It’s Time For A Sale!
Let’s take advantage of Mother Nature’s “generous” cold temperatures and stock up on your summer chocolate needs before the weather heats up! As the temperatures rise, we suggest shipping chocolate overnight and include cold packs so your chocolate arrives just how we shipped it out.  (If your chocolate does happen to melt on the way to you- keep in mind that melted chocolate, while is a little harder to measure out, is still fine. Couverture chocolates will need to be tempered and compound just needs to be melted again.) So we like to offer a discount, and get you to stock up now for your summer chocolate needs.

Get 10% off your next order when you use HEAT10 at checkout!

And just because we love a little extra celebration- 10% is good site wide! So throw on those extra sprinkles or bowls you’ve been eyeing, and don’t forget Mom– Get 10% off your next order when you use HEAT10 at checkout!

Online orders only. Expires 5/13/17.(May not be applied to previous orders. Exclusions may apply. Cannot be combined with any other offers.)

 

 

One of our favorite things to do, especially during the Holidays, is bake some delicious treats up and pass them out to our customers visiting that day. The store smells good, people love to have a little something to snack on, and we get to try out new recipes and share our favorites with you. This past weekend a snow storm hit Utah, we knew that it would still be a busy day for everyone to come in, so we wanted to give them something to warm them up, and thank them for coming to see us. So we whipped up some of these Chocolate Gingerbread cookies a few days before, made some delicious hot chocolate and had ourselves a little party. Plus we had this cute little helper, so how could we not have some extra fun.

Many of you asked for the recipe for the cookies, so we thought we would share.  These cookies have a great balance of all the spices you expect to find in gingerbread, but nothing too overpowering-most kids enjoyed them!  The combination of chocolate and gingerbread makes you wonder why we haven’t combined them more often. Feel free to ice these with your favorite frosting, or leave them plain- they are delicious either way.

We hope you enjoy these, they are as easy as they are delicious.

 

Merry Christmas

Making edible neighbor gifts has been a favorite of ours for many years. Getting friends together to whip up some delicious treats, packaging them up in beautiful boxes or bags, and then taking them door to door to let those around you know that you have been thinking about them—- it’s a perfect way to celebrate Christmas.

Chocolate Bark has been one of my favorites to give because they are easy, delicious and everyone loves them! We have gathered a few of our favorites from the past just for you. For each recipe listed you really just need basic ingredients: chocolate and toppings. From there you can have some fun and experiment with flavors and types of chocolates.

#1-Peppermint Bark

This is a Christmas classic. The mix of two chocolates with the peppermint screams Christmas time, and truthfully I wouldn’t mind getting multiples of this gift. 🙂 Sometimes I will even add it to hot chocolate milk to make it extra creamy and pepperminty (try it!!). This is also a great way to use any leftover chocolate- pour it in your cookie sheet and add some toppings and you have a treat!

 

We have this great tutorial from the darling girls at Boxwood Clippings This makes the classic peppermint bark and no one will turn this down.

Just remember as you are making your bark– DON’T LET YOUR BOTTOM LAYER OF CHOCOLATE GET TOO HARD! I have made this mistake so many times, mostly because I get busy doing other things but if your bottom layer hardens all the way soften it up with blow dryer or just a sec in the oven. You want it to be nearly dry but not to dry that your top layer won’t adhere. If that happens, when you go to break your chocolate into pieces the white will separate from the dark and probably leave you upset and left with a pan to eat.

 

This year we made a new version “Bark Bark”. If you have seen the popular birch tree bark cakes made by The Cake Blog, and this one from Cake by Courtney:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just had to try it! But we didn’t have need for a cake or really didn’t want to eat the whole cake by ourselves, so we took her technique and made it into Bark Bark, (hehe, get it)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We followed Courtney’s tutorial for making her bark. If I were to go back I would probably use these dark apeels instead of the milk- just to add some extra contrast, but either will work. Once you paint on the brown, pour over the white chocolate or if you are wanting extra peppermint flavor use these mint flavored ones, do it a bit thicker layer than Courtney does, cause you want some extra white on your bark, since we aren’t using it to line a cake it will be okay to do thicker.

Make sure that your white chocolate isn’t too hot as you pour it over the dark-let it sit for several minutes so that it doesn’t start to melt the ones you painted on. Once your white layer is almost set up, pour over the dark chocolate and then sprinkle on your crushed peppermint. I tend to sprinkle more peppermint because I love the texture of a lot but do as little or as lot as you like, then press it in before it cools. Once it cools you will not be able to get it to adhere, so move quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once your bark has completely hardened you can break it up. I cut it into strips, then break up the strips into pieces. Do it however you like, cutting it first will give you a little bit more of a uniformed shape. Take your pieces, place in a box or bag and hand out to your friends. They will love your play on words with some bark bark, or I am sure there are some clever sayings out there too! Keep them stored in a cool, but not fridge temperature, place.

#2 Spicy Chipotle Bark

This version of bark from Foodie Crush, is a great mix up of flavors and colors. For Christmas this red chocolate would be a fun change and also will let your recipient know that they are not just a normal bark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3-Fruit/Nut/Crisp Rice Bark

This is a great one, especially when you have lots of nuts and dried fruit hanging out in your pantry. There’s not rhyme or reason, just make sure the flavors mesh well together, add a little sea salt for some flavor contrast and you have yourself a delicious chocolate treat.

 

 

Remember packaging is just as important! Take a fun simple box, stack it full of treats, tie a bow and note to it and you are set!

 

If you are needing some box ideas–check these out--we quite like them!

 

HAVE FUN. If you make some bark this Christmas season, snap a pic and tag us (@orsongygi #gygieats) we LOVE to see them.

If you love caramel apples, then you’ll love Caramel-Filled Apple Slices. They’ re a decorative treat that’s easy to make.  [Read more…]

 

Each November we like to throw a little party. A party centered around chocolate, treats, the Holidays, and just to say “Thanks” to our amazing customers-yes that’s you! We invite local pastry chef’s, restaurant and bakeries, chocolate manufactures and local favorite bloggers to come share with our students their talents and fun ideas to use chocolate. We fill our classrooms, store, and even emails full of chocolate ideas-reminders on how to melt, store, and use chocolate, and open our hearts to each of you as you join us for the 2 day event. With giveaways, discounts, and tastings in the store-we will give you plenty of reasons to come see us throughout the day, even if you can’t make it for a class.

 

With each year we get lots of new faces, new classes, and even keep around some of the great staple classes that keep updating and we keep learning–because we can never learn enough about tempering! This year we will be offering hands-on, demonstration, and small demonstration classes. We know that there are a lot of you that want to come, and each year we are trying our best to accommodate everyone, teach you something new, and hopefully satisfy those chocolate cravings (at least for the day).

 

Now for what you have all been waiting for, 2016’s Gygi Chocolate Extravaganza class line up, please note some classes run at the same time, so please make sure you aren’t signing up for classes that overlap:

 

Friday November 11th-

Free Demonstration Classes:

10 am- Chocolate Tempering and Uses with Rebecca Millican

11:30 am- Chocolate Barks with Rebecca Millican

12 pm-Chocolate Sugar Cookies Making and Baking Secrets with Georganne Bell From LilaLoa Cookies

2 pm- Bouche de Noel (Yule Log) with Pete Tidwell From The Mighty Baker-

2 pm- Leaf Croquant with Rebecca Millican

4pm-The Ultimate Chocolate Cake-Decorating Secrets from Courtney

 

Hands-on Classes:

10 am-Chocolate Tempering/Dipping with Ruth Kendrick $65/person

2 pm- Buttermints with Richard Port $65/person

(this will take you to all classes on Friday November 11th)

Saturday November 12th-

Free Demonstration Classes:

10 am- Chocolate Truffles with Rebecca Millican

12pm- Chocolate Macarons with Rebecca Millican

12:30- Chocolate Covered Popcorn with Brad McDonald

2 pm- Chocolate Tempering and Uses with Rebecca Millican

4 pm- Edible Holiday Gift Ideas- with Connie Whitesides

 

Hands-on Classes:

10 am- SugarBliss Cookies $65/person

2 pm- Tempering Chocolate and Caramel Apples with Ludy Hamilton $65/person

 

(this will take you to all classes on Saturday November 12th)

 

INFO:

Registration is required for all classes. When you sign up you will get a confirmation email. A few days prior to the class you will be sent a ticket to bring, please print off, or bring a digital copy with you for entrance to the class. A few minutes before class starts we will allow those who did not have tickets to fill in the extra seats/standing room. Please no saving seats from class to class, there’s no bad seats-but we try to give everyone a chance for other seats.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SOME CLASSES THAT THE TIME OVERLAPS. IF YOU SIGN UP FOR CLASSES THAT TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WILL BE TAKEN OFF BOTH LISTS!

If you did not get signed up for a certain class, please send us an email to classes@gygi.com, with the class(es) you are interested in, in all the years of doing these classes we have never had to turn people away-  you just might have to stand, and we try to make the stand-by line not too bad :). So don’t be afraid to come join us in the stand-by lines.

We will have giveaways in the store after each class. You must be present to win, one entry per person for each entry. Please make sure you are only doing one entry per person each giveaway-or else your entries will become disqualified for upcoming giveaways, and yes we do check.

We will have some great things going on in the store during both days! We would love to have you join us, bring the family and come have some fun. This event is not just for classes, but for you to come try new things, ask the experts questions, and of course the giveaways and discounts in the store are fun too.

Classrooms can sometimes be kept a bit chilly, so please bring a jacket, and a pen/pencil and notebook. Most classes will hand-out information but in case we don’t we want you to come prepared. And if you didn’t make it to one of the classes we will be posting recipes/info onto our blog in the upcoming weeks following the event.

Any other questions please feel free to leave us a message below in the comments— we’re happy to help!

 

See you all soon!

And we promise not to get you too messy 🙂

 

 

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