Tag: milk chocolate

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S’mores

Locals Guide: July 2018

S’mores

Warming up by a 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 is S’mores—gooey marshmallows, crunchy graham crackers, and sweet chocolate. Eat them together, and they’re heaven on earth! At Branson’s Chocolates, we’ve got S’mores for you in July—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 except for beer-based and whiskey-based items, allowing you to relax and enjoy our chocolate with all your friends and family.

Branson’s Chocolates, your home for S’mores and all chocolate deliciousness, is right here in Ashland at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard.  We’re just a block south of 7-11, in the Minute Market shopping center. We won’t be out and about in July, so come visit us in our store and get your S’mores while they’re here. We’re open Monday – Saturday 10-5:30.

You can also find Branson’s Chocolates on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and at bransonschocolates.com for online chocolate shopping.

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Sugar Free/No Sugar Added Chocolates

Locals Guide:April

Sugar Free/No Sugar Added Chocolates

If you’ve been drooling over all the deliciousness here at Branson’s Chocolates, but stayed away because of the sugar, you are in luck! We’d like to introduce you to our Sugar-Free/No Sugar Added Chocolates. We have Hazelnut Clusters, Peanut Clusters, Almond Bars, and Solid Chocolate Bars in both Milk Chocolate and Semi-Sweet Chocolate; and Hazelnut Bars in Milk Chocolate, Espresso Bars in Semi-Sweet Chocolate.

We use maltitol, a sugar alcohol, in our sugar free chocolates. Sugar alcohol is a somewhat misleading term, as it is actually neither sugar nor alcohol. This type of sugar substitute is particularly helpful to people with diabetes, because only a portion of it is digested and absorbed. And the part that is absorbed through the intestinal tract is absorbed slowly, so there’s a relatively little rise in blood sugar. So if you are watching your sugar intake, come on in and try our Sugar-Free/No Sugar Added Chocolate. You’ll be glad you did!

If you want to catch us out and about, we’ll be—

  • Thursday April 12th, we will be at the Opening Night Bash—Savor The Rogue®—from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. This event includes a delicious tastings of local foods and beverages, including our chocolates, and a no-host bar. Ticket required. For more information go to ashlandfilm.org
  • April 13th-14th, Friday 3-10pm and Saturday 10-5pm, we will be at the Pear-a-Fare in downtown Medford during the Pear Blossom Festival. This event includes vineyards, breweries, distillers, local artisan food makers all under the festival canopy serving tastes, and selling products. Tasting glasses and tickets to sample the flavors will be for sale at the Pear-a-Fare entrance. Vendors will also be selling wine, beer, coffee, and other local drinks by the glass. Our artisan food makers will have a wide variety of products for sale as well as samples available.org

 

You can also find Branson’s Chocolates on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and at bransonschocolates.com for online chocolate shopping.

Thanks to https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/taste-test-sugar-free-chocolate#1 for the maltitol information.

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Pumpkin Spice

Locals Guide: October 2017

Pumpkin Spice

If there is one word that perfectly describes the sights, the scents, and the tastes of 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 Spice Truffles in sweet Milk Chocolate just in time for pumpkin season.

Pumpkin Spice flavor isn’t just a new trend. “’History shows that pumpkin spice-like combinations have been used for millennia in various cultures,’ said Kantha Shelke, a scientist at Corvus Blue, a Chicago-based food science and research firm and an adjunct professor of regulatory science and food safety at Johns Hopkins University. ‘For instance, similar mixtures of spices are used in Indian masala chai and Middle Eastern baklava.’ Shelke notes that ‘spices are powerhouses of phytochemicals — chemicals that the plant makes to protect itself — that can afford us health and protection from many health issues.’” Here’s to Pumpkin Spice, and everything nice!

Branson’s Chocolates, your pumpkin spice headquarters, is right here in Ashland at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard.  We’re just a block south of 7-11, in the Minute Market shopping center. We won’t be out and about in October, so come see us in the store and get your pumpkin spice fix. We’re open Monday-Friday 10-6, and Saturday 11-5.

You can also find Branson’s Chocolates on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and at bransonschocolates.com for online chocolate shopping.

(Thanks to http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/13/health/pumpkin-spice-ingredients-science-explainer/index.html)

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Gift Giving Paradise

Local’s Guide: September 2017

Gift Giving Paradise

Make Branson’s Chocolates your ultimate gift shop–we have something for everyone!

We have creamy Milk Chocolate, sweet White Chocolate, and of course dark luscious Semi-Sweet Chocolate.

We have traditional chocolates, table-creamed fudges, gourmet chocolates, and chocolate bars. We have nuts, we have caramels, we have crèmes, we have chocolate with fruit, and even chocolate with espresso if you want a little kick. We even have caramels without chocolate, just in case.

If you want something for a chocolate connoisseur, of course we have Truffles, but we don’t stop there. In our Gourmet Chocolate line we have Macha Squares, Earl Gray Tea Squares, Jasmine Squares, Lavender Squares, and Wasabi Ginger Squares. Wait, that’s not all, we also have Gourmet Caramels—Sea Salt, Smoked Salt, and if you’re feeling a little adventurous try our Whiskey Caramel.

Our Truffles come in gift boxes of 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12. Gourmet Chocolates are in boxes or 2 or 5. Our traditional chocolates can be boxed in ½ pound or 1 pound boxes. All our boxes can tied with pretty bows ready to give.

With a minimum order, we can customize the label on any flavor of our Chocolate Bars with your name, your logo, your business, and even your photo, making our Chocolate Bars gift-ready, just for you.

Branson’s Chocolates, your gift giving paradise. Right here in Ashland at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard, M-F 10-6, Sat 11-5.

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Customizing Chocolates

Local’s Guide: Aug 2017

Customizing Chocolates

Ask us about

CUSTOM MOLDED CHOCOLATE

and

CUSTOM LABELING

The delicious finishing touch for any business, any occasion, any event!

Let us customize our delicious chocolate for you.

 

Custom labels can be created from your business logo, your motto, your event, your photograph, even your name, just about anything that will fit on a label.

We custom label chocolate bars for many local businesses. In fact, if you’ve had chocolate at Paddington Station, Paddington Station’s Inspired By Oregon, The Paddington Jewel Box, all nine locations of The Grange Co-Op, Tudor Guild Gift Shop, Craterian Theater, Camalot Theatre, Holly Theatre, The English Lavender Farm, Sew Creative, Griffin Creek Coffee Roasting, Kriselle Cellars, Schmidt Family Vineyards, Paschal Winery and Vineyard, or Weisinger Family Winery, you’ve probably had Branson’s Chocolates without even realizing it.

Many businesses including Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast, Bayberry Inn Bed and Breakfast, The Iris Inn B&B, McCall House Bed and Breakfast, AmeriTitle Inc., Highbanks Machining, Siskiyou Endodontics, and Larry Steiner at Edward Jones Investments use our custom labeled chocolate for Thank You Gifts.

We create custom labeled chocolate for events such as weddings, showers, races, fundraisers, corporate meetings, grand openings, promotions, company dinners–anything you want to be remembered.

We can create Custom Molded Chocolate in almost any size bar or square, with your name or logo. Just ask Butler Automotive Group, Acorn Consulting Services Inc., Ashland’s Main Street Inn, or The Blue Giraffe.

If you want to talk about customizing Branson’s Chocolates for your business or event, stop by our store at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard here in Ashland, M-F 10-6, Sat 11-5, except August 27th we will be at The 3rd Annual Benefit Car Show at Phoenix’s Petro Truck Stop/Iron Skillet Restaurant , 10am-4pm.

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English Toffee

Local’s Guide: April 2017

English Toffee

We are featuring English Toffee this month at Branson’s Chocolates. Our Old-Fashioned English Toffee is cooked in a copper kettle and poured onto a table to cool, then each piece is hand-dipped in creamy Milk Chocolate or rich Semi-Sweet 58% (Dark) Chocolate and topped with bits of roasted, salted, almonds.

 

Crunchy, buttery caramelized sugar with nuts and chocolate—what’s not to love? As it turns out, only its name. The English Toffee so many of us prize is actually an American invention. What the English call Toffee is a plain candy made of sugar and butter, sometimes with added nuts. But what Americans call English Toffee is actually what the English call Buttercrunch. Either way, this crunchy chocolaty confection is one of our best sellers! Come on in, get some for yourself, and find out why.

 

Easter Sunday is April 16th, and even though we always make chocolate bunnies till we’re bursting at the seams, they are so popular that we always manage to run out. This year, in order to guarantee your bunnies in the chocolate of your choice, we are accepting pre-orders. Please call 541-488-7493.

 

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

  • April 6th, Thursday 7:30-10:30pm, I will be at the 16th Annual Ashland Independent Film Festival’s Opening Night Bash – Savor the Rogue®. This event includes delicious tastings of local foods and beverages, and a no-host bar. Tickets are required. ashlandfilm.org

 

  • April 7th-8th, Friday 3-10pm and Saturday 10-5pm, I will be at the Pear-a-Fare in downtown Medford during the Pear Blossom Festival. This event includes vineyards, breweries, distillers, local artisan food makers are all under the festival canopy serving tastes, and selling products. Tasting glasses and tickets to sample the flavors will be for sale at the Pear-a-Fare entrance. Vendors will also be selling wine, beer, coffee, and other local drinks by the glass. Our artisan food makers will have a wide variety of products for sale as well as samples available.org

 

You can find Branson’s Chocolates on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and at bransonschocolates.com for online chocolate shopping.

 

(Thanks to http://www.sallybernstein.com/food/columns/zonis/toffee-buttercrunch.html)

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Chocolate Bars

Our Confections Series: Chocolate Bars

Chocolate Bars

If you have ever wondered what exactly a Truffle is, or what different flavors of chocolate bars we sell, this series will provide all of the answers to your questions. Over the next couple of months, I will be writing separate blog posts as part of a series on the different types of confections we offer including Truffles, Cremes, Chocolate Bars, etc.  To read our post about Truffles, the first installment in this series click here. 

Today we will be talking about one of our best selling products; Chocolate Bars!

So what exactly is a Chocolate bar? A chocolate bar is formed using a mold that can be filled with nuts or fruit or a variety of other items. All of our bars are handmade, hand-wrapped and hand-labeled with no chemical preservatives used in the process. However, we have not always produced Chocolate Bars here at Branson’s Chocolates. Click here to read more about my story of how I made my first chocolate bar.

If you enjoy our Chocolate Bars but are looking to try something new, you may also enjoy our Clusters. We produce four different types of clusters including Hazelnut, Peanut,  Coconut and Raisin Clusters.

Each individual bar can be purchased for $3.25 with a discount on our six piece box(website only). Many of our bars, along with many of our other products, can be purchased here on our website or in our retail location at 1662 Siskiyou Blvd in Ashland, OR.

We have 22 different flavors of Chocolate Bars, and if you find we do not have a flavor you want we offer the option of customizing your ideal bar!

Almond 

Our Almond Bar contains whole roasted salted almonds in the center of a milk chocolate or semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate bar.

 

Blueberry 

Our Blueberry Bar contains whole soft dried blueberries drenched in layers of semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Blackberry 

Our Blackberry bar is created by cooking a seedless marionberry (Oregon Blackberry)  preserve combined with a semi-sweet 58%(dark) chocolate reduction covered in layers of semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Caramel 

Our Caramel Bar is created by using our soft and chewy caramel covered in milk chocolate.

Cayenne Cherry 

Our Cayenne Cherry Bar uses soft dried cherries in semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate that has a cayenne pepper kick.

Cherry 

Our Cherry Bar envelops soft dried cherries in white chocolate.

Coconut 

Our Coconut Bar uses our creamy coconut center covered with layers of semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Cranberry 

Our Cranberry Bar uses our soft dried cranberries and smothered in milk chocolate.

English Toffee 

Our English Toffee Bar uses our Old-Fashioned English Toffee and surrounds it with semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Espresso 

Our Espresso Bar uses locally roasted and finely ground espresso beans gently stirred by hand into either milk chocolate or semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Hazelnut 

Our Hazelnut Bar uses dry roasted Oregon Hazelnuts with layers of either milk chocolate or semi-sweet 58%(dark) chocolate.

Honey Comb 

Our Honey Comb Bar use pieces of Honey Comb (toasted expanded sugar) in a semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate bar.

Krunch 

Our Krunch Bar contains gluten-free brown rice Krispies covered in either milk chocolate or semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Macadamia Nut 

Our Macadamia Nut Bar contains direct from the farmer in Hawaii, chopped macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate.

Midnight 

Our Midnight Bar contains solid bitter-sweet 72% (darkest) chocolate.

Mint 

Out Mint Bar contains Seely Family Farms (Clatskanie OR) peppermint oil combined with semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Peach (Seasonal) 

Our Peach Bar contains Beebee Farms (Central Point, OR) peaches, reduced to a preserve and reduced more using white chocolate and covered in dark chocolate.

Peppermint 

Our Peppermint Bar uses Peppermint candies mixed into White Chocolate with a touch of locally sourced Peppermint Oil.

Pumpkin Spice (Seasonal) 

Our Pumpkin Spice Bar uses a house blended pumpkin spice mixed into a white chocolate bar.

Solid 

Our Solid Chocolate Bar comes in milk chocolate, semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate, sugar-free milk chocolate or sugar-free semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate.

Salted Caramel 

Our Salted Caramel Bar uses handmade soft chewy caramel surrounded by Milk Chocolate or Bitter-Sweet 72% (darkest) Chocolate, topped with flakes of sea salt.

Strawberry 

Our Strawberry Bar uses a strawberry preserve and milk chocolate reduction smothered in layers of Milk Chocolate.

 

Thank-You Bars 

Our Thank-You Bars are engraved with the words “Thank You” into your choice of a milk chocolate espresso, milk chocolate or semi-sweet 58% (dark) chocolate bar.

 

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Fruit Filled Chocolate Bars

Local’s Guide: September 2016

Fruit Filled Chocolate Bars

Just in time for autumn harvest, Branson’s Chocolates is introducing chocolate bars with fruit centers in three delicious autumn flavors—Strawberry Milk Chocolate bar, Blackberry Semi-Sweet Chocolate bar, and Peach Semi-Sweet bar, all made with local fruit. The peaches are from Beebe Farms, which is located right here in Central Point, and the strawberries and blackberries are from Columbia Empire Farms, just south of Portland. Beebe Farms has been offering locally grown farm fresh produce since 1889, including tree ripened peaches, fresh picked corn, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, berries, apples, and more. You can check them out at https://www.facebook.com/beebefarms/ . Columbia Empire Farms has been harvesting the finest berries and hazelnuts fresh from the farm since 1976. Check out their website at https://www.columbiaempirefarms.com/ .

 

If you want to find us on the web, we’re at—

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

  • September 16th -18th, Friday thru Sunday, we’ll be “Celebrating Abundance” at the 2016 Harvest Festival—a celebration of the beauty and bounty of Southern Oregon and Northern California. We’ll be there Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 12-8pm, and Sunday 12-5pm. For more information, check it out at http://www.attheexpo.com/sectionindex.asp?SectionID=3 . This year the Harvest Festival features Southern Oregon Brewfest, Battle of the Bones BBQ Cookoff, and Wildlife Images’ Wildlife Olympics, along with local livestock on display, outstanding arts, crafts, and photography, and other exhibits that celebrate the regional harvest and the abundance of fall. The Harvest Festival features food, drink, music, and lots of old-fashioned fun for the whole family. And of course, our incredibly delicious chocolate! See you there!

And be sure to come see us in our store at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard here in Ashland. We’re just a block south of 7-11, in the Minute Market shopping center. We’re open Monday-Friday 10-6, and Saturday 11-5.

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Krunch Bar

Local’s Guide: August 2016

Krunch Bar

Summer—it’s the season for relaxing, for taking it easy, and for keeping it simple. So Branson’s Chocolates has brought back the classically simple, deliciously crispy Krunch Bar. Imagine, if you will, creamy smooth milk chocolate swirled together with crunchy crispy rice cereal, poured by hand into bars—it’s the perfect combination of crunchy, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Be sure to catch our August Chocolate Talk video on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/BransonsChocolatesAshland . Brian Goodwin directs and shoots our videos each month, and they always feature our Item of the Month—for August it’s the Milk Chocolate Krunch Bar. Check us out every month to watch me making our latest product and talking about chocolate. You can also catch 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 chocolates.

We won’t be out and about in August, so come see us in the store at 1662 Siskiyou Boulevard here in Ashland. We’re just a block south of 7-11, in the Minute Market shopping center. We’re open Monday-Friday 10-6, and Saturday 11-5. Come in and get a Krunch Bar or two for yourself. Happy Summer!

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Wasabi Ginger Square

Local’s Guide: March 2016

Wasabi Ginger Square

If you like your dessert a little spicy, or slightly exotic, or even a bit adventurous, we have the chocolate for you—Wasabi Ginger Chocolate is our Product of the Month for March. We add wasabi powder to a chocolate ganache square and top it with a piece of candied ginger. It’s a gourmet treat for adventurous chocolate lovers which is inspired by a wasabi ginger potato chip.

Easter is early this year, on Sunday March 27. So plan ahead and pick up some of our Chocolate Bunnies, in sweet Milk Chocolate or rich Semi-Sweet Chocolate before they’re gone. We will also have gift boxes of chocolate, perfect for your Easter basket, and filled with your favorite chocolates.

Be sure to catch our March 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—Wasabi Ginger Chocolate. Every month you will find me there, making our latest product, and talking about chocolate. 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 March, here’s where we will be: