Recipes, Ideas & Musings Charles' Chocolate Blog

Holiday shopping can be so stressful – fighting crowds and looking for the perfect present, it just doesn’t seem to be very festive. But here at Charles Chocolates we want to make holiday shopping convenient, relaxing and fun. Over the next three weekends, we’ll be conducting a few special demos and events to make your holiday shopping experience a lot more fun. If you are ordering on-line, we are extending what turned out to be an extremely popular Free Shipping offer. Take advantage of this great offer during the entire month of December. Please see below for additional details.

I hope to see you all soon!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Holiday In Store Demonstrations and Events

Cost: FREE
Date: December 6th, 13th, 20th and 21st.
All events take place in the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

FREE HOLIDAY SHIPPING

ORDERING DEADLINES
Ground shipping is now available to all states excluding Arizona, Florida and Hawaii. When placing your holiday orders, please keep in mind the following ordering deadlines. If you would like to place your order now, but have it shipped at a later date, just let us know by telling us your preferred ship date in the comments section when you check out.

CHARLES CHOCOLATES IS HIRING

I’m sure that you are as surprised as I am that the holiday season is almost upon us. Needless to say, it is a time of year when all of our minds turn to chocolate (OK, so my mind always turns to chocolate).

We have added a couple of delicious new chocolate gifts that I know you will enjoy.

This year’s Winter Edible Box features a stylized snowflake in white cocoa butter on the bittersweet chocolate lid. Inside is a collection of our Fleur de Sel caramels sporting fun patterns in blue and white. Of course half the fun of our edible box is in eating the box once you have finished the 18 chocolates inside.

I recently introduced a new chocolate in our Emeryville store – I call it Ode to a Turtle . Starting with a square of our Fleur de Sel caramel, we top it with a fresh roasted pecan and then coat it in our 65% bittersweet chocolate blend. These have very quickly become one of the most popular chocolate in our store, so now I am making them available to you. They are packaged in either our classic 20 piece box or our new 10 piece magnetic box. Either one will make a wonderful gift.

Of course you can also choose from any of our other tasty gifts by clicking on www.charleschocolates.com/products.html.

As for the title of this e-mail, there is a special gift for you if you order before November 31st. Send Charles chocolates to at lest 6 of your friends, relatives or business associates and I will send you a 20 piece box of our new Pecan Caramels (the Ode to a Turtle that I mentioned above) as a thank you gift (don’t worry, it’s easy for us to keep track).

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season,

P.S. Here are few dates that are important to remember:

ORDERING DEADLINES
Ground shipping is now available to all states excluding Arizona, Florida and Hawaii. When placing your holiday orders, please keep in mind the following ordering deadlines.

It’s the time of the year to start thinking about corporate gifts.

Whether you’re looking for something special for customers, partners, those who refer you business, employees, family or friends, a gift from Charles Chocolates will help you stand out from the crowd and be remembered. All of our delicious products are available to send as corporate and personal gifts. Below, you’ll find information about our most popular corporate and holiday gifts. Let us help you find the perfect gift to meet any budget. We look forward to working with you to delight your recipients and introduce them to the pleasure of Charles Chocolates. To view all of our corporate products visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/corporate/.

Edible Chocolate Boxes

Our signature edible box is something that never fails to impress. These elegant boxes feature a bittersweet chocolate base and a white chocolate lid, with your choice of one of five different assortments inside. Once the chocolates inside are enjoyed, there’s also the fun of eating the box. These unique boxes are available in our standard designs or with custom artwork as part of our customized chocolates program.

Boxed Assortments

Our beautiful signature blue and brown Assortment Boxes come in a variety of sizes. Choose from our ten, twenty or sixty piece assortment boxes, filled with our handmade artisan confections. We also have favor boxes that contain either two or four confections. Customization options include custom ribbon or a custom letter inside the box to your special recipients.

Gift Boxes

If you’re looking for the perfect box complete with a little bit of variety, look no further than our gift sets. Each set features beautifully presented gifts in a red or brown leatherette gift box. The contents of the boxes can also be customized by you, with a selection of the products of your choice. Please contact us for more information.

To place a corporate order or to request a corporate brochure, please call Frank Noto at 415.246.5006 or email frank@charleschocolates.com.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 510.652.4412 x301, or email corporate@charleschocolates.com.

It’s been a few weeks since our last newsletter. I guess we’ve just been busy planning some great events for you to attend this October and November, including a new Chocolate and Beer Tasting Class and a launch party for the new Birite Creamery Bars. Please see below to for more information on all our upcoming events.

I hope to see you soon!

Upcoming Events

Chocolate and Beer Pairing

Cost: $25/person
Date: Thursday, October 30th, 6-7 pm.
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/46488.

Chocolate Making Class with Chuck

Cost: $300/person
Date: Saturday, November 1st, 1-6 pm.
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/45520.

Bi-Rite Creamery Chocolate Bar Launch Party

What’s better than chocolate and ice cream? How about three new chocolate bars based on ice cream flavors from the famed Bi-Rite Creamery? On Saturday, November 15th, join us to sample three new chocolates bars- Rocky Road, Coffee Toffee, and Peanut Praline, created by Charles Chocolates exclusively for Bi-Rite Creamery. Even better, we’ll also be sampling the three ice creams which inspired the creation of these three delicious bars. So please join us for an afternoon of chocolate and ice cream.

Cost: FREE
Date: Saturday, November 15th, 1-5 pm.
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/45520.

All events will be taking place in the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

As the holidays approach it’s time to start thinking of gifts for family and friends. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce our newest box – the Ten Piece Assortment box. Our newest Assortment box features 10 pieces of our delicious handmade confections, all available with our standard assortments. Additionally, this month we will have two great events, including a visit by our friend, Kathy Wiley, the owner of Poco Dolce, and the launch of the new Bi-Rite Creamery chocolate bars. Please see below for more information.

I hope to see you all this weekend for the Bi-Rite Creamery Chocolate Bar Launch Party.

The Ten Piece Assortment Box

Our new Ten Piece Assortment box is available filled with seven different assortments. Or stop in to our retail store to select your own custom assortment. To order, please visit our website at www.charleschocolates.com/boxed-chocolates.html.

Upcoming Events

Bi-Rite Creamery Chocolate Bar Launch Party

We’re expecting great weather on Saturday, so please join us as we introduce three new chocolate bars based on ice cream flavors from the famed Bi-Rite Creamery. You’ll be able to sample three new flavors – Rocky Road, Coffee Toffee, and Peanut Praline, created by Charles Chocolates exclusively for Bi-Rite Creamery. Even better, we’ll also be sampling the three ice creams which inspired the creation of these three delicious bars. Saturday is the only chance you’ll have to purchase these bars at Charles Chocolates. After the launch party, you’ll only be able to purchase the bars at the Bi-Rite Creamery and Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco. So please join us for an afternoon of chocolate and ice cream.

Cost: FREE
Date: Saturday, November 15th, 1-5 pm.
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/45520.

Charles Chocolates Speak Series with Kathy Wiley of Poco Dolce

Kathy Wiley, the founder of Poco Dolce, will join us on Thursday, November 20th as our last speaker of the year. Known for her famed handmade Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles, Poco Dolce’s tiles comes in flavors like Almond, Aztec Chile, Burnt Caramel Almond Toffee, Ginger, Coconut Almond, Hazelnut. In addition to her tiles, Kathy has also launched the Cortina collection, an Italian-inspried assortment of filled chocolates. Please join us as Kathy speaks about her business and inspirations and sample some of her delicious chocolates.

Cost: FREE
Date: Thursday, November 20th, 6-8pm
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/48644.

All events take place in the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

4 Years – Time flies when you are having fun.

This Wednesday marks 4 years since I started making Charles Chocolates for all of you to enjoy. We have grown from a small rental kitchen that could only hold 4 of us (though we crammed 7 candymakers into the kitchen during our first Valentine’s Day season) to our new state-of-the-art, 7,000 square foot candy kitchen, complete with retail store and chocolate bar looking in on the entire operation.

We have grown from a small local producer of some of the best tasting artisinal chocolates made anywhere, to a company with thousands of loyal customers nationwide (still making our confections the same way, by hand and in small batches) – Thank You!

Please help us celebrate with one of these great specials, available only this week. From Monday, September 29 – Friday, October 3, shop on line or in store to receive the following bonuses: Spend over $40 and receive a free jar of handmade marmalade; spend over $80 and receive a free jar of handmade marmalade and 2 homemade s’mores. Place any order on our birthday, Wednesday, October 1, and you’ll receive a special present.

We all thank you for your support and we look forward to treating you to more wonderful chocolates for many years to come.

As the weather gets cooler, and the shorter days and longer nights arrive, you know that Fall is here.

Charles Chocolates is celebrating the season with our new Fall Edible Chocolate Box which we fill with a collection of our delicious handmade confections.

Additionally during the next week, be sure to watch us on television – Charles Chocolates will be appearing on both the Rachel Ray Show and CBS Eye on the Bay.

Lastly, while supplies last, we have a special offer for all orders placed on our website. Please see below for more information.

Have a wonderful Fall.

CHARLES CHOCOLATES ON TV

CBS Eye on the Bay

Charles Chocolates will be appearing on CBS Eye on the Bay on September 26th. Please tune in at 10pm, right after the presidential debate, to watch this episode. For more information visit CBS Eye on the Bay.

Rachel Ray Show

One of our most popular treats, the Caramel Almond Sticks, will be given away to the audience of the Rachel Ray Show. The Caramel Almond Stick features rich Fleur de Sel Caramel coated in our 65% bittersweet chocolate and rolled in toasted almond pieces. Click here to order your own bag: www.charleschocolates.com/treats.html.

NEW FOR THE FALL!

Fall Edible Chocolate Box

Our Fall Collection Edible Chocolate Box celebrates the leaves of autumn. Adorned with a naked oak tree on its milk chocolate lid, this edible box is filled with a collection of delectable caramels and our signature peanut butterflies. For more information on our Edible Chocolate Box visit www.charleschocolates.com/signature_box.html

Special Offer While Supplies Last

While supplies last, we’ll be giving away a Two Piece Favor box filled with two of our delicious handmade confections for every order over $50 placed on our online store. To place your order today visit www.charleschocolates.com/index.php

Dear Friend,

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 15th, so remember to place your orders now for arrival by Sunday. This weekend we also have some great events going on, including a visit from a videographer from CBS Eye on the Bay. Join us in our chocolate bar this Saturday, June 14th, at noon, and maybe you’ll appear on an upcoming episode. For more information about our upcoming events, please visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/events.php.

FATHER’S DAY DELUXE BOXED ASSORTMENT

Remember to order our special Father’s Day Deluxe Boxed Assortment for your dad. Packaged in a beautiful deluxe gift box, our Father’s Day collection contains three Boxed Assortments inside: our Classic Collection, Pecan Caramels, and Caramel Crispies Clusters. This collection is available for a special price of $75.00, a savings of $15! To order our Father’s Day Deluxe Boxed Assortment visit www.charleschocolates.com/boxed-chocolates.html.

SUMMER MOVIE SERIES

Cost: FREE
Date: June 13th, Movie Starts at 8:30pm
Tickets: Please RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/36362.

For a list of all upcoming dates and movies, please visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/events.php.

CHOCOLATE MAKING CLASS WITH CHUCK

Join us for this unique opportunity to learn chocolate making from a nationally recognized chocolatier. Our first class will be taking place on Saturday, June 14th from 1-6pm. Cost: $300/person.

You must wear closed toed shoes in our factory kitchen and please wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a little bit of chocolate on.

Cost: $300 per person. Space is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Date: June 14th, 1-6 pm
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/24194.

All events take place at the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

Dear Friend,

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11. All the mothers in our lives deserve to be acknowledged and shown how much we appreciate them for everything they have done for us. At Charles Chocolates, we can help you make Mother’s Day extra special with the perfect Mother’s Day gifts along with a letterpress greeting card. Plus, receive a free letterpress greeting card with every order over $30. Remember to type a special message to your mom in the Gift Card Message section when placing your order. Please see below for gift ideas along with an exclusive offer from Radcru, an online marketplace that specializes in selling small batch boutique wines.

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Mother’s Day with your moms.

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS:

Mother’s Day Caramel Collection

Our Mother’s Day Fleur de Sel Caramel collection features our Classic Fleur de Sel caramels decorated with a pink flower motif and is paired with our Classic Fleur de Sel Caramels. This twenty piece collection is available in our signature blue and brown box and adorned with red ribbon. For more information on our Mother’s Day Fleur de Sel Caramel Collection visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/mothersday/fleur_caramels.html

Edible Chocolate Box Mother’s Day Collection

This edible chocolate box has a beautiful pink flower motif on the lid and is filled with our milk and dark chocolate peanut butterflies, milk chocolate caramel, Poire Williams caramel, chocolate Fleur de Sel caramel and three Fleur de Sel caramels with the pink flower motif. For more information on our Edible Box Mother’s Day Collection visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/mothersday/ediblebox.html

Charles Chocolates Club
Treat your mom all year round with a membership to the Charles Chocolates Club. Each month your mom will receive a special assortment of our confections hand-selected by our chocolatiers. They will be delivered to her door the first week of each month. Choose from either a three, six or twelve month membership. And we’re throwing in an additional bonus. For those who order for their moms, we’ll start off their membership with an Edible Chocolate Box Mother’s Day Collection (a $60 value) in place of our scheduled Butterfly Assortment (a $30 value). If you will be ordering for Mother’s Day, please indicate this in the “Comments” section during check out.

For more information on our Chocolate Club visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/club.html

A Special Mother’s Day Offer from Radcru

This Mother’s Day we’ve partnered with Radcru to bring you a special offer. When you order a two-Pack of Eden Canyon Vineyards ‘Chocolate Vintage” Cabernet Sauvignon from Radcru, you will receive an exclusive discounted price along with FREE shipping. This wine is noted for its delightful chocolate characteritics and beautiful full fruit. The two pack is $50 and paired with our Mother’s Day Chocolates, we think it’s a wonderful gift for any mom. For more information please click on the following link Racru Mother’s Day Offer.

Shipping Deadlines

For more information on Mother’s Day shipping deadlines, please visit our website at http://www.charleschocolates.com/mothersday/ordering-guidelines.html

TEA AND CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS WITH TEANCE

May 3rd, 3:30-4:30pm ($20/person) While tea and chocolate have both been important culinary indulgences throughout the ages, they have typically been savored individually. The combination of tea and chocolates, particularly Asian teas, has never been fully explored in the chocolate world – until now. After months of tea and chocolate selection pairings and tastings, a special collaboration between Charles Chocolates and Teance Fine Teas resulted in the creation of our exclusive collection of tea infused chocolates.

Now you can join us in exploring the pairing of chocolate and tea in our monthly Tea and Chocolate Pairing classes. In partnership with Teance Fine Teas, we will sample a variety of hand crafted chocolates by Charles Chocolates and pair them with teas sourced and selected by Teance Fine Teas. We will discuss the techniques and nuances of selecting pairings to create a harmonious balance between chocolate and tea.

Cost: $20 per person. Space is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Date: May 3rd, 3:30-4:30pm
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/24194.

CHARLES CHOCOLATES SPEAKER SERIES WITH SENECA KLASSEN OF BITTERSWEET CAFE

Cost: FREE.
Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 6-8pm
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/34337.

All events take place at the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

NEED GIFT IDEAS?
Call us at 1-888-652-4412, or view our Mother’s Day selection at: http://www.charleschocolates.com/mothersday/.

Dear Friend,

If you haven’t visited our retail store lately, you might be surprised at some of the new changes. We are now offering several products that you can only find in our retail store in Emeryville. One of our new favorites is the Pecan Caramel, a toasted pecan atop our classic Fleur De Sel Caramel and enrobed in bittersweet chocolate. But our newest creation is already one of the staff favorites. The Caramel Crispies Cluster is a truly decadent treat featuring pieces of Fleur de Sel Caramel and Caramelized Rice Crispies coated first in milk chocolate and then in bittersweet chocolate. After much demand, we’ve also introduced our One Pound Baking bars, available in either milk or bittersweet chocolate. Now you can purchase our chocolate to be used in your favorite recipes like for brownies, cakes and fondues, or just buy a bar and to nibble on at home.

Don’t forget that Passover will be arriving on April 19th, so stop by for a sample of our Chocolate Covered Matzah. As always, we have plenty of great events planned for the upcoming months, so remember to visit www.charleschocolates.com/events to keep abreast of all our new events.

We look foward to seeing you soon.

PASSOVER PRODUCTS
.

Chocolate Covered Matzah in Round Box $26

Chocolate Covered Matzah in Deluxe Gift Box $34

Classic Pate de Fruit $22

For more information on Passover items, please visit http://www.charleschocolates.com/passover.

CHARLES CHOCOLATES TALK AND TASTING WITH AMANO CHOCOLATES

April 14th, 5:30-7:30pm (FREE) On April 14th, please join us for a talk and tasting by chocolate maker, Art Pollard. Art is the founder of Amano Chocolates, one of the best artisan chocolate making companies in the U.S. today. Art has studied chocolate manufacturing in Europe and refined his knowledge and technique by traveling throughout Mexico studying chocolate in the heart of the country where cacao originated. He did not build his chocolate factory until he felt that the chocolate he was producing was comparable to only the very best European chocolate. By making chocolate slowly and in small batches, Art has created distinctive chocolates with incredible flavor and texture. Please join us in welcoming Art to our Chocolate Bar. Cost: Free. Space is limited, so please RSVP. Date: Monday, April 14th, 5:30-7:30pm. Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/32593.

TEA AND CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS WITH TEANCE

May 3rd, 3:30-4:30pm ($20/person) While tea and chocolate have both been important culinary indulgences throughout the ages, they have typically been savored individually. The combination of tea and chocolates, particularly Asian teas, has never been fully explored in the chocolate world – until now. After months of tea and chocolate selection pairings and tastings, a special collaboration between Charles Chocolates and Teance Fine Teas resulted in the creation of our exclusive collection of tea infused chocolates.

Now you can join us in exploring the pairing of chocolate and tea in our monthly Tea and Chocolate Pairing classes. In partnership with Teance Fine Teas, we will sample a variety of hand crafted chocolates by Charles Chocolates and pair them with teas sourced and selected by Teance Fine Teas. We will discuss the techniques and nuances of selecting pairings to create a harmonious balance between chocolate and tea.

Cost: $20 per person. Space is limited so advance registration is recommended.
Date: May 3rd, 3:30-4:30pm
Tickets: RSVP now at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/24194.

All events take place at the Charles Chocolates Store & Chocolate Bar located at 6529 Hollis St. Emeryville, CA 94608. For more information, please contact us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311, email events@charleschocolates.com or visit www.charleschocolates.com/store.

NEED GIFT IDEAS?
Call us at 1-888-652-4412, or view our Passover selection at: http://www.charleschocolates.com/passover/.