tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246999282024-03-19T01:07:24.785-04:00The Chocolate Nerdthe scoop on everything related to luxury chocolateThe Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-58761486339554566612016-07-09T11:10:00.000-04:002016-07-09T16:26:54.816-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho181-DhsZ_5AghsMJc2jQZAhNL-MX7Ei1uxQKivH7hWPiwrUhi56_11Lk-HQVMmPs2snTmaAN7sNmgV090CpucsyMhvU8okGbNNciNjJNI4vRwnVw2ZPbY7RBGrLPCJW2FWhFog/s1600/lw_chocolate_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho181-DhsZ_5AghsMJc2jQZAhNL-MX7Ei1uxQKivH7hWPiwrUhi56_11Lk-HQVMmPs2snTmaAN7sNmgV090CpucsyMhvU8okGbNNciNjJNI4vRwnVw2ZPbY7RBGrLPCJW2FWhFog/s1600/lw_chocolate_lrg.jpg" /></a></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lollipop</span></b></h3>
This <a href="http://staplecrops.bigcartel.com/product/lil-wayne-2oz-chocolate-bar" target="_blank">Little Wayne Chocolate Bar </a> by Artist Tahir Hemphill of <a href="http://staplecrops.com/" target="_blank">Staple Crops</a>/ Rap Research Lab is a statement on the commodification and consumption of Hip-Hop music and African-American creativity and culture. At $75 for a pack of three 2oz. chocolate bars, I'm not sure if you're supposed to actually consume them but I would. I couldn't resist adding myself to the list of people taking a bite out of Little Wayne. For more on Hemphill and his work check him out <a href="http://www.tahirhemphill.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-52208963137003584872016-01-26T11:57:00.000-05:002016-01-26T11:57:02.130-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0KwRNFGyDeHMVbt5cXdp2L9ARlmERyLyOkdS2oQM9q_pn_2pH6sBitMYeHB8rTKFqQnvcrJ8pNVAk5Cg8yDFd5n1BZvvoH1kKW47pxPSfiqFCJgCYhJRZC9_HHy0_5nPrIrYaQ/s1600/1423334893967.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0KwRNFGyDeHMVbt5cXdp2L9ARlmERyLyOkdS2oQM9q_pn_2pH6sBitMYeHB8rTKFqQnvcrJ8pNVAk5Cg8yDFd5n1BZvvoH1kKW47pxPSfiqFCJgCYhJRZC9_HHy0_5nPrIrYaQ/s320/1423334893967.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hl-4tIDXP2t3_8pCoMRf2Ca9uReGYWsnZXy8HcflBnrJlLULbBEoklAswPgMe64TDvCfBV5M_3syslOV1yXtaHKAog0IM72joUw6lwdhalSyZx2gchS0DMgIHGh_xaxK610evQ/s1600/truffles.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hl-4tIDXP2t3_8pCoMRf2Ca9uReGYWsnZXy8HcflBnrJlLULbBEoklAswPgMe64TDvCfBV5M_3syslOV1yXtaHKAog0IM72joUw6lwdhalSyZx2gchS0DMgIHGh_xaxK610evQ/s320/truffles.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Kiss Or Two</span></b><br />
Valentines Day is supposed to be an amorous holiday but if the thought of spending more on your loved ones so soon after the holidays creates cold chills rather than warm fuzzies than I may have a solution. While you may still have to dig into your pockets, you could go quality, not quantity. <a href="http://www.voila-chocolat.com/#valentines-day-section" target="_blank">Voila Chocolat</a> of Manhattan offers quaint little bags of delightful truffles in thoughtful sets of two. And if you're looking to go big, than for $75 per person, you can book a creative chocolate making experience and walk away with a box of 16 custom truffles. Voila uses quality ingredients such as Guittard and offers custom chocolate making experiences year round.</div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-79951589365518978432015-11-03T15:07:00.001-05:002015-11-03T15:11:39.582-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "open sans" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be Fruitful</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">With Thanksgiving on our heels, it's time to think about what we're adding to our tables and what we're most thankful for. I'm quite thankful for lots of things, and mostly for the sweetness in life. What is life without sweetness, family, or chocolate covered fruit? I'm thankful to learn that this history making pair of creative Chocolatiers is opening a shop in New York soon. In the 1970's, <a href="http://www.dianekronchocolates.com/history.html" target="_blank">Diane & Tom Krön</a> created a sensation with the chocolate-covered strawberry. Krön soon became a national brand and a status symbol. Among their customers were Jacqueline Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Katherine Hepburn, Henry Ford, Estee Lauder, etc. Their chocolate covered </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "open sans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">pomegranates will make a fabulous addition to your Thanksgiving fare. Check them out <a href="http://www.dianekronchocolates.com/pomegranates_p_74.html" target="_blank">here</a> and have a great one. </span></span></div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-52809116993713543422014-11-07T13:45:00.001-05:002014-11-07T13:56:36.322-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Island of Cocoa Gods</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friends at the house of Lithuania based <a href="http://chocolatenaive.com/" target="_blank">Naive</a>, sent these beautifully packaged, oversized, organic bars from their new Mulate Organic Chocolates collection. I've always said that a well dressed, well executed bar of chocolate makes for fabulous gifting. You can't lose with one, or three of these arty bars dressed in a ribbon. I'm presently munching on the Peanut, dark milk chocolate. No actual crunch here, it's all about the subtle perfection of the salty peanut butter flavor brilliantly paired with creamy chocolate. Very well done, and it's gluten free. This is award winning chocolate. Hands down, a top choice for gifting this season. The packaging, featuring artwork by <a href="http://petpunk.com/" target="_blank">Gediminas Siaulys (PetPunk)</a> is worth noting. I have to add that the package reads: "Welcome to the faraway land of Mulate, the island of Cocoa Gods," Where exactly is that? "...between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, the shores of a small, mysterious island." I'll tell you what, this bar totally swept my senses away. </span></div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-40799411468208039992014-09-09T09:32:00.002-04:002014-09-09T09:32:45.942-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Sexy Chocolate</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I picked up this <a href="http://www.jcocochocolate.com/about" target="_blank">Jcoco</a> couture chocolate bar to throw in my hubby's birthday bag. I found it on a Upper West Side grocer's shelf and was attracted to the great looking packaging. Figured I couldn't lose with vanuato coconut pecan. In the morning I found three interesting little wrappers laying around featuring fashionable photographs of gorgeous women. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He'd been enjoying it in the middle of the night while I slept. H</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e was generous enough to save me a piece and he even took this photograph of the remaining two bars before eating them all up. I love it! Bars like this are why this blog exists. I encourage more chocolatiers to merge fashion, art, and chocolate. </span></div>
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-42192867931718935662014-09-07T21:04:00.001-04:002014-09-07T21:06:20.571-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wicked Awesome Chocolate from Salem, Massachusetts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.harborsweets.com/" target="_blank">Harbor Sweets</a> of historic Salem, Massachusetts has been handcrafting fine chocolate in copper kettles using fresh butter, cream and wooden paddles since 1973. To celebrate their 40th anniversary, the celebrated New England chocolatier has collaborated with </span><a href="http://lorabrody.com/cookbooks/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lora Brody</a>, <i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The New England Table, </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate American Style, </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cookbook author </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in creating </span><a href="http://www.harborsweets.com/product/salt-and-ayre-4-pc-truffles/salt-and-ayre-boxed-chocolates" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Salt & Ayre</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a collection of very handsomely packaged, luxury truffles wrapped in 70% dark. The flavors include Chai, Cafe Au Lait, Toasted Hazelnut, and Espresso. </span></div>
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-44329612085980012262014-08-25T10:30:00.000-04:002014-08-25T10:30:42.058-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Molto Deliso!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a very thankful girl as my dad has always shown his affection with confection. If it's about friendship, chocolate or fashion, he taught me to choose quality over quantity. Dad's been bringing me the most divine little boxes of handmade chocolate from <a href="http://delisoconfections.com/" target="_blank">Deliso Confections</a>, a neighborhood shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anthony Deliso, a former stockbroker, hedged his bets on chocolate after his job disappeared during the financial crisis. He paid his dues at <a href="http://www.mrchocolate.com/" target="_blank">Jacques Torres</a> on Hudson Street for $10 an hour to learn the trade from the best before entering culinary school to continue to perfect his craft. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gotta love a man with a plan! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/laid-off-broker-anthony-deliso-sets-new-direction-gourmet-chocolates-startup-article-1.184034" target="_blank">His story</a> is as rich as his truffles.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most recent box contained gooey Grand Marnier truffles with a delicate layer of crunch, Milk Sea Salt Caramel, which is a longtime favorite of mine, Espresso Cup, and Peanut Butter Cup. All arrived with hand written descriptions from Mr. Deliso. His Peanut Butter Cup is filled with homemade nut butter that is just so perfectly crunchy, salty and sweet. Deliso's nut butter truly stands out enrobed in subtle white chocolate for a change. This stuff is seriously yummy, so much so that all this time I'd swore the shop was named Delizioso! Turns out I've been wrong and apparently way too busy enjoying the chocolate and totally not paying attention to the box. </span></div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-86865223724132574462014-04-10T20:26:00.000-04:002014-04-10T20:26:08.984-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Easy Brie-sy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a ball today for National Grilled Cheese Day, stuffing my face at <a href="http://dofinousa.com/" target="_blank">Dofino</a>'s Havarti Party while talking chocolate and cheese with <a href="http://thenaptimechef.com/" target="_blank">The Naptime Chef</a>. Among her favorite gourmet grilled cheese combos are Brie or Creamy Havarti and Dark Chocolate. Yum! Time to break out that panini grill! </span></div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-7817059034532068272013-08-26T16:35:00.000-04:002013-08-26T16:37:17.190-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Chocolate Vitamins?!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tend to think that chocolate is always a good idea as it's divine and pretty much has great health benefits but when mixed with other ingredients such as milk and sugar it can create health issues for people on a special diet, say, a yeast-free or do-not-feed-the-yeast diet. Hopefully, those on such pesky diets need not cut chocolate out of the equation. And if you absolutely had to, at least munching on <a href="http://www.chocvs.com/" target="_blank">Choc-V's</a> white chocolate tasting-ish vitamins are somewhat of a treat? A little waxy, a little chalky, slightly weird, but containing 1 billion whole cells of Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Lactis. That's good stuff, and maybe the cute little gummy bear shape makes the whole darn thing more palatable? </span></div>
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-55069071930209418962013-08-13T20:37:00.003-04:002013-08-13T20:37:58.660-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Peanut Butter Pups</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD7vawK8GonPddUpY2_WjvZReh8Pm7onG4R2AV2L8Rj1JrJvglVvhqPq_pGf62idJFH2h9cIHBk-z7hEeGJCWAYV6Ru2Mmf7-AVTZG7FuZ7qu3YgdkZSnhPGcHg2FQvqBmIW7Vg/s1600/peanutbutterpups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD7vawK8GonPddUpY2_WjvZReh8Pm7onG4R2AV2L8Rj1JrJvglVvhqPq_pGf62idJFH2h9cIHBk-z7hEeGJCWAYV6Ru2Mmf7-AVTZG7FuZ7qu3YgdkZSnhPGcHg2FQvqBmIW7Vg/s320/peanutbutterpups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Peanut Butter Pups have toasted almond ears, while that sounds delicious,<br />
I may feel a little guilty biting into their adorable little faces. By <a href="http://www.gearhartschocolates.com/Peanut_Butter_Pups_p/peanut_butter_pups.htm" target="_blank">Gearharts</a>.</div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-2107595647823347342013-05-31T17:09:00.002-04:002013-05-31T17:11:44.437-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>All That And A Bag Of Chips!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fzOjEP8Vq9RI6i7jC8pWLVoWBheQcjMH1wj8EwpP-DPGLTDR27TjS_P-8bOmXRmXjd519ISJ5x4C6gUqPI86ymm6yOEEioqgZISDFV3WTeJ2jTTqWMpXyT29r_RGbtN-CN-HRQ/s1600/choc-bar_pototoe-crunch_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fzOjEP8Vq9RI6i7jC8pWLVoWBheQcjMH1wj8EwpP-DPGLTDR27TjS_P-8bOmXRmXjd519ISJ5x4C6gUqPI86ymm6yOEEioqgZISDFV3WTeJ2jTTqWMpXyT29r_RGbtN-CN-HRQ/s400/choc-bar_pototoe-crunch_1.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://chuaochocolatier.com/" target="_blank">Chuao</a>'s potato chip bar is completely cravable: salt, sugar, chocolate, crunch, need I say more? I picked it up for my beloved hubby who's a connoisseur of all things crunchy. He gave two crunches up to Chef Michael Antonorbi who cooked up this brilliant confection consisting of salty kettle chips and creamy, "CHEW-WOW!" milk chocolate. I fell in love with Chuao years ago, when I tasted my first chocolate covered olive at a Meetup years ago. The name remains synonymous with excellence.</span></div>
The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-81799336623468763482013-05-06T11:38:00.003-04:002013-05-06T11:42:42.251-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU72BJPpUv3X37mZ2mRzhlz1T5enNvoBd4LSdDI12Bh1Co4KnSoDBWEIH78QQMnh8Z6xZ3yszz_rC4ReOA4B6We7N1pG4fG27IGLdw5gNbP57mWzjokXmIZf6erD8QgvhAXaZH4A/s1600/mini-1-295x472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU72BJPpUv3X37mZ2mRzhlz1T5enNvoBd4LSdDI12Bh1Co4KnSoDBWEIH78QQMnh8Z6xZ3yszz_rC4ReOA4B6We7N1pG4fG27IGLdw5gNbP57mWzjokXmIZf6erD8QgvhAXaZH4A/s320/mini-1-295x472.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">By The Book</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I received a crash course in moxie from Lithuanian hailed chocolate team <a href="http://chocolatenaive.com/product/encyclopedia-of-chocolates/" target="_blank">Chocolate Naive</a>. Producing chocolate in the middle of nowhere, the self taught startup creates world-class origin bars that boldly put Lithuania on the map! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marked by unaffected simplicity, the mini bars which feature origin chocolate sourced from farms as far as Java/Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago are flavored with equally exotic ingredients such as dark amber honey from the Sambirano Valley near Madagascar. I love the packaging, </span><a href="http://www.karoliskosas.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Artist</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> designed, it is as gorgeous, classy and modern as the chocolate. I believe they're shipping to your home town. </span></div>
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-13685604127114789962013-03-29T11:48:00.001-04:002013-03-29T11:53:02.165-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Food For Thought</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making your own chocolate with <a href="http://www.gleegum.com/make-your-own-chocolate-kit.htm?c1=GAW_SE_NW&source=PLA_KIT&kw=Gum_Kit&cr6=pla&gclid=COjUn9aiorYCFYje4AodGTQAHA" target="_blank">Glee Gum's Organic Kit</a> is easy as boxed cake. Complete with a stick of raw cocoa butter, cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, starter crystals (powdered chocolate bars for tempering), thermometer and liners, it's really a brilliant hands on learning project for any age. We used a double boiler, but you can totally do it in the microwave. It was relatively glitch free save my little helper helping himself to the starter crystals...we lost a few to his tummy! The chocolate still managed to taste great. We most enjoyed sampling the raw cocoa butter and nibs and customizing our confections with walnuts and raisins. The kit includes an engaging history of chocolate and makes for a fun project for little chocolate nerds everywhere. </span><br />
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-92160886136397617192012-09-19T17:27:00.002-04:002013-03-29T11:53:27.276-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hip Hop Chocolate</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just received a set of turntable lollipops from Marcus Gray CEO/Cultural Engineer of LA based <a href="http://www.hiphopchocolate.com/" target="_blank">The Original Hip Hop Chocolates.</a> Here's his deal: he molds chocolate out of everything Hip Hop: Adidas, Boom Boxes etc. His operation is all handmade and totally guerrilla. It wouldn't be hardcore otherwise now would it? I love the photos of Pos from De La Soul, Crazy Legs, and other Legendary Hip Hop heads "Representing" with the candy. Word.</span><br />
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The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-73183897652996015552012-05-29T18:09:00.002-04:002012-05-29T18:14:01.251-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shear Sweets, for festive chocolate favors and assorted <a href="http://www.shearsweets.co.uk/" target="_blank">Wholesale Sweets</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(this is a sponsored link)</span> </span></div>
<a href="http://www.shearsweets.co.uk/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
</div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-8627825478775903052012-05-01T16:36:00.000-04:002012-05-01T16:41:14.227-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDatkzDy5EqdH0hPW-zWXdIns82kA6ldFDyUu8iRVb6P941SZJfnrw8zAbjrS63oW5YWE5OsylD5xN39jpuVOa7sQB7wt-BYUaH3XOqHI_kgfRY_VIQZs6aBBlZyL6KFmb1RK_g/s1600/IMG_1121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDatkzDy5EqdH0hPW-zWXdIns82kA6ldFDyUu8iRVb6P941SZJfnrw8zAbjrS63oW5YWE5OsylD5xN39jpuVOa7sQB7wt-BYUaH3XOqHI_kgfRY_VIQZs6aBBlZyL6KFmb1RK_g/s1600/IMG_1121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDatkzDy5EqdH0hPW-zWXdIns82kA6ldFDyUu8iRVb6P941SZJfnrw8zAbjrS63oW5YWE5OsylD5xN39jpuVOa7sQB7wt-BYUaH3XOqHI_kgfRY_VIQZs6aBBlZyL6KFmb1RK_g/s400/IMG_1121.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mother Knows Best</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since gaining membership into the International Sorority of Motherhood 2.5 years ago, my respect for mothers, as well as for chocolate, has grown exponentially. I wish I could deliver a box of <a href="http://www.shopsucre.com/mothers-day-chocolate-collection-15-piece.html">The Sucre Mother's Day Collection</a> to each and every mom as it will remind our dear mothers of the important things in life: to stop and smell the rose petal infused milk chocolate ganache; that if life gives us lemons, to indulge in sweet milk chocolate blended with fresh lemon zest! And most importantly, that life, like red raspberry encased in rich dark chocolate, can be bitter sweet. And at the end of the day, or box, it's all about love. Happy Mother's Day! </span></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-26124540733329296432012-03-30T22:59:00.000-04:002012-03-30T22:59:23.816-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A Box Full of Easter Joy</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPiNvBFNZX56j32bSlBcgRSA_Kyl5Fw4_uRkpJBcGhchuFSJzKbAMv77R3NvilFZX9HTl1YjpOQgZXZYrw3YjEYK47yArKqqkxhT94iQGfJM1BwyA_nA3VGDZeHSYbYHcwbXwWg/s1600/Easter-Gourmet-Chocolates1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPiNvBFNZX56j32bSlBcgRSA_Kyl5Fw4_uRkpJBcGhchuFSJzKbAMv77R3NvilFZX9HTl1YjpOQgZXZYrw3YjEYK47yArKqqkxhT94iQGfJM1BwyA_nA3VGDZeHSYbYHcwbXwWg/s320/Easter-Gourmet-Chocolates1.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd love to meet the bunny responsible for such an artful collection of gorgeous chocolate eggs, I bet he's quite the sophisticate! This year's Easter selection from </span><a href="http://www.normanloveconfections.com/chocolates/easter/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Norman Love</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> features limited edition flavors such as coconut cream, malted milk and vanilla cream and come handsomely packaged in a gorgeous green box as baskets of course are child's play. </span></span></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-51753590795846537202012-01-19T19:11:00.003-05:002012-01-19T19:19:10.333-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmWUFwrYqvD3IZ0RIuD3BIq3o3Cc0h2cn8oWTKuKfv6oJPmyM7GQQudBA37YJwnUNcrF76cxLQUzUtK9NgGsRPoibNVQaMEYRJETHgD3thyphenhyphenEuYAKg6oZk4ePC3OrhBytri5o8Yg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-19+at+6.48.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmWUFwrYqvD3IZ0RIuD3BIq3o3Cc0h2cn8oWTKuKfv6oJPmyM7GQQudBA37YJwnUNcrF76cxLQUzUtK9NgGsRPoibNVQaMEYRJETHgD3thyphenhyphenEuYAKg6oZk4ePC3OrhBytri5o8Yg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-19+at+6.48.02+PM.png" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Sweetly Demented</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this young chocolate maker named "Sivonne Imnottelling" contacted me today about their brand new confectionary line called <a href="http://www.sweetlydemented.com/#!shop">Sweetly Demented</a>, ranging from the "morbid, shabby chic & just plain rude." There are chocolate bird skulls, brains, hypno pops and...well, you'll have to see for yourself. I find it creative, dark and charming in a raw, art school kind of way. </span></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-49491928086306094812011-12-08T13:24:00.002-05:002011-12-08T13:25:55.441-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tis' The Season for Tins of Toffee!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzrXMu-Db5gxNAgxroutNUEOL7q4NEe7yqxgQKwtuqf9LG6Rqj4fqphIylhs9NkG9ujWDGlwW9RrQ6LZ3apQ22y2dNMeMFGC07wi84u6Q5vYv7zVkQtXIzuuFFjR1ocqb0ZHVEA/s1600/toffee_milk_landing_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzrXMu-Db5gxNAgxroutNUEOL7q4NEe7yqxgQKwtuqf9LG6Rqj4fqphIylhs9NkG9ujWDGlwW9RrQ6LZ3apQ22y2dNMeMFGC07wi84u6Q5vYv7zVkQtXIzuuFFjR1ocqb0ZHVEA/s320/toffee_milk_landing_lg.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm big on festive treats and toffee is hands down one of my favorite things to find inside a tin. Colorado based <a href="http://www.enstrom.com/almond+toffee/milk+chocolate+almond+toffee/">Enstrom's Almond Toffee</a> with their light, airy, buttery, perfection and great ingredients such as pure cane sugar, fresh California almonds and sweet cream butter doesn't last a day in my hands. When it's all gone too quickly, I indulge in the delicious crumbs that line the box like snow. I was tickled to find that Enstrom's actually sells the crumbs separately! They are seriously that good. </span></span></div><br />
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</div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-24326283490880083212011-12-02T23:04:00.002-05:002011-12-02T23:10:13.637-05:00Totally Gaga!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yUhgYWTTWtboWP2Gp2ZZqkOsObzdjOtWllvf0n-T3bDtrjwG677vVNcfuXG4FD1iaBttRxACUUW7Olu0245KcWc6nL2PMuZ7tiKAowSxwpVhyphenhyphen5vtAtHkEJs8INf3RpZJHWiaOA/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yUhgYWTTWtboWP2Gp2ZZqkOsObzdjOtWllvf0n-T3bDtrjwG677vVNcfuXG4FD1iaBttRxACUUW7Olu0245KcWc6nL2PMuZ7tiKAowSxwpVhyphenhyphen5vtAtHkEJs8INf3RpZJHWiaOA/s320/Picture+5.png" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mua! Mua! </b></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm loving these electrifying chocolate lips available this holiday season courtesy of <a href="http://www.barneys.com/Chocolate-Lips/00505014753695,default,pd.html?cgid=GAGA_TREATS">Barneys New York x Gaga's Workshop</a>. There's also chocolate lipstick, shoes and various wild treats. Pretty amazing gifts for the little monsters in your life. </span><br />
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</div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-69034874130443817902011-09-28T12:02:00.000-04:002011-09-28T12:02:19.489-04:00Madhatter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Curiouser and Curiouser!</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZ6cfuU8Kv-6LiWN7OXj49qQOZcLxVMxvD1dmK6R_wUrNkKGh2G68P2K21m-J-7DagG-aQ66eXdhkmGTQzNyweUVJ-xvOJ7zU29fOIeRkLrnugIn9CULpfo0WCc_HY0LTFus7Sw/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZ6cfuU8Kv-6LiWN7OXj49qQOZcLxVMxvD1dmK6R_wUrNkKGh2G68P2K21m-J-7DagG-aQ66eXdhkmGTQzNyweUVJ-xvOJ7zU29fOIeRkLrnugIn9CULpfo0WCc_HY0LTFus7Sw/s320/-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>As an Alice in Wonderland fan, one of my fav quotes from Alice: "But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span> I was quite attracted to these Wonderland inspired mini honey cakes and brownies by UK based <a href="http://www.luckys-online.co.uk/">Lucky Chocolate</a>. The mini cakes are handmade and coated in Grand Cru and Valhrona chocolate and <span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span>individually packaged in their own box - so each one is almost like a little treat or gift. Their larger gift boxes are also fun, like the Honey Time Gift Set with 'rabbit fur' which includes collections of their larger Mad Hatter Bars. "It was much pleasanter at home, when one wasn't always growing larger and smaller, and being ordered about by mice and rabbits!"</div><div><br />
</div></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-14146584456018971452011-03-26T18:07:00.000-04:002012-04-03T22:01:58.299-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>New York's Finest</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://cmchocolatier.blogspot.com/2011/03/where-can-i-get-chocolate.html">C&M Chocolatier</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">epitomizes everything I love about New York from the success story to the diversity of flavor. Founder Chris Martorano started cleaning floors in a chocolate factory at the age of fourteen, nowadays he makes his own handmade chocolate. Each flavor is a brilliant nod </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">to New York's East Village neighborhood and its wide variety of foods and flavors. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I can't quite decide which is my favorite. I savored them all very slowly. The Peanut Butter Pretzel is amazing, a gianduja truffle rolled in crushed, salted pretzels YUM! The Black Sesame Tahini which features a sesame tahini filling flavored with honey and black sesame seeds was a fantastic taste experience. The Truffle truffle is a foodie's paradise </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">featuring </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">70% dark chocolate ganache infused with white truffle oil. Put simply, this chocolate rocks! As Martorano is the new kid on the block, you can say you were one of the first in the know. I think he's about to blow way up! </span></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-60296292711881131832011-03-25T10:53:00.002-04:002012-04-03T22:11:40.137-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</a><b> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> Crown Jewels</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There's nothing like art royalty featured on packaging to make me want want want it! <a href="http://www.ligneblancheparis.com/EN_ligneblanche.html">Ligne Blanche</a> offers these brilliant little tins of chocolate pearls featuring the art of Andy Warhol, Keith Herring and the awesome Jean-Michel Basquiat. What a great item to place next to your stack of art+design books. </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifP17eotPomhS4VVie7fCK75JNHeJHZgsIxenCL5MPOx1CwzafL15HH3p9TmdowvnCiRPm10Drh5fWZQ8J452LVeJwqqy6g8_KlrW-xrm69jJDS2VcBGHf5RbtGZ7WzkhS4tJrQA/s1600/jmb1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-22752498074119070432011-03-22T15:15:00.000-04:002011-03-22T15:15:37.546-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhxtqM21PG19l_k7rLh8xL2zZ4BGb8GNQg_zb8xGeYcR0C7zSpHdm2_ZCDt23EsgXTKPFYdoacjRWFwtVD_h4-birDcut77dc-iPzxFjaWh1aRGoZP6leJ1DlePPfLC8GPlrI-Q/s1600/51vXgjsGs2L._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhxtqM21PG19l_k7rLh8xL2zZ4BGb8GNQg_zb8xGeYcR0C7zSpHdm2_ZCDt23EsgXTKPFYdoacjRWFwtVD_h4-birDcut77dc-iPzxFjaWh1aRGoZP6leJ1DlePPfLC8GPlrI-Q/s320/51vXgjsGs2L._SS500_.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Sample Size</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There may be times when you find yourself weighing your options: the chocolate cake? or that killer dress? The answer isn't always so simple especially for a chocolate lover. Author Debby Maugans has our backs! Her sample sized desserts are just enough to indulge without creating the bulge and most recipes call for just a tiny bit of ingredients like one egg, so they're easy to whip up in a pinch. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I loved her first book, I thought that baking out of tin cans was a brilliant way to recycle while creating adorable little portion aware cakes. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Needless to say, I was over zealous when I learned of the chocolate lovers release! Pick up a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Small-Batch-Baking-Chocolate-Lovers-Maugans/dp/0312612249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300821305&sr=8-1">copy</a> and shred those spanks! </span></span></span></div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24699928.post-74911094204831060352011-03-09T16:45:00.000-05:002011-03-09T16:45:57.145-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LhfDtvHq4A12J0IgWELiP10jLQBKJR7Zqmc88JmkTA7EzeCDgtr4wIkngtPKcmUCR4-6-7aDht3SSOhk-XwiD8IR4GMrMhajkJLHWER1m6lv-TSb0PSL041AECh9_iLxM0s_Dw/s1600/tudor.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LhfDtvHq4A12J0IgWELiP10jLQBKJR7Zqmc88JmkTA7EzeCDgtr4wIkngtPKcmUCR4-6-7aDht3SSOhk-XwiD8IR4GMrMhajkJLHWER1m6lv-TSb0PSL041AECh9_iLxM0s_Dw/s320/tudor.png" width="249" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Flight Of Fancy</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 1600, in the spirit of expansion, Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter to </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.theeastindiacompany.com/">The East India Company</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The company was sent East to explore. They returned with magical flavors that would change the West's palate forever. I feel like the Queen herself seated in front of a box of chocolate treasure packaged so artfully that it resembles an old tome that could belong to The Royal Collection itself. The confections inside feature flavors such as Creme Rose, Hazel Praline and Cafe Latte and reflect a heritage of quality and tradition along with a new found sense of adventure. My favorite among the truffles happens to be the Mimosa<i>:</i> cream, marc de champagne and orange essence. The taste is so right on it should be served in a flute! </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
</div>The Chocolate Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490720960145793877noreply@blogger.com0