In a survey that highlights the importance of Internet access in people’s lives, Brits would rather give up alcohol and chocolate before broadband.
With the New Year looming and the making of resolutions upper most on peoples’ minds, a survey by Sky Broadband has shown how important Internet access is for our everyday lives.
When asked which would they rather give up for a month, 41% of men would give up chocolate, 29% would give up alcohol, whereas only 1% would give up their Internet access.
Women were more willing to give up alcohol than chocolate and only 2% of them would be prepared to give up their broadband connection.
Even sex was willing to be sacrificed in favour of broadband with 4% of men and 16% of women saying that they would be more prepared to abstain for a month rather than lose their broadband.
Commenting on these survey results, which questioned 5,246 people, Delia Bushell, Director of Broadband and Telephony at Sky, said:
“The verdict is pretty clear – you can take away sex and chocolate but you’ll never take away our broadband! The survey plainly shows that we Brits are devoted to our broadband as it does make our lives easier in so many ways, from saving money by shopping online to staying in touch with friends and family, or even finding a new job.”
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Brits give up Chocolate to Broadband
Chocolate and Social Media
O, chocolate. You stole our hearts the day we met you (in Mexico, about 3,000 years ago). Since then, royalty and aristocrats have feasted on goblets of you, armies have sustained themselves by snacking on you, a whole town in Pennsylvania was built for the milk version of you, and copious lovestruck teenagers have swooned over heart-shaped boxes of you. The world has a deep, lengthy and curious history with chocolate. As a result, chocolatiers and chocolate-makers have the luxury of commanding an audience that is undyingly passionate about their products.
In a world where communication between brand and consumer continues to become more and more personalized, conversational and transparent, chocolate companies have a unique opportunity to connect. Most of those discussed here, which are smaller, artisanal brands, simply don’t have a ton of marketing spend at their disposal. Obviously, social media is a critical and powerful marketing tool. So the big question is, how do these companies maximize the fan love?
Neighborhood Darlings: Engaging Your Local Community
Bean-to-bar chocolate companies — as in those that make pure chocolate from scratch — are few and far between. Though the number of American artisanal chocolate makers has grown exponentially within the past six years, having a chocolate factory in your hometown is a pretty sweet and special treat.
The folks at Missouri-based Askinosie Chocolate work with a local baker to create special cupcake recipes using Askinosie’s chocolate. Then, every Tuesday (known at Askinosie as Cupcake Tuesday), the baker makes around 200 special cupcakes. According to Lawren Askinosie, whose official title is “Pursuer of the Passionates,” local residents get wind of the week’s latest flavors on Twitter, storm the Askinosie shop and the cupcakes sell out every week. During this past summer’s “Hide and Eat” campaign, the company hid chocolate bars inside the storefronts of other local businesses, posted clues on Facebook () and Twitter () each day and incited local residents to rush the different stores to discover the bars.
Strategies to engage the local community are in a whole different realm than those focused on national or international fans. Neighborhood companies can offer their local fans something that no one else can have. It’s all about creating something really special, narrowing down the channels through which people can find out about it, and mixing things up a little by partnering up with other nearby businesses. Part of the allure of any artisanal food company is that engagement online can, with a little effort, lead nearby fans directly to something delicious that can be eaten on the spot.
We can learn a lot from the raging food truck obsession that’s taken over our big cities. Scharffen Berger, a leading American chocolate maker who is in a very different place in the chocolate market than the smaller companies included here, recently partnered up with New York City bakery Sweetery’s dessert truck, Street Sweets, to promote a Scharffen Berger chocolate cupcake recipe contest. Thousands of Scharffen Berger chocolate cupcakes were given away during two days in late October, with Twitter updates offering the truck’s whereabouts around the city.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
If you won a 65-lbs chocolate Santa...
One man in Michiana received a very special Christmas present Friday. For his sake, we hope he's a chocolate lover.
The South Bend Chocolate Company created this 65-pound chocolate Santa Claus, and over the past few weeks customers could enter a drawing to win it.
Friday, they picked the winner—Tom Carter.
South Bend Chocolate says everyone has their own strategy about devouring this behemoth.
“One group that did it, they had little ice picks and little hammers,” said Bob Radde, “they just took it and kids took turns going at it, chipping a piece off and they kept rotating through until Santa was gone.”
The winner of this Santa says he may try melting it down.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
'Chocolate cough remedy' in sight
A chemical in cocoa could soon be turned into a medicine for persistent cough, researchers claim.
Scientists are carrying out the final stages of clinical trials of a drug that contains theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate and cocoa.
The UK developers say the drug could be on the market within two years.
Every year in Britain an estimated 7.5m people suffer from persistent cough - a cough lasting more than two weeks.
Most current medicines used to control the symptoms are opiate-based ones like cough syrups containing codeine, a narcotic.
But in October the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said under-18s should not take codeine-based remedies, because the risks outweighed the benefits.
Active ingredientResearchers say the new theobromine treatment should not have this problem. And being flavourless, it can be taken by those who dislike chocolate.
Theobromine is thought to work by inhibiting the inappropriate firing of the vagus nerve, which is a key feature of persistent cough.
The final stage of the drug's testing is set to begin in the next few months.
The drug, called BC1036, is being developed by the private UK company SEEK.
Manfred Scheske, CEO of Consumer Health at SEEK said: "I am very excited to announce the progression for the late-stage development of BC1036, which has the potential to dramatically impact the treatment of persistent cough and could greatly benefit the quality of life of persistent cough sufferers."
Professor Alyn Morice of the Hull Cough Clinic said there was a need for new treatments.
"Thousands of people across the UK suffer from persistent cough, and due to the drawbacks of current opioid drugs such as codeine, we are in desperate need of a non-opioid treatment with a drastically improved side effect profile for patients."
Sunday, November 28, 2010
EU court: No such thing as 'pure chocolate'
There is no such thing as "pure chocolate," the European Union's high court ruled Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium — There is no such thing as "pure chocolate," the European Union's high court ruled Thursday.
The ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union voided an Italian law that recognizes some delicacies as "pure chocolate."
The court said that if a product is made from 100 percent cocoa butter, that must be listed on the ingredients label only. The EU had sued Italy, saying "pure chocolate" does not exist under EU labeling rules.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
New Chocolate Boutique Online
e-Buzz Edge, a digital public relations agency specializing in online branding and marketing, today announced that it has unveiled a new website for Co Co. Sala, an award-winning DC restaurant, lounge and chocolate boutique. The new website (http://www.cocosala.com) enhances the consumer’s experience and adds a chocolate online retail component to it.
"We wanted to create an online customer experience which was an extension of the exceptional service that Co Co. Sala extends to its customers inside its venue", said e-Buzz Edge's Founder and President, Monica Sethi, regarding the new e-Boutique. "With a personalized customer dashboard, including a previous transaction history, a shipping address book, wishlists, shipping tracking, and e-gift card balance checks, customer convenience was at the forefront. Also, in a world where individuals frequently share information with others over the digital domain, we integrated the ability for users to add their reviews and easily share items through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and via email. Co Co. Sala's e-Boutique was built with the end user in mind."
The result: "e-Buzz Edge created an online extension of our chocolate boutique that far exceeded our expectations,” said Bharet Malhotra, Co-owner of Co Co. Sala. “From conceptualization to implementation, e-Buzz Edge provided us with valuable guidance on fulfilling the needs of all of our customers. The end result was a website that truly has the feel and functionality of our indulgent lounge and boutique with a comprehensive administrative site to streamline our site maintenance and customer service processes."
With the launch of the new e-Boutique, Co Co. Sala’s signature products hand-crafted by its own chocolatiers under the direction of Executive Chef Santosh Tiptur are now accessible locally and nationwide. For those looking to indulge in Co Co. Sala's artisanal chocolates and obtain signature products such as chocolate-covered bacon or hot co co. pops visit their site.
Gourmet Secret
Cocoa Bean Shoppe beverage sign signature drink of CAA Winter Festival of Lights
The popular Queen Street candy store specializes in gourmet chocolate treats, and was recently charged with the task of creating a signature drink for this year’s CAA Winter Festival of Lights.
“It’s very thick and very creamy,” said Lorimer, discussing the extra-rich blend of sugary goodness. “We top each drink with whipped cream, drizzle some caramel and add a candy cane on the side.”
But what of the mysterious secret ingredient?
“It’s just a special flavour we put in that enhances the chocolate flavour,” said Lorimer, cracking a wry grin from behind the counter. According to Steele, you simply, “have to be related to know.”
Staff at the Cocoa Bean Shoppe spent the past several months experimenting with different chocolates, creams, fat contents and temperatures, and perfected their delicious new recipe (tentatively titled “Santa’s Favourite”) just in time for the holiday season.
Kevin Harding, manager of communications with the CAA Winter Festival of Lights, said he was very excited to have the Cocoa Bean Shoppe involved with the festivities.
“First and foremost, the festival is a driver for economic activity in the community,” said Harding. “We’ve been working for a while to link the festival to downtown, and that’s happening for the first time this year.”
And in case you’ve wondering, Harding’s a big fan of the special beverage. “I think if Santa Claus was going to have an official hot chocolate...this would definitely be it.”
Santa’s Favourite hot chocolate will be available at the Cocoa Bean Shoppe throughout the CAA Winter Festival of Lights, which ends Jan. 31, 2011.
Having Chocolate Your Own Way !
Does black licorice and bubble gum-flavored ice cream with candied ginger pieces sound tantalizing to you? A customer at eCreamery, an online build-your-own-flavor ice cream site, recently ordered that exact flavor combo, which prompted the company's customer service to call the client, confirming it wasn't a mistake.
It wasn't. "Taste is subjective," says Becky App, co-owner of the Omaha, Neb.-based frozen treats business, passing no judgment on her client's eclectic cravings.
Food, clothing, cars, just about anything we consume these days is customizable. We want it our own way. And we can have it, thanks to the Internet. Dozens of entrepreneurs have recently launched online startups that offer personalized products from men's dress shirts to laptop sleeves. Easy click applications make it simple for customers to design their own products, press "add to cart," and then — voila— their very own ____ (insert product) will be at their doorsteps in three to five business days.
We checked out the latest in customized food product sites and discovered two obvious perks: You have more control over what goes into your food and can have fun creating your own flavor concoction and even naming it! The downside, however, is that having it your way will — as might be expected – cost more.
WHAT: Chocri (createmychocolate.com), build-your-own chocolate bar.HOW IT WORKS: Choose a chocolate bar base (white, milk, dark or combination) and up to five toppings. With more than 100 topping choices (gummy bears, gold flakes, bacon, and plum bits etc.), there are billions of possibilities. Create your own name for the bar. (Up to 50 characters).
WHY CUSTOMIZE: "It's a personalized and thoughtful gift. And you can make it taste exactly the way you want. People really enjoy creating their own bar, becoming their own little product manager. And it's made on demand, so there's freshness," says Carmen Magar, of Chocri USA.
INTERESTING COMBOS: Pesto (dark chocolate, pine nuts and basil); White Christmas (milk and white chocolate, gingerbread spice, mini Christmas cookies, mini snowflakes) Santa's Favorite (roasted almonds, cinnamon, real gold flakes, toffee).
HOW MUCH: about $8-$13 (depending on topping choices), 3.5 oz (two bars) plus shipping.
WHAT: Element Bars (elementbars.com), build your own energy bar.
HOW IT WORKS: Start with a core — chewy, crispy, oaty, datey — then add fruits, nuts, sweeteners (honey, agave syrup) and boosts (omega-3, fiber). As you pile on ingredients, a side nutrition panel displays the counts for the key nutrition facts. For most ingredients, you have the option to choose organic. An added feature warns you if certain ingredients won't work well together, like agave syrup and an oaty core.
WHY CUSTOMIZE: "I used to buy off-the-shelf energy bars, and crash midmorning from all the sugar," says Jonathan Miller, founder of Element Bars. "People can order bars that meet their taste and nutrient needs. Something an athlete needs is different from a mom on the go."
FUNNY-NAMED BARS: "I'm Awesome"; "Bad Pro Crispy Bar"; "Sorry I Wrecked Your Car."
HOW MUCH: $35.88 for 12 bars ($2.99 a bar) plus shipping.
WHAT: eCreamery (ecreamery.com), custom ice cream and gelato.
HOW IT WORKS: Begin with a non-dairy sorbetto, gelato or ice cream base and then choose up to two flavorings. Good luck trying to decide from the more than 50 choices (avocado, stout, sea salt caramel, to name a few). Then select up to two mix-ins (butter brickle anyone?) And finally, name your masterpiece. Since the ice cream is shipped in dry ice and a reusable cooler, there's no need to worry about it melting in transit. The ice cream arrives so frozen there's a warning not to chip your teeth, says co-owner Becky App.
WHY CUSTOMIZE: "Every single order is made from scratch with specialty ingredients," says App. "We see a lot of people have connections to ice cream over a lifetime. They make a flavor based on a memory or special occasion. One daughter gave a flavor to her father they had every summer vacation."
HOLIDAY FLAVORS: White chocolate peppermint bark, chocolate cocoa ice cream with marshmallow, eggnog and cinnamon.
HOW MUCH: $49.99 for a half gallon (four pint-size containers) plus $20 shipping.
WHAT: Custom Choice Cereal (customchoicecereal.com), gluten-free cereals.
Monday, November 22, 2010
The future price of Chocolate
The disturbing news spread like wildfire in forums and websites across the Internet: chocolate could be as rare and pricey as caviar in 20 years time, experts claim. This news is sure to frighten candy lovers and the general public the world over.
Despite this, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), a leading industry group in promoting sustainable cocoa farming, doesn’t believe that prediction has to become reality and is helping farmers, in partnership with businesses, governments and research institutes, with the tools they need to succeed.
The startling revelation about chocolate gathered strength just last week when John Mason, founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council, told British newspaper The Independent that shortages in production in Africa — which produces around 70 per cent of world cocoa — will have worrying consequences.
“In 20 years, chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it,” Mason is quoted as saying.
However, Bill Guyton, the President of the WCF, is more optimistic.
“While we understand the research data indicating that cocoa could become a rarity in 20 years time, the WCF does not believe that prediction has to become reality.”
But in order to meet the growing demand for chocolate products, farmers must get better conditions, Guyton tells Metro. “Cocoa farming will need to become more professionalized and the social, economic and environmental conditions for the millions of small-scale farmers who grow the crop in West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia need to be improved.”
On a recent trip to West Africa, Bill visited a farmer who, having completed technical training, was producing nearly two tons per hectare by using improved planting materials, proper tree spacing, fertilizers and pest controls.
“This is nearly three times the national averages of most cocoa-producing countries. That is just one example of our efforts to improve cocoa farm production and the living standards of those who grow the crop. To date, WCF has reached some 420,000 farmers with improved cultivation techniques resulting in yield and income improvements of as much as 20-40 percent.”
Chocolate festival will sweeten Kingston Christmas market
Christmas in Kingston’s Market Place will be a paradise for chocolate lovers with truffles, bonbons and more.The chocolate festival is new this year and will offer a range of chocolatey goodness, with a chocolate-making workshop, tastings and baking demonstrations.
The festival will be in the Market House from December 2 to 4.
The German Christmas market made a return on November 11 filling the square with smells of bratwurst, hot chestnuts and goulash.
At the heart of the German market, which is there until December 27, is Santa’s bar serving mulled wines and German beers.
The market is open every day from 10am to 8pm, with special offers every Thursday from 5pm.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Chocolate Store Supports US Troops
Naperville, IL – Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 22 E. Chicago Ave in downtown Naperville, is running a ”Fudge for Troops” promotion through the end of November to benefit Operation: Support Our Troops. Beginning November 1, 2010, customers who purchase one pound of fudge in-store, will have an additional one pound of fudge donated to Operation: Support Our Troops to be added to care packages sent to our service men and women overseas. “Our troops give so much everyday, we wanted to give something back, to let them know how much we appreciate all that they do.” commented Robin Martin-Wujec, owner of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store located in downtown Naperville. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a franchise, gourmet chocolate store specializing in handmade chocolates, caramel apples, dipped strawberries and specialty gifting.Come enjoy a sweet experience and support our troops. For additional information or questions about the event, call Robin at 630-717-8878 or visit: napervillechocolate@msn.com
Goodbar Medicated Chocolate
Chocolate and chicks go together like mom and apple pie. We love our chocolate, can’t live or love without it; and now there is a brand of chocolate available at finer dispensaries in California that will curl your toes, girls: Choco-Potomus.
Choco-Potomus is a gourmet chocolate that you can enjoy and savor – dare we say, as good as Godiva and even better because they are medicated with our favorite flowers. Yes, flowers. Choco-Potomus spares no step in bringing you a delicious gourmet chocolate; no shake here, every bar is crafted with flowers and is strain-specific to meet your needs.
Choco-Potomus is the ultimate PMS chocolate bar. You ladies know what we are talking about! All too frequently dispensaries carry chocolate edibles that are so highly medicated you barely get to taste the chocolate or experience the benefits of chocolate. Chocolate itself has long been a favorite PMS remedy across the globe. So when Choco-Potomus makes a bar, they make something you can enjoy, savor and medicate with all in one.
We purchased two Trainwreck sativa dark chocolate bars at Harborside and here is the breakdown of the medication levels based on a patient accustomed to using cannabis at least once a day:
1 square – Very mild effect. One square gives you that nice chocolate boost plus a very mild dose of medication which is perfect for daytime. 2 squares – Even more of a chocolate boost and a manageable high for daytime. 3 squares – a great chocolate boost and depending on your metabolism and tolerance it is a manageable high appropriate for daytime. 4 or more squares – Lots of chocolate and heavy medication appropriate for serious PMS. As always ladies, NEVER take a lot of any edible at once, try one square, wait an hour, and then eat more to adjust the right dosage for you.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sweet Success in La Grange
The downtown area is becoming the candy center of La Grange with the opening this weekend of a fifth store selling chocolates or other sweet treats.
"People love candy," said Robert Ware, executive director of the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry that serves La Grange. Americans eat an average of 23 pounds of candy every year per person, with Hershey's chocolate bars being the top-selling candy, he said.
Lilett Candy Gourmet Chocolate Shop, 104 W.Calendar Ave., known for its toffee, according to Ware, joined Fannie May, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, We're Nuts and Sweetness in selling candy within a two-block area of downtown. Trader Joe's also sells a limited amount of candy.
Trying to explain the increase of these shops, Ware said downtown La Grange is a central location, with lots of pedestrian traffic and parking. "La Grange is an upscale community full of people with taste buds in their mouths, from kids to grandmothers."
He added, "It's a good, healthy sign that we have a good, healthy environment in this community."
Lilett, which has a shop in Brookfield with "limited hours," opened a full-service gourmet shop, according to owner Karen Gula.
Other candy shop owners praised La Grange as a good place to open a business.
"I love the area," said Julie Procich, owner of Sweetness, which has been at 21 S. LaGrange Rd. for more than a year. She had been looking at locations for two years in downtown areas of Western Springs, Hinsdale and Downers Grove. She said she loves her landlord.
John Paladino has owned We're Nuts, 8-1/2 Burlington Ave., with his two brothers for a little over six years and said they had looked all over. "We like La Grange; it's a nice town."
Jean Kuhn has owned Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 50 S. La Grange Rd., since 2002, when there were not as many retail stores downtown, according to Jessica Neely, store manager. "When she saw it, she thought it would be a good place to start." Kuhn and her husband, Bruce, since have opened another Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Orland Park.
The owners of the three shops had a variety of backgrounds.
Paladino and one brother are retired Chicago police detectives, while the other brother had a son-in-law who owned a nut-processing facility in Chicago. Kuhn worked at a marketing company. Procich managed a Hallmark store in Western Springs and was part of a management team for a restaurant.
Paladino said the brothers were, "looking for a niche." With the nut-processing background, they learned about popcorn, for which he said We're Nuts is best known.
We're Nuts sells a variety of popcorn—cheese, caramel, cheese-caramel mix, chocolate-covered, and a different flavor every day. On the day of the interview, he was selling a party mix: cherry, banana, orange and blueberry flavors.
They also sells candy and, "any nut you can process"—mixed nuts, cashews, pistachios and almonds.
Paladino claims the store has the lowest prices, because of the many children who patronize the store along with commuters. A sign on the door states, "Check out our price before you walk down the street."
If you treat the children well, they will bring back their parents, he said. The store also offers a 10 percent discount on a selected day to students of a particular area school: Cossitt Avenue School; Park Junior High; Ogden Avenue School; St. Francis Xavier; Lyons Township High School and Nazareth Academy.
It also has a small variety of sugar-free chocolate, raisins, peanuts and bridge mix.
The most popular candy at Sweetness, 21 S. LaGrange Rd., is nostalgia candy, said owner Julie Procich.
"The old-time candy is what people come in looking for. I think we're just a fun place to be."
She gets a lot of questions about whether a certain candy is still around. "A lot, we know if it's available."
The store just started stocking Curly Wurly, similar to the Marathon candy bar. On order are Bonomo Turkish Taffy-chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and banana. Blackjack, Beeman's and Clove gum come out only three times a year and she is waiting to hear when it will arrive.
"The fun part is when people see things they hadn't seen in years and tell stories from their childhood."
Favorite candies from her childhood were Bub's Daddy bubble gum, Hershey's chocolate bars, Snaps and Good & Plenty. "I like licorice," she said. The latter two are sold in the store on the bulk candy table. Wrapped and unwrapped candy are sold in bulk.
Customers are split almost 50-50 between kids and adults, she said.
Services include a candy buffet for weddings and showers; centerpieces; goodie bags; candy bouquets and gift baskets.
One of the top sellers at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, 50 S. LaGrange Rd., is its caramel apples—20 different varieties, especially in the fall season. But the caramel apples are sold year-round, said Neely, store manager for the past five months.
Besides plain and a different topping of nuts—almost everything but cashews and Macadamia nuts—some specialties are apple pie: white chocolate, cinnamon and brown sugar; and Snickers: nuts, caramel and chocolate. They also came up with their own variety: a peanut butter lover's apple- a caramel apple rolled in peanuts, covered by white chocolate and peanut butter mixed together.
In the morning, the store may get someone from a marketing or advertising company buying as many as 20 apples for a meeting or to give to customers. Corporate sales are common in the fall and winter.
Evening customers mostly are teens or people going to the movie, she said. All are greeted outside the door by Truffles the stuffed bear. "It's an attraction," she said.
Other best sellers are English toffee and bear claws similar to turtle candy.
They sell chocolate-covered pretzels, graham crackers and potato chips; truffles; nut clusters; chocolate-covered strawberries, orange peels and cherries; frozen bananas; candy corn, gummi bears; jelly beans; hand-made fudge; and ice cream.
Neely contends the quality of their chocolate is a higher grade than even Godiva chocolate.
Sugar-free candies are English toffee, pecan bear claws, chocolate-covered pretzels and some truffles.
Fannie May, started in 1920 at 11 N. La Salle St. in downtown Chicago, operates dozens of shops in the Chicago area, including at 2 S. La Grange Rd., until its parent company went bankrupt in 2002. Alpine Confections bought the chain in 2004 and started reopening stores. In 2006, 1-800 Flowers.com bought the company.
The chain sells milk and dark chocolate; creams; caramels; mints; fudge; chocolate-covered fruit: and ice cream. No-sugar added candy is mint meltaways, assortment and Pixies.
Trader Joe's, 25 LaGrange Rd., sells tubs of chocolate and some chocolate bars.
Representatives of the candy shops say they believe all the stores will survive, as Paladino says, "because of the unique product we have that no else has."
"I think we're all doing well, everybody in their own distinct difference," Procich said.
Neely said, "I know a lot haven't (survived). There's no other shop like it."
Olde Ye Friars in Keswick
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Norman Love's New Gourmet Flavors
The artisan chefs of Norman Love Confections are pleased to announce the introduction of 10 new gourmet chocolate confection flavors. Each premium confection is handcrafted using the finest ingredients including quality Swiss chocolate, decadent California honey and fresh fruits and nuts. There’s nothing like new LOVE!
1. California Honey – Simplicity sings in this beautiful golden California honey ganache dipped in Swiss milk chocolate.
2. Hazelnut Praline Truffle – Pure and delicious Hazelnut praline is better than ever in this luscious milk chocolate truffle.
3. Hot Dark Chocolate – This intense dark chocolate confection is infused with jalapeno pepper for a delightfully spicy sweet combination.
4. Mango – Ripe sweet mango provides a taste of paradise, which we enrobe in delicate white chocolate.
5. Peaches and Cream – Nothing says “summer” like tart fresh peaches drenched in heavy cream and coated in white chocolate.
6. Peanut Brittle Truffle - The buttery toffee and roasted peanuts that make peanut brittle such an all-time favorite are blended into a creamy milk chocolate truffle.
7. Peanut Butter Banana – Back by popular demand, this confection is new again, honoring a classic flavor combination with a blend of creamy peanut butter and fresh banana covered in milk chocolate.
8. Rum Cake – Indulge in a rich buttery dark rum-soaked cake, which we’ve blended into white chocolate ganache and covered with dark chocolate.
9. Sweet Tea – Fresh brewed black tea and a splash of lemonade covered in white chocolate is a refreshing change from the ordinary.
10. Tiramisu – Ciao down on creamy vanilla mascarpone and rich espresso ganache enrobed in a dark chocolate shell.
Norman Love Confections offers a total of 36 flavors year-round. In addition to the new flavors described above, the following delectable tastes are making a comeback this year: 66% Venezuelan Dark (formerly known as 70% Complexite), Almond Marzipan, Caramel Apple, Cherry Cordial Truffle, Cinnamon Roll, Coconut Truffle, Cookies ‘N’ Cream, Dark Chocolate Cream Truffle, Espresso Truffle, Florida Orange, Key Lime Shell, Milk Chocolate Truffle, Mint Chocolate Chip, New York Cheesecake, Passion Fruit, Passion Panna-Cotta, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Pistachio Cherry, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tahitian Caramel, Vanilla Cupcake, White Chocolate Raspberry and White Vanilla Truffle.
For more information on these 36 flavors, special collections such as BLACK and S’more Love, Specialty Chocolates and more, visit http://www.normanloveconfections.com/.
Harry & David, America's Gift Experts Offer Exclusive Corporate Gifts
Harry & David, America’s gift experts for over 75 years, offers exclusive corporate gifts for this holiday season.
For more than a generation, Harry & David’s corporate gifts and gift baskets have given American businesses the opportunity to build relationships and strengthen customer and employee loyalty. Harry & David’s corporate gifts are different from other corporate gifting companies because they are versatile and personal, allowing companies to completely customize their gift baskets.
In addition to being able to individualize business gifts, companies also have the ability to create corporate gifts with a brand name or logo on the packaging – a great way to build brand recognition. Harry & David’s business gift specialists can even design entirely new packaging (with a company logo's colors) and include sales literature with a gift.
Not sure what treats clients or employees prefer? Send one of Harry & David's classic corporate gifts with fresh fruit, Moose Munch, gourmet chocolate and more. Our medium-sized All Occasion Gift Basket or Harry’s Collection are the perfect reward for hard-working employees and stellar clients. Both of these gifts include our signature Royal Riviera Pears and crisp apples, along with a varying assortment of treats like milk chocolate Moose Munch, gourmet pepper-and-onion relish and more.
Need to send out last minute corporate gifts? Our All Occasion Delights Double Discovery and Everyone Loves Chocolate box will guarantee happy employees and customers alike. The Double Discovery gift is full of delightful treats, including freshly baked raspberry galettes, peanut butter pretzels and our famous Royal Riviera Pears. If chocolate is the only way to go, our Everyone Loves Chocolate box is the perfect solution. Indulge business partners and clients in our private-recipe truffles, with flavors such as white coffee, double chocolate, dark chocolate cherry, and milk chocolate almond.
Make sure to order your corporate gifts before the holiday shipping cut-off dates! The last day to order using regular shipping is December 18th; the last day for 2-day express is December 22nd, and the last day for next day delivery is December 23rd.
Customized orders may require a minimum purchase.
All orders are backed by a 100% guarantee. If you, or those who receive your business gifts, are not delighted, Harry & David will provide either an appropriate replacement or a full refund – whichever you prefer. Visit http://www.harryanddavid.com for more information.
Monday, November 1, 2010
WHO SPILLED THE COCOA BEANS?
Hot chocolate has long been comforting pantry fare to enjoy during the chilly months, but artisan chocolatier ChocolateBox Café puts a sophisticated spin on the beloved staple while divulging the best kept secrets from their famous Hot Chocolate Bar. By customer demand, ChocolateBox Café announces today its Hot Chocolate Bar “Secret Menu” comprised of eight new chocolicious flavors, which is a delectable addition to its existing options.The Hot Chocolate Bar “Secret Menu” consists of the following new flavors:
SPICY LATINA – Chili Pepper + Cinnamon hot chocolate ORIENT ESPRESSO – Oriental Coffee + Espresso hot chocolate
CARDAMOM MINTRANDA – Cardamom + Mint hot chocolate
GINGER SPICE – Ginger + Pink Pepper hot chocolate VIOLET BEAUREGARD – Violet + Bittersweet hot chocolate CARAMELLOW – Caramel + Hemp hot chocolate
CINNAMINT – Mint + Cinnamon hot chocolate HER NAME IS EARL– Earl Grey + Violet hot chocolate
ChocolateBox Café carries the finest hot chocolate beverages made from a premium selection of European imported chocolate shavings with more than 15 core flavors, ranging from the familiar such as cinnamon and caramel, to the exotic including chili pepper and hemp. Each option is delectable on its own but when combined with another flavor, the traditional cup of hot chocolate is raised to new epicurean heights. When prepared with steamed milk, the gourmet chocolate shavings melt into a rich velvety cup of flawless indulgence. Top it off with a dollop of fresh natural whipped cream or a handful of mini marshmallows for the final creamy touch. This is definitely better than your mom’s hot chocolate – no artificial powders allowed!
“Since the inception of the Hot Chocolate Bar, customers became enthusiastic about mixing flavors and requested their very own flavor pairings,” says ChocolateBox Café owner Zaré Baghdasarian. “As a result, the ‘Secret Menu’ was born and our customers wanted to share their creativity with everyone.”
Doesn’t everything taste better with a hint of secrecy? These smooth, chocolate beverages will have adults and children alike begging for more during the brisk fall season. ChocolateBox Café’s hot chocolate is available in two serving sizes: 12-ounce serving size for $3.50 and 16-ounce for $4.00. Also offered as a take-home treat or a gourmet gift – The savory chocolate shavings, with mini-recipe book, are available for purchase in-store or online.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Delice a sweet return
The new Délice European Bakery & Cafe in Midtown Crossing is smaller and more modern than the Old Market original, which closed in 2009. But fans of the old spot will appreciate the new incarnation's attention to detail.
DÉLICE EUROPEAN BAKERY & CAFEWhere: 3201 Farnam St.
Prices: $10 to $15 per person
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Information: 505-9500 or www.deliceeuropeanbakery.comNew owners John and Karen Tollinger have revived the old menu, hired the former location's longtime pastry chef, Heidi Schlicht, and involved some other familiar faces in the transition.
Former owner Pat McDermott and daughter Holly Engdahl were visible on recent visits — he sitting outside making notes on the menu, she working the counter — and in everything from the old gray plastic trays to the clear glass plates. I even recognized McDermott's tidy penmanship on the labels in the pastry and savory cases.
The new setting has less Old World charm than the old spot, and about half the square footage. It also is more vibrant: paprika, olive and pumpkin accents; a banquette covered in a French-Danish floral pattern; modern art by local artist Steve Joy; a fireplace; tiny tables and darkly stained tall-backed wooden chairs.
On the order-at-the-counter menu: the same tasty coffee drinks and wide repertoire of sweets (French pastries, cakes, tarts, tortes, cookies and all manner of chocolate-dipped whatnots); as well as soups, salads, sandwiches, fruit-and-cheese plates and savories popular with ladies who lunch — all reliably fresh and ultimately comforting, even when microwaved to order.
Two key differences: They don't make their own bread anymore. (Not enough room in the new kitchen, Schlicht said.) And all the savory entrees now come a la carte.
I was happy to see old favorites: the ribbon-tied bags of chocolate-covered espresso beans, the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons, the tidy opera cakes and napoleons, and the savory pies.
Save room for dessert, but start with the lovely turkey-and-sweet-potato pie: neatly stacked slices of sweet potato, chunks of roasted turkey, sautéed onions, Monterey Jack cheese, thyme and a custard of egg and heavy cream, tucked in a flaky pastry and baked. It's Thanksgiving in a forkful.
Or go for the quiche Lorraine: a wonderful herb-flecked egg custard, neither shrunken nor oozing on by-the-slice reheating; bits of ham, Swiss and onion, and a flaky crust with an expertly rolled edge.
Or do the lasagna — a generous rectangle with ruffled noodles, cottage cheese and ground beef in tidy layers and a bright red sauce that sings of pure tomato.
There are all sorts of ladylike something-salad sandwiches. The tarragon chicken salad croissant I tried tasted fresh, but the flavors were a little muddied: too much red bell pepper and onion for me, not enough salt or tarragon.
But caramelized onions elevated the French dip sandwich: Swiss and shaved beef on a slightly too-puffy ciabatta, served with oniony jus.
Fruit (fresh, ripe, bite-sized chunks of melon, pineapple, strawberries and grapes) or the red potato salad (liberally sprinkled with fresh dill) are happy accompaniments.
There's also a rotating array of soups. The Hungarian mushroom was a tad underseasoned but interesting: a milky broth flecked with paprika and fresh dill and sauteed slices of cute little mushrooms.
And then there's dessert, glorious dessert! Where to start?
If you're getting it to go, with a bold coffee or latte, and eating it in your car or on the sidewalk, I recommend the chocolate espresso cookie (crisp and flaky at the edges, chewy and fudgy in the middle) or the macaroon (a big scoop of coconut goo dipped in dark chocolate, what a Mounds bar wants to be when it grows up).
If you're dining in, go with the fruit tartlet (prettily glazed fresh fruit in an adorable tart shell), a slice of the chocolate ganache torte (chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache) or the oh-so-elegant opera cake (dainty rectangles of almond sponge cake layered with coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache).
Order dessert from the pastry case when you decide on the rest of your meal — and don't touch it for a good 10 minutes so that the chocolate and butter and other good stuff in it can warm up a little. I didn't get loads of coffee or almond flavor from the opera cake I tasted on one occasion, but I fear that was only because I ate it when it was still too cold.
Counter help was friendly. And quibbles had more to do with spacing and pricing than service or food.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Moroccan Spicy Chocolates from Marrakech
I have tried to recreate the sensual and surreal experience of walking through the Marrakech Spice Souks, with these 6 singular spice infusions. Only whole, natural spices are ever used. They are ground, and in some cases, lightly toasted to bring out their natural oils. These exotic spices are then infused into the organic cream, and blended into 6 distinctive ganaches that are left to speak for themselves...unaltered and intense..
Star Anise
Clove
Ginger
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
and Cardamom Surely they catch your curiosity and like visit their site on http://derrychurchartisanchocolates.com/Marrakech-spice-souk-chocolates-collection.php http://www.importedchocolate.org
- Lake Champlain Chocolates offers $5 shipping until November 1 -
CHOCOLATE COMPANY OFFERS EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
A Nut-free 'Cakery' in Haverhill
Cakes by Erin, a bakery that specializes in designing and creating custom cakes, has opened its doors for business, completing a seven-month project that gives co-owner Erin Erler a chance to combine her natural drawing and creative skills with her passion for designing cakes.
"I've always loved to draw, always loved to paint," Erler said. "Cake is just a different medium."
Cakes by Erin, located at 58 Kenoza Ave., opened quietly on Tuesday and will celebrate a grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 13. The store's hours are 12 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and will expand to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. later in the fall.
The 33-year-old Erler has been baking cakes for friends and family for 11 years and became a licensed baker three years ago.
With her sister and brother-in-law, Lynnfield's Kelly and Tim Mackin as co-owners, her business has been growing ever since. She decided to open the bakery when the business grew too large for her Haverhill kitchen.
Before the career change, Erler taught students with special needs at Pentucket Lake Elementary School, leaving in April to fully devote herself to her "passion.
"I had to make the jump," she said. "I'm kind of risking everything on this."
The location on Kenoza Avenue had to be gutted.
"We overhauled everything," Mackin said, There are new kitchen appliances, plumbing, cabinets and floors and an additional wall. There is a separate room for wedding consultations and bridal cake tastings, as well.
Cakes by Erin will employ two full-time and two part-time employees, while providing a variety of baked goods, from cakes and cupcakes to mini cheesecakes and brownies.
There's also a morning menu of different types of muffins and beverages changing daily.
Every product made by Cakes by Erin is nut-free, an important distinction for Erler. Her 10-year-old son has a severe allergy to nuts.
Kelly Mackin said that while the nut-free standard does create challenges — Ghirardelli chocolate, for example, is processed with nuts — Erler is creative enough to overcome them.
Mackin said she and her sister also plan to create vegan and gluten-free recipes.
Mackin, who purchases Vermont Nut-Free Chocolate and Hershey's, said that she and Erler spend hours finding the right ingredients for their custom-baked goods.
"When I'm supply shopping, I'll call Erin 1,300 times just checking the label," Mackin said. "We can't use any kind of product that was processed in a plant that also processed nuts."
Erler, who has provided baked goods for everyone from Conan O'Brien and Ernie Boch Jr. to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the cast of "Jesus Christ Superstar," said she wants Cakes by Erin to become the go-to bakery for the region.
"I want to make my mark," she said. "This is Cakes by Erin, but it's more than that. So many talented people here."
A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Erler said a large, custom-made cake can take 10 to 12 hours to create and cost more than $300, but she added she can work with any price range for any event.
"I cannot personally put out a bad cake," she said. "I can't let that happen."
Still, she finds baking relaxing. "It doesn't feel like work."
Over the next five years, Mackin hopes to add a location closer to Boston and perhaps expand the current location to become a retail bakery, while giving Erler her own warehouse space to bake her custom cakes.
"It's a plan," she said. "A dream."
Erler shares the dream.
A die-hard John Lennon fan, she has a quotation from her hero on the front, inside wall of her store:
"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."
Thursday, October 28, 2010
TRICK OR TREAT! Gourmet Halloween candy’s a hoot
We love the holidays and the neat treats that accompany them! Halloween’s just behind the dungeon door, and while we know costumes are fun and parties are a spooky blast, we’re most excited that Halloween marks the beginning (and the best!) of seasonal treats. A whole day — or really a whole weekend — in which the demand for candy skyrockets over and above the witch on her broomstick soaring across the moon.
Local sweet shops Pix Patisserie, with all its quirky charm, and Moonstruck Chocolate, which captures the essence of autumn and immerses it into gourmet chocolate, are two frighteningly good favorites for Halloween concoctions that give candy corn a run for the money.
If you’re not already a regular or somehow haven’t visited one of Portland’s two Pix Patisserie locations, we suggest you use this sugar-fueled occasion as inspiration. Trick or treat for chocolate ganache-covered pecans draped in marzipan with a marshmallow Jack-O-Lantern, available through Halloween day. Or maybe an Ichabod Crème — a crisp crust filled with spiced almond crème and pecans, golden caramel and topped off with pumpkin crème brulee. More options are chocolate port fig tarts, nutcrackers and, le tigre d’epice… oooh, my!
Sinfully Delicious Sugar Free Chocolates – No, That’s Not a Typo!
Rich, creamy, delectable chocolate… that you DON’T have to die for! Or settle for. No, we’re not talking about waxy “better-than-nothing” chocolate-flavored mystery products that you find hanging on a rack in cello bags at discount stores. These are luscious creations proudly and artfully made with fresh, premium ingredients by world-class chocolatiers. Yes, they do exist. And we’ve uncovered some wonderful sources which we’re very excited to share with you.
Chocolate.com is the world’s largest online marketplace for chocolate. They feature exquisite handmade artisan and gourmet chocolates. Some are by famous brands from around the world, while many are unique products that may be difficult to find anywhere else. And their high standard of quality extends to their vast selection of sugar free items, many of which rival the sugared versions in taste.
See some of their incredible sugar free items on our CHOCOLATES page.
Get Free Ground Shipping on Orders Over $60 at Chocolate.com
Ecuador's Chocolate Secret Is a Sustainable Reality
LOS ANGELES, CA– Where do the Swiss go to buy the best chocolate in the world? The Trade Commission of Ecuador says it’s a little known fact that Swiss chocolatiers have been traveling to South America for centuries, specifically Ecuador, to stock up on Arriba Nacional cacao.
“It’s time we let the rest of the world in on the big chocolate secret that’s sitting in the Ecuadorian Rainforest,” says Eduardo Borrero, trade commissioner of Ecuador in Los Angeles. “Ecuadorian chocolate is organic, sustainable, fair trade, superior in quality and when Americans discover they can drastically reduce their carbon footprint by cutting out the ‘middleman’ they will take a serious look at the label for the word ‘Arriba’ before their next chocolate purchase.”
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Gourmet Chocolate for a Good Cause
If you love chocolate chip cookies just a little bit, you’ve got to try the Chocolate Chip Cookies Dunked in Milk Chocolate from Sweet Signatures. I’m not kidding…….chocolate chip cookies aren’t even my favorite type of cookie, but these…..OH MY! They melted in my mouth. The milk chocolate coating is extremely thick too…..no skimping here. They even use premium ingredients like butter (no margarine or shortening). Love that.
BUT, WHAT’S AMAZING? 100% of the proceeds from their For the Cure Gourmet Items are donated to the Susan G Komen for the Cure during the month of October.
Quite simply impressive. Many companies donate money to support breast cancer research, but Sweet Signatures donates 100% of the proceeds. I recently had a chat with the owner, Monica Archondo, and asked her why.
Monica explained that she too had been touched by breast cancer. While not in her immediate family, a close family friend had developed breast cancer and she wanted to help. She took some of her gourmet products (chocolate covered of course) and added pink ribbon sprinkles to them. She figured that if someone was purchasing goodies with pink ribbon sprinkles on them….there was a story there. Either it was for a charity event, for a survivor, for someone going through treatment, etc.
New customers can use the code NEWCUST09 (you’ll get 10% off your entire order)GIVEAWAY:
Want to try some Sweet Signatures goodies yourself? Two (2) lucky winners will.
- The first winner will receive: Milk Chocolate Covered Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Cure 6 pk
- A second winner will receive: Chocolate Grahams for the Cure 6 pk
Peacock Nut Free Wedding Chocolates
Peacock feathers have long since been a symbol of courtship. Carry on the tradition with this peacock feather stationery customized in your very own wedding favor colors.Who doesn't love chocolate! Always a crowd favorite, these trendy personalized nut free chocolate bars are available with a variety of wrapper design options. These chocolate bars are produced in a nut free U.S. facility and are guaranteed safe for anyone with a nut or peanut allergy.Because of the special nature of this perishable product, supplemental shipping rates apply: $7.98. Minimum order of 24
Chocolate done on pit grill
I know many friends who actually create gourmet chocolate with their personal fire appliances. They say that home fire appliances can create gourmet chocolate with a fine roast that can’t be created by an oven, stove top, or bonfire.
Hot chocolate is another great recipe that includes chocolate and can be created with the technique of pit cooking. During the cool winter, you can warm up your household with a delicious pot of hot chocolate. I’ve constantly discovered that cooking with a pit creates a better taste when it comes to chocolate. Heating a pot of hot chocolate outside through a fire pit as snowflakes fall around you is a quite interesting experience indeed. With the snow floating near you, making hot chocolate can be a truly calming experience.
Cooking chocolate does not have to be done within the confines of a kitchen. Whether it’s s’mores, hot chocolate, or custom candy blends with nuts or fruit, make your chocolate outside. You can blow away your friends and indulge your sweet tooth at the same time with your fire pit treats.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Chocolate Can Help with Cholesterol
Chocolate has received a lot of attention for being a treasure trove of nutritional goodness. Polyphenols in cacao beans are linked to promoting heart, brain, and liver health, which has sparked renewed interest in chocolate as a medicinal food. And a new study adds to the growing list of benefits, showing that chocolate polyphenols also help to lower bad cholesterol.Published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, the study tested the effects of polyphenol-rich chocolate in a group of 12 volunteers with type-2 diabetes. After 16 weeks, the researchers from Hull University in the U.K. discovered that the polyphenols helped lower participants' bad cholesterol levels while raising good cholesterol levels. "Chocolate with a high cocoa content should be included in the diet of individuals with type-2 diabetes as part of a sensible, balanced approach to diet and lifestyle," said professor Steve Akin, author of the study. Back in August, NaturalNews covered a Swedish study that found similar results. It also showed that high-flavanol chocolate that has been minimally processed is much different than the highly-processed chocolate candy sold in most grocery stores. Actual cacao beans are rich in vital nutrients, including alkaloid bitters like theobromine (a different substance than the harmful bromine chemical), which stimulates the heart muscle and dilates blood vessels. This compound and others provide demonstrable benefits in lowering high blood pressure and maintaining healthy arteries.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Divine Chocolate Competition
Divine is created for chocolate lovers. Divine’s chocolates are made from only the very best cocoa nurtured and handpicked by cocoa farmers in Ghana who take extra pride in farming their cocoa because they co-own the company. The cocoa trees grow in the shade of the tropical rainforest, and the beans are slowly dried in the sun to produce the finest flavour. Divine combines the cocoa beans and butter with entirely natural ingredients to allow the full chocolate flavour to come through and has an exciting product range including bars, gifts and seasonal specialities.
Choosing Divine as your chocolate treat is a delicious way of playing your part in a more equitable trading partnership. Divine is the only Fairtrade chocolate company which is 45% owned by the farmers. While fair trade ensures farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa and additional income to invest in their community, company ownership gives farmers a share of Divine’s profits and a stronger voice in the cocoa industry.
For more information on Divine products, recipes and the company please visit www.divinechocolate.com
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Hershey replacing workers with machines
The Hershey Co. says it needs to close the historic factory, and cut 500 jobs, to remain competitive in the global market, according to the NPR. The factory on the corner of Chocolate and Cocoa avenues will soon be closing, and the chocolate making will move to another facility being built just outside the town. When Milton Hershey broke ground on this factory in 1903, he saw more than smokestacks and a brick building. Hershey wanted to give his workers more than a paycheck. He wanted to create a worker's paradise. Inspired by another famous chocolate maker of his day Cadbury in England, Hershey provided amusement parks, community centers and family events. A theme park, a theater, low-rent housing and cheap public transportation were all things Milton Hershey brought to the dairy region of Pennsylvania when he created Hershey, the chocolate center of America. The chocolate factory is no longer the biggest employer in town; the Hershey Medical Center is. The number of workers who actually make chocolate continues to shrink. Hershey is spending $300 million on a new facility being built just outside town. Six-hundred workers from the old factory will move there; the rest are being replaced by machinery. Hershey is reshaping itself to fend off global competition. It has a huge new competitor in Kraft, which recently bought the British Cadbury company. Hershey had wanted to move production out of the Pennsylvania town altogether but decided to keep it here when the union agreed to the job cuts.
Chocolate Fest Offers Unique Treats
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho -- If you love chocolate the Idaho Falls Shilo Inn was the place to be Saturday.Hundreds of folks came out to the first Idaho Chocolate Fest.Lincare and Events for Idaho organized the event to help educate the public about their health.To bring families in, they invited more than 20 vendors offering chocolate samples.While many vendors offered chocolate fudge, cookies and cake, some chocolate samples were a little out of the ordinary.
Never Enough Chocolate
For those who believe there's no such thing as too much chocolate, downtown Marietta's marquee Friday night event will be a little slice of heaven.
A chocolate drenched heaven with chocolate streets, chocolate rivers and chocolate cars that is. OK, not really, but considering participants can indulge in chocolate brownies, chocolate covered fruit, chocolate cake, gourmet chocolate, chocolate alcoholic drinks, chocolate mole sauce and much, much more - well, it's pretty darn close.
And that doesn't even mention other chocolate-themed items, such as chocolate scented candles and chocolate diamonds, available to participants or on display at the third annual Moonlight and Chocolate event that's set to kick off at 6 p.m.
Congressman Eric Cantor's Gourmet Chocolate Campaign Binge
WASHINGTON -- One Virginia congressman doesn’t settle for just any brand when picking chocolates for campaign donors. For his political fundraisers this election cycle, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor has spent nearly $7,500 on gourmet chocolates. Sara Sciammacco reports.
As reported in an in-depth Capitol News Connection special web feature, Congressman Eric Cantor has shopped locally and as far away as Beverly Hills for his chocolates. Campaign finance experts say Cantor’s attitude toward candy illustrates the lengths lawmakers will go to make campaign fundraisers a memorable experience for high-dollar donors. Meredith McGehee is with the watchdog group, Campaign Legal Center.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Hershey offers spooky fun this Halloween
During October, The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue will offer Halloween activities to guests participating in select Chocolate Lab classes and in Black Cat Alley - a special workshop for kids.Guests can enjoy spooky chocolate art classes in the Chocolate Lab. In "Build a Batty Bar," learn how cocoa beans are transformed into your favorite chocolate confections and design your own Halloween-themed chocolate bar.
Also, guests can solve the mystery of chocolate's origins and learn the difference between white, milk and dark chocolate varieties in "Chocolate Cobweb Creations." Then, using white and milk chocolate, create a delicious Halloween web and top it off with a tinted white chocolate spider.
On weekends, beginning Oct. 16, kids can design a pin that lights up and make a Halloween mask in Black Cat Alley. For a great photo opportunity, guests are invited to pose against a vintage Hershey's advertising backdrop.
Mars New Products
Confectionery giant Mars Inc has launched two chocolate bars and three ice-cream lines in the US.Mars unveiled Snickers Peanut Butter Squared and Twix Coconut Cookie Bars at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show in Atlanta.
The company also launched ice-cream flavours under the Snickers, Twix and Milky Way brands.
“At Mars Chocolate North America, we strive to help our retailers drive profit by providing them with innovative new products, exciting consumer promotions and effective sales tools,” said Jim Murphy, vice president of sales for Mars Chocolate North America.
The Snickers peanut-butter bar will go on sale in December, while the “limited-edition” Twix coconut cookie line will hit convenience-store shelves in April.
The three ice-cream products - Snickers Rocky Road, Milky Way Ice Cream and Twix Peanut Butter - will be available in pint-size containers from January.
PRODUCTS UPDATE: Lindt New Creations
Discover the latest creations from Lindt’s Maîtres Chocolatiers. Their unique recipes are crafted using the world’s highest quality cocoa beans and finest ingredients. Indulge yourself with Lindt’s new chocolate masterpieces.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Halloween Chocolate Pizza
Don’t get it confused, this isn’t a pizza with chocolate on top. That would just taste a bit weird.
This is a pizza made entirely from chocolate (different types in most cases) and when I say chocolate, I mean Belgian, and when I say Belgian I mean that really delicious melt in your mouth, tickle your belly stuff.
The chocolate pizzas come with a variety of toppings and all in a pizza box. Very cool.
Check it out. The spider web, the chocolate spider, just all of that chocolate… You want one too? So you should!
If you want the ultimate treat this Halloween, I really can’t think of anything made of chocolate that will even come close to this.
Whether you’re staying in for a movie, having friends to dinner, or you’re just really generous to your trick or treaters, this is thus far the coolest and tastiest thing you can buy.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Vermont Nut Free Chocolates
Nut-Free (not dairy-free) Chocolate
Every since I have realized I have a peanut allergy, I have really struggled to find chocolate that isn't processed with nuts. Guess what I just learned? Hershey's kisses may just be my answer to nut-free chocolate. They claim on their website that all chocolate is clearly labeled with allergens. And I picked up some kisses last week at the store that didn't list peanuts or tree nuts anywhere.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Top 20 Reasons Why Chocolate is Better Than Sex
1. You can GET chocolate.
2. “If you love me you’ll swallow that” has real meaning with chocolate.
3. Chocolate satisfies even when it has gone soft.
4. You can safely have chocolate while you are driving.
5. You can make chocolate last as long as you want it to.
6. You can have chocolate in front of your mother.
7. If you bite the nuts too hard the chocolate won’t mind.
8. Two people of the same sex can have chocolate without being called nasty names.
9. The word “commitment” doesn’t scare off chocolate.
10. You can have chocolate on top of your workbench/desk during working hours without upsetting your work mates.
11. You can ask a stranger for chocolate without getting your face slapped.
12. You don’t get hairs in your mouth with chocolate.
13. With chocolate there’s no need to fake it.
14. Chocolate doesn’t make you pregnant.
15. You can have chocolate at any time of the month.
16. Good chocolate is easy to find.
17. You can have as many kinds of chocolate as you can handle.
18. You are never too young or too old for chocolate.
19. When you have chocolate it does not keep your neighbors awake.
20. With chocolate size doesn’t matter; it’s always good.
Chocolatier Bernard Callebaut making a last-dtich effort to save his company
Lovers of Bernard Callebaut gourmet chocolates will be interested to hear that the Calgary-based chocolatier is making a last-ditch effort to save his company, which went into receivership in early August.
He has a Wednesday deadline.
The fourth-generation chocolatier, who is originally from Belgium, has apparently formulated a plan that would see him making chocolates for the company with a new brand identity, storefront and factory, according to a Calgary Herald story.
The company is currently under the control of court-appointed Deloitte & Touche.
Sadly, the passionate chocolatier got himself into this pickle because he was trying to expand production to accommodate growing demand for his popular gourmet chocolate.
No doubt the owners of chocolate shops carrying Bernard Callebaut chocolates — including the Cathedral Village location in Regina, owned by David Loblaw — will be watching with interest. Fingers crossed that Bernard is able to find enough investors to join him to bid for the company.
Keep that delicious Bernard Callebaut chocolate coming!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Best chocolate shops in Las Vegas, NV
Starting locally, Ethel's Chocolate Factory is based in Henderson and offers a line of gourmet chocolates. This company was originated by none other than the founder of Mars chocolates, in honor of his mother, Ethel. The Ethel's Factory offers a tour through the factory and adjacent cactus gardens. This is a beautiful place to visit during the holidays as the gardens are decorated with lights for Christmas. At the end of the tour, you are treated to a piece of chocolate fresh from the factory. There is no charge for the tour.
Chocolate Wedding Favors Cappuccino Biscotti
These scrumptious Biscotti Cookies are perfect favors for Beach Weddings and Weddings, Fundraisers and Special Events packaged with Custom Labels ~ Starfish Labels ~ Damask Labels or with your Wedding Logo and message or with one of my ready made labels. Having a Baby or Bridal Shower? These 3" gourmet cookies come in a celephane pouch and tied with bows in your wedding colors. They are pretty decorations for each table setting or in a basket for guests to take home.For Events that call for something Special and Sweet to thank your guests for coming, these cookies are the perfect thing. They will come in a cellophane bag, tied with a bow and one of my ready made tags.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Chocolate maker Hershey receives township approval for $200 million plant expansion
HERSHEY, Pa. - Chocolate maker Hershey has gained township approval for a $200 million expansion project that would shift production from a century-old plant to a modern facility nearby.Derry Township supervisors on Tuesday approved the final land development plans for the 243,000-square-foot expansion at a plant in West Hershey.After construction is complete, production would shift to the expanded facility from the original plant built by company founder Milton Hershey.
Cadbury ditch the 'glass and a half' icon to words
It's been their trademark slogan for more than 80 years.
But now chocolate-makers Cadbury have ditched the iconic words 'glass and a half' from the labels of their famous Dairy Milk bars.
Chocolate for A Good Cause
Rescue Chocolate gives us a reason to eat it ! Chocolate may not be good for dogs, but for the month of September it just may be the sweetest way to save a life! Rescue Chocolate is donating 100% of its profits for the month of September to In Defense of Animals .
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Chocolate Pizza
This time, Pedro says, they are introducing the chocolate pizza, “thin-crust, 6.5 inches in diameter,” freshly oven-baked, lavishly coated with warm bittersweet chocolate, topped with savory shallot bits, or your choice of salted anchovy fry or crisp bacon bits.“Every single-serve pizza contains no less than the equivalent of an 80-gram bar of 65-percent cacao dark chocolate, made from single-origin Ecuador beans.