Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Appeal

We were all shocked to hear news about the Tsunami in Japan that is estimated to have taken over 10,000 lives. Now people live in fear of leaking radiation.

 There are 4 Japanese working in Melt, and some have relatives in Tohoku where the massive earthquake happened. So this tragedy is very close to our hearts.  We get regular updates via text and email from our relatives and friends in Japan.

We just couldn't watch this devastating disaster and do nothing. 

 Melt owner Louise encouraged us to come up with a plan to help, so we put together a special Japan Charity Chocolate, to help raise money to help those in need. Proceeds from the sales of this product will go to Japan through the Red Cross.

These cute discs are made using a dark milk chocolate with 53% cocoa content, topped with pistachio, cranberry, hazelnut. Also discs with natural dried strawberry - which has the appearance of Japanese cherry blossoms.

 We are hopeful that our contribution will do something to help those in need, recovering from the Japanese Tsunami.

Chika

One of the specialities Melt offers at this time of year is our famous Giant Easter Egg. This monster £900 egg.

I challenged the staff to come up with something special for Easter, and the team came up with the idea of a monster egg that would put all others to shame.

 We decided on a shell of milk-dark chocolate; a wonderful mixture of House blend that melts in the mouth as soon as its eaten. This delicious chocolate is featured in our 90g almond bar and rose violet bars (our best selling products)  and which is one of my favorites!

The egg was then sprayed with a finish to make it shiny and, this is made from a one part cacao butter to two parts dark chocolate. This is something I really enjoy, as while the spraying is happening, the whole kitchen is filled with a fine mist and the most glorious taste of chocolate.

After its final-coat of spray, the egg is set aside to dry. Then we go about decorating it with chocolate rabbits, hens and small eggs. These are hand made in our kitchen in moulds – then attached to the main egg with melted chocolate. Our rabbits are attached by cutting round holes in the egg with metal cake ring, heated on the stove. These are just big enough to hold the rabbits, which look like they’re jumping out into the air.

Last year’s egg came in a huge bowl, but this year we decided to construct an all-chocolate 5 Kilo base.

The giant egg is finally transported to our Ledbury shop and Selfridges shop by a car, requiring two people to escort and carry it.  Then an accident happened on the way from our Notting Hill kitchen to Selfridge’s in Oxford street. One rabbit was damaged in the move and had to be replaces – however, it all came together in the end.

This year’s 2 giants eggs are on display in Selfridges and Ledbury road in Notting Hill. Also there are 2 other large size eggs for the special order which we will make to order.  Just pop in our shop to see them !!!

Chika – Head Chocolatier at Melt

January is simply NOT the time to be nibbling on carrot sticks and surviving on a lettuce leaf or two.  Even if you feel the excess of Christmas pudding still in your stomach - a shock to the system is not advisable at this bleak time of year, you'll only look and feel miserable. Hearty vegetable soups, cheesy souffles and a daily treat of chocolate is the best way to start the New Year. Wait till Lent when there is a certain warmth to the air to bring in all those good intentions.

Here are two recipes - my two favourite Christmas gifts, made by my children of course!  Easy to make - perfect gifts if you still have birthdays coming up in the next couple of months - yes, unfortunately some of us were born in February! Millionarie’s shortbread 225g plain flour 100g caster sugar 325g butter, cubed and at room temp 150g light soft brown sugar 397g can condensed milk 200g dark chocolate Pre-heat oven to 150C and line a 20cm square baking tin lined with baking parchment Sift flour into bowl, add caster sugar and pinch of salt – mix Run 175g of the cubed butter into flour to form clumps. Press mixture into tin. Create an even layer by pressing down with the back of a spoon. Bake this layer until golden brown – approx 35-40 mins Meanwhile put remaining butter and the brown sugar into a pan and stir over a low heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Add condensed milk and stir over a very low heat until it simmers. Simmer for 2 minutes constantly stirring. Pour mixture on top of shortbread. Leave to set for 30 mins. Chop the chocolate, put in an ovenproof bowl and place in a low oven of 50C for 10 mins. Pour the molten chocolate onto the caramel and leave to set. Cut into chunky squares. Flapjacks with chocolate blankets 110g butter 110g Demerara sugar 110g golden syrup 225g porridge oats Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a pan until sugar is dissolved. Add oats to the pan and mix thoroughly. Press mixture into tin. Create an even layer by pressing down with the back of a spoon. Bake until golden brown – approx 20 mins. Take out, cool for 5 mins and then cut the flapjack mixture into rectangles or chunky squares. Meanwhile chop the chocolate, put in an ovenproof bowl and place in a low oven of 50C for 10 mins. Dip the flapjack pieces halfway into the molten chocolate so that they are thickly covered. Place dipped pieces on some parchment paper and leave to set. Keep and eat or give to your loved ones in a pretty jar.

Michael Lowe is a very talented member of the Melt team – here, he has described some of the inspiration behind our latest collection of fresh chocolates for Winter 2010, designed by Michael.  Intrigued?? Come and try them for yourself, launching this week at Ledbury Road and Selfridges, they really are sublime…

It’s always an exciting time when you get to create some new recipes, epically when you have the freedom to experiment and with whatever tastes and textures you like. Sometimes you can have ideas in the back of your head for a few months just waiting to come out. The seasons are a big inspiration of the flavours. What I eat at home is generally what I try to combine into a chocolate.

For this range I have created a few of my favourite flavours.

After eating a lot of plums over autumn, and a nice simple dessert I always like are baked plums with hazelnuts. So this was the idea behind the Plum & Hazelnut. It’s using Mirabelle plums and a very tasty hazelnut oil. I love the nuttiness and richness of the hazelnut oil with the slight sweet plum flavour.

The second one in the range was fresh mint ganache. To tell the truth I have never been a big fan of mint and chocolate (too many childhood memories of bad mint chocolates). But I do love the flavour of mint and the freshness it can bring to sweet and savoury dishes. I use a fresh mint that is infused with water for a few hours to extract as much mint taste as possible. I wanted to stay away from using a cream or milk infusion to to give it was much fresh flavour as possible. It is combined with a Madgascan 64% chocolate to pick up on the citrus/fresh notes.

The quince ganache is a very simple one made with quince, chocolate, butter. I tried to infuse the flavour in the first few tests with cardamom, but we felt that the cardamom flavour overpowered the lovely quince taste. After tasting this with some of the shop staff today we think this would go very well with Montgomery Cheddar. Cheese and chocolate, it can work!

My only other favourite thing than chocolate in life is coffee. More of an addiction actually. This is why I had to do this coffee caramel. Infusing the milk and cream with a very strong coffee, so when you bite into it you get a big release of coffee flavour, then the balance of the sweet caramel. In this chocolate you already have coffee, milk and sugar. No need for your morning coffee. Just have one of these gems.

Another confession is I haven’t been a big fan of ginger in chocolate. I love fresh ginger but hadn’t really found it in a chocolate. I got this idea when I was thinking about different types of ginger. When I eat Japanese food I love the pickled ginger you always get. Was thinking if this flavour would work in a chocolate. I think it works well. The ganache is made with milk chocolate so the pickled, vinegar flavour really cuts through the sweet milk taste. It is using a combination of fresh and pickled ginger to get the ginger flavour on both levels.

The last one is a pear tatin. A simple but beautiful dessert if done correctly. That's basically what it is. Though at Melt, in the chocolate form. Pear puree is combined with a dark caramel, dipped in dark chocolate. A simple chocolate that has a nice finish.

Autumn is here and it is without doubt such a beautiful time of year. The slowing down and quiet mellowing of the landscape is not sincing with my head which is hot and in a spin. In the chocolate world we are fast approaching one of our biggest peaks of the year - this period should keep us going in the leaner months, so there is a lot to get right. Chasing packaging and planning wonderful Christmas displays is keeping me busy from dawn til' dusk. Over the next 8 weeks the Melt team will be giving you snippets of the excitement and occasional chaos that this busy time brings. Our chocolates are fresh and all our figures and bars are handmade - we don't make them in the summer, ready for Christmas (dare I say it as some do) we make all our chocolates shortly before we sell them - so you can see the potential panic! We'll give you a gloriously naked view of our kitchen in progress, wonderful tips and recipes to try. Above all a candid view of life with chocolate. Melt is about all of us - and different members of the Melt team will contribute different posts so you can get to know everyone! My post is short and sweet to start - but may well intensify and mature with time! Louise Nason Founder - Melt

I thought juggling four children and a chocolate business was hard enough, throw in a handful of chickens and 2 hour journey into the mix and life gets interesting!

From the day Melt opened just under four years ago, we have always looked to exciting designers to collaborate with us. The first commission was with illustrator Ian Bilbey, known for his very distinct graphics, he has designed for Paul Smith among others. His illustration for the little Melt gift card is still going strong - find this tucked in our Christmas Bar this year.
www.ianbilbey.com

Petra Borner does the most beautiful textile designs and graphics, for the likes of Cacharel and Habitat. She is lovely...catch her equally lovely Christmas magical chocolate mug in our Melt store, a perfect stocking gift.
www.dutchuncle.co.uk

Yoco, we have never met, but she grasped the Melt concept straight away. Living in Japan she worked with emails and photographs from us here in Notting Hill. She created the Melt girl, bags laden with chocolate and her chocolate labrador in tow! She has worked for Wallpaper magazine and Jo Malone as well as countless other top brand names. Her work is stunning, she has designed our menu cards that will be popped in your bag with your chocolates, or you can pick up a postcard at our store in Ledbury Road or Selfridges. We long to meet her in Japan soon.
://.yoco-nagamiya.jp/work/index

I discovered Lisa Jones's work at her old studio Westbourne Studios - I recognised her distinctive, very cute work and fell in love with everything she had produced. Melt commissioned her to design a mug for Easter and she came up with the nost adorable bunnies I have ever seen. We'll be getting more made for for Easter 2010 - available in store from March.
www.lisajonesstudio.com

Coming up very soon, is our latest collaboration, a hot chocolate mug for our Christmas season 09 designed by Helen Musselwhite. Helen creates the most incredible, evocative cut out scenes from paper and card. She has created displays for Daylesford Organics. Come and see her winter wonderland tree that she has designed for us at Selfridges and the mugs will be available soon!
www.helenmusselwhite.com/


Future Collaborations - exquisite hand made bowls by Japanese ceramacist Mizuyo Yamashita...watch this space