Divine Treasures Chocolates, Manchester CT

Sometimes you find the most exquisite "treasures" right under your nose. Or at least down the street. That was the case with Divine Treasures Chocolates, a shop specializing in Belgian chocolates, located right here in Manchester, Connecticut (and available online for the rest of you).

"Agave Orange Meets Walnuts" -

sweet chewy orange peel with crunchy walnut pieces

We wandered in after running errands one recent afternoon, and we sure are glad we did. We met and had a delicious chat with chocolatier Diane, whose pride in her fine quality products was clear from the get-go. Diane informed us that she inherited her love of chocolate, as well as some of her recipes from her Canadian-French memere, and then studied in Belgium to learn technique. She uses organic ingredients (including sweeteners) whenever possible, only the highest quality dark chocolate, and dried fruits and nuts from a local supplier.

"Egyptian Jewel" -

a truffle of chocolate ganache, roasted cardamom,

nutmeg, cinnamon and orange peel

The "factory store," located in the Manchester Parkade Plaza, consists of a wide storefront with two cases full of a variety of chocolates; one case is entirely sugar free. Each chocolate is prettier than the next, made with many different shapes and molds. All are labelled with mouth-watering descriptions of the ingredients, so you can find exactly what you're looking for, or be tempted by the offerings. The flavor combinations are sophisticated as well as delicious.

"Hot and Smokey Caramel" -

dark-chocolate coated buttery caramel

with the spicy kick of chili pepper

and the smoky saltiness of smoked sea salt

We tried a dozen different chocolates and not one was a disappointment. Half-way through nibbling, we thought we ought to take a few pictures of some of our absolute favorites. Thank goodness we bought some doubles!

"Ginger Explosion" -

a truffle with candied ginger

roasted in cayenne pepper and cinnamon

Behind the storefront is the factory where Diane concocts and packages her creations. Her hand-made organic chocolates are gluten-free and vegan, and made without cholesterol, trans fat, corn syrup, or refined sugar. And they are some of the best chocolates we have ever had - and that includes chocolates from France and Belgium. This chocolate shop truly is a "treasure." We will be back, again and again and again!

We don't know the name of this one,

 but it was a caramel with subtle vanilla and lavender flavors.

Christmas Candy #6 - Earl Grey Truffles

Truffles: the ultimate chocolate treat. A Couple in the Christmas Candy Kitchen had to make truffles, and since we love the idea of cooking with tea and have many tea aficionados in our lives, we created the Earl Grey Truffle. Earl Grey is a black tea infused with the flavor and aroma of bergamot, a citrus fruit, one of Amy's favorite scents. This is a tea lover's dream - smooth, creamy chocolate with just a hint of Earl Grey.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

In a small heavy saucepan, bring cream and butter just to boil. Stir in tea leaves, then remove from heat. Allow the tea to steep in the cream for at least five minutes, up to ten minutes. Place the chocolate chips in a separate heavy saucepan. Pour the cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto the chocolate chips. Whisk until mixture is a smooth ganache. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Mix the cocoa and confectioner's sugar together in a small bowl. Dust palms lightly with cocoa/sugar mixture and roll teaspoon-sized balls of ganache in your hards, washing and re-coating hands as needed. Dust with additional cocoa/sugar as desired. Store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3 dozen truffles.