LET'S TALK CHOCOLATE: FAQ's
Did you know champagnes and sparkling wines do not pair well with milk or dark chocolate because of their acidity, which reacts with chocolate causing a tart taste to occur. Instead, try white chocolate with champagne and dark chocolate with red wine. Enjoy!
Myths about Chocolate
  • After hundreds of scientific studies, there is no evidence that chocolate is an immediate cause of obesity. The total number of calories consumed, the digestion of those calories and the balance in the consumption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats play the predominant role in the prevention of obesity. 
  • Cocoa and chocolate alone do not damage your teeth. Scientific analyses of cocoa and chocolate indicate only very small concentrations of the substances which can cause caries or carry out an acidic attack on tooth enamel. In fact, cocoa naturally contains substances that combat oral bacteria.
  • The American Dietary Association and the American Academy of Dermatology currently discount any link between chocolate and acne. No study has found evidence for chocolate as a cause of acne. 
  • Chocolate is often suspected of causing migraines. However, no scientific proof has ever been found.
Types of Chocolate  
Officially, there are three kinds of chocolate: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Dark chocolate contains cocoa mass (also called cocoa liquor), cocoa butter and sugar. The content of cocoa solids – that is the dried fraction of all cocoa substances – varies between 35 and 70% or more. The higher the cocoa content, the more bitterness you will experience. To real chocoholics, there is only one real chocolate: very dark, bitter chocolate with a very high cocoa content.
Milk chocolate contains the same ingredients as dark chocolate, with milk powder added to give the chocolate a lighter brown color and a creamy texture and taste.
White chocolate contains milk, sugar and cocoa butter but no cocoa liquor (cocoa mass). That explains the pale, ivory color of this sweet chocolate.


Storage

Always store chocolate in a dry, dark place at a temperature of 12°C to 20°C.
Never in the fridge. Also avoid temperature shocks of more than 10°C: your chocolate might develop a white sheen. This does not affect the taste, but doesn’t  a dark, shiny and good looking praline or chocolate bar look far more tempting…

Never store chocolate alongside strong-smelling foods. Chocolate absorbs odors very easily and this could affect the sublime taste of your favorite treat.
The best temperature to consume chocolate is at room temperature. This way, chocolate remains crunchy, yet is ready to fully release all of its flavors and aromas in your mouth. Always give chocolate the time to acclimatize from its storing temperature to room temperature.

Quality cocoa, dark and milk chocolate have a long shelf life by nature. The cocoa polyphenols naturally present help to protect dark and milk chocolate from oxidation for long periods. They are natural preservatives. This does not count for white chocolate.

Chocolate Recipes
Chocolate Cake:
300 g flour
250 g butter
250 g icing sugar
100 g dark or milk chocolate
2 g baking powder
5 eggs

Soften the butter and add the sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Blend in the sieved flour and baking powder. Finally add the melted chocolate. Tip out into cake tins and bake for 15 minutes in a moderately warm oven (+/- 220 C)
 

Hot Chocolate
Proportions: 1 litre milk to 100 g dark chocolate. Bring the milk to a boil and add the chocolate while stirring.
Serving suggestion: heat up a cup of milk using the espresso-machine steam jet or microwave oven. Serve this milk together with 25g dark chocolate on the side so that your guests can mix their own chocolate drink.

 
Chocoffee:
Add approx. 25 g dark chocolate and a teaspoon of sugar to a cup of strong coffee, stir the mixture well to produce a lively, tasty drink.
ALLERGIES

Please note that our product suggestions below are recommendations only. At Aarden’s Chocolates we manufacture all  our products in the same facility; therefore, although we take all precautions, there may be a slight chance of cross-contamination from other ingredients used at our facility.  We cannot guarantee our chocolates to be 100% free of a given ingredient that may cause an allergy.

If you require more detailed information on a product not listed below, please feel free to contact us at info@aardenschocolates.com

The chocolates below have been produced in a facility that also handles nuts and milk ingredients. Our products are absolutely gluten and sulphite free.


Milk/Lactose intolerant suggestions
  • Solid dark gift bags (all seasons)
  • Solid dark chocolate gift items (all seasons)
  • 72% Dark Chocolate Bar
  • Dark chocolate Hazelnut bark
  • Dark chocolate Almond bark
  • Dark chocolate cigars
  • Dark chocolate suckers
  • Dark chocolate roses (non marbled)
  • Dark Chocolate Initials
  • Marzipan covered in dark chocolate
  • Ginger covered in dark chocolate
  • Dark chocolate Romeo/Juliet heart (filled with dark chocolate)
  • Dark chocolate treasure chest (filled with dark chocolate)
  • Boxes all sizes strictly filled with solid dark chocolate. (special order)
  • Dark solid chocolate seasonal items (snowman, Santa etc.)
 
Hazelnut/Almond intolerant suggestions
All products except Hazelnut Bags/Large assortments/Max assortments/Medium assortments/Almond Bark/Hazelnut Bark/all gift boxes with assortments
 
If you have allergies or a special request, please feel free to contact us directly.