Oser Communications Group

1 7 February 2018 SNACKING NEWS SNACKING NEWS CocoaPlanet Opens Chocolate Factory, Tasting Room, Gluten-Free Café and Chocolate Garden The much anticipated CocoaPlanet factory, chocolate tasting room and café have opened to rave reviews in Sonoma, the heart of Northern California's wine country. The result is spectacular for a small gluten-free French café and chocolate fac- tory. Owner Anne McKibben's blue back- ground lighting, glass table tops, white marble walls, taste- ful stone and total wheelchair accessibility attract locals as well as visitors who are buying and almost hoarding her inno- vative chocolates with "pearls of flavor." When the weather turns sunny again and buds pop out on Sonoma's surrounding vines, CocoaPlanet's large "Chocolate Garden" of blue flowers, old wisteria and modern décor is perfect for sipping, nib- bling and even entertaining outdoors. Sonoma's CocoaPlanet produces low- sugar healthy chocolate candy and French delights on Broadway in the building that housed the old Sonoma Print Shop for decades. McKibben grew up in Paris, London and Tucson, and became an international marketing executive for Hewlett-Packard, traveling to 40 countries. She eventually developed fabulous chocolate candies that her (now) late French mother could enjoy after she developed diabetes. With a background in manufacturing and marketing, McKibben vis- ited her Los An- geles chocolate manufacturer and took apart their ma- chines so she could create her "pearls of flavor" such as mandarin orange, deep dark truffle, vanilla espresso, salted caramel and CocoaMint. McKibben now makes her chocolates in downtown Sonoma on state-of-the-art machines she has designed and patented. The entire building is a gluten-free fa- cility, even the "Paris bistro" café where guests can indulge in quiches, charcuterie, cheeses, salads, soups, sandwiches and oc- casional cassoulet and other stews in the tasting room or on the elegant patio. McKibben's CocoaPlanet chocolates are 64 percent cacao dark chocolate, under 100 calories with net carbs of nine grams or less and only seven or eight grams of sugar. They are all non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan and free-trade certified. McKibben encourages guests to put a CocoaPlanet chocolate in a cup, add heated milk, stir and have great flavored hot chocolate, which you get to do your- self in the café or at home. For chocolate tastings, you can try individual tastes, a mini flight of morsels of each taste, or a "Power Nibble" with two chocolates, al- monds and sharp white cheddar cheese. Don't miss the gluten-free desserts such as mandarin orange chocolate almond cake, Edible Dirt, apple walnut tarts, Deep Dark Chocolate brownies and Sweet Scoops vegan sorbets. All of the pastry recipes were converted from conventional flours to gluten-free by Kathy Gori. Also on the menu are charcuterie and cheese platters, a hummus plate, gougères, Castelvetrano olives, warm soups made with organic vegetables grown within five miles, grilled cheese sandwich with salad, Paul's Produce Little Gem salad with Cy- press Grove goat cheese, a Sonoma Chef's Salad, Quiche Sonoma with a salad, a pizza Provençal, crêpes and an authentic cassoulet – all gluten-free. Based in Sonoma, California, Cocoa- Planet, Inc. uses ethically sourced choco- late produced using sustainable practices, enabling cocoa farmers a better quality of life. CocoaPlanet is a registered trademark and "CocoaMint," "Pearls of Flavor" and "More Taste, Less Sugar" are trademarks of CocoaPlanet, Inc. For more information, go to www .cocoaplanet.com, call 707.721.1275 or email info@cocoaplanet.com. n Fruit is a Growing Inspiration at Salem Baking Company Cookies in fruit flavors are flourishing at Salem Baking Company, a premium provider of gourmet baked goods based in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. New flavors such as Clementine, Wild Blueberry and Raspberry have joined established favorites such as Meyer Lemon and Key Lime as some of the top spring and summer sellers. As affluent consumers have added more fresh fruits in their diet, they've developed a preference for these flavors when they indulge in sweets as well. Salem Baking's newest Moravian Cookie flavor, Clementine, will be avail- able for spring in 2017. Baked with cold pressed Clementine oil and other simple ingredients such as whole eggs and pure cane sugar, these crisp and thin cookies pack an abundance of citrus flavor into every bite. "Varietal fruits have become more pop- ular as shoppers show more interest in the nuances of their food, and Clementines are a favorite type of orange across a broad spectrum of consumer demographics," said Vincent Pellegrino, Vice President of Research and Development at Salem Bak- ing Company. Wild Blueberry Shortbread Cookies are another flavor that has been well-received in the marketplace. "Wild blueberries have a stronger flavor, and these cookies have visible bits of blueberry baked into the dough so consumers know that the flavor is authentic," Pellegrino said. The com- pany's Raspberry Shortbread also contains real fruit pieces. The citrus flavors, including Meyer Lemon, Key Lime, and Blood Orange as well as Clementine, are baked with cold pressed cit- rus oils for maximum flavor. "We search the world for the highest-quality cold pressed oils," said Scott Livengood, Chief Executive Officer of Salem Baking Company. "Each recipe contains only the most essential, simple in- gredients to allow the citrus flavor to truly shine." Cold pressed oils are pro- duced by pressing or grinding fruit at a low temperature, which allows the oil to retain the full flavor and nutrients of the fruit. "Al- though we've been using cold pressed oils for years, the recent popularity of cold pressed juices has resulted in greater con- sumer awareness of this technique and just how important it is to create a flavorful cookie," Pellegrino said. Salem Baking Company has been cultivating the art of Mora- vian baking for generations, and has become known for crafting every product with care using classic recipes and coveted ingre- dients. Over the years, the com- pany's devoted bakers have perfected a traditional baking style that celebrates the use of only the finest, most essential ingredients to convey the rich natural flavors in each and every product. For more information, call 800.274.2994 or visit www.salembaking.com. n Stonewall Kitchen Adds New Oatmeals and Coffees Specialty food creator Stonewall Kitchen is adding convenience to its impressive line-up of tasty products with the introduc- tion of three single-serve oatmeal varieties and two single-serve coffees. The two coffees, Coastal Morning and Hazelnut Crème, are available in boxes of 12 and are compatible with most lead- ing single-serve brewing systems. Both are made with 100 percent Arabica beans that deliver a rich, wonderfully balanced, robust flavor and aroma. Stonewall Kitchen customers have been enjoying fresh ground or whole bean versions of Coastal Morning for years, and will be delighted to see it now avail- able as a single-serve. The new Hazelnut Crème features the delicious taste of roasted hazelnuts with a distinctively creamy, nutty, almost buttery essence that's sure to satisfy coffee lovers every- where. After successfully launching four fla- vorful varieties of oatmeal earlier this year, Stonewall Kitchen is following it up with three single-serve options. Just like the originals, these single-serve varieties fea- ture hearty whole grain oats that are steel cut for a full-bodied texture. Available in Maple Brown Sugar, Farmhouse and Apple Cinnamon, they are also the ulti- mate in convenience. Each package is its own cooking vessel and bowl in one. Sim- ply pour the recommended amount of hot water into the package, stir and eat. No pan or bowl is required, and when you're fin- ished, simply dispose of the package re- sponsibly. The Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal has real apples and tasty cinnamon, the Farmhouse variety is great on its own or mixed with your favorite toppings, while the Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal has the perfect bal- ance of enjoyable sweetness. Busy morn- ings are sure to get a little easier with these great new single-serve coffees and oatmeal from Stonewall Kitchen. For more information, visit www.stonewallkitchen.com.

• Cover