Tag Archive: chocolate shop
Dark Chocolate; Want Coffee With That?
March 21, 2011
Chocolate Crafters of Yuma, Arizona makes wonderful chocolate. I have recently reviewed their candied orange peel and “Sea Turtle.”
They also make a wonderful dark chocolate coffee bean bark. The roasted espresso beans add crunch and real coffee flavor without bitterness or the aftertaste that some of the flavored syrups can leave behind.
Chocolate Covered “Sea Turtle”
March 14, 2011
Last Monday I reviewed a Yuma Arizona chocolates shop called Chocolate Crafters. I reported on their chocolate covered candied orange peel. Oh - yummy memory.
Of course, I didn’t try just one item. The Sea Turtle, a dark chocolate-covered salty caramel and pecan cluster, captured my attention, too. It was all I expected and more. The pecans were crunchy, the salty caramel was smooth, buttery and, yes, salty, and the chocolate, although mild, blended perfectly into all the flavors with ease.
Defining “Quality” Chocolate
July 14, 2010
Every chocolate shop I visit insists that their chocolate is the best quality, gourmet, premium. So, when talking about chocolate, what does “quality” mean exactly?
The U.S. FDA has produced formal standards of identity that legally define chocolate and all its related ingredients and by-products. But, read through all that and you will discover there is nothing that defines the “quality” of chocolate.
Of course there are standards of “Quality Assurance” within each processing step of making chocolate. These control standards start with the cocoa bean and follow through to the finished product. But following these rules means that pretty much any final chocolate available for purchase could be defined as being a “quality” chocolate.
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Chocolate Adventures in England – Thorntons
March 11, 2010
My little niece was baptized on Valentines Day, Feb. 14, 2010 in a small church near Covent Garden in London.
Previously I had been told the English didn’t celebrate Valentines Day much, but that’s not what I experienced. The chocolate shops and patisseries surrounding the church fully embraced the holiday with window displays decked out in red hearts, flower bouquets, and lots and lots of chocolate!
Most of the time I don’t buy chocolate truffles by the box and off the shelf because I don’t know how long ago those truffles were made. I prefer a really fresh, handmade truffle at the corner shop.
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Caffe Chocolat in Titusville, Florida
June 29, 2009
Last Tuesday we stopped at Caffe' Chocolat in Titusville, Florida. We noticed it in the historic downtown part of Titusville a couple days earlier as we drove out to Playa Linda beach. When we drove by a second time, on another adventure, we took the opportunity to stop.
The cafe portion is truly a restaurant with a complete menu including sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and salads. They also serve specialty coffees, hot and iced. Of course they have fine chocolates and other desserts.
Our interest was in their Chocolate Salon. Here they had a wide assortment of chocolates made right in the store. Pam, owner and chocolatier, has been making the chocolates for more than six and a half years now.
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Allô Chocolat’s Chocolate Covered Bacon
June 4, 2009
Wow! What else can I say? This afternoon Bryn and I visited an independent chocolate shop called Allô! Chocolat in Waukesha, Wisconsin. We met with the owners, Roger and Carrie, who have been in the chocolate business for about 3 years.
It's a nice shop on Main Street. They've got a plentiful selection of chocolates available to suit any taste. They'll even customize formulas on request for special clientele!
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