We welcome you inside our boldly-painted shop to savor a few new products…

Our high-cocoa chocolate honey caramels are adventurous and delicious and come in these four flavors: bold smoked sea salt, sultry espresso, divine hazelnut and luscious raspberry.

The caramels are a special treat for the holidays and will stay fresh throughout.

A 2-box is $4.50, 4 for $8, 6 for $11, or 12 for $22.
Add $8.50 for Priority Mail to ensure safe and timely delivery.

These luscious caramels are made from 65% dark Rainforest Alliance-certified high cocoa content chocolate, cream, and local honey. We use no corn syrup in our production.

We're open 7 days a week from 10AM to 5PM EST, and our phone number is: 231-326-3030.

Call us to place your order today, in time for the holidays.

HOT CHOCOLATE

a handful of chocolate chunks

1 cup water

1 cup milk

Melt the chocolate in the water until it has completely dissolved. The chocolate melts better in water, making a smoother cup. Then add the milk and heat it to desired temperature. Be sure not to boil the milk. Using a whisk helps to make a nice blended frothy cup.

* for a more interesting version try adding one or more of the following: cinnamon, any type of hot chile, cloves, or fresh ginger.

]]> http://www.grocersdaughter.com/blog/hot-chocolate-recipe/feed/ 0 http://www.grocersdaughter.com/blog/st-patricks-day-features/ http://www.grocersdaughter.com/blog/st-patricks-day-features/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2007 19:07:59 +0000 Grocer's Daughter Chocolate http://www.grocersdaughter.com/blog/2007/03/02/st-patricks-day-features/

More new truffle flavors are here in the spirit of the Irish Holiday. The first is our Irish Cream truffle, shown left, with Bailey's in the ganache and the second is our Stout truffle, shown above, with Guiness beer in the ganache. They are both regular price and can be added to any box by ordering over the phone.

Cocoa pulp is what protects and surrounds the cocoa beans inside the pod. So far it is not being used for much in the United States, something we hope to change. In South America it can be found in some refreshing fruit drinks as somewhat of a novelty. The flavor of it is sweet and full of citrus taste. The texture and color is that of a apricot jam.

We hope you try this new addition and in the meantime we will be doing much more experimentation. So expect to see it in our product line more.

In the spring of 2006 I traveled with my Spanish-speaking son Jacob to Ecuador to witness and experience the harvesting of the cacao bean.

From the plantation region on the South American country's steamy Pacific Coast where the cacao is harvested, to the port city of Guayaquil where it is made into chocolate and shipped, we documented the journey the chocolate travels before it winds up in your mouth.

Cacao pods that grow from trees on Ecuador's western coast are chopped off and opened up with a machete, and the Arriba beans (whose descendents arrived on the rivers that flow from the mountains, hence the name arriba, or "to arrive") are fermented, dried, and roasted by workers from a local farm cooperative who earn their livelihood through the cacao industry. The Plantation chocolate I use is one of the few brands that is grown, produced, and packaged in its country of origin. The chocolate is Rainforest Alliance certified and all natural, with no vanilla or vegetable fat added, and boasts a floral scent with nutty after-tones.

Cacao Trees serve as refuges for a huge variety of birds and animals that roam Latin America's rainforests. However, economic pressures have caused many farmers to replace native cacao with hybrid strains that are grown in open sun and that require the application of large quantities of pesticides and fertilizers. My dream is to preserve the native environment and to support a sustainable way of life for the Ecuadorian people, and to bring these soulful chocolates to you.

Pod Growing

Cutting Pod

Opening Pod

Beans Fermenting

Beans Drying

Beans Roasting