Monthly Flavors for July – Sip Happens
It is getting real hot here, so it is time to grab a drink and sit by some water to cool down. So obviously, the
Either you picked your flavors at The French Door Cafe or you let me create a box for you. These chocolates are some of my recent favorites! Some flavors may have been featured in other months, some are from custom orders, and some might be flavors I was playing around with (and may be future flavors). Take a look through the list of potentials to see what flavors you got in this box – each box is unique, so next time you will get something new!
Mint and Floral Green Tea Milk Chocolate Ganache with Caramelized Almonds
As the name might suggest, ranger are often found in the woods protecting nature and guarding the edges of civilization. They are sneaky and have a magical connection to the wilderness and the animals within it. So, I wanted this chocolate to be earthy and outdoorsy! The ganache is a touch bitter from the tea, with the herbal and floral notes really making you feel like you are in a meadow. The crunchy caramelized almonds give a trail mix vibe in the best way.
Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (sugar, powdered whole milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, soy lecithin, vanilla), Heavy Cream, Corn Syrup, Butter, Almonds, Paris for Her Green Tea (Green tea, raspberry, blue mallow flowers, rose, and sunflower petals, flavours (red fruits, rose lotus, lychee, raspberry)), Sugar, Spearmint, dried
Contains: Milk, Almond, Soy
Caramel Ganache with Ginger Pâte de Fruit
Barbarians are pretty obviously known for being big and strong and punching things. They get extra strong when they rage, much like the Hulk. But before that, they tend to be characterized as a bit dumb and often generally nice. I really took a lot of inspiration from Grog Strongjaw in Vox Machina for my flavors here. He is sweet and simple until mad, and then terrifying. The caramel ganache seems simple, but is complex in its evolution through sweet and bitter from both the caramel and mix of chocolates. The ginger is a punchy, spicy hit in the middle!
Ingredients: Heavy Cream, Dark Chocolate (Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanilla), Sugar, Milk Chocolate (sugar, powdered whole milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, soy lecithin, vanilla), Ginger, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Butter, Sorbitol, Pectin, Citric Acid, Vanilla Paste
Contains: Milk, Soy
Pomegranate Molasses with Spiced Tea Dark Chocolate Ganache
Warlocks are people who have gained their magical powers through pacts. Technically these pacts do not need to be with evil forces, but they certainly make for a more interesting story! I wanted to evoke the indulgent, lusty nature of fiends and fey that might be your patron! The pomegranate molasses is sharp and acidic while the ganache is a little sweet, a little bitter, and brings to mind dark cloudy days.
Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanilla), Heavy Cream, Corn Syrup, Butter, Sorbitol, Trimoline, Christmas Tea Mix (black tea, cinnamon, orange peel, peppermint, clove, rosehip, nutmeg)
Contains: Milk, Soy
Lemon and Basil White Chocolate Ganache
Mango Caramel with Black Pepper Pop Rock Almond Duja
The magical inventors of Dungeons & Dragons, artificers see magic as a complex system to be decoded and harnessed through spells and inventions. They are mad scientists and potion masters. They are also particularly known for making things blow up. I wanted this chocolate to be explosive! So, the mango caramel is sweet and the color of flame, while the duja is spicy and will literally pop off in your mouth!
Matcha Almond Marzipan with Yuzu Milk Chocolate Ganache
Monks are able to magically harness the energy flowing through their bodies, making them expert fighters. Either given to monasteries as children or choosing the monastic life themselves later, monks are known for mediation and rigorous training. The marzipan is earthy and grounding, calming and somewhat familiar. The ganache though is a big punch of brightness, just like the signature “flurry of blows” monks are known for.
Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (sugar, powdered whole milk, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, soy lecithin, vanilla), Yuzu Puree, Almonds, Heavy Cream, Powdered Sugar, Water, Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Butter, Matcha Powder, Trimoline, Citric Acid
Chinese Five Spice Coconut Caramel
We are starting off strong this month with the rainbow pride flag! Originally, the flag had 8 stripes instead of the 6 we see today (designers dropped pink and turquoise along the way). The rainbow symbolizes all the beautiful diversity of the LGBT+ community. This caramel is complex and deep, with coconut adding a creamy nuttiness and Chinese five spice adding a little heat and wonderful evolution.
Rhubarb Pâte de Fruit with Orange Milk Chocolate Ganache
The lesbian flag, reminiscent of a sunset, features pinks and oranges. Lesbians make up the first letter in the LGBT initialism. When people first celebrated pride, L held the second position. The community moved it to the front after the AIDS epidemic to thank all the lesbians who supported and helped gay men when no one else would. This one is a ghost because of the “Summerween” trend that exploded last year — lesbian-colored ghosts were everywhere! The trend is making a comeback this year, and I think it is so fun. The rhubarb cuts nice and tart against the sweet and bright ganache.
Rosemary Apple Milk Chocolate Ganache
The gay men’s flag, or MLM flag, is not used very widely. It is based off the lesbian flag with greens and blues instead of oranges and pinks. Personally, I had a hard time finding blue foods that would really shine in a ganache, so I leaned into the green instead The rosemary adds a lovely earthiness and the apples are roasted before being added to the ganache for extra depth of flavor.
Yogurt White Chocolate Ganache with Berry Almond Crunch
Transgender people are those who identify as a different gender than the one assigned at birth. This includes people who fall outside the woman/man binary, such as non-binary, genderqueer, and gender fluid individuals. Currently, this group faces the most vicious attacks from lawmakers in the US. In fact, several states have started passing legislation preventing trans people from transitioning, accessing appropriate health care, and even competing in sports. Yet only about 10% of American LGBT adults identify as trans, meaning less than 1% of all American adults. Despite this small number, the discrimination and hate they face is abhorrent. The ganache is tart and creamy with a touch of orange blossom water for complexity. Additionally, the crunch echoes the ganache with a little yogurt tartness, dried berries, and caramelized almonds.
Lemon Marmalade with Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Ganache
Pansexuals are people who feel attraction regardless of gender. Together with bisexuals and other non-monosexual identities, we fall under the bisexual umbrella. Personally, I identify as pansexual, which is why this lovely flag always graces the June chocolates. As for the flavor, the lemon marmalade is tangy and sweet and adds a nice texture to the smooth ganache. The ganache is bright and bold and sour and sweet — so good!
Salted Caramel
Fighter is one of the most iconic Dungeons and Dragons classes. It’s your stereotypical knight type – armor, sword, wants to fight monsters. So a nice classic salted caramel made sense to me! This caramel is just slightly bitter (probably about being overlooked so often), a little salty (blood, sweat, and tears are notoriously salty), and just dependently excellent.
Raspberry Jam with Nettle Dark Chocolate Ganache
Druids are a slightly newer class to Dungeons and Dragons. They were originally a cleric subtype and finally branched off on their own in fourth edition. They revere nature above all else, and draw their magic from nature. So, of course I had to look to the forests for flavor inspiration! The raspberry jam is a bit tart (wouldn’t you be with the destruction of nature all around you?) and sweet with the ganache being earthy and dark (you know, like the earth that all things depend on).
Chamomile Milk Chocolate Ganache
Another original class in Dungeons and Dragons, clerics are healers and fighters. They are the intermediaries between the mortal world and the planes of the gods. While they are actually decent fighters, the stereotypical use is for healing. So, chamomile tea! Feel embraced by the gods’ care and get ready to get back up and beat that dragon!
Wine Reduction with Mulled Wine Dark Chocolate Ganache
Bard is one of my personal all time favorite classes to play. A fairly ridiculous class, bards weave their magic through stories and songs. They are generally a support class, giving aid to their party, demoralizing the enemy, and doing some healing. Also, famously they are often found in taverns getting drunk. So I knew I needed to do something around wine. The reduction is a bit sweet but retains the tannins of the red wine, and the mulled wine ganache is comforting and familiar but new and different!
Coffee Hazelnut Duja with Lemongrass Milk Chocolate Ganache
Another absolute classic of Dungeons and Dragons, the wizard is the studious magic powerhouse. They spend decades learning all of the innerworkings of magic, and they are ready to show off all they have learned. With a love of big powerful spells, I knew I needed something with a good bit of pizzazz here for the wizard. The coffee hazelnut duja is crunchy and will help you with those long, late night study sessions. The ganache is big and bright and unexpected – just like a good fireball!
Spicy Dark Chocolate Caramel
Previously known as the thief class, rogues are sneaky and extremely dangerous. They pick locks, they skulk in darkness, they are your typical sneaky thief/assassin/con artist. So I went with this lovely caramel – it is silky smooth with a little dark chocolate bitterness, and then hits you with a lingering spice. Devilish!
Passion Fruit Pâte de Fruit with Passion Flower Milk Chocolate Ganache
I was surprised that the passion flower doesn’t really taste a whole lot like its fruit. It is very delicate, where I think of the fruit as a very assertive flavor. So, to get the full passion experience I needed to have both in this chocolate! The pâte de fruit is crunchy with seeds while the ganache is smooth and almost elastic on the tongue. Passion fruit is tangy and acidic where passion flower is earthy and almost savory. This chocolate is a wonderful experiment with dichotomy!
It is getting real hot here, so it is time to grab a drink and sit by some water to cool down. So obviously, the