Michel Cluizel 85% Cacao Fine Chocolate

We had a beautiful summer rain last night which certainly cooled things off a bit. Today was so much more delightful than yesterday. I hope that you're blessed with a bit of rain if your weather has been dry of late.

Today's featured chocolatier is Michel Cluizel, who, since 1948 has been not only manufacturing fine chocolate, but is one of the few to process cocoa beans. He and his four children produce exceptional chocolates that more than 6000 professional caterers, pastry experts, and confectioners use or resell around the world. http://www.cluizel.com/

The taste of his chocoolate are acclaimed worldwide as balanced, awesome, and powerful. He has a showroom in the heart of Paris and a chocolatrium to tour, as well as a company branch in the USA:
NOBLE INGREDIENTS LTD1602 Hylton Road, PENNSAUKEN, NJ 08110Tel. (001) 856 486 9292 – Fax (001) 856 486 9202 usa@cluizel.com. Michel Cluizel Chocolates would definitely be chocolates to experience. Visit their web site.

For those who would like to taste a chocolate drink that is similar to that which was once a favorite among European aristocrats, I have a recipe for you:

4 squares bitter chocolate
1 cup boiling water
2 cups condensed milk plus 4 cups water
6 T. sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of allspice
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 t. cinnamon
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla

Cut up the coarsely grated bittersweet chocolate into 1 cup boiling water, and stir over the fire until well-blended. Add condensed milk and 4 cups water, sugar, the merest pinch of salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cook this in the top of a double boiler for 1 hour, beating with a rotary beater at least half a dozen times during cooking. Beat eggs well and add them the last time chocolate is whipped (mix the eggs with some of the liquid that has been cooled before adding to prevent them from being cooked and lumpy as it enters the mixture). Add vanilla just before serving. Serves 6 to 8. Put a dollop of whipped cream on top before serving.

May you have a wonderful day tomorrow.