Gourmet Chocolate Love

Valentine’s Day is one of the most highly anticipated days of the year at Norman Love Confections, where chocolate and love collide into harmonious bliss daily. Celebrating with the world on a special day dedicated to the two is our idea of pure heaven.

Each year, we create a special collection of gourmet chocolate confections and a variety of beautifully packaged premium gifts designed to honor this occasion. The eight gorgeous heart-shaped confections of the 2013 Valentine’s Day Collection include:

Berry Kiss
Rosy red strawberries pureed into a white chocolate yogurt ganache and covered in smooth creamy white chocolate.

Cookie Kiss
A surprising luscious combination in a dark chocolate shell, cookies blended with white chocolate and a puckering touch of tart Black Currant berry purée.

Dreamy Love
Rich and smooth dark chocolate fudge ganache in a dark shell is a dream come true for passionate chocolate lovers.

Peachy Keen Kiss
This French inspired Peach Melba confection features a white chocolate shell filled with a layer of raspberry vanilla jam and a layer of fresh peach ganache.

Red Hot Love
A enticing combination Swiss milk chocolate, cinnamon and a touch of habanero for a wonderfully warm sensation.

Sunset Kiss
Be whisked away to the tropics by the delicious combination of pineapple, orange, banana, coconut and a touch of lime, all blended into a creamy vanilla ganache in a white chocolate shell.

Sweet Love
Fall in love with the sweet taste of perfection in this rich vanilla caramel and honey roasted peanut ganache embraced in a milk chocolate shell.

Wild Love
The adventurous combination of white chocolate marshmallow ganache and creamy peanut butter in a milk chocolate shell will drive you wild.

As always, each of these chocolates is handmade with the finest ingredients, no preservatives, using only the best quality of chocolates, butter, spices, nuts, purees and flavors. Our famous green gift boxes feature the eight 2013 Valentine’s flavors along with an assortment of our 36 signature flavors with prices beginning at $13.25 for a five-piece box.

If you want a gift that is “all heart,” our special Love & Kisses gift boxes are a great choice. For the 4- and 8-piece Love & Kisses gift boxes we selected four heart-shaped chocolates from the 2013 Valentine’s Day Collection – Wild Love, Peachy Keen Kiss, Dreamy Love and Berry Kiss. There is one of each flavor in the 4-piece gift box and two of each in the 8-piece gift box. We also have a 10-piece all-hearts gift box for your Valentine that includes one each of our 8 Valentine’s hearts plus 2 heart-shaped confections from our Signature collection.

Also, just for Valentine’s Day, the ultra-premium dark chocolate collection, Norman Love Confections BLACK™, comes in heart shapes, and the price begins at just $15 for a five-piece box. This year, we will also offer a custom-designed heart-shaped Valentine’s gift box, filled with 20 pieces of ultra-premium chocolate, including flavors from the 2013 Valentine’s Day Collection and our 36 signature flavors, for $45.50.

While the Valentine’s Day Collection officially debuts on Jan. 28, you can pre-order gifts beginning Jan. 21. Just place your order at www.NormanLoveConfections.com, and it will be shipped on the date of your choosing, between Jan. 28 and Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. The collection will also be available at the Chocolate Salons in Fort Myers and Naples, Fla. beginning. Jan. 28.

We’ve shared medical research that suggests chocolate could be healthy for the heart, and we’ve even heard it could help lower a person’s body mass index (BMI), but now Swiss researchers have discovered that chocolate might lower the risk of stroke in men. Thank you to ABC News Medical Unit for sharing this story: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/08/29/chocolate-may-help-men-dodge-strokes-too/.

Those wonderful flavanoids that are so prevalent in dark chocolate may be the reason men who consumed more chocolate had fewer strokes, according to the article. If you love dark chocolate, try one of our dark chocolate flavors (http://www.normanloveconfections.com/chocolates/darks/) or Norman Love Confections BLACK™ single-origin dark chocolate collection (http://www.normanloveconfections.com/chocolates/black/).

According to the culinary experts who served as “Trendspotters” at the 2011 Winter Fancy Food Show, the answer is a resounding “Yes, please!” The article that appears on Foodspring.com (http://foodspring.com/content/fancyfoodtrends/?gclid=CLu9qO7q_qoCFVAi2godymQJzg) lists “Chocolate for Breakfast” as one of the Top 5 Food Trends for 2011. The article doesn’t give too many specifics, but just imagine the possibilities….
The article does mention hot cocoa, and we suggest something better – Norman Love Confections BLACK™ Sipping Chocolate. This European-style beverage is far superior to any “hot cocoa” you’ve ever tasted.
Many of our new Gift Baskets now feature baked goods that could pass as breakfast foods – if you’re the trendy type or want to treat someone who is.
However, if you find yourself in Southwest Florida, you can hit the “Chocolate for Breakfast” jackpot at The Chocolate Salons in Fort Myers and Naples, which carry fresh gourmet pastries and delicious coffee, Monday through Saturday. You can also pre-order a breakfast platter and other gourmet baked goods for pick-up or delivery by calling 239-561-7215. Please join us for breakfast to try this trend on for size!
For a map, store hours and other information about The Chocolate Salons, visit http://www.normanloveconfections.com/contact/.
Share your ideas – How will you enjoy chocolate for breakfast?

If you’re thinking of giving someone a box of chocolates, Norman Love Confections is the way to go. Our gourmet artisan chocolates are handcrafted with the finest ingredients, they are as beautiful as they are delicious, and even our gift boxes have a very special “wow” factor!

Outside of the box, Norman Love Confections offers a variety of Gift Baskets, and our Chocolate Specialties, such as our famous Peppermint Chocolate Christmas Bark and fresh Chocolate-Covered Candied Nuts and Fruits, stand alone as affordable gifts and delightful stocking stuffers.

Want to take it a step further… Here are some creative ideas to incorporate chocolate into your holiday celebration in surprising new ways:

• Present Toppers – Heighten the natural anticipation that comes with receiving a wrapped gift by also putting a beautifully packaged treat on top with the ribbon. Gift Boxes and Chocolate Specialties, as well as Gift Certificates, make excellent present toppers. Christmas morning can’t come soon enough!
• Membership Privileges – Give someone a gift that keeps giving all year long. Sign them up for one of our four Chocolate Clubs. Members enjoy 4 or 12 shipments of signature line or Norman Love Confections BLACK™ boxes of chocolate throughout the year!
• Hidden Gems – You may have heard of the “12 Gems of Christmas” giveaway, in which Norman Love Confections and Mark Loren designs are hiding 12 pieces of jewelry and 12 gift cards in Norman Love Confections gift boxes Dec. 1-25. Surprise someone you love by placing a small precious gift inside on of our gift boxes or baskets filled with chocolate gourmet goodies. A bonus… they’ll never guess there is jewelry inside!
• New Year, New Tradition – Brighten someone’s New Year’s Eve celebration with a gift of champagne and chocolate. White chocolate confections, such as our Candy Cane and Eggnog flavors, make an excellent pairing with champagne. Best of all, you may start a new tradition of toasting with chocolate! Click here for additional wine and chocolate pairings to consider for your holiday preparations.
• Travel Friendly Gifts – This may not be all that surprising, but we thought we’d include it as a friendly reminder. If you or your gift recipient is traveling this holiday season, Gift Certificates and Norman Love Confections BLACK™ sipping chocolate make very travel friendly gifts. These gifts won’t melt on the journey and aren’t as likely to be confiscated at airport security if you take the appropriate precautions. Gift Certificates are also affordable to ship so you can give more!

Inspired? Please share new outside-the-box holiday gift ideas with the Norman Love community here!

Wine and chocolate have a lot in common. Many people enjoy tasting and comparing wines from various vintages and growing regions. Now, chocolate connoisseurs have also discovered the importance of the cocoa bean’s origin and quality, and chocolate tastings that are conducted similarly to wine tastings have gained popularity in recent years.

At Norman Love Confections, we hold chocolate tastings occasionally at the Fort Myers, Florida Chocolate Salon, and we find wine is a perfect complement to our gourmet artisan chocolate creations. However, there is an art to selecting a wine and chocolate pairing. A wine can bring out the flavor notes of a fine gourmet chocolate, or it ruin the flavor by turning it bitter or sour to the taste.

Of course, discovering the combinations you enjoy most is the whole point of this activity. We suggest the following tips to help you begin your adventure in wine and chocolate pairing on your own:

The wine should be as sweet or sweeter than the chocolate served with it to avoid a bitter or sour effect.

1. A light, buttery White Chocolate should typically be paired with lighter, sweeter wines such as Sherry or White Zinfandel.
2. Milk Chocolate is usually excellent with Pinot Noir and lighter bodied Merlots, with chocolate accented desserts and mild milk chocolates better complemented by Rieslings and dessert wines.
3. Robust Dark Chocolates, such as those in Norman Love Confections BLACK™ line, are best paired with a Red Zinfandel, and Tawny or Vintage Port is best for dark chocolate desserts and Truffles.
4. If your tasting includes many different types of chocolates, start with the lightest chocolate and progressively work toward darker varieties, ending with dark or bittersweet chocolate.

Visit http://www.normanloveconfections.com/ to order a wide selection of fresh handcrafted chocolate creations, from the single-origin dark chocolate collection Norman Love Confections BLACK™ to the 36 different flavored confections available year-round.

Please share your favorite Norman Love Confections chocolate and wine pairings here for others to try!

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/