Sneak Preview of Butlers Valentines Products!
January 21, 2009
These delicious new Valentines Chocolates from Butlers wll be available in store from the beginning of February!
More Home-Made Hot Chocolate
January 2, 2009
I love this idea for home made hot chocolate mix – and the packaging is a lovely idea if you wanted to give some to your friends as gifts.
Quoting from www.yumsugar.com: (although I recommend following the recipe directly from the website as they have some lovely step-by-step photos along with the instructions!!)
Ingredients
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
To gift, carefully transfer mix to decorative jars or bags. Add instruction labels for recipents: “For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows. Mix keeps airtight at room temperature for up to six months.”
“
Make your own chocolate gifts – Packaging
December 9, 2008
In the last few blog posts, we have given you a few ideas on making your own chocolate inspired gifts.
Once you have made your delicious homemade truffles or other homemade goodies, you need some way of presenting them to give as gifts.
Here are a few ideas that you can make yourself at home..
Soak an empty jam jar (or similar) in warm soapy water to remove the labels and give them a good clean. Fill with your homemade goodies, and either print some labels and a “lid cover”, or use some scap pieces of fabric or wrapping paper. Finish off with a piece of ribbon around the top, and write or print a personalised gift tag to tie on.
Or you could have a go at making the little gift boxes in the picture. You can download templates here, and use some patterened card stock, or just print the templates with the design already on them on some plain card. You can decorate them with some stickers, or ribbons.
One idea I came accross was here.. Use some old greetings cards to make small patterened boxes for your goodies.
There are a few ideas to get you started. If you have any more ideas, or would like to share your finished product, please post a link below!!
Make your own chocolate gifts – Idea 3
December 1, 2008
Another easy idea for all the family!
Get some mixed salted nuts, and some digestive biscuits – put them in a plastic freezer bag, and give them a bit of a bash with a rolling pin. Dont crush them too much as you want some good sized chunks.
Melt milk or dark chocolate in a basin over some boilng water, add a little knob of butter and stir until its all melted and combined.
Coat the nut & biscuit chunks with the melted chocolate, and spoon in paper cases, or on a sheet of baking paper, and leave in the fridge until it has set.
Package the finished goodies up in a pretty bag, or a box, and make sure that you get to try some yourself!!
Let us know how you get on…
Photo from Flickr.com by “jek in the box”
Make your own chocolate gifts – Idea 2
November 29, 2008
So today’s idea is to make some homemade truffles. They are quite easy to make and adapt to your own taste – they can be made with your favourite type of chocolate, and flavoured with all sorts of goodies. They can also be rolled in cocoa (as pictured here), or grated chocolate, nuts, chopped dried fruit…
The finishing touches are in how you present your truffles. You can buy little paper cases to put them in, and then present them in little boxes, bags, tins, jars… whatever you have handy! They can then be dressed up with ribbons, stickers or whatever you like!
Why not post a link to your finished product to give other readers some ideas?!
Here is one reccipe that you can try:
Ingredients
* 250ml double cream (for people who are lactose intolerant, you could substitute the cream for soya milk, or coconut cream – you may need to experiment with quantities)
* 150g caster sugar
* 180g dark, good quality chocolate, finely grated
* Cocoa powder, for dusting
Method: How to make truffles
1. Heat the cream and sugar in a small pan until almost boiling.
2. Stir in the chocolate, then remove the pan from the heat.
3. Transfer the truffle mixture to a plastic container. Cover and place in the refrigerator until cold and firm.
4. To shape the truffles, scoop a teaspoon of the mixture and roll quickly between your palms. Dust the truffles in cocoa powder (or whatever else you have decided ) and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Couldnt be easier, right?! 
photo from Flickr by “rachel is coconut&lime”
Make your own chocolate gifts – Idea 1
November 28, 2008
Over the next few weeks, I will be scouring the web for some fun ideas that you or your kids can make at home to give as original, home-made and chocolatey gifts!
The first idea I came accross was a “Hot Chocolate Ice-Cream Cone”.. I tried one out here in the shop, and they look really good!
How to make:
1. Buy some of your favourite hot chocolate mix – either in individual sachets, or in a larger jar or tub. You could even use some cocoa powder and add sugar. Empty enough for about 4 mugs of hot chocolate into a clear disposable icing bag. You could also use some rolled up cellophane taped up at the bottom, or a clear sandwich bag. Leave a bit of air at the top, tie it closed with an elastic band, and trim the top of the bag.
2. Push down the tied end towards the hot cocoa mixture to make an indentation. This is where the marshmallows and your choice of topping will sit.
3. Place the cocoa cone inside a second clear icing bag (or whatever you used for the first bag!). Line up the seams.
4. Put in marshmallows, then chopped chocolate pieces (or use your imagination to add other flavours – chocolate pieces with orange or mint flavour perhaps?).
5. Tie closed with an elastic band.
6. Tie a ribbon around the elastic band.
7. If you want to include instructions for making the hot cocoa, you could print them up, punch a hole in the paper, and tie it on with the ribbon.
If you try this, we would love to hear from you!
(information from www.ice-cream-freaks.com and www.oprah.com)
Chocolate Themed Gift Ideas!
November 27, 2008
Food & Design Winter Fair – 21st-23rd November
November 11, 2008
Following last year’s successful Food & Design event at Belvedere House, another event has been arranged for this year.
Chocolate Heaven will again have a stand, with a beautiful Chocolate Fountain on display (which is also avaiable for hire at weddings and other events – click here for details), and also a wide range of gift ideas and hampers.
The Food and Design Winter Fair will be on the 21st – 23rd November this year.
UPDATE: The Winter Fair will commence at 3pm on Friday November 21st and will continue on Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 6pm
See you there!