Today is the day for all sweet tooths all around the world come together to celebrate delicious Cream-filled Chocolates on National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day, which falls on February 14th every year which just happens to be Valentines Day. Which makes those #Holidays go hand in hand don’t they.
It is only natural that one of the best types of Chocolates is celebrated on the day for which more Chocolates are bought around the world than any other day. In the week of Valentine’s Day, over 50 million pounds of Chocolate are purchased all around the world.
From Marshmallow Cream and Coffee Cream to Butterscotch, Chocolate, and Vanilla, Cream-filled Chocolates have delicious centers that make the Chocolates taste even more decadent. It is no wonder that these creamy treats get their own special #Holiday.
Did you know before Cream-filled Chocolates became known as Truffles, they were called Pralines. The Belgian Chocolatier, Jean Neuhaus Junior, invented the first hard Chocolate shell in 1912, which allowed Chocolates to be filled with soft fillings.
Jean Neuhaus Jr. was the Grandson of a Swiss immigrant, Jean Neuhaus. Neuhaus originally ran an Apothecary Shop where he covered medicines in Chocolate to make them more appealing to customers. If that was still the case I’m sure people wouldn’t mind taking there meds would they?
It was Neuhaus Jr. who created the very first Chocolate-filled Bonbons, which he called Pralines. However, some other Chocolatiers referred to them as Truffles because the early varieties were filled with Ganache, a glaze made from Chocolate and Cream. In the U.S., any Cream-filled Chocolate is referred to today as a Truffle. In 2017, Bloomberg Pursuits praised the Neuhaus company for creating “the best Chocolate Truffle in the world.”
Did you know Chocolates have been a part of life since as early as 1900 B.C. However, back then, it was mainly prepared as a drink. Ancient Mayans enjoyed a drink of Chocolate with most meals. Their version of Chocolate was thick and frothy, and was sometimes combined with Chili Peppers and Honey. The mighty Aztec ruler, Montezuma II, was said to love Chocolate so much that he drank gallons of it every day as an energy booster and Aphrodisiac.
Chocolate is made from the Fruit of the Cacao Trees called Pods. A single Pod contains around 40 Cacao Beans, which can then be dried and roasted to create Cocoa Beans. These Cocoa Beans are refined in Chocolate factories through winnowing and roasting. The resulting Chocolate liquor is blended with Sugar and Milk and molded into the desired shapes.
Now I wanted to share a fact about National Cream-Filled Day with you. No, one really knows who started National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day, but it was undoubtedly a Chocaholic with very good taste. Wasn’t it?
National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day Activities
- On National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day, you can spoil yourself with a box or two of your favorite Cream-filled Chocolates. No one will judge you for digging in and gorging yourself on all the Cream-Filled Chocolates you can fit into your mouth.
- I have a question for you. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to have a Cream-filled-Chocolate themed party? You can invite all your family and friends over and sample Cream-Filled Chocolates. From Chocolate Fountains to Chocolate Pong, you can test your creativity with the amount of Chocolate-themed fun you can have at your party.
- Making Cream-filled Chocolates is not as hard as it sounds. With hundreds of recipes online, you can don your Chef’s hat and whip up a batch of your own tasty Cream-Filled Chocolates. All you need is a Chocolate mold and ingredients.
Facts About Chocolate
Did you know over two-thirds of the world’s Cocoa Supply come from West Africa, with the Ivory Coast being the largest single producer.
According to an Aztec legend, a deity named Quetzalcoatl was cast away by the other Gods because he shared Chocolate with humans.
In the 1800s, physicians advised lovesick patients to eat Chocolates to help calm their pining and longing, especially in cases of unrequited love.
Even though a large portion of the world’s Chocolate is made with Cocoa imported from the Ivory Coast, it is expensive and inaccessible to most Ivorians.
During the Revolutionary War, some soldiers were given Chocolate as payment for their services instead of money.
Soft Cream Candy Fillings
Ingredients
- 3 tsp Meringue Powder
- 2 cups Fondant Sugar
- 1 to 2 tsp Extract, Emulsion, or LorAnn Candy Flavoring Oil (any flavor you like)
- 1 tsp Invertase
- Food Coloring (optional)
- 3 Tbsp Butter softened
- 3 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
- 2 Tbsp Water
Directions
- Add the softened butter, meringue powder, light corn syrup, and water to your mixing bowl Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer beat until mixed completely, scraping the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated well.
- Add 2 cups of fondant sugar and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, then, beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until it all creams together.
- Add flavoring, invertase, and food coloring and mix well. Don’t forget, you can use LorAnn oils, extracts, and even spices to flavor your cream filling! LorAnn oils differ in strength, for example, peppermint is much stronger than blackberry. You’ll need to adjust it by taste, but we recommend starting with a 1/2 teaspoon for a full batch of soft cream candy filling. You can add more if you feel it’s not enough.
- Scoop your homemade cream filling into a disposable pastry bag and twist the end tightly, securing with a clip or a rubber band. Don’t snip the ends until you’re ready to use them!
Makes: 2 CUPS OF SOFT CREAM FILLING APPROXIMATELY
Tip: Store Chocolates filled with Cream Candy filling in a container tightly covered away from Sunlight in a cool dry place. Filled Chocolates should stay fresh for about one month.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
