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Sephra chocolate melts are not only perfect for making delicious treats like chocolate covered strawberries, but are also ideal for making fun chocolate candy delights in a variety of kid-friendly shapes. That's why Sephra suggests Wilton candy molds that make it easy to turn Sephra chocolate melts into race cars or heart lollipops whenever the mood strikes! Why Choose Sephra Chocolate Melts for Candy-Making

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 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.

Chocolate's popularity is undeniable, particularly in the younger and female demographics. To entice patrons, more restaurants are turning to chocolate to strengthen the profitability of their desert menus.

Chocolate Trends in Restaurants

It’s essential for a chocolate fountain rental business to be able to offer seasonal plans for various types of events, especially during the summer when many people are in a more festive and relaxed mood and want to host various parties. Summer is usually hot, so offering dipping treats suited to the season is important. Cool Guests Off With Summer Inspired Dipping Treats Summer prompts many outdoor summer events or indoor/outdoor events, where the main event takes place inside, but there are outside spaces for guests to gather and mingle. No matter where the event will take place, it’s best to offer some seasonal dipping treats designed to cool down the palette, as well as please it. Fresh, cool fruit makes great dipping treats not only because so many delicious fruits are in season during the summer months, but because fruit tastes even better dipped in a chocolate fountain. Summer berries, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, threaded onto a skewer not only look attractive, but taste refreshing, even after dipped in decadent dark chocolate for chocolate fountains. Frozen banana slices also taste refreshing and fabulous after a dip in milk chocolate for chocolate fountains.

The holidays are the perfect time to break out your chocolate fountain -- and the perfect time to spice up your fondue with some holiday pizzazz. Thankfully, Sephra has three great ways to do just that. You can serve eggnog dip, spiced holiday chocolate fondue, winter marshmallow cream fondue -- or all three!

When you operate a chocolate fountain rental business, you must adhere to sanitation and health regulations to remain in good standing. If you are looking for peace of mind, then choose Sephra's products and commercial chocolate fountains. Sephra's commercial chocolate fountains are the only ones in the industry that meet NSF/ANSI sanitation standards. Complying With NSF/ANSI Standards According to the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), it's important for food companies, like chocolate fountain rental companies, to volunteer to have their equipment certified. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requires that food equipment conform to NSF/ANSI sanitation requirements before being sold in North America. The NSF developed these sanitation standards and lets companies voluntarily undergo their assessment program. This program tests and certifies the food equipment, as well as audits production facilities, to ensure that all the standards are met or exceeded. A company does not simply go through this process once, but is subjected to annual audits to verify that the same high standards that earned the company a registered NSF Certification Mark continue to be met. All of Sephra's chocolate fountains meet NSF/ANSI sanitation requirements and are tested each year to ensure that chocolate fountain production is still impeccable. Quality control is important to the NSF and to Sephra. Purchasing your chocolate fountains from Sephra will give you peace of mind and the ability to assure venues such as hotels and restaurants that you are qualified to serve their guests. Risks of Non-Compliance Any business which serves food and drink to the public is under pressure to conform to local and state sanitation guidelines. Your business is open to the health department for inspection whenever they choose, and you must cooperate. If you have a registered NSF Certification Mark to show those health inspectors, you can rest easy that they will be impressed and rate your business accordingly. Chocolate fountain rental businesses which don't comply, yet continue to rent equipment for events, are subject to strict non-compliance penalties if discovered. If anyone gets sick as a result of a non-certified chocolate fountain, the chocolate fountain rental business owner becomes liable for all damages and can lose his license to operate. The best way to avoid this fate? Use Sephra's commercial chocolate fountains because you can confidently assure your clients that your chocolate fountains are routinely approved by NSF/ANSI regulations!

Although many corporations are slimming down their holiday budgets, your chocolate fountain rentals can still continue to flow festively! Give your budget-minded clients a reason to choose a Commerical Chocolate Fountain rental for their holiday party by offering enticing holiday specials. Chocolate Fountain Rental Bonus: Free Fruit Platter People love to feel like they are getting something for nothing, and your chocolate fountain rental clients are no different. Offer a complimentary fruit platter with every commercial chocolate fountain rental, and don't forget to have samples or photos (mostly for new clients) so they fully understand your delicious offer. For example, to tie in with the holiday season, you can include skewered cranberries along with the tried and true banana, strawberry and pear slices. Decorate the platter with a few festive holly leaves. Two Chocolate Fountains Are Better Than One: 25% Discount For large holiday parties, entice your chocolate fountain rental clients to indulge in two chocolate fountain rentals by discounting the second rental by 25%. This is not only a great deal for your clients, but is a great way for you to show off the versatility of a chocolate fountain rental by offering two types of chocolate, such as dark and white chocolate for chocolate fountains, with a greater range of dipping treats. Also, encourage your clients to make your fountain the dessert to help cut down the catering budget. After all, with two delicious chocolate fountain rentals, who needs extra dessert? Win a Small Chocolate Fountain Rental If you want to attract big corporate clients and additional chocolate rental business, offer to host a raffle at their corporate holiday party of 200 people or more. Jump start the holiday season by raffling off a small chocolate fountain rental to a lucky attendee. This could apply to any large holiday gathering, but corporate parties love to give employees an incentive to attend, as well as make everyone feel appreciated. You might even sell some gift certificates for a chocolate fountain rental to honor someone who's retiring or just received a big promotion. The possibilities are endless once you open their eyes and taste buds to the wonderful world of chocolate fountains! Satisfy Thirsty Guests with a Complimentary Beverage Fountain Rental Finally, accentuate those chocolate-dipped treats with a complimentary beverage fountain rental with a chocolate fountain rental. Offer a choice of several holiday beverages, such as eggnog, mulled cider or hot chocolate. The beverage fountain could be the specialty drink of the evening and be offset with water, coffee and iced tea, which will help your client's budget and make choosing a chocolate fountain rental the most economic and delicious choice for a holiday party.

Any event that takes advantage of Sephra's commercial chocolate fountains is sure to dazzle guests with its elegant presentation and cascade of delicious chocolate. Sephra is known for providing chocolate fountain entrepreneurs with the highest quality chocolate fountains, as well as a decadent chocolate that's ready-made for the fountain. Chocolate fountains are user-friendly, and Sephra offers a model perfect for events of all sizes. To make sure you can please all your clients who request a Sephra chocolate fountain, read the following descriptions to decide which chocolate fountain (or combination) will best complement your business.

Sephra Commercial Chocolate Fountain: Ultimate Presentation

Montezuma Chocolate Fountain: Perfect for Events Large and Small

Aztec and Cortez Chocolate Fountains: Beautiful Starters and Supplements

An apple a day used to keep the doctor away, but now the apple could be usurped by chocolate. Yes, you read that correctly! Probiotic chocolates, not only taste delicious, but will help your body retain more of the probiotic bacteria that your digestive system uses to stay balanced and healthy.

Halloween is the perfect holiday to host a spooktacular chocolate fountain party for the kids.

Chocolate fountains are extremely popular among brides-to-be, and attending a few bridal expos can significantly increase your client base. However, it's best to be prepared with an exciting chocolate fountain display, plenty of dipping treats for those hungry, often stressed, brides and their entourages, and easy-to-access information. Creating a Choc-o-rific Display Brides Will Love An eye-catching, exciting chocolate fountain display is the key to drawing a continuous crowd throughout the bridal expo. It's also important to remember your audience: brides. Tailor your chocolate fountain display to resemble one you might use at a wedding reception so that everyone sampling your delicious treats will also see the possibilities for her wedding. Using more than one fountain is perfect for creating the "wow factor." It also allows people to sample more than one type of chocolate for chocolate fountains. Use a large chocolate fountain in the background with two smaller ones flanking it, and then arrange white twinkle lights around the chocolate fountains, perhaps setting up a crimson or black backdrop behind the fountains for a little drama. Place universally appealing wedding toppers on each chocolate fountain, perhaps a pair of wedding bells and a pair of doves on the two smaller fountains and white and pink blossoms on the large fountain. Use table linens that match the backdrop and won't show stains, then arrange elegant tiered food trays to display the dipping treats, scattering a few light pink or white rose petals across the table. Creating a Lasting Chocolate Impression Remember that brides not only want to plan the perfect wedding, but most want to infuse their big day with a little romance. Include dipping treat samples like fresh strawberries and cherries, especially since a sliced strawberry can resemble a heart. It's difficult to forget how delicious and attractive chocolate fountains are once you experience one! Develop a bridal expo special and include a description with your brochure or create an attractive flyer with your contact information on it as a takeaway. Offer a discount on using more than one chocolate fountain, for example, or create a wedding bundle with an assortment of fresh fruit, baked goods and confections for one competitive price. Then, you can track how many brides responded to your wedding bundle; even if they order a different chocolate fountain wedding package, you can ascertain how many brides came your way due to your bridal expo display. This way, you can determine how effective your presentation was at securing new wedding clients for your chocolate fountain rental business.

While the flowing attraction of a chocolate fountain often needs no introduction, creating an innovative display takes your business to another level of appeal. ChocoFantasy's Japanese displays are known for their "WOW" factor, and these tips courtesy of Harvey Stockwell can help you steal the spotlight in every event. Create a Display That Says "WOW" ChocoFantasy pre-skewers certain dipping treats and artfully displays them in crystal containers filled with colorful sugar to mimic a bouquet of flowers. They place these "bouquets around the chocolate fountain on both sides to help maintain the drama. Colorful marshmallows cut into strips and entwined in a sweet rainbow, strawberries, and cookies baked on the stick are all included in this particular display method. For weddings, ChocoFantasy sets a beautiful background to the commercial chocolate fountain. The company uses a trellis wrapped with white tulle and blinking lights complete with a decorative wedding bell that hangs from the center of the trellis. In addition, ChocoFantasy incorporates the ever-popular pink color into its displays with pink blinking lights that surround the chocolate fountain base. These lights are all connected to a remote that can turn up the intensity to make a statement and then easily toned down so that pictures can be taken. Needless to say, the presentation is memorable, beautiful, and dramatic. Create Chocolate Fountain Drama ChocoFantasy likes to create drama and suspense surrounding their chocolate fountain display, especially at weddings. Instead of creating the display and letting it sit in plain view throughout the reception (this philosophy also applies to events that begin with a dinner or appetizer selection), they use a black three panel folding screen to hide the chocolate fountain display. Once dessert is announced at the event, the chocolate fountain is unveiled and the lights are turned on to dazzle guests. This always creates a steady flow of excited and hungry guests towards the chocolate fountain. Setting the Theatrical Stage ChocoFantasy furthers the allure of the chocolate fountain by offering a French fable that the MC can utilize before the unveiling of the chocolate fountain at a wedding. Once upon a time, during a forgotten war, a French nobleman was imprisoned in the Tower of London. While he was captured, he bribed the warders to send chocolate covered strawberries to his love in France as a symbol of his undying love. From this act, the relationship between strawberries, chocolate, and love was born! In addition, ChocoFantasy encourages the MC to introduce the "First Bite" ceremony, which is similar in symbolism to the traditional cake ceremony. The bride and groom come to the chocolate fountain and give each other a chocolate coated strawberry - which represents their lifelong commitment to love and support each other. At this point, guests are invited to come to the chocolate fountain to show their support and good wishes for the couple. Keep Them Coming Back for More Chocolate There is always an initial rush towards the chocolate fountain once it is unveiled to the room. To make sure guests continue to enjoy the chocolate fountain and its surrounding treats, an announcement is made that chocolate fondue from the chocolate fountain can be spooned over ice cream and cake (or any alternate dessert being served separately at the event). For ChocoFantasy, this always brings about a second rush. Tomorrow, we look forward to sharing a peek into a Japanese "First Bite" ceremony firsthand. With the growing popularity and beauty of chocolate fountains, could the chocolate-covered strawberry "First Bite" ceremony replace the cake cutting one?

Sephra has worked hard to create the perfect couverture chocolate for chocolate fountains, pioneering the industry with the very first flowing chocolate which did not require the addition of oil. To make its fondue chocolate for chocolate fountains perfectly delicious, Sephra proudly works with world-renowned chocolatier Barry Callebaut.

Sephra's chocolate fondue for chocolate fountains is known for its stellar quality and convenience - but did you know that our chocolate is preferred by confectioners? The delicious taste and quality make Sephra's chocolate perfect for fountains and decadent chocolate delicacies!

Take a basic cake recipe and make it delightfully decadent by adding Sephra chocolate!

Preparation

You will need:

• 3 lbs cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 cups milk

How to make the frosting fondue

Cream cheese fondue cake ideas

What to dip?

• Chocolate chip cookies (or make a whoopie pie)
• Pumpkin cake fingers
• Graham Crackers
• Brownie chunks
• Pretzels or pretzel rods

With the holidays around the corner, it can be difficult to choose the perfect gift, especially those who already seem to have it all. If there's a chocoholic on your list, however, your task just became easier! Make this holiday special and delicious for the chocoholic in your life with these great gift ideas from Sephra, the chocolate experts!