For that extra citrus kick – Valrhona Manjari Orange

Madagascar chocolate is an easy sell for me – I love the flavour of dried fruits, the slight spiciness, and mostly, the citrus. Of course, Valrhona was the one to step up with this flavoured bar, studded with candied orange rind, to give their 64% Manjari that extra edge. Valrhona’s efforts did not go unnoticed – they were awarded Gold for this one in 2009, at the Academy of Chocolate‘s annual competition.

Valrhona always does a great job in the tempering department, and this one has their characteristic sheen. I also love the light orange-brown colouring on this one, which hints at the citrus flavours to come.

Of course this bar smells as expected – like oranges. But a cinnamon-cloves scent also brings up the rear… definitely worth waiting for.

While I don’t generally select Valrhona’s Manjari chocolate for my Madagascar fix, here its light, crisp fruit flavours provide a perfect base for those flavourful chunks of orange. For me, this is exactly what their Manjari chocolate needs – a big hit of that sweet, acidic citrus that I love in other Madagascar chocolates.

In the end, I think it is this bar’s versatility that carries it a long way – whether you need a mid-day (or morning) pick-me-up, or a refreshing yet decadent finish to a winter meal, this one certainly delivers.

Let us know what you think of this bar! Also, if you have any favourite bars you would like us to post on, leave a note below!

New Zotter bars, more Drinking Chocolate and a few sale items

We’ve been waiting not-so-patiently for our order of Zotter truffle bars to arrive, and they are finally here! Black Cherries with Vanilla, Cheese-Walnuts-Raisins, Marc de Champagne, Pink Grapefruit, Bacon Bits, With Love (a combo of raspberry, almond and coconut) are all waiting to be scooped up.

Last week I reported that we were sold out of Drinking Chocolate, but the shelves are packed once again with both Spicy and Dark versions. And since the snow seems to be returning today, after a week of blue skies, a cup of drinking chocolate is surely in order!

There are a few things from around the Shop on sale this week:

Our remaining selection of Patric 67% and 75% bars, as well as Pralus Colombie, São Tomé e Príncipe and Ghana bars are all 25% off. Also, 40g tins of Japanese Sencha Tea (reg. $27) are 50% off.

The Shop is open until 4PM today… hope to see you soon!

Three Chocolatiers, One Event

Laurie Blakeman will be hosting ‘Chocolate Fusion‘ at Rutherford House (11153 Saskatchewan Drive) on Thursday March 4th, from 7-9pm.

The event will feature presentations from three of Edmonton’s chocolatiers:

Ed Fong of deVine Wines and Spirits will also be there, with what I’m sure will be some fantastic wine selections.

So if you can handle three of Edmonton’s chocolatiers in one evening (and we know you can), please come enjoy! Further event info and tickets can be found here.

More Amedei and Domori just in!

We have just received a new shipment of Amedei bars and hot chocolate! More Porcelana, Gianduja, Toscana Black (63% or 70%), Toscana Red (with raspberry, strawberry, and cherry… lots of these have been scooped up already), and Toscana Blond (with pistachios) are on the shelf. And we still have the Chuao and the award winning “9” bars in as well.

There is also new Domori! We’ve stocked up on Javablond, Porcelana, Lattesal and a new white bar with mint, Biancomenta, that is divine!

The Michel Cluizel “Sardines” are also back in store! And no, these are not sardine flavoured, they are very deceiving solid milk chocolates that make for a surprising gift, or a treat for yourself.

We are running a bit low on Chocophilia Drinking Chocolate at the moment (after the Olympic order!), but we should have more in the Shop later next week. Also, a bit of an update on our Mad Orange Pistachio Chocophilia bar – we are having problems sourcing the appropriate orange rind needed to complete the recipe, but we will be sure to let you know when the bar is back in stock!

Interact with your cacao: tastings and chocolate making

We’ve got new dates scheduled for tastings and chocolate making workshops!

Chocolate tastings are a great way to introduce yourself to the world of chocolate, or to find a new bar to fall in love with. Find out about the history of chocolate, the mystery behind single origin bars, and what to look for when buying your chocolate. Best of all, you get to sample some of the best milk and dark chocolate we have to offer!

If you are looking for something a little more adventurous, we still have tickets available to the wine + chocolate tasting, coming up this Saturday evening.

You can find dates and buy tickets or gift certificates for all our scheduled tastings here.

Chocolate making workshops include information on tempering, making ganache and creating your own confections. And you get to take home everything you make!

Dates and tickets can be found here.

Private tastings for groups of 12 or more, and chocolate making workshops for groups of 4-6 are also available. These events are a great way to spend an evening with your friends, family or co-workers. E-mail or call (780.990.0011) for pricing and scheduling.

Second Anniversary Bash

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the Shop’s second anniversary with us! We had a great time, and hope you left with all your chocolate cravings satisfied.

Shop talk

Thank you also, to all those who gave us input on the new Saffron-Rose bar. We ended up making versions in both white and dark chocolate, and asked everyone attending to vote for their favourite, as well as names for the new bar. We’re still tallying the votes, so keep an eye out for the results.

Kerstin was busy in the back of the Shop all evening whipping up Mint Chocolate Martinis and they were a hit! You all looked so chic shopping for chocolate with martinis in hand! Lots of you asked for the recipe to re-create the drink at home, so here it is:

Mint Chocolate Martinis

This recipe makes two martinis

Ingredients:

4 ounces Valrhona Dark Chocolate pistoles (we were using 64% and 72% throughout the evening)

8 ounces water, boiling

12-16 mint leaves (or a couple drops of mint oil)

3 ounces Vodka

Bit of Kalhua to taste (optional, but we added it for some sweetness)

Ice cubes

Method:

Muddle the mint in a cocktail shaker or pint glass.

Add the chocolate pistoles and boiling water. Stir until the chocolate pistoles have melted and let cool to room temperature.

Add the vodka, Kalhua and ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glasses.

Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and serve immediately.

You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe and make it in advance if you’re entertaining a large group. Simply make the chocolate-mint base in a pitcher or blender, refrigerate until ready to use, and strain it before serving.

Enjoy! And please let us know how they go over with your guests (and you) below.

More Valentine’s Day Necessities

In addition to the beautiful truffles in the post below, we also have The Valentine’s Chocolate Collection in the Shop. This year’s installment features an assortment of our sensuous Valentine’s truffle collection, lustrous Valrhona Pearls, and candied orange and lemon rind, hand dipped in dark chocolate.

There are lots of Bark Bouquets, filled with salted caramel, raspberry and pistachio ginger bark, and we’ve put out all our tins of Kusmi’s Sweet Love tea – an “exquisite spicy blend that stimulates the senses!”

Shop hours tomorrow (Saturday) are 10am – 4pm, so stop by and pick up these delectable goodies early!

Our Second Anniversary Party!

drinks

This Saturday, Feb 6th, 2010 will be exactly 2 years from the date of our grand opening in 2008. We have enjoyed meeting many of you and learning about chocolate together. We appreciate all of your support and in your honor we will have a party on the evening of Saturday, Feb 6th from 4pm-7pm. Come meet the rest of Edmonton’s chocophiles! At the party there will be:

  • An instant-Win Truffle for each attendee that will come with a valuable mystery bonus inside.
  • The unveiling of our newest Chocophilia Bar flavor: Saffron Rose (Be the first to taste it!)
  • Chocolate cocktails (if you had the chocolate martini at our grand opening, pictured above, you know what we can do). (Non-alcoholic drinks for kids and non-alcoholics too!)
  • Live music by local musicians Trevor Rockwell and Kris Schindel.

To get tickets to this event, subscribe to our monthly newsletter immediately!

For the one you love: our Valentine’s Chocolate Box

They are all delicious!

They are all delicious!

What should you give the chocolate lover in your life for Valentine’s Day? How about a selection of our sensual line of Valentine’s Chocolates? This beautiful box contains 25 chocolates, 5 each of the following flavors:

  1. Passionate Passionfruit
  2. Sweet Roses
  3. Popping Champagne
  4. Venus de Milo
  5. Sultry Chili Caramel

This box will be available from Feb 4th onwards at Kerstin’s Chocolates and online on our web shop.

We’re going to the Olympics!

Well, I’m not sure if anyone from the Shop will make it out, but our Chocophilia Drinking Chocolate is off to Vancouver!

From February 12-28, Alberta House in Vancouver will be serving Kerstin’s drinking chocolate, along with other food and drink from Alberta, to represent the diverse cuisine the Province has to offer. There will also be free nightly performances of music, dance and theatre, along with an exhibition of visual art from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ collection.

If your off to the Olympics this year, be sure check out Alberta House to see what the Province has to offer… and don’t forget to pick up a cup of Chocophilia! You can find more details here.