Belgian dark chocolate
Chocolate Gift Basket Ideas from Sephra
Sephra's delicious goodies aren't just ideal for perfecting the chocolate fountain experience! In fact, did you know that Sephra has all of the gourmet delicacies to create the perfect gift baskets for any occasion? Promotional Gift Basket Ideas If you want to promote an event, whether it's related to your chocolate fountain rental business or is designed to promote a client's event, consider raffling away chocolate-themed gift baskets. These gift baskets could include a trio of Sephra's Belgian chocolate mousse mix in dark and white chocolate, as well as the neutral flavor that allows the cook's creativity to shine. Then, add in Sephra's caramel cookies and vanilla crème cookies for the perfect accent for Belgian chocolate mousse. Don't forget a few of Sephra's free recipe cards so the lucky recipient can create decadent Belgian desserts at home. Business Gift Basket Ideas If you're hosting a business event, whether it's a corporate party, an employee achievement celebration or an open house, featuring a chocolate fountain at any of these events will help it be a delicious success. Offering chocolate-inspired gift baskets, either raffled off randomly or given to guest(s) of honor, is the perfect way to end an event. You could include Sephra's crème brulee mix, mini-caramel cookies, Sephra's Belgian dark and white chocolate, and recipe cards to truly whet the appetite. If you know the recipient will be a woman, consider including one of Sephra's chocolate-lovers aprons, such as a sleek black and white apron for the corporate executive or a fun brown and pink polka dot apron that will liven up the kitchen. Get Well Soon Gift Basket Ideas What better way to cheer up the spirits of an injured or sick friend, coworker or family member than by delivering a mouth-watering chocolate gift basket? Inside, there could be Sephra's chocolate-opoly game, which is played similar to Monopoly but will appeal to anyone's chocolate-loving side. Of course, along with the game should be some treats that will inspire a fast recovery, such as Sephra's colorful jammies (marshmallows), Belgian chocolate mousse mix and crème brulee/flan mix, plus mini-caramel cookies. "Just Because" Gift Baskets for Your Spouse Finally, a gift basket can be a fun and delicious excuse to indulge in chocolate for an evening in with your spouse. For your husband, consider including Sephra's crème brulee mix plus the butane culinary torch to get him excited about prepping dessert. For your wife, include Sephra's retro cherries apron and Belgian dark chocolate mousse mix to set a romantic mood. Chocolate-opoly would also make a fun addition to the gift basket because you can enjoy romantic chocolate desserts while playing together by candlelight. A gift basket filled with chocolate treats is always a good idea! Get creative and choose the perfect combination of chocolate and desserts so any recipient will go home happy.
Drinking Chocolate from Sephra Belgain Dark Chocolate
Drinking chocolate is more than just adding powdered chocolate mixture to boiling water or milk, largely because drinking chocolate has been around since Columbus was credited with “discovering” this exotic treat in the New World. Next time you are craving some hot chocolate, try a little homemade hot chocolate that will satisfy your lust for rich chocolate and warm you on a cold day. A Short History of Drinking Chocolate In 1502, Columbus first encountered the Aztecs drinking a strange brew made from cocoa beans, which come from the Theobroma tree native to tropical areas like Mexico, and translates as “Food of the Gods.” Columbus also observed Montezuma drink 50 cups of drinking chocolate each day, which he found incredible, especially since he found the drink too bitter. The Aztecs would roast the cocoa beans before grinding them into a paste. They then added chili peppers, vanilla and water to the chocolate paste. Although Columbus brought a sample of cocoa beans back to Spain, it wasn’t until Hernando Cortez brought cocoa beans back after 1520 that the Spanish started sweetening the paste by adding ingredients like sugar, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, orange flower, hazelnuts or almonds that they began to see the merit of these cocoa beans. Once milk or water was added to this fragrant and sweet chocolate paste, the popularity of drinking chocolate quickly spread throughout Europe.
Drinking Chocolate Like a True Chocolate Lover If you want to experience a truly chocolate drinking chocolate, then you’ll need quality ingredients, beginning with quality chocolate, such as Sephra chocolate. The type of chocolate your choose, such as semisweet, and the type of milk, such as whole vs. skim, makes a tremendous difference in the final taste of the drinking chocolate. For a basic cup of delicious hot drinking chocolate, combine 2 cups of milk, 3 ounces of chopped semisweet Sephra chocolate, 1 ounce of chopped Sephra milk chocolate and 1 teaspoon of white sugar (optional) in a saucepan and whisk until almost boiling. Remove from heat and either whip with an immersion blender for extra foam, or pour immediately into two mugs and top with a dollop of real whipped cream. For an extra kick, stir in a pinch of chili powder to your drinking chocolate, or if you’re a coffee lover as well, replace half the milk with freshly brewed coffee or espresso for a unique mocha flavor. You can also stir in a vanilla bean into your drinking chocolate mixture or stir with a cinnamon stick. That’s the beauty of making your own drinking chocolate using quality ingredients: the final taste is entirely up to you.