Lots and lots of chocolate this weekend

Chocoholics, get your sweet tooth ready. The 5th Annual Utah Chocolate Show is this Friday and Saturday.

Chocolatiers and confectioners will have their products on display for sampling and shopping, including Utah Truffles, V Chocolates, Gygi Culinary Solutions and so on. There will also be live music both evenings to give a "date night" ambience, according to the show's founder, Melanie Henderson.

There will be free demonstrations during the day, as well as hands-on specialty classes, taught by candymakers, pastry chefs and culinary teachers.

People can also stroll the gallery of entries in Utah's Grand Wedding Cake Competition and vote for the "People's Choice" favorite, which will be awarded at 8:45 p.m. Saturday. The wedding cake contest has three categories: classic, chocolate and freestyle.

New this year is "A Small Extravagance" Chocolate Competition, open to Utah-based amateur and professional chocolatiers. Their confections will be judged in various categories: milk and dark chocolates, truffles, dipped/enrobed, molded, caramel, toffee and fudge. The competitor having the highest combined score will be named the 2008 Chocolate Champion. The winners will be displayed in a Success Showcase.

The $7 tickets are good for both days, and they can be bought at the door or ordered at UtahChocolate Show.com.

Free demonstrations on the Gygi Chocolate Stage include:

• Ruth Kendrick of Chocolot artisan chocolates and author of "Candymaking" (HP Books, $19.95) will teach "Your Best Toffee Ever," Friday, 2:45 p.m.

• Jaxon Stallard of the Park City Cooking School and author of "Cooking With Jaxon" (FRP, $32.95) will teach "Chocolate Sandwich Cookies," Friday, 6:15 p.m.

• Cathie Mooers, culinary director at Kimball Distributing, will demonstrate "Chocolate Pate," Saturday, noon.

• Marti Skold, ABC 4 weather and "Good Things Utah," will present a Chocolate Snowflake Showcase, Saturday, 1 p.m.

• Angel Shannon of "Good Things Utah" and author of "The Stick of Butter Cookbook" (Cedar Fort Inc., $16.99), will present "Chocolate Crepes," Saturday, 2 p.m.

• Natalie Snow of Gygi Culinary Solutions will present "Chocolate Torte," Saturday, 3 p.m.

The specialty class schedule was still being arranged as of press time.

This year the show is sponsoring the Thankful Hearts Food Drive with the Utah Food Bank. People who bring nonperishable food donations for the food bank will receive a small treat. (What do you want to bet that it involves chocolate?)

Also the first 500 adult ticket holders each day will receive a logo tote.

If you go . . .

What: 5th Annual Utah Chocolate Show

Where: South Towne Expo Center, 9575 S. State

When: Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

How much: $7

Contact: UtahChocolateShow.com

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E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com