A Day of Chocolate...

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Chocolate is sweet,
And...mmm....chocolate...

As a girl who appreciates the delicious ambrosia that is chocolate--the velvety textures, the bitter and sweet flavors intermingling and exploding in your mouth, the orgasmic rush of hormones to your brain--I naturally couldn't resist the temptation of Groupon's Taste of Chocolate Truffle-Making Workshop. At $45 per person, buying the Groupon meant some serious scrimping on my part, but it was well worth the money.

As Fizzy and I arrive to the workshop, I can smell the heady aroma of the chocolate wafting out into the hallway. We are greeted by two helpers who hand us each a cup of hot chocolate. REAL hot chocolate--not that Swiss Miss crap. It is rich and frothy and probably one of the best drinks I've had in a long time. Note to self: Chocolate + Milk + Vanilla = Heavenly Goodness.

The first part of the workshop is a lecture by our chocolatier, Dorian. He first talks about the history of chocolate and then proceeds to demonstrate the various ways to correctly make truffles. Interspersed with the demonstration, he appeases my inner nerd--I DID major in chemistry--by often referring to the "science of chocolate." Go crystallization curves!

Then comes the fun part--making our own truffles. We are given 3 bars of ganache--the inside yumminess of the truffle--one bar of each flavor: caramel (yum!), raspberry (double yum!) and whiskey (hehehe...). As we roll them into balls, I can't help but start singing to myself: "Rollin'. Rollin' on the river...." (the version of Proud Mary sung by the cast of Glee--yes, I watch Glee, it's my guilty pleasure). I'm pretty sure I've attracted the attention of some of my compadres but, oh well...

Rollin'. Rollin'. Rollin' on the river...

Next, we dip our chocolates, add toppings, and let the shell harden. In total, each person makes approximately 30 truffles, or what is known as my dinner--the $45 had to come from somewhere...

A few weeks later, Fizzy and I decide to take our new skills and make truffles for Valentine's Day gifts. It took what seemed forever but we managed to finish them. And they didn't look half bad, if I do say so myself:

How do they look?

For more information about the chocolate workshop, visit: www.tasteofchocolate.com 

-Originally posted 2/25/2010-