Chocolate

[lawyerbriefs]

We're doing a Sunday afternoon party for a charitable organization we're involved with. As part of the spread, we want a chocolate board with, maybe, two or three chunks of chocolate, with knives for hacking off pieces.We'll probably have 60 or so people, other desserts and plenty of hors d'oeuvres. Maybe we need two or three half kilo or kilo-sized pieces of chocolate. Nothing too fancy (read: expensive), but decent, i.e., better than Hershey's. Any ideas? I did some on line looking and didn't get far, and I'd like to avoid spending much, if anything, for shipping to Tucson.

TIA

[goodhealthgourmet]

TJ's Pound Plus bars are made by Callebaut - you'd be hard-pressed to find a better price on good Belgian chocolate without going to a wholesaler or confectionery supply. the bars are thick enough that people can still have fun hacking off a piece - i usually have to smack them against the counter to break them into manageable pieces before i chop the chocolate for baking/cooking.

[petitgateau]

Do you have whole foods nearby? I have bought big chunks of callebaut chocolate (really good stuff) which, while not cheap, is cheaper than getting it shipped. Also, Trader Joes sells some decent Belgian chocolate. Not sure about chunks though.

[toveggiegirl]

I second TJs. They have those "Pound Plus" bars that come in a few varieties and are very affordable. Costco would probably also be a good place to check.

[paulj]

The darker the chocolate the harder it will be to hack bits off. The TJ Pound+ bars are scored for 40 pieces. If I want to cut their 72% bar into smaller pieces I stab it with a sturdy paring knife.