It’s Wimbledon week so I’m told (and you can’t really help but notice with tennis everywhere you turn). But I have to confess, it’s not really my cup tea. No, that’s right, I’m not a fan of tennis – endless hours of watching a ball go from side to side just sends me to sleep. Yawn, yawn….
But Wimbledon is known for something else though that I am a big fan of: Strawberries and cream. In a bowl with a sprinkle of sugar if they are a little sharp. Or strawberry jam and clotted cream with scones. Mmmm, yum. Now that’s my cup of tea!
And strawberries and chocolate of course make a wonder partnership too. Here at James Chocolates we serve this double in our gold award winning strawberry and black pepper bar- the subtle pepper in the background brings out the fruity strawberry. In the words of the Great Taste judges: “The flavour of the strawberries are lovely and vibrant and the chocolate has great creaminess. There is a kick from the black pepper, which cuts through the sweetness and works really well.”
So rather than watching tennis on the telly this weekend maybe I’ll listen to Pilton Pop festival (or Glastonbury as its more commonly known) whilst munching on a strawberry bar. In fact if I stick my head out of the window, I think I can just about hear it now….
Another rainy day and what to do with the elflings? After a wet splashy walk through some muddy woods, what better way to entertain than making something easy and chocolatey. Here is a recipe for my Rainy Day Cakes which are a cross between rocky road and rice crispy cakes. These are gooey and quite rich but are easy to make and very variable – even making a good adult after dinner nibble with suitably adult ingredient substitutions. Continue reading →
Why oh why oh why do people say things like “I only eat chocolate if its 75% cocoa solids or more…..”? You can guarantee at any event or tasting that I do that someone will say something similar. Would they say the same about wine? Continue reading →
We are very excited about our new flavour- a combination of Ecuadorian 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate with ancho chilli and popping candy. The first flavour that comes through when you taste this is the chocolate itself, smooth. Next comes the slightly smokey, fruity flavour of the Ancho chilli (a medium hot chilli from Mexico), then the kick of chilli and finally pop!! Continue reading →
James chocolates were pleased to win 2 awards at the great taste awards this year!
Strawberry & Black pepper bar won 1 gold star and the judges commented on the excellent balance of flavours “The flavour of the strawberries are lovely and vibrant and the chocolate has great creaminess. There is a kick from the black pepper, which cuts through the sweetness and works really well.” Just what we intended!
Raspberry & Balsamic truffles won an elusive 2 gold stars and the judges commented “Very unusual but it works……A clever combination of flavours and well executed” James says- “people often drizzle an aged balsamic on strawberries and other soft red fruits, so why not with raspberries and chocolate? The acidity and sweetness of the vinegar brings out the flavour of the raspberries”