Tag Archives: Lake Champlain Chocolates

Feb 13 2025
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Chocolate, White Chocolate

Chocolate and Holidays: Part 1 – Valentine’s Day

Chocolates from Laderach Switzerland / Photo Courtesy of Laderach Switzerland

Since I usually prefer to “spend” my fat/carbs/calories on dessert,  I don’t need Valentine’s Day (or any holiday, for that matter), as an excuse to scarf down chocolate and white chocolate. But since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I’m especially interested in all things chocolate.

One of Li-Lac’s Valentine’s Day Assortments / Photo Courtesy of Li-Lac Chocolates

First, let’s take a step back and look at the significance of Valentine’s Day. According to The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, Valentine’s Day has metamorphosed from a pagan fertility ritual to a celebration of Christian martyrs, to a saint’s day, to a celebration of love. Interestingly, chocolate has long been associated with romance.

Chocolates from La Maison Du Chocolat / Photo Courtesy of La Maison Du Chocolat

While Valentine’s Day is associated with love, it should also be associated with brisk candy sales. According to stats from The Confectioners Association, 92% of Americans plan to purchase candy for Valentine’s Day, including a staggering 58 million pounds of chocolate.

One of Teuscher’s Chocolate Assortments / Photo Courtesy of Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland

But let’s get to the important stuff – the chocolate itself. When I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of boxed chocolates: individual bonbons, truffles, and other confections. What exactly is a bonbon or a truffle? According to The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, bonbons contain fillings such as creams, fruits, nuts, caramels, jellies, etc., and are enrobed in chocolate. On the other hand, chocolate truffles are made from chocolate ganache and usually enrobed in chocolate. Why are they called “truffles”? You guessed it—because they look like the underground mushroom delicacy.

Li-Lac Chocolates’ Butter Crunch (which includes a layer of milk chocolate) / Photo Courtesy of Li-Lac Chocolates

What can put a damper on chocolate purchases—for treats during the year or for special holidays, such as Valentine’s Day? The price. While fine chocolate has always been expensive, CNN reports that chocolate prices are up 20% this Valentine’s Day. The culprits are years of bad weather in the cocoa-producing region of West Africa and a swollen shoot virus impacting cocoa plants.

Another factor that might negatively impact sales is research showing that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, could contain concerning levels of the heavy metals lead and cadmium. In response to these concerns, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association points out that cadmium is a natural element found in the Earth’s crust, is naturally present in soil, and many healthy foods, such as leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, etc., also contain cadmium.

A box of Vegan Chocolate Truffles from Lake Champlain Chocolates / Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates

Moving on to some promising chocolate developments…As reported in Plant Based News, the vegan and dairy-free chocolate market is expected to experience enormous growth over the next several years and is projected to reach a very hefty $4 billion by 2032.

Strawberries & Cream Heart (with white chocolate) from Bien Cuit / Photo Courtesy of Bien Cuit

Here’s to enjoying delicious chocolate (including white chocolate, of course) throughout the year!

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Jun 28 2016
2 Comments
Fancy Food Show

2016 Fancy Food Show

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As a chronicler of dessert and business trends (and perhaps much more importantly, a glutton), I attended the Specialty Food Association’s 2016 Summer Fancy Food Show,

What did I notice?

A lot of caramels; chocolates and desserts infused with spirits; and sometimes a combination of the two.  Coconut was everywhere.  A fair number of nut butters; treats made with nuts; and nuts for snacking.  Interestingly, peanuts seem to be embraced now, instead of shunned.

Here are some of the interesting products I saw and/or sampled:

Milk Chocolate Apple Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates - Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates (VT)

Milk Chocolate Apple Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates – Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT)

Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates — I don’t know of any other apple-filled chocolate product.  It is a 2016 sofiTM finalist in the Chocolate category. (The sofiTM awards are bestowed by the Specialty Food Association.)

Chocolate Peanut Brittle from Sir Francis Bacon - Photo Courtesy of Sir Francis Bacon (Atlanta, GA)

Chocolate Peanut Brittle from Sir Francis Bacon – Photo Courtesy of Sir Francis Bacon (Atlanta, GA)

Peanut brittle from a company with a rather unusual name, Sir Francs Bacon Peanut Brittle. Why stop at plain Peanut Brittle when you can snack on Brittle gussied up with bacon and then coated with milk chocolate?

Clairesquares' Shortbread & Caramel Dark Chocolate Squares - Photo Courtesy of Clairesquares (San Francisco, CA)

Clairesquares’ Shortbread & Caramel Dark Chocolate Squares – Photo Courtesy of Clairesquares (San Francisco, CA)

Clairesquares’ Shortbread & Caramel Dark Chocolate Squares — This product is a 2016 sofiTM finalist in the Cookies, Brownies, Cakes or Pie category.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake Ice Cream from Steve's Ice Cream - Photo Courtesy of Steve's Ice Cream (NYC)

Brooklyn Blackout Cake Ice Cream from Steve’s Ice Cream – Photo Courtesy of Steve’s Ice Cream (NYC)

Brooklyn Blackout Cake Ice Cream from Steve’s Ice Cream — Growing up in Brooklyn, I have fond memories (as most Brooklynites did) of Ebinger’s Blackout Cake – a filled and frosted Chocolate Cake, complete with Chocolate Pudding inside. 

Turkish Coffee Ice Cream from McConnell's Fine Ice Creams - Photo Courtesy of McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA)

Turkish Coffee Ice Cream from McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams – Photo Courtesy of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA)

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams’ Turkish Coffee Ice Cream — The Company’s tag line for this product: A true coffee fanatic’s ice cream.  (Well, I am a coffee fanatic…)

White Chocolate Sauce from Somebody's Mother's - Photo Courtesy of Somebody's Mother's (Houston, TX)

White Chocolate Sauce from Somebody’s Mother’s – Photo Courtesy of Somebody’s Mother’s (Houston, TX)

I’ve written about the next two products before, but can’t resist mentioning them again: White Chocolate Sauce from Somebody’s Mother’s and Jeni’s Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream.

So few days….so many carbs!

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