Recipes, Ideas & Musings Charles' Chocolate Blog

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PICKUP FROM EMERYVILLE
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SUMMER SUGGESTIONS
Here are a few refreshing summer confections that you might like:

Pate de Fruit Gift Box: $25

Our Pate de Fruit is made using the finest fruits and pure cane sugar. Each piece contains at least 45% fruit for a fresh, real taste – nothing artificial. Our gift box contains 25 luscious pieces of Pate de Fruit in 5 different flavors: Raspberry, Blood Orange, White Peach, Papaya, and Passion Fruit.

Orange Twigs: $16

This delicate milk chocolate ganache with a hint of fresh orange is coated in a thin layer of 72% bittersweet chocolate and then finished with a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar.

Triple Coated Almonds: $12

These almonds are one of our best-selling items, and come in a fun and elegant gift tin. Each almond is roasted nice and dark, bringing out its full flavor and texture. Once they have cooled, we coat them with several layers of a unique blend of our 41% milk chocolate and our 65% bittersweet chocolate. The perfect amount of almond flavor combines with the rich chocolate coating to create a result that is sheer delight.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Glen Ishikata, who has joined Charles Chocolates as our new Vice President of Operations. With Glen, we will be able to grow our company and continue providing you with the most exceptional premium chocolates. You’ll find more information about Glen below.

Through August 15, you can still join our Chocolates All Year Club at a special price. Join for just $599 for a 12 month membership (regularly $697).

We’ve been voted “Best Place to Buy Chocolate” by the J Weekly — read more in their August 4th issue.

It’s been hot out there — this month’s newsletter includes suggestions on some lighter confections that you might enjoy, as well as a recipe for Pecan Brownies — a summer favorite.

BEST PLACE TO BUY CHOCOLATE: J WEEKLY READER’S CHOICE AWARDS 2006
Thanks for voting Charles Chocolates the “Best Place to Buy Chocolate” in the Bay Area in the J Weekly READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2006. Here’s what they said about Charles Chocolates.

“Then there are the new kids in town. For instance, in the best chocolate category last year, the first and second place winners were Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt Confections. Since then, Hershey Chocolate bought out both companies�all that shifting of the boardrooms left space for start-up Charles Chocolates to make a move.” -J Weekly, August 2006

NEW VP OF OPERATIONS
We are excited to announce that we have hired Glen Ishikata to join Charles Chocolates as our new Vice President of Operations. Glen was previously Production and Plant Manager for Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, now a division of Hershey’s. At Scharffen Berger, he was responsible for aspects of production, QA and manufacturing HR. In addition to managing in-house and outsourced production, Glen has overseen several expansion-driven facilities moves. Prior to Scharffen Berger, he spent 7 years at Chocolates á la Carte in Southern California and 7 years as head of production for Cocolat, the famed chocolates company founded by Alice Medrich in Berkeley. Glen will be instrumental to our growth as we expand and continue to grow our company into a nationally known, super premium chocolate brand.
JOIN THE CLUB: $599 THROUGH AUGUST 15.
If you’d like to receive (or give someone special) a monthly gift of chocolate (including special previews of new products, and specialties not available to non-club members), join at www.charleschocolates.com. Through August 15, 2006, use promotion code CLUB06 to save nearly $100 off your Chocolates All Year Club Membership. If you enjoy celebrations, you might also like our Holiday Gift Club.

PECAN BROWNIES
Brownies remain a classic for chocolate lovers; what’s not to love about a dessert that’s almost all chocolate? Walnuts are often used in brownies, but I prefer toasted pecans, which have a much more distinct and fragrant flavor, and a nuttier texture. I love to serve these fudgy brownies with vanilla ice cream or milk. Let us know how our Pecan Brownie Recipe works out for you.

WHERE TO PURCHASE CHARLES CHOCOLATES
We’re adding new retail partners weekly, so if you’d like to purchase Charles Chocolates from a location in your neighborhood, check out our Retail Partners Page.
NOT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
If there’s a place in your neighborhood where you’d like to see Charles Chocolates, contact us, and we’ll make it happen. If you are a retailer and would like to carry Charles Chocolates, please contact us at wholesale@charleschocolates.com, or fill out our Wholesale Inquiry Form.
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
We always welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing from you. If you have a story about your favorite product or interesting ways that you enjoy your Charles Chocolates, tell info@charleschocolates.com. If there’s information that you would like to see in our newsletter, we’d love to hear about it. We value your feedback on our products and your customer experience, so don’t hesitate to contact us.