Shine OnThis changes everything: Blond chocolate
We’re huge fans of chocolate in all its forms here at Yahoo Canada Shine. Dark, milk, white; chocolate-covered confections, cocoas and filled delights.
We love it for its health benefits and for the way it can make even the worst day seem a little bit better.
Which is why we were intrigued when we heard there was a new type of chocolate on the market. A fun-loving, smooth, sassy thing known as blond. We had to try it.
Developed by world-renowned chocolatier Valrhona, the Dulcey, or blond, chocolate launched in Canada in early 2013. Since then it’s quickly been gaining a cult following and it’s not hard to see why.
It all started by accident, when Valrhona cooking school founder chef Frédéric Bau was making a demonstration recipe in Japan. He left some white chocolate in the bain-marie a little too long and returned to find it caramelized. The flavour profile was unlike any seen before in chocolate – and the colour was a striking light brown.
The rest is history.
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“Depending on who was roasting it, it could be a bit more or last roasted and sometimes it was different and the product that you were getting was not shelf stable,” explains Quentin Chapuis, Area Manager, Valrhona Canada. “That's where the whole reflection started at Valrhona with our engineers developing the chocolate. They really wanted to give something that would be similar to what they were already teaching at the school but in a product that would be shelf stable.”
Chapuis says it took eight years for the chocolate engineers to develop the exact recipe and to perfect the special process used in making Dulcey. Valrhona is currently the only company in the blond market, though others are sure to follow soon.
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We tasted the blond chocolate and it seriously changed our lives. We couldn’t stop raving about it to anyone who would listen. It has such a unique taste, combined with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that felt luxurious and rich. Intense flavours of cookies and butterscotch are tasted right off the bat, with a hint of salt on the finish. Simply divine.
Chapuis says home bakers can use blond chocolate in the exact same ways they use other varieties. Mousse, cookies, truffles – the sky is the limit. It also pairs well with dried fruits and nuts like hazelnuts. Try serving with yellow fruits like mango, passion fruit, pineapple or apricot.
You can find Valrhona blond chocolate at fine stores or online.
