A Look At Some Of The Most Famous French Chocolate Makers

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French chocolate is one of the most popular types of confection in the world. It is used in many tasty treats such as chocolate mousse and the ever popular chocolate eclair. Chocolate truffles have long been favored for their rich taste and texture and chocolate covered pralines were also made popular by the French. Chocolate was not just considered a confection in France. It was also used for medicinal purposes and reported to be beneficial with health problems.

You may be interested to know that the French had a hand in making chocolate famous in areas besides France. During the mid 1800s, a Frenchman named Etienne Guittard was hoping to make his fortune in the California gold rush. He headed to the Barbary Coast where instead of mining for gold to make his living, he ended up growing rich by selling chocolate. In 1686, he opened the Guittard Chocolate factory where it is still family owned and operated to this day.

The first London chocolate store, then called a chocolate house, was established by a Frenchman in 1657. The name of the store was the Coffee Mill and Tobacco roll. The chocolate that was sold there was so expensive that only wealthy patrons could afford to purchase it.

There are other very famous, French chocolate makers that still have shops and factories that have continued to be popular long after they were established.

In 1945, Maurice Bernachon opened the Bernachon Chocolate Factory in Lyons, France when he was only 26. He was trained in the art of chocolate making by his parents at the young age of 14. Today, 60 years later, the Bernachon factory is still famous for its delicious chocolate.

In 1660, a Frenchman named Debauve was dubbed the first "Royal Chocolate Maker", by King Louis the 14th of France after he had received a wedding gift of chocolate from his wife Marie Therese. In 1800, approximately a century and ½ later, one of his descendents named Sulpice Debauve established a chocolate shop in Paris.

His chocolate was so revered that he was able to open additional shops and had established 60 of them by 1804. He had a nephew named Antoine Gallais, who partnered up with him in 1823 and the name of his shops changed to Debauve and Gaillais. Continuing in the tradition of his ancestor, Kings Louis XVIII and Charles X appointed them the Official Chocolatiers of the French Court. Although Sulpice Debauve died in 1836, his legacy still continues with the company he founded in 1804.

French chocolate has had a strong impact on history. Many of the delicious chocolates that you enjoy today are due to the innovations of the French who took the simple cocoa bean and turned it into an entire industry.

Article Source: http://www.articlenorth.com

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as French chocolate at www.frenchchocolatedelivery.com

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Do You Know What Chocolate Truffles Are?

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Many know the word truffle as a type of fungus and are therefore a little set back when they hear the term truffle but what they need to realize is that the chocolate truffle is not a truffle like they are thinking. It is not a chocolate covered fungus, the entire thing is made in the kitchen and no fungus is involved in the making of it!

First off the actual ingredients of a chocolate truffle are liquids, flavorings and chocolate which is called a ganache. For a long time the confectionary treat was only available to the wealthy and affluent just as other chocolate treats were for so long. Some people even still conjure up the image of some famous person lying on a lounge chair by a pool sipping champagne and eating the delightful chocolate truffles.

Gone are those days when the sweet treat was only for the rich, now they are available just about anywhere from candy stores and chocolate shops to even supermarkets. It is amazing what competition can do to the market.

Another big improvement is that chocolate truffles now come in just about any possible flavor you can imagine from milk chocolate or dark chocolate to white and even with fruit flavors included. If you are the type of person that enjoys the fine liqueurs they also come with flavors such as Frangelico and Kahlua. Now you can find truffles that will suit nearly anyone's taste and they are also reasonably priced.

If you live in an area where truffles may be hard to find you can always take the do it yourself route. With the internet you can find tons of websites that will have recipes, ideas, and tips with a wide variety of flavors of truffles that you can make. You will make your family ecstatic by giving them home made truffles and make them love you all the more.

Making this chocolate treat doesn't require any unusual ingredients as you can create a chocolate truffle with cocoa, corn syrup, whipping cream, and butter which you probably already have most of in your pantry already.

So now you know that the chocolate truffle is not just for the wealthy anymore and you know it isn't a chocolate covered fungus. Once you try one you will probably be hooked just like everyone else and you will have to have them on a regular basis. Treat yourself to a rare chocolate treat and take the time to enjoy every morsel.
Author Resource:- Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about chocolate as well as french chocolate gift baskets at http://www.frenchchocolatedelivery.com
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Grab Some Homemade Candy Recipes And Make Candy Gifts For Christmas

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Christmas is a wonderful time, but finding great Christmas gifts can be a little difficult. But everyone loves candy. Why don't you find some hot homemade candy recipes and make some great homemade candy for Christmas gifts this year?

With most Christmas gifts there is always the risk that the recipient won't like their gift. But just about everyone loves candy, especially homemade candy, and it's not hard to make. You just need some good homemade candy recipes to get started, some simple tools and a little dedication and time.

There's so many great homemade candy's you can make. I'm getting hungry just thinking of things liek chocolate peanut butter candy, corn balls, cream candys, chocolate fudge, candy corn and so many more. You can find recipes for homemade candy for hundreds of different candy's, and most of them aren't all that hard to make.

Butterscotch, nut brittle, candy apples, angel food candy and so much more, all are relatively simple to make.

There's some absolutely wonderful hard candies or mold candies you can make yourself without too much practice.

And in my view a gift of homemade food is a gift from the heart. It's so easy to go to a candy shop and just buy some candy, ask them to wrap it and the jobs done. Christmas gift purchased, nothing more to do. But if you're prepared to spend some of your own precious time and put in the effort to make the candy yourself, that says something about how you feel about the recipient.

Homemade candy says I love you so much more than store bought candy, and can taste just as good, or better.

And there are very few people who dislike candy. It's so popular that if you make some homemade candy for a gift the chances are pretty high that the recipient will love it, and eat it happily. They may even decide to reverse the idea and make some candy for you next year.

Even if you haven't made candy before it's not that hard. Spend some time on the net and you'll learn. You need some time, some dedication to learning if it's your first time making candy, a kitchen and a few basic candy making tools.

Some recipes are a little more difficult than others. Any homemade candy recipe that requires you to simmer water with sugar to a certain temperature can be a bit of a challenge for the beginner because if you get the temperature wrong it won't work so well, but with a little practice you'll be making homemade candy like the pros.

So if you're looking for some good Christmas gift ideas for this festive season, grab yourself some homemade candy recipes and start cooking. Do it now while you've got some time to practice, don't make it hard by starting on Christmas Eve, and you'll have a stack of great Christmas presents ready when you need them.

Just remember, don't eat too many as you eat them, that's always a risk.

So get out there and find yourself some homemade candy recipes.

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Want to find some great Homemade Candy Recipes? Visit Peter's Website Homemade Candy Recipes and find out more candy making at http://homemadecandyideas.com/


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