Cutting through the clutter with quirky and exciting gifts at Easter

With Easter rapidly approaching we have noticed an increase in corporate customers wanting unique and quirky gifts for their customers.

When we first opened our first retail store for Devonport Chocolates Christmas was by far the biggest seasonal event with Easter merely a drop in the sand.  Now Easter is fast making tracks to overtake Christmas and largely because of an increase in corporate orders.  A lot of our corporate customers have found that saying thank you to their customers or staff at this time of year has meant their gift is remembered and thoroughly enjoyed at a time of year when corporate gift giving is not normally the ‘done thing’.

Our corporate customers have come to us with increasingly exciting and challenging gifts that we have enjoyed creating including personalised Easter eggs with gifts of makeup in them, chocolate chainsaws and Easter gifts from $5 each to $200 each.  We are well versed in problem solving and love coming up with creative solutions to help our customers stand out from the crowd.  Drop and email to info@devonportchocolates.co.nz if a corporate Easter gift has been at the top of your ‘to do list’ and you just haven’t got to it yet.

Create your own wine and chocolate tasting at home for Valentine's

What could be more romantic for Valentine’s Day than a wine and chocolate tasting?  

Pairing wine and chocolate has always been a bit of a challenge.  I can confirm that after years of testing the theory myself I think I have come up with a (nearly) fool proof methodology as follows:

Don’t take it too seriously!  Have a bit of fun, it’s fabulous to do with a group of friends not just your partner/boyfriend/girlfriend.

Have a read of the wine label and try to match flavours in your wine with the flavours of your chocolate.  For example, berry tones tend to suit berry flavoured chocolates.

White wines and bubbles tend to suit white chocolates, milk and dark chocolates suit richer wines like merlots.

My most recent tasting experiment involved two superbly (and romantic) wines, Laurent Perrier Champagne and the Wooing Tree Pinot Noir Rose, both of which are consistently available at Glengarrys.

The champagne worked wonderfully with our coconut, mango and honey bon bon, this out of all the chocolates was my husband’s and my favourite.  The other notable flavour was the lemon and date truffle.

The Wooing Tree Rose went beautifully with our honey and raspberry bon bon, the freeze dried raspberry complemented the flavours in the Rose perfectly, I also enjoyed our limited edition dark chocolate raspberry and vanilla heart with rose.

So there you have it, a quick, easy and romantic Valentine’s date night for you or a group of friends.  

Enjoy!

Small batch bourbons and delicious chocolates Yumo!

Well it is the time of year when Father’s Day will soon be with us.  This year Devonport Chocolates will have their usual range of delights perfectly suited to Dad but we have also partnered with the fabulous Sam and Nigel at The House of Whiskey to make a range of three chocolates using small batch bourbons.

Our Master Chocolatier Yoann Martichon mixed and matched, experimented and tasted, creating flavours that emphasised the delicious notes and aromas of these three small batch bourbons.

Noahs Mill Bourbon partnered with salted caramel

Noahs Mill is the cigar smoking, cologne wearing Lord of the Manor of small batch Bourbons.  With the colour of polished mahogany, quite an intense nose and flavours reminiscent of molasses, leather and oak Yoann has teamed this with a salted caramel.

Willet Pot Still Reserve Bourbon partnered with banana and spice.

If you are the extrovert of your group of friends and love a good party you can go no further than Willet Pot Still Reserve.  This delicate bourbon (can you call bourbon delicate?) has quite floral and tropical notes.  With an overall impression of honey and citrus Yoann has teamed it with banana and spice for a quirky, but delicious taste. 

Johnny Drum Private Stock with orange, nutmeg and allspice

Everyone knows someone who is the outdoorsy type. They are able to construct a shelter with a bit of number eight wire and a tarp, they can start a fire with a rock and they smell distinctly of grass.  Johnny Drum is the bourbon for them.  A smoky palette that reminds you of deep forests and wood fires develops into a pepper, spice, mint and cedar wood taste, wow!  This is such a rich and capable bourbon Yoann only needed to add a touch of orange oil, allspice and nutmeg to bring out the bourbon.

Available from both Devonport Chocolates and the House of Whiskey in mid-August these delicious chocolates will be packaged in a box of nine pieces.  If you have a passion for whiskey or would like to find out more about bourbons we can highly recommend the folks at The House of Whiskey, always willing to share their extraordinary whiskey knowledge with their customers a visit here will not be forgotten.  www.houseofwhiskey.co.nz

Valentine's Day, myths legends and of course chocolate!

Valentine’s Day conjures up images of cupids, hearts, red roses and of course chocolates, but where did it all begin?  A quick look at research (albeit Wikipedia and history.com) reveals that the history of Valentine’s Day is wrapped up in the legends of saints, medieval courtship and lilting love notes.

Valentine’s Day is no longer a day officially on the Roman Catholic church calendar as no one knows much about St Valentine.  St Valentine could be one of three patron saints who have been martyred by the church.  In Roman times legend has it that one priest continued to marry young couples after marriage was outlawed for young men because they were required for battle.

The earliest recorded Valentine’s note was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at battle his “farewell to love” poem is in stark contrast to a book published in 1797, “The Young Mans Valentine Writer” containing verses for the man who couldn't write his own, much like the Valentine’s cards of today.

So when did chocolate become synonymous with Valentine’s Day?  Aztec Emperor Montezuma consumed large quantities of chocolate drink before entertaining his harem or could it be that wooing your Valentine is that much easier after they've eaten chocolate and are experiencing an increase in endorphins? 

However it really is more simple than that: chocolates are a delicious gift.  Keeping that in mind why not try one of the Valentine’s Day ideas below:

• Hold a wine and chocolate tasting evening with your loved one with passionate flavours like strawberry champagne, chilli and gooey caramel.
• Cook something chocolaty and delicious, have a look at our website for some ideas: http://www.devonportchocolates.co.nz/Chocolate-Recipes.
•  Be a romantic and pen a poem enclosing it in a delicious box of chocolates.

Chocolate Spa Bliss and Cacao Trees in Bali

In October my husband and I ventured overseas to the sublimely tropical Bali for a bit of rest and relaxation.  While I was at one of our deliciously gorgeous hotels I felt it was necessary to review the spa menu and was delighted to see a three hour chocolate spa experience.  Feeling that it was my duty to my work to participate I quickly booked myself in, quite unsure of what to expect.

The spa at the Puri Santrian is gorgeous. You are welcomed with a drink and then led to your spa room.  The first thing I noticed when we entered was the gentle smell of chocolate and bowls of bubbling chocolate and massage oils next to the bath.  The experience started with a massage with oils scented with chocolate.


 This was followed by a body scrub with sugar and ground cacao.  Once this was cleaned off the next step was a chocolate body mask, basically chocolate painted on, quite bizarre considering I'm used to seeing it becoming delicious treats.  The final step was a bath, in (da da da daaaahh) you guessed it chocolate scented bubbles and a chocolate fruity drink.  Yes you read that right a chocolate fruity drink clearly made with cocoa powder and some lime, it really was quite(surprisingly) delicious and refreshing.

This is definitely one of the more unusual spa experiences I have had, but incredibly decadent and I can highly recommend it to any chocoholics out there.  I have recently seen that a local nail spa offers a chocolate manicure and pedicure and think I need to check this out! (In the interests of the business and experiencing all things chocolate of course).






While we were in Bali I asked our driver Kadek to take us to a cacao
plantation.  A few things got lost in translation and we ended up at a tourism destination instead of a proper plantation.  Over looking the rice fields just out of Ubud we got the opportunity to walk through cacao trees, as well as see giant passion fruit trees, vanilla trees coffee bean plants, chilli plants and of course the Lemur like cats that like to consume coffee beans.

The best part of this destination was the opportunity to try a range of teas from lemon and ginger through to cocoa all made  from the plants in this particular garden including Balinese coffee, all while looking over a stunning vista.

While especially touristy and not normally something I would enjoy it was a great opportunity to see so many plants I haven't seen before in the one place, next time I will make it to a proper plantation though!

Tempering Chocolate at Home

Here it is – How to temper chocolate at home!

As promised here is a way you can temper chocolate at home using a microwave.  This is great to use if you are dipping fruit or your own truffles in coverture chocolate it means the chocolate will have a nice gloss and shine to it that will last.  This would also be fun to do during the school holidays to make your own chocolates.

What you will need:

500g Devonport Chocolates Callets (I used 56% cocoa solids)

1 x medium microwave proof bowl
1 x small microwave proof bowl
Chocolate Moulds (depending on size of chocolates this quantity of chocolate will make approximately 2 moulds)
Lint free soft cloth
Digital Thermometer (with probe) available from all good kitchen stores
Rubber spatula
Disposable Piping Bags

Method:

Polish the cavities of your mould with your soft lint free cloth.

Put 300g of chocolate callets in your medium bowl.

Place in the microwave on medium power and microwave in one minute bursts until melted.  Stir well between each burst in the microwave.  

Once melted check the temperature of your chocolate, it needs to be between 46-49°C.  If your chocolate has melted but hasn’t reached this temperature put it in the microwave on medium for 20 second bursts until it reaches this temperature, stirring well each time.

Now you want to bring your melted chocolate down to 29°C  - this is how you do it.
Slowly add spoonfuls of unmelted callets to your melted chocolate stirring well between each spoonful and checking the temperature.  Only add up to approximately 100g of chocolate (half of what you have left).  It is really important to keep scraping the sides of your bowl and keep stirring, never leave it to just sit.  Check the temperature regularly until the temperature of your chocolate is down to 29°C.  This can take some time depending on the temperature of your room. 

Once the temperature has reached 29°C you need to bring it up to 32°C and this is how you do this: microwave your remaining chocolate callets on medium in one minute bursts until melted.  The temperature of the chocolate that you are melting needs to reach 46°C.

Then add this melted chocolate to the chocolate that has reached 29°C.  Your chocolate should now have come up to 32°C.

Give your mould a very quick heat on low in the microwave for a few seconds, you don’t want to melt the mould but you don’t want to lose your temper because your mould is cold, the mould needs to be around 25°C.

Fill your piping bags with chocolate and pipe into your moulds.  Bang the mould lightly on the bench this will help settle the chocolate and bring our any air bubbles.   Put in the fridge to set until the chocolate has retracted from the mould (you will see what I mean), approximately 10 minutes.

Some tips:
You can get heaps of fun moulds from Spotlight and www.homestylechocolates.co.nz
You can knife test your tempered chocolate before you use it, literally dip a knife in melted chocolate and put it in your fridge to set before you use your chocolate, if it is shiny and not streaky in colour it has tempered.
The temperature of your room will affect your tempering, take your time and don’t stress – Chocolate is very temperamental, if you are in a rush don’t even try, make something else!
If your tempering doesn’t work, keep your chocolate, once it has set break it up and try again, that is the fabulous thing with solid chocolate it won’t go to waste.

Spring is here and I am in the mood to celebrate!

Inspired by my first cocktail of the season I spent the weekend concocting, trialling and tasting to create the delicious mojito truffle.

Mojito Truffles

400g Devonport Chocolates 55% cocoa solids callets
75g (1/3 cup) cream
2 sprigs of fresh mint (top 3 inches of the mint stalk)
1 tablespoon of dark rum (now I know a mojito has white rum in it but I discovered the rum taste doesn’t come through when you use white rum)
lime oil (can be found in most gourmet food stores/supermarkets)
100g desiccated coconut

Equipment Needed:

1 x small pot
1 x medium pot and a bowl that will fit over the top of it to create a bain-marie.
2 x cookie trays or oven trays (one of which can fit in your fridge)
1 x disposable piping bag (available in most supermarkets now, in the baking section)
2x medium high sided bowls
1 x microwave proof bowl
Assortment of spatulas, spoons and a fork.

Put cream and fresh mint in a small saucepan.

Bring to the boil over a medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, take off the heat and set aside to cool for approximately 30 minutes.

Discard the mint and warm the cream back up on a low heat.

Put 200g of the chocolate callets in a metal or ceramic bowl and place over a pot of simmering water.  This is the best way to melt chocolate without burning it.  You want to make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl, you are just relying on the heat from the steam to melt the chocolate.  Stir your chocolate until it is completely melted, add your warm cream and rum.  Stir until well mixed and silky smooth. – 

IMPORTANT TIP – Don’t let any water get in your chocolate, water and chocolate are not friends and your chocolate may go grainy and seize up like over whipped cream. 

Fill your disposable piping bag with your ganache mix. 

The easiest way to do this is to place your piping bag in a tall cup or mug and roll the edges of the piping bag over the glass.   Place glass and piping bag in fridge and cool until chocolate mix is firm and can hold its shape but not so firm you can’t pipe it.

Place baking paper on one of your cookie trays.  Cut the end off your piping bag so that you can pipe a length approximately 8-10mm thick.  Pipe lengths of mix onto baking paper.  Cover and place back in the fridge until set.

Cut piped ganache into 1cm lengths, don’t worry if you think this is small, by the time you add more chocolate and coconut they are quite sizeable. 

Cover your second cookie tray in baking paper and place your coconut on it.  Put 6 small drops of lime oil on the coconut, mix it around well and put under grill to toast in until light golden brown.  Place your coconut in a high sided bowl.

Place the other 200g of your chocolate in a microwave proof bowl.  Microwave on medium power for two minutes and then give a really good stir.  Place back in the microwave at 30 second intervals on medium, stirring well between each burst until melted and smooth.  Please don’t whip the chocolate, you don’t want air in it.

Now here comes the fun bit, you can use forks, spoons or put disposable gloves on your hands if it makes this process easier.

Take three pieces of ganache and place in the melted chocolate.  Take pieces out and put in an empty bowl (you do this to remove the excess chocolate or your coconut ends up really messy)

Take pieces out of bowl and put in coconut and roll them around.  Leave the pieces in the coconut for now to set a little.

Take three new pieces of ganache and place in melted chocolate.
Take pieces out and put in the empty bowl.

Repeat this process with all your chocolate pieces and then place in the fridge for approximately 10-20 minutes, (about as long as it takes to clean up).

Take out of the fridge and bring up to room temperature to eat or put in a nice box of cellophane bag to give as a gift.  (Photo 6)

Check in next month when I cover how to temper chocolate at home.