Custom-dipped chocolate beignets! Does it get any more decadent? I can just envision the hot, fried beignet (reminding me of New Orleans) slathered with a dark, creamy chocolate. When I was in New Orleans, I had to have one of their delicious beignets every day. So, when I heard that a new local store would be selling chocolate covered beignets, I almost started salivating.
Chocolee Chocolates is a new chocolate store opening on February 8 in Boston's South End. And during Valentine's Day week, the custom-dipped chocolate beignets will be available on a limited basis.
The Proprietress of this new store is Lee Napoli who has worked at or consulted for many local restaurants over the past 10 years including Icarus, Maison Robert, Grill 23, Anago, Metro, Bricco, The Buttery and Sandrine’s Bistro. She also established the region’s first and only association for pastry professionals in the 1990s, the Professional Pastry Guild of New England, and still acts as its head.
While winning cake awards, constructing gingerbread houses, and turning out thousands of perfect cookies, tarts, pies and pastries, Lee’s secretly been making truffles in her downtime – sold without fanfare at a select few hidden venues. She has now chosen to take the plunge into fulltime chocolate-making, and open Chocoleee, her jewel box of a truffle emporium.
Chocolee Chocolates specializes in handmade truffles, available by the piece ($2.25) or by the pound ($40). The chocolate truffles come in five signature flavors (espresso, hazelnut, chocolate mint, Grand Marnier and poblano chile). Lee will add more products depending upon demand. Currently, besides the truflles, she is filling chocolate candies with a honey-bourbon-cherry cream, enrobing salted caramel with dark chocolate and experimenting with exotic flavors for next season.
If you cannot make it to Chocolee, you can also find the truffles at some Whole Foods Markets in the Boston area. And remember that those chocolate covered beignets are only available for a limited time!
Chocolee Chocolates
83 Pembroke Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-236-0606
Hours of Operation: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM til 7 PM
6 comments:
Hello Richard, I recognize you from The Left Over Queen forum.
From the look of your blog you know your wine and which foods compliment it. I have a question for you. Do you think chocolate and red wine go together? I'm not referring to dessert wine, port or sherry but red wine such as Malbec, Cabernet, Syrah, etc..
I ask about red wine and chocolate because so many people seem to enjoy the combination, where as I find that chocolate makes red wine taste harsh, raw and unappealing. Can you explain why that would be?
Hi Lisarene and welcome to my blog! Thanks for stopping by.
Generally, you need to be careful which types of chocolate you pair with different types of wine. Not all chocolate pairs well with red wines. The common rule is to pair chocolate with a wine that is at least as sweet, if not sweeter than the wine. If not, the wine might seem sour or harsh.
So, if you have a more bittersweet chocolate, a stronger chocolate, it might pair well with a heavier, stronger wine like a Syrah or Cabernet. A lighter chocolate would need a lighter red wine light a Merlot or Pinot Noir.
You may need to taste several wines with chocolates to find which pair best together. So, they can pair well together, but it is not always easy to know which wine to use.
That makes sense. I don't think I paid attention to what specific type of chocolate I was eating with a certain wine. You know what this means...? I'm going to have my girlfriends over for a little chocolate and wine paring :)
I have noticed chocolate marketed to go with certain types of wine but just assumed it was a gimmick.
Thank you for the information!
I hope you enjoy your wine and chocolate tasting! And if you find some good combinations, please come back and tell me. Thanks.
Hi Richard,
Just stumbled on your blog trying to find a site for Chocolee. The link doesn't seem to work for me. Any tips?
Your blog looks great! I recently relocated to Boston and it's nice to read a bit about area restaurants and shops.
Hi Kerstin:
Welcome to my blog and welcome back to Boston! I think the site may be undergoing some renovation as the link did work before. So maybe give it another try in a day or so. I will keep checking as well.
Thanks.
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