Friday Freebie: Derry Church Chocolates Giveawayfeatured

Derry Church Artisan Chocolates is named after Derry Church, the small farming settlement and charming village which would later become known as Hershey, PA. Milton Hershey built his chocolate empire in his beloved hometown of Derry Church. Today, another chocolatier, Eric Cayton, follows in his footsteps.

From an early age, it seemed that Cayton was destined for a future in chocolate. Born a mere 200 yards away from the birthplace of Milton Hershey himself, Cayton grew up as a 5th generation Derry Church native with chocolate running through his veins.

In fact, most of his ancestors, and practically all of his immediate family worked for Hershey in his original chocolate factory. At the ripe age of 15, Cayton found himself employed at Hershey Park as well.

Derry Church Artisan Chocolates

At Derry Church Artisan Chocolates, Chef Cayton stays true to his roots, sourcing organic cream and butter from local Pennsylvania dairy farms. However, the gourmet bon bons and truffles in Derry Church’s signature International Collection will take you far from rural PA. Each of the chocolates in this collection is inspired by different cities around the world. Here are a few that tickled my fancy:

Winter Haven: fresh Florida oranges meets white chocolate dream

The Winter Haven features freshly squeezed Florida orange juice, orange zest, and a splash of Grand Marnier blended together in a smooth white chocolate ganache. The bon bon is enrobed in white chocolate couverture, and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. Mmm…fresh Florida oranges meets white chocolate dream. This little bite of sunshine would brighten up any day – reminds me of a Creamsicle!

Savannah: just peachy

I loved the detailed aesthetic of the Savannah – it’s like a little dollhouse peach crisp! This darling confection is composed of peach jam white chocolate ganache piped into a bittersweet chocolate cup, topped with an oatmeal cookie-esque crumble of toasted oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. To finish it off, the piece is then drizzled with a cross-hatch of white chocolate.

Paris: a strawberry and buttercream rose

A romantic classic, the Paris is lovely rose of strawberries and cream. Crack through the bittersweet chocolate shell and savor the homemade strawberry jam and ethereal white chocolate buttercream inside.

New Orleans: bananas foster

The New Orleans truffle pays homage to the famous Bananas Foster dessert created by Paul Blange at Brennan’s in New Orleans. Here, all the elements of fresh banana, brown sugar, rum, and a hint of cinnamon, are blended into a milk chocolate ganache and enrobed in 70% bittersweet chocolate.

Rome: foamy cappuccino

Just like a genuine cappuccino, the Rome starts out with a good strong shot of Italian espresso. It is then blended into a rich milk chocolate ganache, piped into a chocolate cup, topped with an airy white chocolate mousse, and dusted with cocoa of course. I was surprised at how true to life this little replica was. The espresso flavor really shines through, and the white chocolate mousse on top is light as…well, foam. La dolce vita indeed.

Derry Church International Chocolates

These chocolates not only tasted great, they captured my imagination and gave me the travel bug! So, for today’s giveaway, to win this 20-piece International Chocolates Collection from Derry Church Artisan Chocolates, leave a comment here telling me about one of your favorite food/travel experiences. (Street food in Vietnam? Blueberry-picking in Maine? Spam masubi in Hawaii? I want to hear about food and place! )

Giveaway deadline is Thursday 2/24, 11:59 pm PST. (Contest is open to US residents only. Winner will be selected by random.org.)

Disclosure: This giveaway was made possible via free sample and giveaway donation by Derry Church Artisan Chocolates.

Update: Congrats to Rebecca, winner of Lick My Spoon’s Derry Church Chocolates Giveaway!