Ingredients:

1cup peanut oil
8 medium Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
12 Dried Negro Chilies, stemmed and seeded
10 Dried Passilla Chillies stemmed and seeded
6 dried Guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
4 oz almonds
4oz Raisins
4oz cocoa nibs
2oz sesame seeds
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 whole cinnamon stick (mexican canela)
6 whole cloves
1tsp whole anise seed
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 slices toasted french bread
2qt chicken stock
3oz Lillie Belle Farms Purple Haze Chocolate- chopped
2oz Brown sugar
Salt

Directions:

In a skillet heat a few tablespoons peanut oil over med high heat. Toss in seeded chilies in small batches and fry until well toasted. Place chillies in 4 qt sauce pan of boiling water. When all chillies are added remove from heat and let sit 1/2hr.

When chilies are soft put chillies in a blender with ½ the reserved chili water and puree. Set aside.

In same skillet add the tomatillos and fry until skins blacken on all sides. Puree in blender and add to chili puree ..In  a large 2gallon pot add 4 tablespoons peanut oil and and heat over medium high heat. Add chilli/tomatillo puree and stir constantly until boiling. It should sizzle and boil instantly. Lower heat and reduce mixture by 1/3.

In skillet with NO OIL, add sesame seeds and toast until golden brown. Add to blender.

Add to dry hot skillet the cinnamon, cumin, anise, cloves, raisins, and cocoa nibs and toast lightly. Add to blender.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan and fry almonds and garlic together until toasted well. Add to blender.

Add chicken stock an toasted bread to blender with the spice/seed mixture until it is well pureed. Add to boiling chili/tomatillo mixture.

Add chicken stock and put on low flame to reduce. After 1 hour add the chopped chocolate and sugar and continue cooking for another hour. Add salt to taste.

ChocolateFest’s 2013 winner of People’s Choice for Best in Show.

(c) Anne Adams Photography

PREMIERE PARTY~ FRIDAY, JANUARY 18
6:00 – 9:30pm
Advanced sale tickets $20
At door $24. Ticket sales start at 5pm and end at 8:45pm

For the 21 and older crowd, this opening night offers guests a special adult-only atmosphere that’s great for date night or girl’s night out.

• First 800 people receive a free wine glass

• Everyone gets two free drink tickets valid for two samples or one full pour

• Free Barefoot Wine bag

• Enjoy music entertainment from Tall Jazz

• Voting for Best in Show

• Chance to win two round trip tickets from Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver, B.C.

Cacao trees drop leaves year-round, creating abundant leaf litter that decays and enriches the soil. Like most tropical trees, they have shallow root systems that pick up nutrients and water quickly. After about three years, they produce their first pods. Some drop to the forest floor and decompose while others ripen and fill with seeds.

Cacao trees cannot release their own seeds like other trees. For seed dispersal,they depend on animals that puncture the fruitʼs tough skin to reach the delicious,
sweet pulp inside. Because cacao seeds are bitter, animals eat the sweet pulp but discard the seeds.  Some sprout and become the next generation of trees.