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Eat Chocolate Every Month
Chocolate of the Month Club
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
The Secret Chocolatier is always juggling multiple projects. Being a small family business means it takes time to bring some of our plans to life. We’re excited to finally launch... Read more
James Beard hosts The Secret Chocolatier
Chocolate at the James Beard House
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
As you can tell I’m still playing catchup from the end of the 2011 holiday season. During which we were asked by Chef Joe Bonaparte of the International Art Institute... Read more
The Secret Chocolatier with William Wilson, Supporting Autism Research
Chocolate in the Hanger
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
William Wilson contacted us to support his charity golf event with a kick-off party on June 26th at Jet Pool in Charlotte, NC. William was introduced to us from our... Read more
Infusion Series: Spearmint Chocolate Truffles
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
For the past two Summers we have run a delightful Spearmint chocolate truffle. As a child I was a big fan of Andes Candies. These little mint chocolate squares we’re just a favorite. Then over time I started finding that I had a mild allergic reaction to them. Maybe too much of a good thing, maybe the ingredients shifted into something cheaper and that created the issue. Whatever the case I could no longer have something I really enjoyed. Until The Secret Chocolatier that is! The Mint Monster Our Spearmint... Read more
White Chocolate Truffle, a Sinful Mystery
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
What is white chocolate, and why should you care? What is white chocolate again? As chocolate fans (a family of fans) we thought white chocolate was just a simple byproduct of processing chocolate. For the uninitiated you take cocoa beans, roast and then grind them into what is known as a chocolate liquor. That liquor is then pressed, which releases the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. Maybe a little simplified here but that’s the overall idea. Cocoa butter is then purified, given some milk, sugar, possibly the addition of... Read more
Infusion Series: Ancho Pepper Chocolate Truffle
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
As Hot As Possible at the Market Adding hot peppers to chocolate is a very binary experience. Meaning you either love it, or hate it. We have a large following locally who desire our ancho pepper chocolate truffles and chide us all year long waiting for their return. During our first week of Fall infusions we couldn’t keep them stocked at any of our markets. Sourcing Ancho Peppers Ancho is another thing we can proudly source locally. We use Eric and Cathy of As Hot As Possible for our ancho... Read more
Searching for Chocolate Truffles
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
In a world where the artisan chocolates and the industrial collide finding that perfect chocolate truffle seems more elusive than ever. Even if you're going to craft you're own chocolate truffle recipe it's a good idea to search down the quality so you and others can enjoy them that much more. Read more