to die for" cookies can be found in Dorie Greenspan's newest book......"From My Home To Yours" on page 73.

"Boscoe Reviews"........Amano Chocolate

Having had the good fortune to work for two American chocolate manufacturers who are true "bean to bar" producers, I am well versed on the process and procedures unique to superior chocolate production.  And bean selection, growing region and the processing equipment used are the DNA that make the difference between ordinary and "extra ordinary" chocolate.  The Amano Artisan chocolate bars that I received courtesy of Blake Makes, are pleasantly without a doubt in the later category. The Madagascar amused my taste buds with trace amounts of orange, lemon and cherry, while the Ocumare, also genetically blessed with fruit offerings, clearly displayed rich chocolate overtones. My favorite, the Cuyagua hinted at cinnamon and other exotic spices, while also suggesting banana and other complex flavor combinations. Collectively, they entertained, stimulated and held me captive for several hours.  This was truly a chocophile's idea of time well spent.