A New Collection!

It's been quite the week recovering from an amazing chocolate conference in Canada! I met so many wonderful people, learned new skills and theories, (like using an airbrush, as seen below) and thought of a ton of more equipment i want to buy! *uh-oh!* :P
But it was such a fun experience, and even inspired some new recipe ideas as well as the little push needed to perhaps make some toffee for a monthly special? (i know a couple gals in alaska that would be pretty excited about that!)
This week did mark the close of one my favorite memories from 2009 thus far, which would be the Chocolate Exhibit at Durham museum. I was given the opportunity to sell at their gift shop and met some very friendly volunteers as well as many visitors eager to learn all about chocolate! (which, if you've ever met me, you know i could talk for DAYS about chocolate!)
As I've blogged before, I venturing into bread just for fun, and here are some of my latest creations...a chocolate rum ganache brioche

and a brioche braid filled with almond cream and fresh raspberries!
Lastly, as promised, the new Low-Sugar Luxe Collection is now available! These indulgent lil' truffles are so decadent, you'll never guess they are made completely from France's finest sugar-free chocolate....and if you'd like to read more about these luxurious treats and what makes them so special, check them out on-line!
Thanks again for all your sweet comments and fun suggestions, I always love hearing from you, so don't hesitate to drop me a line!

S'more posts please! :)

Hello hello! Here's a quick recap of the last month...and I promise, you'll be receiving "s'more" posts soon on the happenings at The Chocolate Season!!
This Easter was fabulous, I couldn't believe how big a hit these eggs were! You all went crazy for the painted milk, dark and white eggs...I couldn't tell if it was because they were so pretty? or because they came with your favorite treat...white mudballs inside! But your comments and suggestions were the inspiration for this special, so we'll make sure to do something like this again next year!

Also had some fun with my sorority sisters at Chi Omega's Eleusinia. We made some cardinal and straw-themed bejeweled truffles as a part of the table centerpieces and also donated some nostalgic caramels and the most adorable Chi-o celebration cake ever! It was a chocolate cake torted with chocolate caramel ganache, iced in Italian buttercream and covered in marshmallow fondant with a chocolate wrap accent. We also made some edible fondant owls, fondly named Roger and Lulu :) It was fun reuniting with Chi-o alum and active members, as well as my beautiful sorority family: felicia, hannah and jena (julie is also my lil' sis, but still in africa, and we're anxiously awaiting her return!)

In the kitchen, I've been having some good times experimenting with artisan breads (this one was slashed a bit too deep...resulting in a "knobby" look!) :P and with tarts, making a chocolate raspberry tart, and also my new favorite, nutella s'mores tart.

It's a sweet tart dough, layered with nutella, baked chocolate ganache topped with hazelnuts and then finished with a uber-yummy marshmallow icing! This icing is fabulous on graham crackers, tarts, or cupcakes, and can be "torched"! (i love torching anything and everything if possible!) If you want to try it at home, here's the recipe:
Marshmallow Icing:
1 1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 T. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini marshmallows

combine the first 4 ing. together in a glass or metal bowl. use a double boiler (get a pot of water, fill 1/2 way, and put at a simmer. place mixing bowl on top of pot of water (you don't want the bowl to touch the water though) keep it at a simmer, and start beating the mixture with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. (this will take several minutes...and stiff peaks will be like if you're beating, then turn off your mixer, and left up the beaters, a peak will form in the bowl, and if the tip of the peak doesn't flop over, then you're good to go!)

mix in the mini marshmallows and vanilla, continue to stir or beat till combined. let cool to room temp then you can pipe with a ziplock baggy or piping bag, or just spread on the top of the tart with a knife. if you have a blow torch, i love to "torch" the icing for that browned effect, but its still great without the torch!

So, I hope you take some time to add a little bit of sweetness to your life, and look forward soon to a post about the launching of our sugar-free truffle line before Mother's Day, a fabulous and "slightly floral" gift for your mom, ideas for your graduate, and some fun pictures from Easter weekend with the fam!

A Reason to Celebrate...

The Chocolate Season has been super busy! Thank you so much for all your support the last couple months, your loyalty alone is reason for us to celebrate with a bite of chocolate! But if you need a reason at home to celebrate, why not take life's little joys and make it a memorable occasion with your own celebration cake?

That's what a few clients did a couple weeks ago, starting with a girly princess cake for a Abby's 1-yr birthday. The requirements were frilly, pink and purple and I think we accomplished that! The cake also featured a smash cake so that Abby could completely immerse herself in chocolate cake with american buttercream and cookies n' cream filling!
Another option for cakes is a traditional torted 9-inch layer cake, with a not-so-traditional spin on flowers as decoration. This 4-layer chocolate cake with filling and covered in (my favorite) Italian buttercream, was requested to feature bright pink and blue...the rest was up to us! But I heard that 10-yr-old Noel loved her birthday cake and that is was the hit of her birthday party!Lastly, if you just need a special cake to make an ordianary day extraordinary, than try our chocolate raspberry merlot cake with fudge icing and sugared rose petals. Mark used this cake for a dinner party and his parents and relatives from California just raved about it!

Besides being busy with cakes, the Durham Museum Chocolate Exhibit is going wonderfully and The Chocolate Season products have been selling like hot cakes! I've already gone to the exhibit twice, and I recommend trying out this colorful, interactive and truly fascinating learning experience! And if you need one more reason to go, I'll be there the 21st and 22nd handing out samples from 1-4 pm :)

So take this time to find a reason to celebrate life, and help us make that reason something memorable!!
http://www.thechocolateseason.com

PS- our first trial run of the low sugar truffles were wonderfully received. We're looking at a few flavors like dark chocolate vanilla, chai tea, espresso, lavender, and maybe one or two more. All made with sugar free chocolate, and flavored with organic agave nectar, resulting in a chocolate that has less than 2 grams of sugar in it!

Che l'amore

Do you ever look at a couple holding hands, or a mom wiping ice cream off a child's face and think "awww, now that's love?" I've been around a lot of love lately...first, when my husband Brad, (a fabulous, fabulous photographer) and I were a part of Teresa's Bridal Show. I modeled some beautiful gowns, Brad took photos for Teresa, and it was just a fun show to be a part of, as well as a moment to remember the excitement of wedding planning and the lovey-dovey look of newlyweds :)Being around all that love and romance inspired me to create our newest special, The Valentine's Day Collection which is an awesome assortment filled with raspberry caramels, espresso-sambuca truffles, and hot cocoa and white chocolate raspberry bejeweled heart chocolates. This collection is sure to bring a smile to your loved one's face, and the pretty hearts and colors are just perfect for the holiday!
Something else that inspired some love? Well, obviously I love chocolate, and when I heard about this event, it sent shivers down my spine :)
The Durham Museum in Omaha is hosting a very new and exciting exhibit: Chocolate, The Exhibition. The exhibit is open now, till April 26. It explores the rich history of chocolate and has beautiful photos, chocolate-making tools, and even an "extra" exhibit hilighting one of Omaha's oldest candy companies.

Durham has also set up a chocolate shop at the end of the exhibit, featuring, well, tons of chocolate! If you stop by to purchase some sweets and support the museum, then look for The Chocolate Season logo, since we were lucky enough to be one of the vendors to take part in the store, and have around 10-12 different products available!!!!

And here's a little tip...if you go on the weekend, expect to satisfy your sweet tooth with samples from various vendors from around the area, from 1-4 pm. If you can wait to go, or would like to go 3-4 times (like i will!) then please stop by March 21-22, since that is when I will be there handing out samples, and would love to see some friendly faces there :)

Well, these are just a few things to help you get in the mood for looooooove, and don't forget to order before our Valentine's Day deadline, which is February 9th, if you want your order guaranteed for the big day! Please contact us if you ever have any special requests, and we look forward to seeing you at the Chocolate Exhibition, especially on March 21-22!

XOXOXO (thought this was appropriate due to the holiday!)

Remembering the Holidays

I'm back! Ugg, sorry late in posting again :) But it's been a fun week reflecting on the holidays and also moving forward with 2009, including participating in Teresa's Bridal Show (a post on that later next week...) gearing up for Valentine's Day and making arrangements for our participation in Durham Museum's newest attraction "Chocolate, The Exhibition" beginning January 31-April 6.
Back to the subject at hand...the holidays. Omigoodness...what fun :) I love the holidays because there are certain clients I only get to work with on a seasonal basis, and it's such a joy to reconnect with them and see how their businesses have grown, and how that reflects in the growth of The Chocolate Season. For example, the 4-6 weeks that made up our holiday season looked something like this: 32 lbs of butter, 878 truffles, 26 lbs of fudge, 168 ounces of caramel corn, 82 pounds of couveture chocolate and hundreds of hours of love and dedication! :) And that's just a taste of what our kitchen was producing!But I also love the holidays because they bring opportunities to revel in family traditions, make new memories and enjoy each moment as it comes. One of the best parts about the holidays is looking around at your family, making "Christmas Pizza" or catching someone laughing a joke...and it brings me such a sense of peace and happiness at how simple life can be.

And as family time was winding down, work started up again with a catering job in Algona. Ed and Becky Berg were throwing their annunal Pharmacists Mutual Holiday Party, and asked me to prepare an assortment of appetizers and desserts, with some finishing touches like homemade sangria and apple cider, several wine choices and a freshly cut floral arrangement (by yours truly!)

Oh...you want to know what was on the menu? :P Well, we had a 5-cheese platter, veggie tray, several types of crackers and toasted baguettes, spinach-feta-bacon stuffed mushrooms, prosciutto purses (melon, wrapped in prosciutto, tied together with a chive), toasted baguette slices topped with honey goat cheese, sugared strawberries and balsamic glaze, baked puff pastry filled with brie and apple compote, funnemark fudge, assorted truffles and a several chocolate raspberry-ginger mousse tortes. *yum*

Yes, the holidays are a time of planning, prep work and lots of production, but in the end, the relationships I get to renew with customers, new friends and clients I meet (some here in NE...some in London!) and time spent with family make it all worthwhile in the end!

So I hope your holidays were full of fun, love and insane amounts of chocolate :) as well as an eager anticipation for all that 2009 will bring!

Best wishes always-

*Tick Tock* How Time Flies!

Oh no, has it been over a month since my last post?! Well, with the holiday season in full swing, it has been quite busy, so I will divide the last month into two posts. First, we'll start in November, which was a month of prep work and correspondence with corporate orders. But mostly I had some quality family time starting with Thanksgiving at the Jensens, then Thanksgiving with the Rasmussens, Thanksgiving with the Bergs and lastly, "family night" with my sorority family.

It was wonderful spending lots of time with all my families, and with those holiday celebrations, came a celebration of my birthday with twin sister Sara, as well as a celebration of Sara's engagement to her wonderful catch of a man- Scott! These two have had a whirlwind romance but they are so good together I know that they will have a long and happy marriage! The date to save is June 14th, with a lakeside ceremony in Okoboji! (and as a bridesmaid, i am sure i will be busy in the upcoming months)

Actually, one of my first tasks was to help her ask her personal attendant, bridesmaids and flower girl to be a part of the wedding, so I made some chocolate cupcakes, cut out a hole from the top, and placed "laminated" (ok, actually, it was tape on two sides of a note) pieces of paper asking each girl to be a part of the wedding. It was covered in vanilla bean buttercream and then fondant, showcasing Sara's "jewel toned" colors that will be in her wedding bouquet.

And with my husband Bradley as the photographer (www.bradleyjensen.com) this is sure to be a beautiful and very family-oriented affair! :)

Besides prepping for the Christmas rush, I also had the opportunity for inventing new creations, and with that came a Thanksgiving tart of sweet tart dough, cranberries, honey roasted apples, candied almonds, frangipane and golden raisins! *yum*
I also had my first attempt at French macarons, which was successful, and produced some vanilla almond and nutella treats! Lastly, for the twin birthday, I asked Sara what she would like for our birthday cake, and made a yummy chocolate ginger mousse and raspberry torte!

All in all, November was a time for family togetherness and family traditions (like Berg Kumlas), lots of food and fun and many, many photos!

Well, that should take care of last month...I will post a tad later about our adventures in December!

Tis' the Season...

Tis' the season for holiday parties, sweets, treats and so much more! Our holiday season is in full swing, and it kicked off with a dessert buffet for Sergeant's Pet Care of Omaha. This is Sergeant's second year with us, and this year we had a buffet focused on cakes, bite-size desserts and of course, Karen's favorite treat, the Berry Bark!





After Sergeant's, my assistant set up "shop" at the Bellbrook Boutique, a unique gift show for women small business owners, and that show went beautifully!
Then is was time to start nailing down all the details for our many corporate holiday gift orders, updating our homepage with the new seasonal special, Funnemark Fudge, and promoting our Christmas deadline, December 12. (check the homepage for details on the deadline and why it is necessary for a made-to-order confisserie and bake shop like us)So, right now, I hear some of you saying..."Funnemark Fudge? What in the world is that?" It is a dual-layer Peanut Butter/Chocolate Fudge that was inspired by one of our very own customers, the Funnemark family of Algona.

Carol, a very loyal friend and customer, had bought some sweets for her son's family, two of which were the chocolate and peanut butter fudge. After eating them separately, Chad started putting two pieces together and eating them at the same time and thought "hey...this is good." After returning home, Carol called up and told me I needed to make a 2-in-1 fudge..so I did...and it's fabulous! It seemed only fitting to name it after them!

But life is not all work and no play, the last couple weeks have also brought me much joy from the birth of my new nephew, Strummer William Paul Grout, who is an absolute cutie and I adore him to pieces!

Bradley and I also attended the Legacy Ball, a fabulous dinner/dance/auction fundraiser for Algona's cutting edge hospital, and a "night out" with my parents and friends from town.
And just lately, an extended weekend trip to Georgia, a surprise from my best friend Amanda, and her husband, Nathaniel Roper. They wined and dined me, took me shopping and bowling and it was a much needed break to clear my head before the holiday rush!
Lots going on, and much to look forward to with the holiday season! So don't hesitate to contact us for any special holiday gift requests, browse our selection of Keepsake Boxes and Gift Baskets, or be creative and make your own! Let the Chocolate Season help you create that perfect, personalized gift for anyone on your list!

Happy Holidays...and let the fun begin!!!! :P

Sweet (sugar plum) Dreams!!