Tag: Dark Chocolate

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Jasmine Tea Square

 Local’s Guide: January 2016

Jasmine Tea Square

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2016! At Branson’s Chocolates, we are excited for the changes that a new year always brings. One of those changes is our expansion. We are excited to start using our new addition, which is set to become our packaging room where we’ll be wrapping and packaging our mouth-watering chocolates for both retail and wholesale.

Another exciting New Year’s announcement is January’s Product of the Month– Jasmine Tea Squares, part of our gourmet chocolate line. We’ve mixed exotic jasmine tea into a semi-sweet ganache center, which is then dipped in delicious Belgian milk chocolate and topped with a sprinkling of jasmine tea.  It’s a delicious combination of bitter tea’s antioxidants and jasmine’s floral delicacy with gourmet Belgian chocolate.  Blissful everyday indulgence!

Jasmine tea is a sweet, fragrant, floral tea made by scenting tea leaves with just-blossomed jasmine flowers. The flowers are mixed with the tea leaves in temperature-and humidity-controlled rooms. Tea leaves are naturally highly absorbent and therefore make the perfect base to accept the fragrant scent of the jasmine flower simply by coming into close contact with the blossom. The flavor of jasmine tea is coveted, and is often used to flavor tea-infused dishes, especially desserts like chocolate.

In aromatherapy, jasmine essential oil is believed have a tranquilizing effect. And a 2005 study conducted by Kyoto University found that the smell of jasmine reduced study participants’ heart rates and produced “calm and vigorous mood states.” Jasmine tea is also full of powerful anti-oxidants which can help protect your body against damage from free radicals.

Be sure to catch January’s Chocolate Talk video on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/BransonsChocolatesAshland . Brian Goodwin directs and shoots all of our Chocolate Talk videos, which feature our current Product of the Month confection —which is Jasmine Tea Squares this month. Check us out on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/bransonschocolates , where you’ll find out all about our latest events and happenings, and follow us on Instagram athttps://instagram.com/bransonschocolates/  (we’re @bransonschocolates by the way) because you know that’s where to find mouth-watering photos of our delicious chocolate.

We’re often out and about at many of the local wineries and events, and January is no exception. January 22-24, we’ll be at ChocolateFest in Portland at the Oregon Convention Center. You can find more information about ChocolateFest at http://chocolatefest.org/ .

Thanks to http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/jasmine-tea-benefits.html and http://www.teatulia.com/tea-101/what-is-jasmine-tea.htm .

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Pumpkin and Chocolate

Local’s Guide: November 2015

Pumpkin and Chocolate

If there is one word that perfectly describes the sights, the scents, and the tastes for autumn, that word is pumpkin—bright orange pumpkins carved and lit for Halloween, glowing pumpkin spice scented candles, and warm homemade pumpkin pie ready for dessert. We’re doing our part to carry on this autumn tradition at Branson’s Chocolates, where we’ve created Pumpkin Spice Bars in creamy White Chocolate, and Pumpkin Creams in sweet Milk Chocolate and rich dark Semi-Sweet Chocolate just in time for pumpkin season.

I was so honored this month to receive the Ashland Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD. I would not be where I am without the support from our family and friends that have helped over the years, and also our loyal customers! Thank you, everyone!!

Be sure to catch November’s Chocolate Talk video on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/BransonsChocolatesAshland . Our videos are always directed and shot by Brian Goodwin, and feature, of course, our newest items—Pumpkin Spice Bars and Pumpkin Creams for November. You can watch me making our latest product, and pick up some chocolate tips along the way. You can also find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bransonschocolates , where you’ll find out all about our latest events and happenings, and if you follow us on Instagram at https://instagram.com/bransonschocolates/ or @bransonschocolates, you know that’s where we post mouth-watering photos of our delicious chocolate.

If you want to catch us out and about in November, here’s where we will be:

  • November 7th & 8th, I will be at the Ashland Culinary Festival at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites, where we will have chocolate for sale.
  • November 14th, at Grizzly Peak Winery I’ll be pairing our delicious chocolates and truffles with Grizzly Peak’s award-winning wines.
  • November 21st, I’ll be at Paddington Station’s 42nd Annual Holiday Open House, with Peppermint Bars for sale, in addition to all our other chocolate that Paddington Station regularly carries.
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Caldera Mogli® Porter Truffle

Local’s Guide: September 2015

Caldera Mogli® Porter Truffle

Chocolatiers have traditionally used liqueurs to flavor truffles. At Branson’s Chocolates, our Raspberry Chambord, Grand Marnier, Crème de Menthe, Frangelico Hazelnut, and Disaronno Amaretto truffles have been with us since the beginning. Over the years we’ve added Pacific Rum, Patron Tequila, Brandy Peak’s Blackberry, and Pama Pomegranate truffles. In September we’re adding a new flavor that sure to become another favorite—the Caldera Mogli® Truffle. Caldera Brewing Company is a local Ashland brewery, well known for its ales and lagers. We’ve chosen their Caldera Mogli® Bourbon Oak-Aged Chocolate Imperial Porter. Caldera Brewing says, “This is a chocolate, bourbon, oak-aged Imperial Porter. Mogli® is complex, sweet, chocolatey, big, and full of unconditional love! Sure to warm your heart.” Destined to be used to flavor chocolate, we’ve made turned this local craft beer into a deeply delicious truffle using our rich 58% semi-sweet chocolate, and it has earned its place as the Product of the Month for September. Chocolate and beer, two of life’s tastiest pleasures, brought together for you by Branson’s Chocolates. Caldera Mogli® Truffles are the perfect treat for fall picnics, backyard BBQs, and football games. It’s a big win for everyone! Come on in and take home a box today.

Be sure to catch September’s Chocolate Talk video on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/BransonsChocolatesAshland , featuring, of course, our newest truffle, the Caldera Mogli® Truffle. Find out why we chose Caldera Mogli® Bourbon Oak-Aged Chocolate Imperial Porter, and pick up some chocolate tips. Brian Goodwin directs and shoots our Chocolate Talk videos every month, where I discuss our newest Product of the Month chocolate confection, chocolate tips, and how I make our products.

If you want to catch us out and about in September, here’s where we will be:

  • September 18-20, I will be at the Southern Oregon Harvest Festival and Brewfest at the Expo in Central Point. Admission is free, so come “Celebrate abundance and reap the rewards of harvest time” with us. Friday we’ll be there 5-10pm, Saturday 12-8pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm.
  • We’re often out and about at many of the local wineries pairing our delicious chocolate with local wines, but we don’t have a September schedule yet. For the latest updates, check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bransonschocolates .
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Smore’s 

Local’s Guide: August 2015

Smore’s

Warming up by blazing campfire, gazing up at the starry night, roasting corn on the cob on the barbeque – we love camping!  And everybody’s favorite part of camping in S’mores – gooey marshmallows, crunchy graham crackers, and sweet chocolate.  Eat them together, and they’re heaven on earth!  At Branson’s Chocolate, we’ve got S’mores for you in August – made in both our rich Semi-Sweet Chocolate and our creamy Milk Chocolate.  Of course, we only use gluten-free marshmallows and graham crackers.  In fact, at Branson’s Chocolates, all of our delicious chocolate is gluten-free, allowing you to relax and enjoy our chocolate with all your friends and family.

Be sure to check out our Chocolate Talk videos on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/BransonsChocolatesAshland.  This month, of course, we are featuring S’mores, our Product of the Month for August.  My brother-in-law Brian Goodwin directs and films our Chocolate Talk videos every month, where I discuss our Product of  the Month, chocolate tips, and how I make our products.  Each month we highlight a different chocolate confection, either a favorite classic or a new creation, and while S’mores are a new item at Branson’s Chocolates, they are definitely a summer classic.

If you want to catch us out and about in August, here’s where we will be:

  • August 15th, I will be at Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley, pairing our delicious chocolate with their award-winning wines.
  • August 22nd, we are providing dessert chocolates for the “extravagant, outdoor buffet created by popular local Chefs” for the Oregon Wine Experince Miracle Aution & Salmon Bake in Jacksonville, which benefits the Children’s Miracle Network.  Make plans to attend this “Grand Auction featuring Live, Platinum, and Silent Auctions followed by music, dancing under the stars, and the opportunity to exchange stories and share wine around the fire embers.”