Wow! Melt has won so many awards! 🏆 The Chocolatier to the stars ⭐
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3 Luxury Hot Chocolate Recipes – A Chocolatier Guide
A Chocolatier Guide to Luxury Hot Chocolate In this article we will share our best Luxury Hot Chocolate Recipes! Melt Chocolates is an artisan chocolate boutique based in Notting Hill London, and our ethos is to teach people to enjoy chocolate in its purest form. This includes hot chocolate! As we move swiftly into the cold months of November and December, we enter a new, cosier phase of living. One which centers around warmth, comfort and happiness. As the leaves turn golden and the days grow darker, we take harbour from the crisp winter air in small cafes filled with the smell of hot chocolate and cakes. You can’t beat that feeling of contentment, when you hold that warm mug of hot chocolate, the steam curling onto your face, as you sit wrapped up in a blanket watching the cold wind blow outside. This feeling is defined by Scandanavian people as ‘Hygge‘. Though it has no direct translation, we can better understand Hygge as a concept with key features or practices. Some of the ways to experience hygge is to light soft atmospheric candles, sit under a warm blanket with a book, and to enjoy a hot drink and a sweet treat! The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking found that the number 1 thing that Danes associate hygge with was hot drinks. So we want to share our best luxury hot chocolate recipes so that you can recreate that perfect hot chocolate café moment at home with your friends and family. The Key to Any Luxury Hot Chocolate: Chocolate The key to a delicious hot chocolate is the chocolate! In our luxury hot chocolate recipes we use pure chocolate – not cocoa powder or hot chocolate mixtures. Make sure you choose high quality solid chocolate. We would recommend choosing any chocolate over 35%. Anything below and it risks your hot chocolate just becoming too sugary. Also good quality chocolate melts at body temperature. If you held one button of dark chocolate and one white chocolate button in the palm of your hand, the dark would melt first. So when you’re making hot chocolate, you want your chocolate to melt beautifully into the milk. So the higher the percentage on the chocolate (the darker it is) the better it is for hot chocolate! No Added Sugar We also believe in letting the chocolate flavours speak for itself, so in all of these recipes there is no added sugar. There is enough sugar in milk chocolate already to make the hot chocolate sweet! We like our hot chocolates to soothe rather than to excite, just like the hygge mentality. The feeling after drinking a hot chocolate should be peaceful, not a sugar rush! Though of course, each person is welcome to personalise these recipes as they wish! Adding some sweet whipped cream or marshmallows to make your hot chocolate perfect for you is encouraged. So, here are some simple recipes to inspire you to make the best hot chocolate you can: 1. The Fluffy Bunny Hot Chocolate: The Fluffy Bunny is the perfect hot chocolate for children, or for those of us who prefer the milkier, fluffier kinds of hot chocolate. This hot chocolate recipe […]
Our Chocolate Toolbox – 6 Pieces of Equipment Every Chocolatier Must Have
There are certain tools or equipment every chocolatier must have. No artist can create a masterpiece without the right tools and chocolate making is no exception. While there may be certain recipes that may not require professional chocolate tools, if quality and finesse are what you’re looking for, a chocolate toolbox is essential. Whether it is for tempering chocolate for fancy desserts or creating elegant truffles and bonbons, you can get delicious and aesthetically pleasing creations with the right tools. That said, if you’re looking to buy professional chocolate tools to start your journey of being a chocolatier, you’ve come to the right place. At Melt, with our vast experience in creating delicious chocolates over the years, we know the essential chocolate-making tools every chocolatier needs. In this guide we will take you through the equipment every chocolatier must have. We’ve put together a list of basic yet essential tools that can help you progress from an amateur to a professional chocolatier and also create stunning chocolates. Let’s take a look! 1. Palette Knife A palette knife is perhaps one of the most essential pieces of chocolate-making equipment; so much so that it is a must-have for every chocolatier. This knife has a flat rounded blade that lets you smooth out or temper chocolate on a smooth flat surface to avoid any lumps. Additionally, if you’re looking to get silky smooth chocolate to add to your dessert or are simply making fancy gourmet chocolate, your work will become much easier with this equipment. In the chocolate-making process, many things can go wrong and creating smooth cocoa treats is not as easy as it seems. However, with a palette knife, you can ensure glossy and smooth chocolates that look as delicious as they taste. 2. Chocolate Moulds Once the chocolate is tempered and smoothened out, filling it in a mould is essential to let it form a proper shape and set well. With delicate treats like bonbons, truffles, or even praline cups, a mould is necessary for the creation process. From intricate patterns and swirls to simple lines, there are many different designs and types of chocolate moulds that you can opt for. If you’re looking to make chocolate bars, there are special moulds for them that you can easily find online. 3. Different Sized Spatulas A handy tool in most culinary pursuits, a spatula is another must-have chocolate making equipment. From stirring the chocolate in the vessel to emptying it in the moulds, a spatula is very helpful as it prevents any ingredient from sticking to it. This means that you can easily transfer your chocolate onto the flat surface or in the mould without creating a mess. Moreover, they’re extremely easy to clean making them a great piece of equipment. 4. Thermometer For any dessert or sweet treat that requires cooking and tempering, a thermometer is a must-have. Since many of us are likely unable to properly understand when the chocolate mixture has reached the ideal temperature, a thermometer can do the job for you. Each chocolate type has different temperatures; dark chocolate needs to be at 28° whereas milk chocolate is ideal at 27-28°. With a thermometer, you can ensure you cool down the mixture and set it at the right time to get a good texture on […]
Christmas Chocolatier Gift Box of 64
London’s Most Luxurious Chocolates in beautiful Christmasy designer plastic-free packaging. The best London chocolate and the best of British luxury chocolate. Making the perfect chocolate gift set. Our Chocolatiers selection of Fresh Chocolates. All our chocolates are handmade with fresh ingredients in Notting Hill and Holland Park, keeping food miles to a minimum. We use green energy and electric vehicles to reduce our carbon footprint. Because our chocolates are fresh we can use less sugar and only natural ingredients.
The best of British chocolates and craftmanship from Notting Hill, London.
These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 12 days. […]
Christmas Chocolatier Gift Box of 40
Christmas edition gift box. “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”. This is a fabulous collection of our best chocolatiers chocolates. Amazing fresh chocolate from London’s Most Luxurious Chocolate Company – all handmade in Notting Hill by our world-class chocolatiers. Best of British chocolates and the best London Chocolate. Melt is making chocolate great again.
These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 12 days. […]
Did you know Napoleon invented Nutella? Truth is stranger than fiction. The Backstory is Unbelievable. 🥜
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Easter Egg Decorating
Get your friends and family together and unleash their creativity with this Easter Egg Decorating class. A fun, fabulous experience. You get to make your very own personalised Easter Egg. Make your faberge masterpiece guided by our world-class chocolatiers. Take home your showstopper to create an Easter centrepiece. Making your own unique and personalised egg is an event few of us will ever experience. Easter Egg Decorating Class Duration: 1.30h We run creative experiences in a fun and relaxed environment in Notting Hill – close to the world-famous Portobello Road, where you, your friends and family or individual teams will learn about chocolate, decorate their own Easter eggs and enjoy tasting chocolate! You will take home your masterpiece to create a Easter showstopper. Personalise your class We can also tailor a session to your needs or event. During this event, you will decorate our Easter Eggs, taste amazing chocolate, and create your own masterpiece. Your team will be able to take them home in a beautiful gift box. Find out about the options available for inspiring your friends, family or team. Read more about corporate gifts and experiences on our blog post – Why New Year Corporate Gifts Is a Good Idea or browse our other Chocolate Making Experiences. Creating an amazing chocolate egg from scratch is a fun process. Melt host Paul Hum will guide you through this magical transformation, every step of the way and will interweave the history of chocolate and tasting – so you see how the Aztecs created such beautiful cocoa. Melt will take you through the history of chocolate while tasting how it has evolved from the bean-to-bar. Travel through time by tasting chocolate at all the key turning points on its evolution from the Aztec’s raw cocoa to the sophistication of the Courts of Europe. From Aztec chocolate with chili and vanilla to modern bonbons made by Melt Chocolates. The history will focus on the “discovery of chocolate”, it’s used as an aphrodisiac in 17th Century Venice by Casanova. You will then take your Milk Chocolate Easter Egg home with Melt’s beautiful packaging and a designer bag. Please let us in advance if any of the participants has any allergies. If you would like to make a private booking or you have any other specific requests please contact our office on 02083540850 or send an email to office@meltchocolates.com. […]
Great British Infinity Gift Box
Great British Infinity Gift Box Melt’s NEW Great British Infinity Gift Box is packed with mouth-watering chocolates for you or your friends and your family. Nuts and chocolate never disappoint and this praline gift box won’t let you down either with its 10 creamy centre milk and dark chocolate cups filled with hazelnut and pistachio nuts cream. Handmade in London All these chocolates are handmade with fresh ingredients in Notting Hill and Holland Park, London. Presented in eco-friendly packaging, our boxes are almost as delicious as our pralines! Luxury Gift Centrepiece After a lovely evening all you really need is that moment of bliss when you bite into these classic hazelnut and pistachio pralines. Handmade in our boutique shops in London, Notting Hill, our professional chocolatiers craft these sea salted caramel chocolate bonbons daily for your consumption. The perfect luxury sea salted caramel bonbons gift box for birthdays, weddings and special events. A very popular and timeless gift for every occasion. *Occasionally due the fragility of this product some of them might brake in transit. These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 25 days. Do check out the rest of our Luxury Chocolate Gifts for more delicious handmade bonbons and truffles. These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 3 months. […]
Pistachio & Hazelnut Praline Infinity Box
Pistachio & Hazelnut Praline Infinity Box Our delicious Pistachio & Hazelnut Praline Infinity Box is packed with mouth-watering handmade chocolates for you or your friends and your family. Nuts and chocolate never disappoint and this Pistachio & Hazelnut gift box won’t let you down either with its 10 creamy centre milk and dark chocolate cups filled with hazelnut and pistachio nuts cream. The Best Chocolate Centrepiece Designed to be a beautiful box for gifting. It is the perfect centrepiece of any celebratory table, whether you are celebrating a wedding, birthday or an anniversary. Placed in th the middle of the table, for all to admire and then share. Presented in eco-friendly packaging, our boxes are almost as delicious as our pralines! These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 3 months. Handmade in London All hand-made in London, Notting Hill, our professional chocolatiers put a lot of love and care into all of these products for you! Show your care for your loved ones this Christmas by gifting them some luxury chocolate that is deserving of them. To pair with try some of our other chocolate products such as the bestselling Champagne Truffle Infinity Box Our products are also available via Amazon or if you live in London can be ordered via Deliveroo. […]
Sea Salted Caramel Infinity Box
Sea Salted Caramel Infinity Box The Sea Salted Caramel Infinity Box is the perfect centrepiece for any dinner party. Beautifully designed to be gifted, this luxury chocolate gift box will impress all at the most special of events! Award-Winning Sea Salted Caramel Bonbon This Sea Salted Caramel Gift box is filled with 10 of our award-winning bestselling chocolates. Presented ‘Best Filled Chocolate’ by the Academy of Chocolate, is a very generous bonbon. A smooth irresistible runny caramel within a dark chocolate hard outer shell – delicately seasoned with Maldon Sea Salt -a classic for a reason. Since our foundation, this bonbon was created by our London chocolatiers and has been a staple to Melt Chocolates. Luxury Gift Centrepiece Forget dessert – after a lovely evening all you really need is that moment of bliss when you bite into this classic sea salted caramel chocolate bonbon. Handmade in our boutique shops in London, Notting Hill, our professional chocolatiers craft these sea salted caramel chocolate bonbons daily for your consumption. The perfect luxury sea salted caramel bonbons gift box for birthdays, weddings and special events. A very popular and timeless gift for every occasion. *Occasionally due the fragility of this product some of them might brake in transit. These chocolates are fresh! The shelf life of this product is 25 days. Do check out the rest of our Luxury Chocolate Gifts for more delicious handmade bonbons and truffles. […]
Large Orange Slices Gift Box – Dipped in Dark Chocolate
Soft, citrusy confit orange slices are decoratively dipped in 70% dark chocolate and seasoned with cardamon and cocoa nibs. These tasty chocolate treats are an excellent after-dinner sweet or the perfect gift for chocolate-lovers. Also a great chocolate gift for Christmas day for all your friends and family to enjoy. Taste these confit orange slices and experience the surge of interesting flavours. Orange, maple syrup, tangy citrus flavour notes combined with a rich dark chocolate and cocoa nibs will take you on a sensory journey that is immensely pleasurable. The confit orange has a gorgeous texture like caramelised sugar – sticky, sweet and golden. So, take it slow and enjoy each dark chocolate orange slice. You won’t be able to stop eating these orange slices, we certainly can’t! Handmade by our professional chocolatiers in the heart of Notting Hill, London, each orangette box has been freshly produced in our boutique kitchens. Presented in a chic Melt gift box, this chocolate gift box will be delivered right to your door. In London we offer next-day delivery. Melt Chocolates is proud to say that we have been plastic-free since our foundation in 2005. All our packaging is sustainable, biodegradable and plastic-free. Sustainability is a vital part of Melt’s ethos. This gift contains 36 orange slices. […]
Advent Calendar Collection 2024.
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