holiday cheer

Happiest of Holidays to everyone, & thank you for all of your support, enthusiasm & patience
 ~ hoping to announce some good news this coming year...

Many thanks to my talented & supportive friend Karen for the photo styling xo

bountiful love

It's wonderful to show up at an event & hand your offering over to capable & artistic hands knowing that when it is presented, it will look wonderful. Well, yesterday's wedding was a tour de force. The chocolate pâté with Bourbon whiskey showed up on the banquet table looking like a lush & bountiful Dutch still life. 

The wonderful couple taking vows knows & loves good food, so I gathered a variety of fresh & dried fruits, along with traditional anise pizelles for spreading & feasting. Dried mangoes & pears, along with fresh melt-in-your-mouth black mission figs, local currants, cherries & blueberries were arranged by the fabulous caterers into a gorgeous & delicious tableau. The enormous hill of chocolate literally disappeared within minutes. L'Chaim!

grand seasonal finale

The summer temperatures are arriving right on schedule, forecast to hover around 90ºF later this week, just in time for the solstice. Once again, I will be closing down my chocolate kitchen for the summertime after this weekend, although I will continue to make chocolate terrines by request, including one for a lovely wedding in July.

Today I rolled up my sleeves & got into the kitchen to make 160 mendiants for a wedding this weekend, in a race to beat the heat. These little beauties will be packaged later on today, then stored safely until Saturday for the happy couple.

Since the chocolates would be favors for the festive event, I wanted something as equally beautiful to the eye as to the taste buds. Flowers & dried summer fruits seemed in order, so I made three different varieties, with fleur de sel & blanched sliced almonds:

• dried bing cherry with hibiscus flowers
• dried strawberry with rose petals
• dried blueberries with lavender

Cheers & many years of happiness to the wonderful couple!

mendiants: bleu

Mendiants have really captured my imagination. These perfume-y bits are made with organic lavender blossoms, roasted almond slivers made with local raw honey, fleur de sel, & dried organic blueberries.

i beg to differ

Mendiants, French for beggars, are traditionally made around the Christmas holidays, but I think they are a festive accompaniment to any occasion or a perfect gift, any time of the year.

Dried Turkish fig, fresh rosemary, fleur de sel & candied balsamic pecans float on top of a bittersweet chocolate medallion, for a balanced combination of chewy, crunchy, salty, bitter & sweet. Voila!

tux & tails

A classic & classy combination of French champagne paired with bittersweet chocolate, creating a delicate & fluffy ganache that melts on your tongue, leaving a whiff of sparkling wine behind. Dressed up with a crunchy marbled dark & white chocolate tile, these little numbers are ready to go out on the town & celebrate. Happy Valentine's Day!

milk chocolate porter

This Valentine's Day inspired celebratory pairings with which to toast love & life.

Rich & creamy milk chocolate was blended with Vermont's own Otter Creek deep, dark Stovepipe Porter, & enrobed in 70% cacao chocolate with a dusting of mahogany-colored French cocoa powder... cheers!