Gift Boxes Available NOW...yes, you can afford these!

Holiday Gift Boxes are available now at Coco's Chocolate Café. This year we wanted to offer more options to our customers. We have something for most any budget from large gift boxes to petite fondues to gourmet chocolate chunk cookies. We are also taking custom orders for chocolate dipped strawberries or any of our other desserts for office or dinner parties. Call today for more information at 502-454-9810 or email at CocoCafe@bellsouth.net.

Large Gift Boxes: $48.00

- 12 pc box of chocolates

- Gourmet chocolate chunk cookies

- Petite fondue and imprinted Coco's Chocolaté Cafe mug

- Chocolate dipped almond pralines

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Medium Gift Boxes: $42.00

- 9 pc box of chocolates

- Gourmet chocolate chunk cookies

- Petite fondue and imprinted Coco's Chocolaté Cafe mug

- Chocolate dipped almond pralines

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Small Gift Boxes: $22.00

- 4 pc box of chocolates with a choice of ONE of these

- Gourmet chocolate chunk cookies, or

- Petite fondue and imprinted Coco's Chocolaté Cafe mug, or

- Chocolate dipped almond pralines

Chocolate Dipped Almond Pralines

Petite Fondue with Coco's Chocolate Café Mug

Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Peppermint Dream

Peppermint Dream is a mint infused center with a dark and white shell. The inspiration was from last year when we had a classic snowfall day and somebody suggested I should have peppermint with my chocolates. Most places I visit have peppermint bark or some sort, which has many variations. I wanted something unique with a familiar taste. So, this year I've combined peppermint with a nice white chocolate and added a dark covering...it's a great blend of opposite chocolate flavors. This is one of our favorite holiday treats! Thank you Mrs. Talbert for writing in with your question...

Chocolate Rose

Roses are the one flower that most people can agree upon - they inspire warm feelings; they have vibrant colors; they are gorgeous...At Coco's Chocolate Café we are trying to capture that kind of inspiration with a unique rose of our own - the Chocolate Rose. It's molded with the delicate beauty of the real thing. But, our roses have one property that's not found in any other, you can eat ours!

Order one or a dozen now for upcoming holidays. Available in White and Red too. Call for pricing, 502-454-9810 or email at the side link.

Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls can be made in several different ways. The most common that I found is with a soft interior, confectioner's sugar coating on the exterior, and a lot of bourbon all the way through...

There's no right or wrong way when it comes to fashioning the best bourbon ball. What I think separates good from wow, is the bourbon itself and of course the chocolate used! After a few taste tests, we've landed on a milk chocolate hard shell with a soft textured center. The intensity of bourbon flavor is about 7 out of 10. It's milder than some people are used to when they think of bourbon balls. I think the flavor should be a compliment to the chocolate not a distraction. One of my customers suggested we invest in a really good bourbon. I took them up on it and realized it does make our bourbon balls taste better. To add a finishing touch, pecans are surrounding the crown of the chocolate to give it good texture.

Exotique

Good Day to All,

It has been a while since I blogged about chocolate. So today I wanted to continue with a little update. There are a lot of things happening at Coco's Chocolate Cafe going into the fall. This Friday, example, we are part of Bardstown Bound's "Boofest" (read all about it at http://bardstownbound.com/press.html). It is a fun night of scarying little ones both big and small....

One question that I get from people when I meet them outside of the cafe is, "What do your chocolates look like?" We do have a menu that describes the chocolates. But, I think a picture to put with the chocolates would be worthwhile. To that end, I want to introduce each chocolate and tell you what makes it special.

Exotique

This chocolate has a glossy milk chocolate exterior shaped into a heart. The inside has a silky smooth ganache infused with passionfruit and mango. With that combination, you get a tangy bite at the beginning with a fruity aftertaste that will leave you with the sensation of something truly exotic.

Coco's in Tinyville

You know there are times when you are just stunned by someone's creativity. A customer and friend of mine, Chris Tandy, has this amazing layout (that's a train set to you and me). I feel an immense sense of pride to know that he would go so far as to include my business in his little town. This layout is massive and complex and mindboggling in it's tiny details. You could spend days looking at all the little thingys that Chris and his co-horts have built. My son and I went on a recent visit to see this edifice in miniature...well what can you say when you see it...it's breathtaking!

To my amazement, Chris has included a Coco's billboard in his newest section of Tinyville where I presume we will serve itty-bitty morsels of chocolate and coffee...I don't think they make molds that small, do they?

Chocolate Pavlova

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) was lovely...angelic...graceful...wimsical....she was simply the best at her craft. According to Wikipedia, "Pavlova is a legend largely remembered for her famous dance The Dying Swan and because she was the first ballerina to travel around the world and bring ballet to people who had never seen it." As with all such fascinations, people do all sorts of crazy things to honor those that they adore. Some crazy baker in either New Zealand or Australia named a dessert after her. Hence, the name PAVLOVA. "The dessert is believed to have been created to honour the dancer during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand." Leach, Helen, The Pavlova Story, 2008.

Well, I love a good story and a good dessert. Yes, it's here and in a chocolate form! The Chocolate Pavlova has been added to the dessert menu!! It is light and velvety and has fresh fruit on top...This is definitely a great summer treat if I do say so myself.

Billionaire's Ice Cream

So Summer finally came to the Ohio Valley. With it we've had torrential rains, flooding, and loads of wind...I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your city down...no not really. What's this have to do with ice cream you might be asking yourself? And what's a chocolate guy doing talking about ice cream anyways....that's for those other places you might go, right? Well yes and no. With a change in season is a change in what we serve...It's time for ICE CREAMS!! Yes, it's plural as in more flavors this year. We have traditional vanilla but it's soooo vanilla. It has good flavor but let's face it....there's no magic in a vanilla world. I like chocolate with my ice cream as you might expect. But what else should be in it? Hmmmm...this has had me thinking. What else could there be?? My ever resourceful mentor and friend, Chef Judy from DivinaCucina.com, suggested that I try some interesting flavor combinations and see what happens. So, with a swift kick in the boot from Judy, off we go...The first one is courtesy of Chef David Lebovitz's recipe "Candied Bacon Ice Cream" except we call it "Billionaire's Ice Cream". According to Lebovitz, bacon is baked in brown sugar to give it a caramelized glaze. Well, I wish you could smell the delicacy that was wafting from my kitchen this morning as I slowly baked these savory pieces...it was mind numbing and I had a seriously hard time concentrating on anything else as I impatiently paced back and forth from my oven to my work table back to the oven again as gentle fumes of seared bacon and caramel floated in the air...The ice cream is a custard base with a healthy dose of cocoa powder and a touch of cinnamon to give it accent. And ooohhh, it's speaks fluently....

Ok, I've gotten a few reactions to it already from a couple of customers...meat in ice cream??? Seriously before you judge, it's the full package that makes the deal work. The savory and sweet and heat all blend to make this ice cream a bit of heaven here on earth....

Kevin from KC Hotdogs across the street from me said, "it's perfect". Here's his picture to prove the point!! (sorry about the graininess) BTW: Kevin has the best Vienna beef hotdogs in town....the "Uncle Bucks" is seriously good...but that's for another chat.

Chocolate Horseshoes

It's that time again for the fastest 2 minutes in sports...The Kentucky Derby! (http://www.churchilldowns.com/). Check out the latest happenings. There are also a lot of festivities surrounding the Derby (http://www.kdf.org/events/eventcalendar.asp). So, you shouldn't be bored....get out and enjoy it!!

One of the things that I truly enjoy is making chocolate. For Derby time, we have "Chocolate Horseshoes." They are a solid piece of chocolate cast in the shape of a real horseshoe, provided graciously by Paula Nieto, founder and director of The LUCI Center (http://www.thelucicenter.org/) out in beautiful Shelbyville Ky. (By way of dimensions, the horseshoe is a 00 shoesize if that means anything to anyone - I love random facts). They look like...well a rusted horseshoe! But they are oh so good to eat...I'm holding the very first one we did.

We are showcasing our new bourbon ball this weekend at the Derby Museum for the Thoroughbred Club (http://www.thoroughbredclub.org/). They are hosting a fundraiser for The LUCI Center which we are delighted to be a part of. I hope many of you can come out and be a part of this event.

Spring is Here

Top down view of Field of Tulips

Yesterday was the first day I consider Spring! It was warm and sunny and just lovely. What could possibly be more inspiring this time of year...the trees are budding, flowers are blooming, grass is growing....out of control in my yard. But that's another tale.

Flowers are the one thing that definitely says spring to me. They're little jewels that unfold the beauty of nature and signal a rebirth to the new year. I enjoy planting new flowers and seeing them mature into whole new creations that will invigorate and rejuvenate my spirit.

Tulip Cups

With that in mind, we've come up with a few new things celebrating the newness of the season. Tulip cups are one of the newest things that you can get at Coco's Chocoalte Cafe. What are they? They are little white chocolate cups that come in a variety of colors with a flavored white mousse inside. We first displayed our tulip cups at the ChocolateDreams.org event in February. Starting this weekend, we'll have them available in the cafe. There will be a few varieties of flavors to choose from, such as, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, and cinnamon.

You can order them 3 ways: calling us at 502-454-9810, emailing us at CocoCafe@Bellsouth.net, or just stopping by the cafe. We're located near the corner of Bardstown Rd. and Speed Ave. in the Highlands. Here's a MAP.

BIG Chocolate EGGS

Some may wonder, what is that title all about? Well, at Coco's Chocolate Cafe this year we are doing some huge-mongous eggs and small eggs for Easter. The larger ones are about the size of an ostrich egg and will be made out of wonderfully delicious dark or milk chocolate. The best part of all? There's a SURPRISE in each one!....yes, these are for the little ones in our lives or for the Big-little ones if you so choose. ;)

Our smaller eggs will be filled with something yummy...

Easter is about Christ rising from the grave. But somehow we've translated this into chocolate bunnies and eggs. I'm not squabbling about how this came about. It's just strikes me funny. How you celebrate Easter is up to you. I hope you will want to try out our little creations and think of the wonder that a gift given to you is truly special.

Website having issues

For the past few days, our website has been having several issues. I apologize for the inconvenience this is causing. If you would like to have a menu of our chocolates, please look at the right for a link under MENUS. Or if you need further information, please email us at CocoCafe@bellsouth.net and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Again, thank you for your patience.

Frederick T Moore.

Just give me Drinking Chocolate

There was a very nice article that came out this morning concerning our drinking chocolate. I applaud Mr.Johnson for doing his research and for giving us such a nice review. Mrs. Julie Casper, hopefully she won't mind me mentioning her name, was the sweet lady who gave me the proverbial kick in the pants to do drinking chocolate.

The inspiration for our recipe dates back a little further though to when I was in Italy working with some master chocolatiers alongside Chef Judy Witts Francini (www.divinacucina.com/). I was priviledged enough to see the inner workings of artisan chocolate makers such as Danielo Vestri (www.vestri.it), Roberto Cantinari (www.robertocatinari.it), Simone de Castro (www.simonedecastro.it), and several others as part of the Tuscan Masters program with EcoleChocolat (www.ecolechocolat.com). During this time, I experienced some of the most wonderful chocolates that you can ever imagine. Andrea Slitti is the master of drinking chocolate in Italy; he originally was a coffee roaster and turned to chocolates later in his career. He has a whole range of crazy and exciting flavors that we tried. My very first drinking chocolate was a hazelnut laden one. It had crushed hazelnuts and a syrup mixed into it. I thought the portion was way too much (roughly 12 oz) but the taste was awesome - rich and molten and nutty. I honestly didn't think this would be something I would try again...until I ran into Mrs. Casper....The recipe hinges on two things: the base chocolate used and the execution of melting it. If you start with crap chocolate, then you will reap what you make. Don't complain to me. Go with the good stuff! Then, it's just the process of how you make it. This takes a little practice because you want to add just the right amount of heat, which chocolate doesn't like. Too much heat and you have scorched earth. Too little heat and the chocolate will just float around teasing you like a school yard bully....

A lot of the recipes I received are tucked neatly away in my little binder of recipes that I hope to recreate and share with you. Drinking chocolate is just one in the arsenal of flavors that people can try out and hopefully enjoy.

Chocolate Rain????

Ok quickly.....Don't ask for an explanation but I found this to be funny in kind of a twisted way and hopefully won't....well, you be the judge.

Cheers.

Video

Would you like some water?

You know there are times when I just don't have a good feeling when developing a recipe? Today, I was having one of those days. We are working on a new chile truffle in our little kitchen for Valentine's Day's orders. [We will showcase it next week.] However, there came a moment today when I couldn't taste anything anymore and I didn't realize it. What I was tasting were I think after-effects from the constant assaults my taste buds were undergoing. Then it hit me, I really can't distinguish the intensity anymore of one recipe to another....that's not so good. I decided I needed some verification of exactly where I was....it is kind of like being lost in the woods....you just need someone to point you to the way out.

It was change of shifts at the cafe, so I had the freshest tastebuds coming onboard to try out our newest treat. They took one bite. That's it. One bite. They almost hyperventilated and told me, in no uncertain terms, that they were turned off for some time to spicy/hot foods....verification? Did I see the path yet? Am I looking in the right direction? One strike against the new recipe. [staff people can be rather....honest to a flaw - I wouldn't have it any other way]. I apologized to them and said that I may have missed the mark a bit. You know it's like a plane landing...sometimes you go a bit too far down the runway....they replied, "You ran it into the ocean, Fred!!!"

Next step, I took some to my darling children....they are rather discriminating when it comes to chocolate. Most anytime I have them taste test a new concoction, they give me the thumbs up....not so this time. My son could not give me an immediate thumbs up or down because he was too busy sucking down glasses of water to scream. My daughter decided when she saw big brother wince in pain after eating his test piece, there was no way she was going to eat her portion. Ok what I need is some person(s) that usually likes hot and spicy foods to try it out and give an honest opinion....some feedback please....I need more data....that will come tonight. Thankfully, my ever resourceful wife, Elaine, has tracked down some kind South Asian folks that are quite happy to light up their tastes to something a little on the more dangerous side....I'll let you know how that turns out. Tomorrow, back to the drawing board as it's said. Adios for now.

Chocolate Bliss

You know, I love a little competition...especially when it involves one of my favorite foods...chocolate!! http://www.chocolatedreams.org/ is having a little smackdown at the Churchill Downs Triple Crown room on February 25, 2008, and your's truly has been invited. Now what I don't know is exactly what to showcase...should it be something I already have in the cafe? Should it be thematic, like a horeshoe? Or, could it be a new creation? Hmm....I'm thinking something new....Tell me your ideas! [Please no chocolate dipped chipmunk ideas...Elaine already shot that one down....]

I hope everyone has had a great Holiday season and is ready for 2008!! This year is all about flavors. We will have some hot, some not, some smooth, some rocky, some just melt in your mouth and drip all over your shoes....