Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog

Well, it’s that time again. Halloween has officially ended and it’s time to move on to the next holiday.…Thanksgiving! More so every year, I feel this holiday gets skipped over. I swear Christmas items are placed on store’s shelves leaving Thanksgiving with no fighting chance.

With all that in mind, I decided to take a walk back in the factory to check out our renowned Chocolate Turkeys.  For those of you who have not taken our factory tour, I will do my very best to describe the process of making chocolate turkeys which is similar to many of our signature seasonal figures.

First, we hand fill the turkey molds with our delicious chocolate.

Next, we assemble them on our Magnetic Tumbler (this is what makes them hollow on the inside!)

Once they are dry, we have someone “pop” each chocolate turkey out of their mold (no machine necessary here!)

 

Then we line them up like turkey soldiers so they can be transferred to packaging

 

Lastly, they are wrapped up with a festive bow and are ready to eat!

Luckily, we make these cute little birds in milk and dark chocolate so take your pick. They are great for place settings or if you really want to get creative you can turn them into an entire thanksgiving centerpiece scene! There goes my imagination, but seriously the possibilities are endless!

So please, I beg you, don’t forget about Thanksgiving!! It is an extremely important holiday of friends, family, food and giving thanks. Gobbling up our chocolate turkeys is just an added bonus! 

 

Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate Cake

When I was trying to decide on a recipe for this week, I thought it was time for a classic chocolate cake. However, while scanning the pantry to see if I needed to stock up on any ingredients, my tin of Aztec Hot Chocolate stared back at me, as if to say “I Dare You”.  Never one to turn down a challenge, instead of reaching for the Unsweetened Cocoa, I pulled out the Spicy Aztec.  A little nervous about recipe improvisation when cayenne pepper was involved, I was pleasantly surprised when the cake turned out with a strong likeness to our famous hot chocolate.

I realized the chocolate cake would need the perfect frosting.  Since we’re making a cake from hot chocolate, I decided to go with the theme, and make a Cinnamon Marshmallow Frosting I came across in Vermont’s own Eating Well Magazine. And with a last-minute nod toward our Organic Spicy Aztec Bar, I pulled out my stash of pepitas – the Mexican pumpkin seeds that are sprinkled throughout our Aztec Bar – and scattered those on top.

Cake
2 c flour
1 ¼ c Lake Champlain Chocolates Aztec Hot Chocolate
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (use less if you like less heat)
2 heaping tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 c warm water

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease two 9” cake pans and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, spices, baking powder and baking soda.  Make sure they are well-incorporated.  Separately, combine the vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla and warm water.  Add the wet ingredients to dry, mixing until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely in cake pan on cooling rack.

Frosting
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
4 teaspoons dried egg whites (see Note), reconstituted according to package directions (equivalent to 2 egg whites)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

Eating Well’s Ingredient Note: Dried egg whites are pasteurized so this product is a wise choice in dishes that call for an uncooked meringue.

Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.  Combine 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water in the top of the double boiler. Heat over the simmering water, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reconstituted egg whites, cream of tartar and pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is glossy and thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the top pan from the heat and continue beating for 1 minute more to cool. Add vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and beat on low just to combine. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired.

Frosting recipe doubled for two-layer cake.  

   

As a salesperson for Lake Champlain Chocolates I don’t often get to go to fancy, fun parties in the evening.  I’m mostly on the road or in my customer’s stores, so it was a nice change of pace to be able to attend the Eat, Drink and Be Fair Event sponsored by our friends at Green Mountain Coffee.

The event, which was held to raise awareness of Fair Trade, took place at the Artists for Humanity Center in Boston, MA and featured top chefs who competed in a cook off using Fair Trade ingredients.  There were food stations for you to stop at; we enjoyed dishes such as slow poached Mahi Mahi, Rotini Basilica and Roasted Tenderloin of Beef.   Mmmm… good.  Everything was delicious!        

Lake Champlain Chocolates Fair Trade Unsweetened Cocoa was used as one of the ingredients for the dry rub in the meat.  A very creative endeavor!  Vermont food companies were well represented including our own partners Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery and Green Mountain Coffee. Ben and Jerry’s was there too with a make your own Fair Trade Sundae Station. The evening was fun and exciting, with lots of socializing and sampling food and drink.

This event served as a platform to feature Fair Trade food brands, how to cook with Fair Trade Foods, recognize local farms and stores selling Fair Trade and sustainable products and to bring attention to the benefits of growing, buying and eating locally.

Unfortunately we had to leave early and missed out on hearing who won the cook off!  However, on our way out we were given a recyclable shopping bag, coupons and samples of the items from the event and a bag of Green Mountain Coffee.  Fair indeed.

  

Today I was lucky enough to sneak out of the office and enjoy lunch on Lake Champlain.  Yes – lunch on a boat on the lake at the end of October!    Despite being a cloudy day, the lake was calm and it was smooth sailing (or shall we say motoring) on the Northern Lights.

The Vermont YWCA was celebrating the YWCAthrive achievement and recognition luncheon.  This was my first experience with the YWCA and Lake Champlain Chocolates’ first as a sponsor of the event.  Andrea Rogers,  long-time Executive Director of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts was the honoree of this year’s Thrive Award (replacing the longtime Susan B. Anthony Recognition Award).

She has been instrumental here in the Burlington community at making the arts accessible to everyone in the community:  young, old, rich, or poor!  We have a personal connection with Andrea, having been a long-time supporter of the Flynn, and were so delighted to see her receive this honor in her last year before retirement.     

Secretary of State Deb Markowitz gave an inspiring keynote address that made me stop and think about how I take my leadership  position at LCC and in the community for granted.  Being a 30-something, I’ve never felt held back simply because I was a woman.  Clearly, women of an older generation forged the way and broke the gender barriers, giving me the opportunity to “thrive” personally and professionally as I do!  

Thank-you to all of those women!  I can only hope that in some way, I inspire other young women to take risks, become leaders, and experience personal growth!

Chocolate Cherry Almond Biscotti

Biscotti translates to “twice baked”.  A common mate for your morning latte, this dry “toast” is more like a cross between a scone and a cookie.   While you can guild the lilies as much as you’d like with chocolate drips and drizzles, I prefer the simple flavors of almonds and dried fruit which are typical add-ins for traditional biscotti.  Don’t worry, there is plenty of chocolate in this recipe, but it’s just barely enough so you can still eat it for breakfast.

1/2 c coarsely chopped Lake Champlain Chocolates 54% Dark Chocolate
1 c firmly-packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/3  c Lake Champlain Chocolates Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c coarsely chopped toasted almonds
1/2 c dried cherries

To toast almonds: preheat oven to 350º.  Spread almonds on an ungreased baking sheet and toast about fifteen minutes until fragrant.  Allow to cool completely.  Reduce oven temperature to 300º.

Coarsely chop about ½ c of Lake Champlain Chocolates 54% Dark Chocolate.  I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand when I made these, so I unwrapped a handful of our Dark Chocolate Coins and chopped those up.  In a food processor, pulse the chocolate and brown sugar a few times to form a fine crumb.  Set aside.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Make sure these ingredients are well combined – the cocoa powder allows you be sure of this from a uniform color once completely incorporated.

In a medium bowl, over low speed, beat the eggs and vanilla for about thirty seconds.  Add the flour mixture and beat over medium speed until well-combined.  Add the brown sugar mixture, mix well.  Switching to a wooden spoon, fold in cooled almonds and cherries, and mix to combine.

Divide the dough in half on a well-floured surface.  It will be pretty wet, so you’ll need flour your hands as well.  Work each half into a log, about 12-15 inches long and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about six inches between each log.  Bake for about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, place entire sheet on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for about ten minutes.

Using a serrated knife on a cutting board, cut the slightly-cooled loaves into ¾” slices.  Place cut-side up on cooking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, carefully turn each one over and bake again on the second side for 15 minutes.  If you prefer drier Biscotti, cook for a little longer on each side.

Makes about 30 Biscotti

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and almost cake-like, I've added Lake Champlain Chocolates Chocolate Chips to a yummy Pumpkin cookie recipe for a chocolately fall treat.  A couple dashes of pumpkin pie spices makes these cookies reminiscent of pumpkin pie - plus chocolate.  I used Dark Chocolate Chips, but Milk Chocolate would work just as well, if not better.

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 c butter, at room temperature
1 c sugar
1 c pumpkin puree, either canned or fresh
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c Lake Champlain Chocolates Chocolate Chips, either dark or milk

Preheat oven to 350º with rack in center.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about a minute.  Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla, combining well after each addition.  Slowly add flour mixture, mixing by hand until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment-covered sheet.  You can dot a little batter on each corner to adhere parchment to sheet.

Bake about fifteen minutes until cookies are slightly golden.

Makes about 70 cookies.

 

Bet you don’t know what makes our chocolate soooo sweet! Well, our secret is out! It’s time to check out our local secret, the Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery!  They are visiting our factory store at our 750 Pine St location in Burlington on Saturday, October 24^th at 2pm. This is part of a new series by LCC, featuring local farmers who provide the fresh, natural ingredients that have always played a role in our delicious chocolates. You better come early to grab a seat; this is going to be good!

 

The event begins with a butter tasting presentation by Adeline Druart of  Vermont Butter and Cheese (VBC). She will talk about how their award winning butter is made and discuss the taste and appearance of different butters. She will also share VBC's commitment to working with Vermont farmers around the state to support sustainable agriculture. 

And of course there will be chocolate! Gary Coffey, our Director of Retail, will be discussing how chocolate is made, the differences between chocolates, desirable qualities of chocolate, and the six steps of tasting chocolate. You will get to sample a variety of chocolates and butters and learn how VBC’s European cultured butter enhances the flavor of our chocolates.  So come on down, no need to register!

On Tuesday, October 20th at 7pm, our very own Jim Lampman- founder and president of Lake Champlain Chocolates- is a featured speaker as part of Champlain College’s BYOBiz Speaking from Experience Entrepreneurship Series.

Jim is a serial entrepreneur who has developed several Burlington businesses, including the acclaimed Ice House Restaurant on the waterfront in Burlington.  Lake Champlain Chocolates began its successful journey in 1983. We pride ourselves in creating quality artisanal chocolates and other specialty products. Join Jim as he talks about his entrepreneurial experiences and shares his unique story about building a business in a highly competitive marketplace. We hope to see you at Champlain College!  (We hear there might be some chocolate tasting too!)

Double Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Crumb Topping

It’s 10:36 am.  The only evidence of the Double Chocolate Muffins I set on the kitchen counter here at Lake Champlain Chocolates when I got to work this morning are crumbs.  I think they were a hit.

1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c olive oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 c flour (shout out to King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour!)
1/2 c Lake Champlain Chocolates Unsweetened Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c Lake Champlain Chocolates 54% Dark Chocolate Chips

1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c Lake Champlain Chocolates 54% Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375º with rack in center.  Line or generously grease muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, blend sugars, eggs, milk, olive oil and vanilla on medium speed until well-combined.

Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Mix by hand until well-moistened and smooth. 

Gently fold in 3/4 c chocolate chips. 

Meanwhile, make the crumb topping: Mix 1/2 c sugar, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl with a fork until mixture resembles a course meal.  Gently fold in remaining chocolate chips.

Fill lined or greased muffin tins with batter and sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time.  Makes 12 muffins.

Our legendary Chocolates of Vermont are perhaps our most signature line, created early on in Lake Champlain Chocolates’ history.  The moulds were designed especially for us, each of the four pieces depicting a Vermont landscape – to represent the four seasons.  With extraordinary Vermont ingredients laced into these fine creations, they’ve become a top-seller over the past two decades.

You’ll notice something a little different about them these days though.  Sure, our packaging changes from time to time, but this year the whole line got a facelift. 

Wrappers that used to be gold now vary, offering an assortment of rich earthy hues that look lovely in the new clear bags of Chocolates of Vermont.  We now have an Assorted Twelve-piece Bag, an eight-piece Honey Caramel Bag and an eight-piece Maple Crunch Bag. 

Our year-round box of Chocolates of Vermont now depicts an artistically rendered black dog in a red truck.  The box is smaller and uses less packaging than our previous boxes, in an effort to continue our commitment to eco-friendly business practices. 

Not only packaging, but the chocolate is improved as well.  We’ve upgraded the Green Mountain, adding more delicious roasted almonds and dried currants to the sweet milk chocolate.

In case you’re not too familiar with this exceptional line, I’ve borrowed text from our new eight-piece assorted box

Honey Caramel After shedding their snowy winter coat, Vermont’s hillsides and meadows celebrate the coming of spring with an outburst of wildflowers.  Bees are drawn to the banquet, and we pair the harvested honey with creamy caramel and dark chocolate.

Evergreen Mint On crisp winter mornings you can feel the air crackle around you, heightening each sensation.  We captured that feeling in a sweet peppermint crunch wrapped in dark chocolate, and imprinted with the beauty of the moon rising serenely over the Green Mountains.

Green Mountain When you look out on some of the world’s most picturesque mountains every day, you can’t help but be inspired.  Some artists express themselves on a canvas; we use rich milk chocolate, roasted almonds, and dried fruit.  Creativity never tasted quite this good.

Maple Crunch In March, when the Vermont nights are cold and the days are warm, maple trees yield thousands of gallons of sweet sap, which is patiently distilled into the world’s finest maple syrup.  We flavor buttercrunch with this liquid gold, and contrast its sweetness with dark chocolate.

Let us know what you think of the new design!