Summer’s Heat Can’t Beat These Chocolate Treats
You may have noticed that the chocolate sections of our website are a little less populated this summer than they have been at other times of the year. This is because summertime heat, especially in this record-breaking year, makes creating, storing and shipping chocolates problematic. 
As you probably know, we have extremely high standards for the taste, quality and presentation of all of our products. In the case of our fair-trade chocolates, they’re made by hand, in small batches, using only the very finest dairy-free, organic and fair-trade ingredients. After all the premium ingredients and loving preparation, it would be a shame to have them arrive as a chocolate puddle. So, to avoid that tragedy while the warm weather continues into Fall, here are a few wonderful chocolate gifts that will not melt in the heat.
Our chocolate, salted chocolate, and chocolate rose caramel flavors all have the chocolate-y goodness we all love while being impervious to heat. If they get a little soft in warmer temperatures, simply refrigerate them for a short time to re-harden. Classic and peppermint drinking chocolates are perfect for creating rich and decadent dairy-free chocolate milk or milkshakes on hot summer days. For some taste-test fun, try several different non-dairy milks and ice creams in your milkshakes, then pick your favorite.
Last but certainly not least, our baked goods offer a variety of chocolate flavors that don’t mind the heat. Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies and several flavors of brownies are currently available including Toasted Coconut and Pecan. These artisan baked goods make excellent corporate food gifts for compassionate and eco-conscious companies. A dozen cookies or a tray of brownies cut into bite-sized pieces can easily be shared around an office or conference room. Don’t let the heat get in the way of your chocolate cravings…
Act now!
Perfect Combinations
Ever since we changed our cookie and brownie recipes to use oat flour instead of wheat, Allison has been a little bit obsessed with her own cookies. For a long time it was the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies that were her almost daily habit, but recently, her preference has leaned towards Double Chocolate Chunk. 
Last week I found her enjoying this little snack and we decided that the Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie with a glass of So Delicious Coconut Milk was such a perfect combination we just had to document it! (Allison prefers the Unsweetened flavor, but I usually go for the Original or the Vanilla.)
That little snap shot got me thinking about other perfect dessert combinations and here are some of my favorites (more photos to come, I promise):
• Peppermint Hot Cocoa with a Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie to dip in it.
• Decaf Vanilla Nut organic coffee with So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer and a Pecan Brownie on the side.
• Soft Peanut Butter Cookies warmed in a toaster oven with chocolate chips melted on top.
• Rooibos Earl Grey fair-trade tea made with 4-5 drops of stevia and a splash of rice milk and… never mind… that drink is so delicious it’s its own perfect combination.
What are your ideal dessert combos? We’d love to hear your ideas and see your photos.
Weekly Wrap Up: Earth Balance & Pre-Lunch Desserts
This is an exciting post for me as it’s my first here at Allison’s Gourmet. I’m a big fan and have followed Allison’s recipes in VegNews for some time, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she asked me to join the Sweet Talk blog team. 
I’ve been a vegan since I was a teenager and love watching the vegan diet become more popular, thanks to efforts by folks like Allison. So here I am, aptly submitting my very first post on some of the great buzz going on around the internet about Allison’s Gourmet!
Allison’s tasty and healthy Grilled Tempeh Rueben Sandwiches were featured on Earth Balance’s Made Just Right website. We are huge fans of Earth Balance and we’re honored that they chose to feature Allison’s recipe. We’re also super excited about their brand new and oh-so-yummy Coconut Spread. You’ve got to check it out!
In the Twittersphere, we love this Tweet from jchenwriter:
“Love it! Best recipe ever! @craft publishes @VegNews Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Recipe by @AllisonsGourmet, photo by @bittersweet_ http://t.co/D6KcHCE.“
Our friends at Raven + Crow Studio — “a ‘lil Brooklyn-based graphic design studio that specializes in not being jerks” — tweeted that they were,
“Enjoying a pre-lunch dessert of Double Chocolate Chunk cookies from @AllisonsGourmet.”
We love that, and you’ll love them. We can’t take all the credit, but surely vegan cookies have something to do with their coolness. 
And big Congrats to Carrie, the winner of our Dad of the Day Giveaway! She has won a $30 gift certificate to give to a special Dad of her choice. Although her answer was chosen randomly, we really liked what she had to say:
“My father is no longer with us, so on Father’s Day I like to celebrate all the other awesome Dads in my life! My husband will surely get spoiled with breakfast in bed, lunch, dinner and dessert! He also gets to choose whatever activity we will do as a family for that day!”
We’re cooking up some fun surprises for you this summer, so stay tuned for more information on that very soon. Have you seen any Allison’s Gourmet products mentioned on a blog or website? Send us the link and we’ll include it in our weekly round up—and if you Tweet @AllisonsGourmet, we might include that too, especially if you’ve got your own reviews and photos to share. Please upload to our Facebook or Twitter pages and spread the love!
Send a Chocolate “I Love You”
Most people agree that nothing says “I love you” like chocolate, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give the same kind of chocolate every Valentine’s Day. 
After all, there are so many ways to enjoy chocolate! For lovers of chocolate candy we offer chocolate-covered vegan toffee, and peanut brittle beautifully united with chocolate caramels in our Chocolate Lover’s Gift Set. 
For those more inclined towards baked goods we have myriad vegan brownie flavors and Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies as well as rich, creamy Drinking Chocolate to go with them. And, of course, for truly decadent chocolate gifts there’s always vegan fudge in flavors like Chocolate Orange, Java Crunch and Chipotle Cinnamon.
Order now and choose a delayed delivery date of February 10th for shipment in perfect time for Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Will Get Us Through
I know they’re a week away yet, but I’m excited about next month’s flavors, so I’m going to post about them now. Although February is the dead of winter and pretty much always dark and cold, flavor-wise at least, it’s one of my favorite months of the year. 
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Cherry Chocolate Brownies and Chipotle Cinnamon Fudge are just the things to chase away those winter blues. The warming spices in the vegan fudge, extra chocolate in the cookies, and succulent cherries in the brownies to remind us of spring on its way, make the perfect antidotes to frosty, rainy weather. They’re also great flavors for Valentine’s Day! For the ultimate warming chocolate experience try your favorite vegan fudge, cookie or brownie flavor with a warm mug of hot cocoa.
Simple Chocolate Bliss
We’re going back to basics for our vegan fudge flavor coming up in August. Simple flavors can often be the most delicious, and we think our simply elegant Original Fudge is the best thing this side of heaven. Plus, it makes a great chocolate gift for someone you love. 
All our vegan fudge is gluten-free by nature, as are many of our other chocolates, including vegan peanut butter cups, peppermint bark, and peppermint creme patties.
For summer-safe chocolate gifts we recommend double chocolate chunk cookies, classic and peppermint flavors of drinking chocolate, and individually-wrapped chocolate caramels for decadent chocolate flavor without the melt-ability factor.
Monthly Club Shipments on Their Way!
It’s the first Monday of the month which means that February’s batch of awesome organic cookies, brownies and fudge is on its way to all of our lucky Monthly Club members out there! This month’s organic brownie flavor is Cherry Chocolate in honor of Valentine’s Day, while our chocolate fudge flavor spices things up Chipotle Cinnamon style. To round out this all-chocolate occasion, our organic cookies this month are Double Chocolate Chunk. If these treats sound enticing and you’re not yet a Monthly Club member, visit our website at AllisonsGourmet.com to check it out.
February’s Flavors
Looking for a Valentine’s gift that isn’t as predictable as a box of chocolates? Consider gourmet cookies or brownies, instead. February is just around the corner, and we’re already swooning over the upcoming flavor options. February’s cookie of the month flavor is Double Chocolate Chunk and, believe me, you won’t want to miss these gourmet cookies. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, these soft chocolate cookies are loaded with smooth chocolate chips for a complete chocolate experience. Continuing on the Valentine’s theme, Cherry Chocolate Brownies are also here in February, offering sweet cherries lovingly embraced by rich dark chocolate. Share the love!
