1 Year, Yippee!
This month marks 1 year since the start of my Monthly Special Edition Chocolate Boxes. What more of an excuse do I need to write a blog all about them?
So, here goes...
Each month I theme, design and develop a special edition chocolate box. In the last 12 months, to name a few, we've seen an afternoon tea collection, a lost holiday collection (for the little memories from the holidays that we were all missing out on), a trick or treat collection with flavours that surprised you (the most popular was the mango and poppadum) and Rudolph himself appeared in the hand-painted form inside our Christmas box.
When I trialled the first box last June I hoped for success, but I didn't imagine quite how much enjoyment would come from them. I've received stories of couples enjoying one each and then spending the days after debating over who would have the last of each particular flavour, larger families having a designated 'cutter' who dissects the chocolates and shares them out for everyone to taste and review and even one lady, who shall remain anonymous, who actually hides her chocolate box in her sock drawer because she deems them too good to share - genius!
So, with June marking the 1 year anniversary of our innovative box I decided to create this month's box as a celebration. And, what's a celebration without cake?!
After a week of brainstorming, scribbling and a little bit of day-dreaming, I had the list finalised.
First up was a nod to her majesty The Queen who officially celebrates her birthday in June. A quick google search taught me that her favourite cake is lemon drizzle. Then is was down to the nitty gritty of designing and calculating, keeping my focus on that crisp, sharp and sour sugar coating - my favourite part of a lemon drizzle cake.
Up next is the Mississippi mud pie chocolate, with the most delicious chocolate caramel mou, followed by the carrot cake chocolate which literally tastes like a cake-fork full of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
June is also the month of my birthday so I had to include a little flavour for me this month. The birthday cake chocolate. I loved designing this chocolate and had the idea of funfetti sprinkles on a cake when I designed its exterior.
Moving onto the coffee and walnut chocolate. For this I caramelised some walnuts and made a smooth, roasted walnut praline and finished the chocolate with an espresso caramel. Last year I found a local coffee roaster on my doorstep (Dusty Ape in Trowbridge, Wiltshire), I used their Silverback Espresso blend in this caramel and love the depth it brings to the caramel.
I completed the box with a swirl of ganache on top of the caramel cupcake chocolate before hand tying the ribbons to each box.
A celebratory box indeed!
Each month I make a limited run of 100 boxes, that's 1,800 extremely special edition chocolates. If you'd like to purchase one of this month's boxes, you can click here (whilst stocks last).
I begin work on July's boxes this week. With the recipes calculated and chocolates designed, I can tell you that the theme will be A Taste Of Summer. You'll be able to order this box within the next few days.
I'll keep the line up for the rest of the year as a surprise... for now anyway!
Chocolatey wishes,
Holly x