cookiesinheaven

...In a stroke, a hedge fund manager here named Anthony Ward has all but cornered the market in cocoa. By one estimate, he has bought enough to make more than five billion chocolate bars.

Chocolate lovers here are crying into their Cadbury wrappers — and rival traders are crying foul, saying Mr. Ward is stockpiling cocoa in a bid to drive up already high prices so he can sell later at a big profit. His activities have helped drive cocoa prices on the London market to a 30-year high.

Mr. Ward, 50, is not some rabid chocoholic, former employees say. He simply has a head for cocoa. And, through his private investment firm, Armajaro, he now controls a cache equal to 7 percent of annual cocoa production worldwide, a big enough chunk to sway prices.

...Now, traders here are buzzing that Mr. Ward has placed an audacious $1 billion bet in the London market for cocoa futures. This month, he bought 241,100 metric tons of beans, they say.

His play has some people up in arms. While some see it as a simple bet that cocoa prices will rise on falling supply, others say Mr. Ward has created a shortage of cocoa simply to drive up the price himself.

The German Cocoa Trade Association and others wrote an angry letter to the London exchange on which cocoa is traded, demanding that it take action against what the association characterized as a “manipulation.” - NYTimes

Labels: Chocolate, cocoa, Financial

• 2 oz. Brady's Irish Cream liqueur
• Splash of Celtic Crossing liqueur
• Canned whipped cream
• 1 serving hot chocolate mix
• Cinnamon, ground or stick
• Fresh chocolate shavings to garnish

What you will need:

• 1 stick butter (unsalted)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour the madeleine pans. (These can be of various sizes). Melt the butter and let it cool down. Beat together eggs, sugar and salt, then add the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour using a spatula. When blended, fold in the butter very carefully, but quickly so it does not settle at the bottom of the mixing bowl.

Spoon the batter into the pans and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn out onto a cooling rack and once completely cool, dust with confectioners sugar.

Your Madeleine cookie may be stored in an airtight tin for up to 4 days. If you wish as an alternative, you may substitute the lemon zest with orange zest.

And there you have it!

Labels: Chocolate, cocoa, Cookies, Drinks, rain, Recipes, weather