Why they're important...

Although the characteristics of exceptional chocolate certainly stand on their own, chocolate benefits from a great supporting cast of ingredients.  Whatever role other ingredients may play, a good chocolatier never takes them for granted; exceptional ingredients are just as important as extraordinary chocolates because together they ensure an unmatched tasting experience. The quality of every ingredient makes a significant difference in the final flavor and texture of everything. Here is a little bit about some of my core ingredients.

Chocolate

It's very important to me to select the right type of chocolate for each dessert I make, and I only use superior produced chocolates (with 100% cacao butter only) with established reputations for high quality. It's also important for me to understand the entire process the chocolate producers use, from selecting the beans to the final production. Chocolates with complex flavors, such as Valrhona, are my favorite. I also love using chocolates from small-batch American chocolate makers, such as Askinosie, Patric Chocolate and Original Hawaiian. I taste the chocolates and get to know them very well to understand their flavor profiles before I select which one will best suit what I'm creating.  I also believe in letting my customers know the specific chocolate I use in each dessert - it's more fun for them and helps them get to know their personal tastes better.

Salt

This may also surprise you, but salt plays an important role in chocolate and desserts as just a pinch can add the perfect balance to a dessert's sweetness or intensify the flavor of chocolate without making an obvious presence.  When both the flavor and texture of salt is important, I use sea salt, specifically Fleur de Sel de Guérande that I bring from France. This salt is raked by hand from the salt fields of Guérande. For every 80 lbs of Sel Gris produced (organic sea salt from the coastal area of Guérande) only three pounds of Fleur de Sel is harvested. It has a wonderfully smooth finish with a light crunch and is particularly delicious with milk chocolate.

Vanilla

Great cookbook author Dorie Greenspan once said that "vanilla is the culinary equivalent of the c-major chord in music, the backbone to so many great creations." Vanilla is a natural companion to cakes and chocolate. The vanilla I use, in either the form of a pure extract or the whole bean, is Bourbon Madagascar, one of the three most prized vanilla beans in the world. The term "Bourbon" applies to beans grown on the Bourbon Islands (former French colonies) Madagascar, Comoro, Seychelle and Réunion.

Butter

A famous French advertising slogan says it all, "Nothing replaces butter." And great butter is just that - great! In Europe, butters generally have more butter fat than those made in the U.S, making their flavors and texture more luscious. The butter I prefer for many of my recipes is a high butterfat butter created from specifications by French chefs in New York who were looking for butter in the U.S. that was as good as butter in Europe. Good quality European and European-style butters are exceptional, dense and rich with a fresh dairy taste and long finish.

Cream / Crème Fraiche

My ganaches and fillings are made in traditional methods, depending greatly on heavy creams or crème fraiche to add a distinctive flavor. When choosing heavy creams, I look for highest quality, well-known brands with established reputations. My crème fraiche I make on my own, having realized that homemade provides the most fresh and distinctive flavor. 

Sugar

In one sense, sugar can be treated as a spice, especially when there are flavor characteristics that go beyond that of a mere sweetener, as in the case of Demerara or Muscovado brown sugars which are very flavorful, natural and add extra color and texture when used appropriately. These are particularly good options for cookie toppings or for sweetening hot drinking chocolate.

Liqueurs

The background notes of a strong, high quality liqueur can call your senses to attention when you bite into a truffle or piece of cake where even just a splash is used. Certain liqueurs are wonderful companions to chocolates, such as Grand Marnier, Chambord, or Frangelico. I always choose my liqueurs carefully and how the manufacturer produces these is very important to me.

Spices

The aroma of fresh spices is like a soothing massage for the senses. There are many spices that are wonderful with chocolate, including cinnamon, a spice so admired it was once used to perfume wealthy Romans. I like using two types of cinnamon, depending on the strength of flavor and particular tastes I'm looking for. I purchase my cinnamon freshly ground from a great little spice shop in Denver, Colorado called Savory Spice Shop.

Flour