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It looked and and smelled fantastic. We were pretty excited to dig in!

I was in the mood to bake muffins today and went to my cupboard looking for the usual muffin recipe ingredients. Found nothin'! No blueberries or apples. Not even a can of pumpkin - which makes sense. It is March. I did find some fresh strawberries, though. Having never made muffins with fresh strawberries I was a little hesitant, but these turned out great. The other key ingredient, which I always have on hand is a bag of Sephra Dark Chocolate Chips. I never buy store bought chocolate chips - ever. Sephra chocolate is so superior, taste wise, creamy wise and also has so many uses you can't do with regular store bought chocolate chips. So I was set and ready to give these a try. They are a nice moist muffin with a Springtime twist. The chocolate stays melty inside the muffins giving them a bit of dark chocolate in every bite. And as we know - dark chocolate is actually good for you, so I try to use them whenever possible!

Chefs and chocolate lovers are constantly experimenting with chocolate. After all, you never know what might taste great covered in chocolate until someone is brave or creative enough to try it. Although these bizarre chocolate dipped treats might not make it onto traditional dessert menus, they are finding their ways into willing mouths everywhere.

Chocolate-Covered…Bacon?

Dipping Bacon in the Chocolate Fountain?

Julia Roberts Serves Chocolate-Covered Crickets

Chocolate and Chicken Skins?

One of the questions we're commonly asked here at Sephra about our Chocolate Fountains is how much Chocolate is needed to flow properly at rental events and Home Fountain parties. If you work in the rental or catering business, you'll want to know the answer too – especially if you want to advise your clients. If you are hosting your own chocolate fountain party at home, knowing the right quantity is just as imperative! Of course, it depends on the size of your fountain how much it will need to curtain effectively.

[caption id="attachment_2610" align="aligncenter" width="2560"]Picture caption: Jared Kaeb[/caption] We've taken this classic Chocolate Peppermint Cookie recipe and given it a fresh, new twist... with Peppermint Marshmallow Cream!

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Pumpkin Cake recipe

For the Pumpkin Cake, you will need:

• 1 large can of canned pumpkin (or you can use fresh if you like)
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. allspice
• ¼ tsp. ginger
• 1 packet yellow cake mix
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup chopped nuts

To make the Pumpkin Cake:

Did you know? 5 fun facts about pumpkins!

• A pumpkin is actually a fruit rather than a vegetable so it works perfectly in a cake!
• There are thought to be more than 45 different types of pumpkin although we are only familiar with a few
• The US states which produce the most pumpkins every year include California, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania
• Canned 'pumpkin' contains a variety of different squash and not just pumpkin
• Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds contain lots of health boosting properties and are packed with vitamins that can help boost immunity.

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. Click to find out whySephra Quality is so important compared to other chocolate fountains on the market. 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 If you have clients who host large events or operate a venue that regularly hosts such events, like corporate parties or weddings, then you will want to offer them the Sephra 44-inch commercial chocolate fountain. It comes in a choice of 2 finishes: brushed or polished stainless steel for a sleek, contemporary look. It makes a striking centerpiece with 4 tiers of cascading chocolate. The Sephra holds up to 20 pounds of chocolate and will leave over 150 guests satisfied. Montezuma Chocolate Fountain: Perfect for Events Large and Small The Montezuma is a popular chocolate fountain rental, standing 34 inches tall with 3 tiers, making it suitable for events large and small. It also comes in the choice of brushed or polished food grade stainless steel, making it the perfect complement to a casual or formal affair. The Montezuma uses the same base as the Sephra, giving it the capability to hold 20 pounds of chocolate; however, it can hold as little as 12 pounds for parties of less than 150 people. Aztec and Cortez Chocolate Fountains: Beautiful Starters and Supplements The Aztec and Cortez commercial chocolate fountains offer the ability to stand alone or complement one of the larger chocolate fountains. The Aztec stands at 27 inches, uses 11 pounds of chocolate and serves between 75 and 150 guests. The Cortez is 23 inches tall, is easily transported, and yet still holds 10 pounds of chocolate, serving 50 to 75 guests. These smaller chocolate fountains are ideal both for small businesses just getting started in chocolate fountain rentals, as well as established businesses who would like to use one of these in conjunction with the Montezuma or Sephra to create a chocolate fountain arrangement at their next large event. All of these chocolate fountains include a removable basin for easy cleaning, a limited lifetime warranty, and are constructed with food grade stainless steel. Even better, Sephra's chocolate for chocolate fountains is ready for use without adding ingredients, making this an easy choice for convenience and quality. Choose the model that best suits the type and size of event you host, and it will not only pay for itself after a few rentals, but will keep your clients requesting one again and again!

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Getting the caramel just right

The benefits of using a chocolate fountain

More than dipped apples

This holiday season, warm up those cold nights with any of these three delicious and festive drink recipes: Sephra's hot chocolate, Christmas cider or eggnog. Try each recipe throughout the season as you entertain friends and family or simply choose your favorite to please your palette over and over again. Warm up Your Night with Sephra's Hot ChocolateYour hot beverage fountain is ideal for serving mug after mug of piping hot and delicious hot chocolate. The aroma alone will prompt at least one refill, so be sure to make enough for thirsty guests! Sephra's hot chocolate recipe for one calls for bringing 1 cup of milk (whole or low fat) to just below a boil before pouring over 1 cup of Sephra's premium dark chocolate chips, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, a ¼ tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. To make this recipe in your beverage fountain, multiply this recipe by the number of servings you want, and once the milk is poured over the ingredients and mixed well, add the deliciousness to the beverage fountain to keep the hot chocolate coming throughout the evening. Spread Christmas Cheer with Hot Christmas Cider It's easy to fill your house with the tempting scent of mulled Christmas cider, whether you're hosting a small get-together, decorating the Christmas tree or want to warm up your children after an afternoon of sledding. In a large pot, mix 2 quarts of apple cider with ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 1.2 tsp. salt and a pinch of nutmeg and heat. Then, place ½ tsp. whole allspice, 1 tsp. whole cloves and 1 cinnamon stick in cheesecloth and add to apple cider mixture. Add to your hot beverage fountain, along with a large quartered orange with peel, and you'll have a crowd in no time. Indulge in Holiday Eggnog You always have the option of purchasing your favorite store-made brand of eggnog and running the liquid through your beverage fountain, especially if you are hosting a party and want to keep the eggnog flowing. If you want to make eggnog, however, this recipe is easy and delicious. Simply combine 4 cups milk, 5 whole cloves, ½ tsp. vanilla extract and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a saucepan and slowly bring this mixture to a boil. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine 12 egg yolks with 1 ½ cups sugar and whisk vigorously until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture and then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook until thick (don't allow it to boil) and then strain out cloves and cool. Before you add the liquid to your beverage fountain, stir in 2 ½ cups light rum (optional), 4 cups cream, 2 tsps. vanilla extract and ½ tsp. nutmeg and set the beverage fountain on no heat. This rich and creamy addition will help make your holiday party a success!

Commercial chocolate fountains are smart investments with lucrative returns due to the increasing popularity of both chocolate and chocolate fountains at events. People enjoy interacting with the fountain and the variety of food items provided to dip, creating a fun and delicious experience. In fact, there are three reasons why adding a commercial chocolate fountain to your business will increase your bottom line. High Return Potential Sephra commercial chocolate fountains often pay for themselves after a few rentals. This translates to greater profits for you since future chocolate fountain rentals thereafter become almost pure profit. This high return on your investment allows you to build your business more quickly and even expand due to an increased bottom line. Whether you are a caterer or operate a party venue or banquet hall, having Sephra chocolate fountain rentals available to clients will continue to impress and bring in profit. Customer Satisfaction In order to keep clients returning to you, you need to ensure their satisfaction with your services. Sephra's chocolate fountains command a high level of client satisfaction, which continues to help increase your bottom line with word of mouth referrals. In addition, your clients are essentially paying you to advertise your chocolate fountain displayed at their event for all their guests to use and enjoy. Economic, yet Elegant Display Sephra chocolate fountains are an economical way for clients to add elegance and pizzazz to a special event. The chocolate fountain is contemporary and sophisticated with the option for a brushed or polished stainless steel finish that attracts attention through a classy display. You can even offer clients the option of renting two fountains of varying sizes to create an even more eye-catching display and help feed an extra large crowd. Chocolate Fountains Pour Big Profits Sephra's commercial chocolate fountains have the added benefits of being user-friendly and offering a variety of kosher certified chocolate for its chocolate fountains. As more people become health conscious, the ability to offer a chocolate that is made with natural ingredients, instead of using hydrogenated oils, will increase its appeal among a variety of clients. Sephra's chocolate for chocolate fountains delivers all these benefits - and more! The fact that Sephra's chocolate for chocolate fountains is ready to use without adding ingredients will also increase its appeal, and subsequently, your bottom line. Offering a Sephra chocolate fountain will give you an edge over competitors without this asset, and the decadent fountains will continue to attract new business as more people are exposed to your business through clients who rent your chocolate fountain for their events.

Your Sephra chocolate fondue fountain is good for so much more than just providing guests with a delicious dessert option. Your fondue fountain can even become the delicious centerpiece for an Asian inspired dinner party. Simply use one of two simple Asian recipes that will have your guests’ mouths watering. Sweeten the Pot With Sweet and Sour Sauce Fondue Sephra fondue fountains work well with homemade and store-bought products, so there is no need to slave over a homemade sweet and sour sauce for your Asian inspired dinner party. Instead, choose your favorite store brand, such as Minor’s Zesty Orange Sauce, which works well in the fondue fountain without needing to be thinned out with water. Other brands that also taste great include La Choy and Kikkoman, although these will need to be thinned out with a little bit of water to ensure they run smoothly through your fondue fountain.

Create an Eye-Catching Commercial Chocolate Fountain Display to Show-Off

Getting started

• Vermont Butter and Cheese’s Bijou (an aged goat cheese)
• Pierre Robert triple cream cheese
• Mahón Reserva aged paprika-rind sheep cheese
• Valdéon cow’s milk blue cheese

Cheese and chocolate pairing ideas

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.