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.