Gourmet Organic Chocolate Truffles

Posts Tagged ‘Gourmet Chocolates’

The chocolate truffle is number one on every repertoire of richly decadent goodies ever found on earth! This scrumptious chocolate candy has been one of the most popular forms of chocolate for quite a few centuries. At the heart of the chocolate truffle lies a superb history, right from its origins in France to its travels across Europe and its entrance into America and the rest of the world.

The year 1828 was deemed to be the greatest year in the history of chocolate-making, due to a new innovation called the cocoa press, which solidified chocolate by removing the cocoa butter. However, the most important period in the history of the chocolate truffle was 1879, the year Henri Nestle created the first milk chocolate.

Soon after, experiments on this milk chocolate conducted by chocolate producers in France and Switzerland led to the creation of the Ganache, which is essentially a combination of cream and solid chocolate melted together to form a smooth, velvety mixture. In the modern era, this ganache has become the inner core and heart of the chocolate truffle.  

Since the origins of the chocolate truffle were in France, it follows logic that the name should be French too! The truffle is a small wild mushroom found growing near tree roots in the deepest forests of France. Since the chocolate truffle resembles this little mushroom so much, the creators of this masterpiece decided that it should be named after it.

What’s relatively unknown is the fact that the actual truffle was an exquisite dish; very expensive and eaten only by the royals and the extremely wealthy folks of France. Giving the new chocolate creation this name automatically elevated it to that status. And until today, the chocolate truffle is associated with wealth and luxury.  

The chocolate truffle soon found its way past the borders of France, into the welcoming lands of Europe. It became the newest sensation, tantalizing everyone with its sumptuous richness. Not long after, it was introduced to North America, and most other parts of the world. 

By the early 1900s, many chocolate producers worldwide had begun making their own chocolate truffles to compete with the originals. Although they are all made in the same manner, no one makes them better than the French! This fact has been proven by the chocolate truffle contest held there every year. Entries from all the regions of France make an appearance in this contest, putting to shame other chocolate truffles!

A veritable treat for the palate, chocolate truffles are easy to make, scrumptious to taste, and lovely to present! There are many different types of chocolate truffles out there today, ranging from the original basic ones to the semi-sweet to the liquor-based. The difference in the making of the ganache leads to the extreme varieties of the chocolate truffle.  

There are three main types of chocolate truffles: American, Swiss and European. These types vary both in the method of producing the ganache, as well as in the basic ingredients used for the ganache. While the American chocolate truffle is essentially basic using milk and dark chocolate, the European version uses thick syrup of cocoa powder and butter. The Swiss type is completely different and makes use of dairy cream, which drastically reduces its shelf life.

The different types of chocolate truffles that can be found on most online chocolate shopping sites include dark chocolate classic truffles, milky almond truffles, chocolate cinnamon truffles, champagne truffles and French Chocolate truffles!

Chocolate truffles make a great chocolate dessert, and are usually served with fresh fruit, or on a sliver tray lined with sprigs of mint. These chocolate candies are extremely popular in chocolate gift baskets, creating an impression of luxury and caring. Other instances where the chocolate truffles can be enjoyed are high teas, breakfast on vacations, romantic picnics, or after a hard day at work!

The chocolate truffle has become synonymous to the quintessential luxury candy of the modern world. This creamy, buttery, smooth chocolate ganache rolled in semi-sweet cocoa powder has shown the world that heaven truly does exist on earth: And it is easily obtained by popping a chocolate truffle into your mouth!

Technorati Tags: Chocolate Truffle, chocolate truffles, Chocolates, Gourmet Chocolates

Nothing beats the taste of a truly divine chocolate that is made with the finest and purest ingredients. For the chocolate connoisseur, only gourmet chocolate will do; chocolate that is surely no 50-cent treat but a luscious indulgence that is meant to be savored and cherished like good wine and good food. In recent years, more and more chocolatiers are putting up chocolate shops, creating hand-made chocolate and confections that contain higher cacao levels than those mass-produced chocolates you can buy at the grocery store. These master chocolate makers use natural flavors and some unusual ingredients like chili peppers and grated lime to make your chocolate experience even more interesting. But because they make custom and gourmet chocolates, you can also expect gourmet prices, as much as seventy dollars for a pound of chocolate! But don’t worry. There are also gourmet chocolates sold for less than ten dollars-fairly affordable and a good investment for the true chocolate lover. Below are some of the best gourmet chocolates in town.Ganache Chocolates
Former corporate pastry chef of the Ritz Carlton, Norman Love, together with partner Judy Limekiller founded Ganache, a chocolate store that serves visually stunning and delicious chocolate. Their chocolate molds are air brushed or hand-painted with a candy-coating and filled with imported chocolate from France, Belgium, and Switzerland. They also add various fresh ingredients to their chocolates such as hazelnuts, bananas, raspberries, and even ginger.La Maison du Chocolat
When it comes to luxuriousness, nothing can beat La Maison du Chocolat. La Maison chocolates come in an exquisite presentation of colored leather boxes that is elegant enough to hold jewelry. They offer decadent delights such as mendicants (chocolate lavishly sprinkled with nuts, dried fruits, or orange peel), marrons glaces, and dark and milk chocolate truffles. Their ganache fillings are not made of milk fat but of pure cocoa butter.Dagoba Organic Chocolate
Organic chocolate used to be boring and tasteless and left chocoholics gravely disappointed, but thanks to inventive chocolatiers such as former chef Frederick Schilling, owner of Dagoba Organic Chocolate, organic chocolate will never be the same again. This time, you can drown in decadence with the exciting varieties and flavors Dagoba has to offer such as chocolate roseberry (raspberry and rosehips), hazelnut, chocolate mint and rosemary, chai (milk chocolate with anise, cardamom, black pepper, clover, and cinnamon) lime and macadamia nut, and the conventional milk and dark chocolate. Schilling buys only handpicked, organic cacao beans from co-ops in Central America and the Dominican Republic, and pays the farmers full price getting Dagoba a Fair Trade certification.Garrison Confections
Former pastry chef of the upscale La Cote Basque in New York made a line of colorful and elaborately designed chocolates to serve the restaurant’s patrons after their meals and continued on to create Garrison confections, his very own chocolate company. His signature chocolate is couveture, chocolate for making truffles and pastries such as molten chocolate. It is very popular among pastry chefs across the country. Other specialties include chocolates flavored with honey and fresh herbs; almond, macadamia and hazelnut praline; and mint-flavored mojito.

Technorati Tags: Chocolate, Chocolate Candy, Fine Gourmet Chocolate, Ganahce Chocolate, Gourmet Chocolates