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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Little Chocolate Therapy...

Ah, chocolate, how I love thee. Those close to me know that a good piece of chocolate (or a brilliantly chocolate-infused recipe) can be a total game changer in my day. In fact, I try to make a little indulgence a fairly regular ritual. Just ask my co-workers who continue to sabotage my chocolate Achille's heel by keeping a fully stocked dish of chocolate on their desk at all times. Either they love to see me popping in and out of their office regularly, or they just love to test my will power... either way, I can't say I don't enjoy it!


Lucky for me and my fellow chocolate-loving readers, studies have shown that chocolate has some pretty notable health benefits. So, when I was invited to join the Boston Brunchers in visiting Chocolate Therapy, a new chocolate shop in Framingham, Mass. (their first location, a 2-year-old shop, is in Dedham, Mass.) inspired by the therapeutic and healthful benefits of chocolate, I knew I was in for a treat and quite literally jumped at the opportunity to meet the masterminds behind this guilt-free chocolate venture.




Upon walking in the door at Chocolate Therapy's Framingham location, your senses are immersed by chocolate. Owners Pamela and David Griffin welcomed us with a smile and whisked our group into an event room where the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and touch of chocolate were abounding. We met Rick the chocolatier, and kicked off the evening with a Chocolate Therapy "flight." I was so excited to taste a number of their signature treats, and of course they did not disappoint. We sampled the "Chocolate Fix," a delicious dark chocolate truffle; "The Cure," a just-the-right-amount of spicey dark chocolate and cinnamon treat; the "Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel," their number one seller, and rightfully so -- it's buttery caramel center surrounded by top-quality dark chocolate sprinkled with himalayan sea salt was divine; the "Pom Balm" a dark chocolate and pomegranate delicacy; and the "Buzz Mallow" a completely unique and delicious marriage of homemade marshmallow, honey, bee pollen and milk chocolate.







After enjoying our samples, we all convened in the kitchen for a mouth-watering behind-the-scenes peak at how it's all done. After Rick's demonstration of homemade ganache and the art of tempering, we all proceeded through a chocolate-making-circuit (my favorite kind of circuit training, ha!) of creating truffles (using their coater, which is adorably named Lucy!), chocolate bark with assorted yummy toppings, raspberry-filled chocolates, and cocoa and pistachio coated truffles. Pam, David and Rick were all such great, friendly and fun teachers! And, at the end of the evening, we were all thrilled to leave with goodie bags filled to the brim with the fruits of our chocolate-making labor. 


If you're in the area, don't miss Chocolate Therapy. Owned by a truly passionate and talented couple, I have no doubt that this local business is here to stay. Stop in and enjoy one of their lovely signature chocolates, a scoop of ice cream, a warm beverage, or (hopefully) a glass of wine this fall (they're hoping to have their liquor license secured by then). Can you say, "wine and chocolate pairings"?! I'll surely be back!
*While this tasting was complimentary, these opinions are honest and entirely my own.

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