This Month's Featured Chocolatier - March 2010
Please Note: Although we will make every attempt to ship the products listed, occasionally we may need to substitute them with equally outstanding chocolates. If you strongly desire to receive those listed, please contact us at 800-625-8238 so that we may note your account accordingly.
(The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.)
Blessed with the Luck of the Irish
Whether or not you're Irish, St. Patrick must be smiling on ya, 'cause you have received a yummy selection from one of our favorite chocolatiers. The New York Times has lauded Lake Champlain Chocolates as the creator of "some of the best chocolate in the country.” They’ve received numerous industry awards, including the prestigious “Epicurean Award for Top Choice Chocolates” conferred by the American Institute of Wine & Food. One of the characteristics that makes Lake Champlain Chocolate products so good is their use of wonderful and natural Vermont natural resources—dairy products and maple syrup, among them. The chocolates are a wonderful meld of pure rich Belgian Callebaut chocolate and sweet Vermont cream and butter, sometimes blended with 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. To ensure exceptional freshness, all Lake Champlain chocolates are made in small batches.
Your collection includes fifteen delicious chocolates and a five-course sampling of exotic truffles. Prepare for a carnival of flavors, including the original Chocolates of Vermont flavors: Raspberry Cream, Hazelnut Praline, and heavenly Pistachio Cream. As if that weren't exhilarating enough, the chocolate gurus at Lake Champlain have created Champagne, French Roast, Vanilla Malt, and a special Dark and White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache to fill your truffles.
WHEN A DARE PAID OFF BIG TIME!
Sometimes risks really pay off, and that's just what happened in the case of Vermont's now-world-renowned Lake Champlain Chocolate Company. It all started twenty years ago with Jim Lampman, restaurateur and owner of the acclaimed Ice House Restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. Apparently Jim was a thoughtful boss because he would periodically purchase expensive boxes of chocolates as gifts for his staff. Like many of us have done in the past, Jim figured if he paid enough for his boxed confections, they had to be quality chocolates. As we've all learned—much to our chagrin—that rule of thumb isn't always reliable. One day, after receiving one box too many, Jim’s pastry chef, a man of unsullied culinary acumen, took him aside and said, "These chocolates are terrible.” Jim then dared the man, "All right, you do better!" Shortly thereafter, his pastry chef made good on the dare and presented Jim with the finest chocolates he had ever tasted. Jim was in chocolate heaven and his life would never be quite the same.
It wasn't long before the Ice House Restaurant began serving hand-rolled, distinctively flavored truffles to their appreciative restaurant patrons. The response was so overwhelming that Jim established a separate, upscale confection business. The intent was to create them for his restaurant customers and other wholesalers, but word spread. No matter that the business was located in a tiny, unwelcoming alley; retail customers found them. Raves about the heavenly chocolates spread far and wide until eventually Jim sold his restaurant to devote his full attention to Lake Champlain Chocolates.
These days, the team has grown to 100 or so employees who, on the shores of Lake Champlain, support and uphold the highest standards of chocolate making. Of course, they use only the freshest ingredients and the very best chocolate, but what truly sets them apart is their heritage of fine craftsmanship and creativity. Add to the mix the wonderful flavors of Vermont’s natural resources and you have a true recipe for success. There are no preservatives, extenders, or additives in Lake Champlain Chocolates. They’re certified Kosher, and each of their chocolates is made in small batches to ensure exceptional freshness.
Lake Champlain Chocolates – Awards and Accolades
In 2000, Lake Champlain Chocolates was awarded the prestigious Epicurean Award for Top Choice Chocolates by the American Institute of Wine & Food.
In 1998 Lake Champlain Chocolates' Hazelnut Five Star Bar won the "Outstanding Confection" award by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade at the annual summer International Fancy Food Show in New York City.
The Five Star Bar line was a finalist in this same competition in 1996 and voted Best New Bar of 1989 by the Candy Bar Gazebo. It was also named The Ultimate Chocolate Bar by Vogue Magazine in 1993 and 1990, both prestigious accolades for any Chocolatier.
Other awards reflect the wide range of quality and workmanship in every facet of their chocolate making process. The Burlington Free Press Reader's Choice Awards in 1999 (and consecutively since 1993). Also, Lake Champlain Chocolates was voted "Favorite Chocolate" by the Albany, NY Times Union newspaper in 1999, and their chocolate factory was selected as the "Editor's Pick" for an outstanding reason to visit New England by Yankee Magazine's Travel Guide in 1999.
Storage Tips
Like fine wines, chocolates should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark area. Since chocolate is highly susceptible to absorbing odors, your chocolates should be kept away from other strongly fragrant foods. Optimally, you should store your chocolates at 59° to 65° F (15° to 18 °C), and under 65% humidity. If you keep them in an ambient temperature below 72°F (21°C), there is no need to refrigerate your chocolates if they can be eaten within three weeks – and let's face it, these chocolates will most likely be eaten within the first few days! Hide them somewhere safe if you want to get a chance to try all the flavors! So what are you waiting for?
