Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolate. And we are happy to say, the chocolate options at Dean’s Sweets are many. Handmade chocolates are just about universally loved, and they come in a multitude of forms and flavors. We realize, the options can be both fun and a bit daunting, however. So, whether your intended is…
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Is chocolate the secret to a long life? Is it the magical ingredient to longevity? You’ve heard people make these claims before, right? It’s not uncommon for dark chocolate to be heralded for everything from boosting heart health to lowering the risks of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The research has stacked up mighty well in…
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You want to ship some holiday chocolate this year – the assortments you’ve chosen carefully for Aunt Jo and Brother Henry – and then you ask the big questions: what should I expect from the shipping carriers; how long will my package take to get there? The last few years have been hard to figure…
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The allure of an Advent calendar are the surprises nestled inside. The Advent calendar tradition allows us to open only one of these tiny doors each day, giving us a small pleasure as a hint – a miniature sample of what’s to come. These daily gifts, craftily hidden behind a window, a door, or in…
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Fall chocolate means spicy chocolate and we all start thinking about the spices of the season. Along with the first gust of cool air comes the feeling that it’s time to get cozy. We want to wrap ourselves up in warmth. If you’re looking for a little warm-me-up in a fall chocolate, there are plenty…
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Collectively speaking, the U.S. has an obsession with everything pumpkin: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cinnamon beer, pumpkin nutmeg pasta, and pumpkin, of course, Doritos – have you tried these? Oh, and pumpkin chocolate, the best of them all. We admit, we love our pumpkin chocolate truffle. It’s a bit of an obsession with us as…
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Chocolate tempering. Ever heard of it? If yes, congratulate yourself for knowing this fairly obscure term. If no, give yourself a pass — you’re in good company. Chocolate tempering is central to the art of making fine chocolate. It’s a term and a process we, as chocolatiers, use every day, so it surprises me that…
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Traveling and being outside are two of my favorite things. There are a hundred lists for best restaurants and places to stay in most cities, so you don’t need that from me. And it’s easy to find indoor attractions like museums everywhere you may go. If I’m away, unless it’s pouring, I just can’t get…
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Chocolate and red wine. Chocolate and coffee. Chocolate and beer! Just like these pairings, small businesses in Maine often pair well together too. That is undoubtedly true in other parts of the country as well, but I can speak personally to the wealth of support we have in our community in Maine, and especially (for…
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It’s not all chocolate and flowers around here. A lot of chocolate flowers, sure, as we prep for Mother’s Day, but there are many other things we think about when it comes to honoring our moms. I’ll get back to chocolate in a moment, but here are a few of our favorite non-chocolate items the you might…
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