The Hot Chocolates Blog » News and Information

The Nation’s Favourite Chocolate

sharon — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:23:01 +0000

Whether it’s dark, milk or white the British love their chocolate. Buttons, bars, sweets and puds we can’t get enough of the stuff. Traditionally, we have gorged ourselves on good old milk chocolate, the nation’s favourite, but what about now? Have tastes changed? Are we more sophisticated in what we eat or does the milk chocolate bar still stand head and shoulders above the rest? Let me know what you think, what’s your favourite chocolate dark, milk or white?

Chocolate Wedding Favours and Party Boxes

sharon — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:04:53 +0000

I absolutely love these new boxes we have made up. They have our Hot Chocolates logo in gold or silver and a beautiful floral design on the front. They have a luxurious satin finish and open and close using a hidden magnet. The boxes carry two of our handmade chocolates and are perfect as a keepsake for storing little treasures you might otherwise lose. Order online from our Favours or Corporate Gifts page.

How to store chocolate properly

sharon — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:08:54 +0000

Chocolate should ideally be stored between 12-18C which is not cold. This allows the chocolate to be tasted at it’s very best and enjoyed when you put it into your mouth. If you store chocolate in the fridge, which is usually around 4C this can affect the taste and create a quick temperature change from cold to warm which is not ideal. Many people enjoy chocolate from the fridge, my Mum included, so I am not saying don’t use your fridge but the chocolate can attract condensation whilst it is in there and so spoil the look when you take it out. In hot weather we have no choice but to use the fridge to stop our handmade chocolates in particular, from going off. What I would suggest is that you take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to eat them. By doing this you can enjoy them at their optimum.

Limited Edition Raspberry and Orange Brandy Chocolates

sharon — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:07:23 +0000

It’s always fun being able to “have a go” in the kitchen and this time it’s been especially fun because I have come up with something which I think is pretty good actually. I’ve made Raspberry and Orange Brandy Chocolates and just to make them extra lovely I’ve covered them in Ecuadorian chocolate with 71% cocoa. You can order online at hotchocolates.biz

What I love about our Chocolates

sharon — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:19:41 +0000

What I love about all the chocolates we make is that they are made with high quality Belgian chocolate, using quality ingredients that set them apart from mainstream chocolate available in the UK. If you have tasted our chocolate you will know this is true. It’s all in the taste. Good quality chocolate does not use added cheap alternatives to the cocoa butter and mass found in Belgian chocolate. You will find a higher cocoa content in all our chocolate which means there is less room for anything else. Order online at hotchocolates.biz

My New Chocolate Cake

sharon — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:21:36 +0000

Any one for cake? This is my new chocolate cake recipe. It is made with 72.5% cocoa chocolate and extra brute cocoa. If you would be interested in mail order please let me know.

Handmade Caramels

sharon — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:48:01 +0000

I have created something new. Inspired by my Mum we have a new Select Your Own Box of Caramels with three different flavours. We make all our caramel by hand and then coat it in rich Belgian chocolate. Choose pure caramels coated in milk chocolate, dark chocolate coated crystalised ginger caramels or toasted almond caramels in milk chocolate. I know I make them myself but I think they are pretty good and people who have tried them so far agree. They are as soft as I can make them whilst still being able to dip them by hand and only the best ingredients go into them.

Toffee and Caramels

sharon — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:53:39 +0000

I have been practicing my toffee and caramel making skills, which I have not found particularly easy! I have burnt quite a few and made brittle when I didn’t mean to. However, you’ll be relieved to know that I think I’ve “cracked” it and the first milk chocolate coated caramels to be tested on the public will be this Thursday when I host another chocolate party. If it meets with approval they should be on sale soon. Please let me know if you would be interested in toffee or caramels at info@hotchocolates.biz

Thank You!

sharon — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:05:19 +0000

Chris and I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who ordered over Christmas and made this the best Christmas ever for us. We hope you all enjoyed what you had and that you will come back for more. All feedback is appreciated, so don’t be shy! You can email me at info@hotchocolates.biz

Real Chocolate – The Elixir of Life?

sharon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:16:12 +0000

A study carried out by the London School of Management and Science and reported in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology has demonstrated that eating chocolate high in antioxidants significantly improves your skin’s resistance to sun damage. Fresh cocoa beans are exceptionally rich in flavanols. Unfortunately, during conventional chocolate making, this high antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced during roasting. The team’s aim was to evaluate the photoprotective potential of chocolate consumption, comparing a conventional dark chocolate to a specially produced chocolate with preserved high flavanol levels.
A study in 30 healthy people was conducted. Fifteen were assigned to either a high or low flavanol chocolate group and consumed a daily 20 g portion of chocolate. After 12 weeks the chocolate group consuming the specially prepared chocolate significantly improved their skin’s resistance to sun damage whereas the group consuming conventional chocolate did not. They concluded that the study demonstrated that regular consumption of a chocolate rich in flavanols confers significant photoprotection and can be effective in protecting human skin from harmful UV effects. Conventional chocolate has no such effect. We now sell this chocolate in our online shop.