“Kimmie, can you come up with something savory to make with the chocolate?”
More than occasionally, I enjoy asking people outlandish questions just to see what they’ll say. This question was about the recently launched Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Chocolate. I wanted to do a cooking demo that incorporated the chocolate into recipes that were as boundary pushing as the chocolate itself. And no, this isn’t a cooking blog, but this sounded fun!
Of course there are oodles of delicious but familiar ways to use chocolate. Case in point: Kimmie’s famous Chocolate Chunk Magic Cookies. Utter comfort to the body and soul. But I also wanted a recipe that prompted a double-take.
And so I asked Kimmie for something chocolate and savory.
Her answer was the Balsamic Chocolate Magic Glaze. The idea alone blew me away. And then I got to taste it. I found myself in a completely different universe.
And so was born “Cooking with Magic All-One Chocolate,” which originally aired as a Facebook Live on the Going Green page November 3, 2021.
Kimmie is Kim D’Amico, Dr. Bronner’s All-One Chef. Yes, we have a chef. If you ask Kimmie what her job is, she’ll tell you without batting an eye it’s to bring people joy. May we all be employed as such. What this means for her is that she coordinates the daily vegan lunches and comes up with amazing vegan and gluten-free treats for the staff, such as her Horchata Ice Cream or Banana Chocolate Chunk muffins or her Brownies with Ganache. (Want to try some of Kimmie’s creations? We always have open positions!)
I love talking to Kimmie because she says the unexpected in the most nonchalant manner.
“The last time I drove this road I was rescuing a mountain lion.” - On her life as a wildlife rescuer and vet tech. Or that she was thrilled when Dr. Bronner’s sent her to truck driving school so she could be licensed to drive the All-One Firetruck. It was a lifelong dream.
Or that she used to be a hair dresser and makeup artist. Or that the very first thing she had to learn at Dr. Bronner’s was the “Thriller” dance. Her first day was October 29, and that’s what our events team was prepping for Halloween. Imagine coming home from work at a soap company and explaining to your household what the job training was like!
Because we don’t always have events going on, our Magic Foam Experience team - aka MFE team or Foamie Homies - of which Kimmie was initially part, often gets reassigned to areas of need at the plant. So Kimmie has also worked bar soap production, balm production, and liquid soap production.
And now she’s our amazing All-One Chef!
Kimmie walked me through each of her recipes during our Facebook Live. If you’re short on time, head over to my blog post (LisaBronner.com/Cooking), print out the recipes on the right-hand side, and get cooking!
Some notes on each recipe…
Chocolate Balsamic Glaze
In the lead up to our Live, Kimmie sent me several different glaze renditions. It’s made for veggies, and it is transformative there. Definitely elevates veggies from obligation to delight. (My favorite veggie to put it on was the roasted sweet potato, but ask me tomorrow and I’ll probably say brussels sprouts. Or carrots.)
But with the extra glaze, I would stand in my kitchen brainstorming what I could put it on. Cheese was amazing. Gouda. Wine soaked Toscano. Even good ol’ cheddar. And fruit - amazing on pears and persimmons, which are what I had on hand, but if it were spring, I could totally see this on strawberries. Or as a dressing on a watermelon, feta, and arugula salad. Bring it!
I’m so curious what all you’ll be finding to put this on!
Chocolate Chunk Magic Cookies
You think you know Chocolate Chunk Cookies. But Kimmie adds Magic. For the staff, Kimmie makes them vegan and gluten free, but you can make them any way you want. Sub out the vegan eggs (flax meal and water) for 2 whole eggs. Sub out the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten free flour for All Purpose Flour. Sub out the cranberries for raisins or nuts or leave them out entirely.
These can be made ahead and frozen, but better yet is my favorite trick: Shape the dough into cookies as though you were about to bake them. And then freeze them! Once frozen, keep them in an airtight bag or container in the freezer. Then whenever you want fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies (is there ever a time I don’t want those??), pull any number out, and bake them as directed. They may need a little longer. Frozen, ready-to-bake cookies are great gifts that make friends and family VERY happy.
Here’s to good moments
Every so often there comes a convergence of pathways that results in something beautiful. So came this Live Cooking with Magic All-One Chocolate. I hope you have as much fun watching it as I did making it.
For more tips, visit my blog, “Going Green with Lisa Bronner” at www.lisabronner.com/.
Find Magic All-One Chocolate near you using our store locator, DrBronner.com/store-locator.