Gourmet Chocolate Love

Two years ago, Norman Love Confections launched BLACK, an ultra-premium line of intensely dark chocolates made with cocoa beans from some of the finest growing regions in the world. Since then, the line has been expanded to include European-style sipping chocolate, in addition to the original five confections, each of which are named for their cocoa of origin. Now that BLACK has a loyal following with new fans joining the ranks with each and every taste, we think connoisseurs would be interested to taking a detailed look at what makes BLACK so special.

The facts about BLACK
BLACK was inspired by the growing demand for dark chocolate. Norman Love Confections’ signature line already included many delicious dark chocolate confections, but BLACK is unique as a pure dark chocolate confection, with no additional flavors to distract the palate from the special character of each chocolate. On Sept. 1, Norman Love Confections will hold a BLACK Tasting, led by an expert artisan, to help aficionados explore and discover the nuances of each origin confection. Here is a summary of what they will experience:

Each of the five confections in the BLACK collection derives its distinct flavor based upon the origin of the cocoa means used in its creation and what percentage of pure cocoa it contains. Just as with single-vineyard wines, the flavor of an origin chocolate depends on a variety of conditions unique to the place in which the cocoa beans used to make it are grown. Here is a detailed description of the five origin chocolates in the BLACK line:

• 74 percent Hacienda Elvesia, an elegant, robust chocolate with notes of black tea and a hint of tobacco made with beans from the Dominican Republic. The processing method produces a fruity note that is sustained by a refreshing hint of orange and a splash of grapefruit.
• 72 percent Arriba, made with cocoa beans of the prized Nacional from Arriba Mocache, Los Rios, Ecuador. This chocolate’s flavor is enhanced by intense coffee and licorice fragrances. A gentle processing technique gives rise to an intense dried plum bouquet and a long finish of flowery black currants.
• 68 percent Cru Sauvage, the world’s first chocolate made from beans harvested from wild cacao trees growing in the Beni region of north-eastern Bolivia. This harmonious chocolate possesses fresh lemon and grapefruit notes, an intense dried plum bouquet, and an exquisite hint of vanilla.
• 65 percent Maracaibo Clasificado, made with noble criollo cocoa from the vicinity of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. This well-balanced chocolate is enhanced by coffee and plum aromas with an undercurrent of orange blossom and cinnamon, possessing a light, sweet raisin bouquet.
• 64 percent Madagascar, made with cocoa beans of the trinitario variety from Sambirano, Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa. This is a fruity chocolate with a roasted hazelnut aroma and wild berry notes as well as a subtle hint of clove and cedar.

Quality in every detail
BLACK features confections made with five signature couvertures (from the French word for ‘cover’). These couvertures are made by the well-respected Swiss supplier Max Felchlin AG, a 100-year-old boutique manufacturer recognized internationally for their high quality cocoa products.

Handcrafted at the Chocolate Salon in Fort Myers, Florida and individually decorated with captivating colors and designs, the BLACK confections are available for purchase in the Chocolate Salon and online at www.normanloveconfections.com in five-piece, 10-piece and 15-piece boxes, as well as in gift baskets. BLACK sipping chocolate is also available for in store and online purchase and is incorporated into beautifully decorated BLACK-themed gift baskets.

“Norman has long been known for high quality work that combines a distinctive style of decoration with classic flavors,” says Clay Gordon, author of the 2008 IACP Cookbook of the Year finalist Discover Chocolate, and moderator of the online community for chocophiles, www.TheChocolateLife.com. “In BLACK, Norman is using everything he has learned about the techniques of making fine confections and focusing his attention to creating pieces that are all about delivering the flavors and textures of the remarkable chocolates he’s using with finesse and maximum impact, if you can imagine such a combination. It is no coincidence that he’s chosen to use Felchlin chocolates for BLACK; I and many others regard the Hacienda Elvesia and Cru Sauvage to be two of the finest chocolates to have been created in the last five years.”

Health benefits of dark chocolate
Chocolate has long been known to soothe the soul but more recently it has also been scientifically proven to help the heart. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants known as flavanols that destroy free radicals, which have been implicated in heart disease. Dark chocolate also contains endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, which provide a feeling of well-being and reduce sensitivity to pain. Another element, the amino acid tryptophan, produces serotonin in the brain, promoting feelings of calm and well-being. And, according to a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association, dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure in a way that milk and white chocolates do not.

Due to the high cocoa mass in BLACK confections, it is an excellent source of the ingredient responsible for reported health benefits. Do you agree dark chocolate is good for your health or do you just enjoy the taste? Tell us why you like BLACK. To experience the BLACK line visit: http://www.normanloveconfections.com/store/BLACK-Single-Origin-Chocolate/

We often talk about how we use “only the finest, freshest ingredients” in our marketing, but did you know we actually handcraft each element in the recipe?

When you bite into a Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly confection, you taste peanut butter and strawberry jelly that were made fresh in the Norman Love Confections kitchen by our very own artisans. Yes, we even bake our own New York-style cheesecakes to create the New York Cheesecake confection and Key Lime pies for Key Lime confections.

One of our newest lines, S’more Love, is a perfect example. We take this traditional campsite treat to the next level by preparing our own crunchy, freshly baked graham cracker, light and fluffy homemade marshmallows and salted bourbon vanilla caramel. These ingredients are then enrobed in dark chocolate. By producing each ingredient in every piece of S’more Love step-by-step, we can ensure our customers enjoy the freshest, highest quality gourmet ingredients possible!

If you haven’t yet tried S’more Love, Tuesday, Aug. 10 would be a great day to try it. It’s National S’more Day!

Do you remember your first taste of S’more? Was it a family camping trip, a Boy Scout adventure or a backyard BBQ? We’d love to swap stories with you so leave a comment!

In honor of National S’more Day on Tuesday, Aug. 10, Norman Love Confections will give away a complimentary hot or iced S’more coffee beverage with the purchase of any S’more Love confection from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., while supplies last.

A traditional campsite treat for young and old alike, each piece of S’more Love is enrobed in dark chocolate, filled with a crunchy freshly baked graham cracker, light and fluffy homemade marshmallows and salted bourbon vanilla caramel.

Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes ultra-premium, handcrafted artisanal chocolates. Based in Fort Myers, the corporate headquarters encompasses both production and retail operations. The Chocolate Salon is a stylish retail shop with an intimate ambience in which customers may purchase chocolates or linger over house-made pastries, gourmet coffees, lattes and smoothies. 

For more information or to place an order, call 239-561-7215, or toll free 866-515-2121, or visit http://www.normanloveconfections.com/. The Chocolate Salon is located at 11380 Lindbergh Boulevard, east of I-75, off Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers, and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.