Why chocolate is good for your microbiota!

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Dark chocolate is pleasing to many, because it is very well known to be good for your health. Not only is chocolate rich in interesting molecules like polyphenols, flavonoids, magnesium and several vitamins, but it is also very good for our intestinal microbiota.

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The intestinal microbiota

The microbiota is formed by bacteria, yeasts, fungi, live viruses in the gut. These microorganisms play an eminent role in the immune system of our body, digestive functions, metabolic. They are involved in the processes of aging and in the onset of many chronic diseases. Although there are still many questions to be clarified about the microbiota, one thing is certain, its diversity, its composition in good bacteria and its balance are very essential for good health.

Dark chocolate improves the growth of good bacteria 

Like fiber, chocolate is also a prebiotic. It is used as food by the good bacteria of the intestine, such as bifidobacteriums and lactic acid bacteria, because of its richness in polyphenols. When a person eats dark chocolate, these bacteria increase and modify the polyphenols of chocolate anti-inflammatory. These good bacteria multiply to reduce the rate of bad bacteria in the digestive tract causing gas, bloating … In 2011, a scientific study showed that daily consumption of a high-cocoa beverage favors populations of good bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and decreases Clostridia. These changes are associated with a significant reduction in markers of inflammation such as triglycerides.

 

An anti-inflammatory action

Another study that took place in 2014 also certified that cocoa powder was poorly absorbed by the intestine. When the cocoas are in the colon, the good bacteria feed on them and ferment the fibers while transforming the polyphenols into anti-inflammatory compounds. Consuming dark chocolate is then very good for the health of all, especially for people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Dark chocolate favors bifidobacteria and lactobacilli while lowering Clostridias. In conclusion, to enjoy the benefits of cocoa, we must prefer a dark chocolate, concentrated in cocoa (minimum 70%).

 

where to find the ideal Christmas hamper in Singapore

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look no further ! at Laurent Bernard chocolatier we have all what s needed .

from excellent champagne, fine tea, gourmet cakes and of course our exceptional chocolate, have a look at what s we having in store for you this year.

hamper all i wantthis is our : all i want for Christmas “2019, this hamper include :

– Chocolate Box 9pcs
– Fruit Cake Deluxe 500 gr
– Small Snow man
– Macaroons box 6 pcs
– Christmas Cookies
– Leather Basket & Decoration

our fruit cake is home made, using only the best candied fruits from an orchard in south of France. Our macaroon will delight you.

next is Christmas chocolate hamper

hamper chocolate

it’s important to say Thank You with a small token of appreciation from time to time. After all, you wouldn’t be in business if it wasn’t for your customers, so is all about building and preserving relationships, and what better way to demonstrate how much you value your relationship with your friends and associate than by offering them a gift. This amazing hamper is filled with a selection of our awarded home made chocolate, orangette, chocolate rocher, a must have for any chocolate lover.

  • Chocolate box 9pcs
  • Christmas tree small
  • Orangette box
  • 4 Single Origin Bars
  • Snowman Small
  • Hazelnut coated chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate Rocher
  • 1 large leather box
  • Christmas Decoration

this now the Christmas champagne hamper

Hamper champagne

This Christmas hamper is sure to please! fill with our awarded chocolates, homemade fruit cake, Macaroons, Orangette, chocolate Christmas tree filled with chocolate Rocher, and a bottle of champagne Moet & Chandon 750 ml.  Presented in a reusable, luxurious basket, send this Christmas hamper gift to your loved ones today.

Champagne Moet brut Bottle 750ml

Season Greetings Chocolate Box 16pcs

Christmas deluxe fruit cake 500 gr

Macaroons box 6 pcs

Small Christmas Tree

Orangette

Leather Box & Decorations

Christmas tea time hamper

Hamper tea time

Christmas won t be Christmas without hamper, this tea time hamper is full of indulgent seasonal favorite , our home made deluxe fruit cake won’t go unnoticed, French tea,macaroons  and a delicious panettone to go with, is all what you need for for a nice relaxing tea time with friends and associates.

this Hamper include :

  • Seasons Greeting chocolate box 16pcs
  • Christmas cookies
  • Fruit Cake Deluxe 500gram
  • Home Made Jam
  • Tea Tin 100 gr
  • Macaroon box 6pcs
  • Panettone 100gram in luxury pouch
  • Leather Box and Christmas Decoration

the Christmas deluxe grand hamper

hamper krug

With the festive period just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about the annual Christmas shopping list. Buying for friends or loved ones is essential – but don’t forget to reward your loyal friends and associate and corporate clients this year, too. With our Christmas hampers, you can send them a slice of appreciation mixed with a dash of professionalism and a touch of festive spirit all in one hamper.

Perfect for starting the festive celebrations, why not treat your client to a fine gourmet Christmas hamper? a luxury bottles of Champagne find the perfect tipple to tantalize their palette this Christmas. Why not try our absolute executive hamper? Let them crack open sparkling premium cuvée Champagne whilst indulging in ‘Classic’ chocolates and more. Perfect as a sharing hamper or for simply popping under the tree to tuck into come Christmas morning.

This amazing Deluxe Hamper Include :

  • Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2009 750 ml with gift box
  • Chocolate box 36 pcs
  • Chocolate Teddy bear filled with chocolate goodies 22 cm high
  • Chocolate Santa Large
  • Large chocolate christmas tree 22 cm
  • Chocolate Snow man small
  • Christmas cookies box
  • Christmas Fruitcake Deluxe 500gr
  • Loison Panettone 600gr
  • Macaroon box 6 pcs
  • Chocolate tuile box
  • Chocolate coated almonds
  • Orangette box
  • Chocolate coated hazelnut
  • Home made jam
  • Large lather hamper gift box
  • Christmas decorations
  • Free delivery.

* Laurent Bernard Chocolatier reserves the right to substitute products of equivalent value in the event of products being sold out.
​thumbnail_IMG-20191113-WA0005thumbnail_concept_FA_bleed_outerthumbnail_concept_FA_bleed_inner Continue reading “where to find the ideal Christmas hamper in Singapore” →

why are we offering Christmas present

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If the popular tradition is that gifts are given on December 25 that has not always been the case. Christmas was not always synonymous with wrapped packages, from the gifts the Romans offered themselves, as we know them today, through the orange or the lump of coal.
Every year, young and old stop in front of the showcases of the big brands to admire automatons and carefully staged scenery. But this has not always been the case, and the tradition of giving gifts is actually quite recent.
It was at the end of the nineteenth century that the «Christmas gift» entered into customs. Encouraged by Haussmann’s work and the arrival of department stores, he became increasingly popular among aristocratic and bourgeois families. The practice is that on Nativity Day presents are offered only to children, as the Historia magazine recalls, and that adults exchange gifts on New Year’s Eve instead. The practice of buying Christmas presents dates back to ancient times, when the Romans celebrated the winter solstice and the arrival of a new year. One offers oneself Strenae (in Latin) wishing oneself a prosperous, happy and healthy year under the good guard of a goddess of health Strenia
An orange for wise and deserving children
The arrival of department stores and “the rise of the triumphant bourgeoisie have made Christmas one of the family’s great annual gatherings, gradually disguising the religious feast as a profane celebration,” explains Point Martyne Perrot, author of the Christmas present. Story of an invention (1). The child becomes heir to the family lineage and Christmas is the occasion to celebrate it.are offered to boys and girls. Lead soldiers or a mechanical train for one, sewing kits or a fake stove for the other. To these objects is added the notion of gift paper born also at the end of the 19th century – and with it, surprise and impatience at the sight of colored paper.
For children from more popular backgrounds, however, the gifts are more modest: cookies, gingerbread or small crafts toys. The wise and deserving children are fortunate to receive an orange, an extremely rare and expensive fruit at the time. The less wise receive a lump of coal.

Stories to wait for
Before Santa Claus took the role with flying colors, the families celebrated, according to the region and religion, Santa Claus (among the Protestants), Father Janvier, loaded with gifts in his winemaker’s hood, or the fairy Arie, deprived of baguette, according to Historia. All are supposed to come overnight to drop off the gifts to the children and are figures of benevolence and generosity.
Santa Claus, in his reindeer-drawn sleigh, was first sketched by an American pastor, Clement Clarke Moore, in 1823. The bishop’s mitre worn by Saint Nicholas is replaced by a cap and its handle trocked against a stick of barley sugar. His red costume was designed by illustrator Thomas Nast in 1860.
However, it is only at the beginning of the 20th century that Santa Claus will be a global success, to the great displeasure of the Catholic Church. Faced with the frequent confusion between the birth of Jesus and Santa Claus, an official warning was issued in 1952 by several bishops. A replica of the one the Americans call Santa Claus is even burned on the square of the church of Dijon. Since then, we know thatChristmas of Gifts has largely triumphed.

How to recognize good chocolate

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Chocolate is a righteous health food. In fact, it’s one of the healthiest foods you could possibly eat:

  • for your heart
  • for your emotional state
  • for your metabolism
  • for insulin control for diabetics
  • for your blood pressure
  • And even for your skin health!

Good chocolate starts with good cocoa beans. And almost 90% of all the world’s chocolate is made from low quality bulk cocoa beans.

So the question is, who is buying and making chocolate from super fine cacao? Start your journey with bean to bar chocolate makers.

 Bean to bar means these chocolate makers are making chocolate from scratch. The makers start with raw cocoa beans (often supporting direct ethical trade as an added benefit), and refine it to make chocolate. Beans to bars doesn’t t mean it’s better quality or fair trade it just mean someone buy some beans, good or bad, and turn it into chocolate. We can consider than 100% chocolate are beans to bar.

Belgium or Swiss?

To be called Belgium chocolate a chocolate has to be produce in Belgium, same for Swiss, good or bad doesn’t matter.

THE PROVENCE OF BEANS

The cocoa beans, which are the basis of chocolate, come from “countries around the equator”. It means “that we speak of terroir”, namely “a land, a climate and the work of men”. So “as with grapes, the beans do not have the same taste if they come from Côte d’Ivoire, Venezuela or from Indonesia “. At this level, it is the” perception of flavors “of each one that makes the difference.

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The chocolate should be shiny. The color of the chocolate already gives indications on the origin of the beans used. A grand cru of dark chocolate must have a black-brown color. The more mahogany nuances, the finer the chocolate.

TOUCH

 Quality chocolate must be brittle and firm. Its texture should be perfectly smooth and you should feel the finesse of the grain. You can take the test by placing a square of chocolate in the

Taste a question of balance

The ideal temperature for tasting chocolate is between 18 and 20C, the best way to taste chocolate is to savor it in small pieces. The taste of chocolate should linger on the palate.  If the fat and the sugar “are flavor enhancers”, the important thing is to have “a balance”, which is important for the taste of the chocolate: “When you have swallowed the chocolate, if you don’t have any left that the taste of sugar, you have to worry.

A good chocolate is defined by the quality of the cacao used and not the cacao percentage.

Online orders for Easter eggs are open!

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Online orders for Easter eggs are open!

Easter Sunday is on 12 April this year which means that it’s time to start thinking and prepping this choc-fest holiday. As most of us will not be travelling for this long weekend with this year’s terrible circumstances let’s try to make the most of it staying safe at home! After all, isn’t Easter weekend a perfect excuse to spend time with your family to eat chocolate and other sweet treats?

blog easter eggs

If you are not sure on how you will spend your Easter Sunday at home, wee have got the best idea for you to make this a fun day. Easter wouldn’t really feel authentic if there was no Easter egg-hunt, right? So why not organizing an Easter egg-hunt at home? It’s an excellent way to keep your family entertained. All you need to do now is get your chocolates ready. We’ve got you covered!

At Laurent Bernard Chocolatier,Easter chocolate eggs have no more secrets. Our chocolates are handmade with very refined and carefully selected chocolates from all around the world. Our team is dedicated to prepare the most delicious and best-looking Easter Eggs in town. We offer a large selection of traditional chocolates like our Easter basket Margaret. What a classic! Don’t we all love those hen-shaped chocolates that are taking us back to childhood? Our Easter rabbits are also very popular because they look so adorable. The little ones particularly enjoy them.

For the older ones, why not getting the biggest and most delicious Easter egg of your life? You can’t imagine how much more chocolate is hiding inside each egg. Our beautiful eggs are standing on a base also made of chocolate. With praline or golden leaves, you will find your favorite flavor and design at Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.

Now the question is: How long will you wait until you crack open your Easter egg? It always feels kind of heart breaking to crack the hen and to start eating the chocolate right? We also never know where to start but it’s always a satisfaction once the chocolate melts in our mouth.

chocolate easter egg 22 cm best chocolate laurent bernard bunny

With our superb design you’ll want to keep your Easter eggs intact for as long as possible to keep admiring all the details. Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @laurentbernardchocolatier when you crack open your chocolate. We are exited to see the reaction of your little ones when they discover what’s hiding inside!

If you wish to order you can do so directly online and we will deliver to your door.
https://www.laurentbernard.com.sg/shop-online

the best chocolate cake recipe

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I did try many recipe before finally find this one. It’s originally a Devil’s cake. A Devil’s Food Cake is an American classic. With its almost black color, it is probably the most ‘chocolately’ of the chocolate cakes. To go with that rich chocolate flavor is a cake with a wonderfully soft crumb that is dense and moist. For a double dose of chocolate we fill and frost this cake with a fudgy chocolate ganache.
While no one knows for sure how it got its name “Devil’s” Food Cake, one opinion is that it’s because it is the polar opposite of the light and airy white Angel Food Cake. Others say it’s just just too sinful to eat. We do know that recipes for this cake started to appear around 1900.

This cake is moist and has the perfect crumb. I cannot imagine making a chocolate cake using any other recipe. It is so easy to make and puts doctored cake mix recipes to shame. I’m eating a piece of the cake as I’m writing this, drooling all over my keyboard. It is insanely delicious. A decades search was worth the wait. Every…decadent…bite. Who wants cake?
Ingredients :
Devil chocolate cake

butter 340 gr
Coffee or assam tea 340 gr
Cocoa powder 85 gr
Dark chocolate 170 gr
Brown sugar 455 gr
Vanilla
salt 4 gr
eggs 6 pcs
Egg yolk 45 gr
Cake flour 255 gr
Baking soda 13 gr

Melt butter add it to the coffee. Mixt in the sieved cocoa powder and chocolate finely chopped. Add brown sugar, salt, vanilla, the baking soda with flour.
Bake at 180C for about 20 minutes.

Let rest aside
Prepare the ganache chocolate
ganache chocolate
ingredient
dark chocolate70 % 140 gr
milk chocolate 40% 47gr
milk 112 gr
honey 22 gr
butter 10 gr

Method
Heat up the milk at cover at 50C
Pour the milk over the chocolate already melted , mixt with a Wisk till it s cool down
Slice your cake in 3, fill it up with the chocolate ganache, enjoy !

one of the best cake shop in Singapore

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We get awarded to be one of the best cake shop in Singapore by timeout magazine.

This is what’s timeout posted about us.

This award-winning French pâtisserie carries a spread of sweets for your picking, but it’s best known for its rich, sinful cakes. Its black forest ($53/whole) is bursting with cherries and Kirsch – the fruit brandy that gives the cake its signature alcoholic kick, while its best-selling chocolate truffle ($53/whole) is a multi-layered confection of moist chocolate sponge infused with raspberry and dark chocolate mousse. To get a taste of its sweet treats, head down to its boutique for a selection of tarts, coffee, cakes and its made-to-order soufflés.

 

a big thank you to timeout for this article, it s always great to be noticed, making the best everyday is hard work, so when someone put you on list it s feels great.

We have new cakes coming out this month, stay tuned for more !

black forest birthday

what is bean to bar chocolate ?

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What exactly is bean-to-bar chocolate? is it better than chocolate ?

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Bean-to-bar is a term used to inform the consumer but its use is currently not regulated at all. As I understand it, a bean-to-bar manufacturer oversees the chocolate production chain, from sourcing the beans to making the actual bars. Some may argue that a bean-to-bar chocolate-maker has to produce chocolate in small batches but there is no reason, in my mind, why the term should be associated with a specific production scale. At that point large corporation can call their chocolate bean to bar, it is not a quality label.
A bean-to-bar chocolate-maker will therefore be responsible for sourcing the beans before processing them through each of the following steps:
• Sorting
• Roasting
• Cracking
• Winnowing
• Grinding
• Conching
• Tempering
• Molding
Yet it is possible to buy beans which have already been roasted, cracked, and winnowing. At that point you just have to grind and you can call it bean to bar, avoiding the conching to save time and money.
The whole process takes days.
The next question would be: how do you recognize a bean-to-bar chocolate? My answer: all chocolate comes from a bean ! It is completely impossible to recognize .

 
all chocolate are made from cacao beans, but, it is not always made by the company whose name appears on the bar. I like to say that chocolate-makers express their personality by making chocolate and chocolatiers by making chocolate confections.
Now comes the trickier part. Some makers actually make chocolate from a product called “cocoa mass” or “cocoa liquor”, which is what you call cocoa after it has been ground and melted.

in conclusion the bean to bar chocolate is more a marketing trick than anything else, a bad cacao bean, poorly stored will make a poor chocolate, if the beans has been roasted , grinded poorly it will also affect the taste. a bean to bar chocolate can be extremely bad.

there is now the” tree to bar chocolate”…. for the one growing himself the tree, sometimes all that sound absolutely ridiculous.imgp5767

 

How to celebrate mother’s day

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Mother’s Day is one of those celebrations we should take time out of our busy lives to recognize. After all, we all have (or had) a mother and without her, we would not be here today, she deserves all your love, respect, and attention. Depending upon what your mom likes, there are several fun ways to celebrate Mother’s day with her .
Breakfast in Bed

It may  not be the best idea, hopefully you won’t mess up the kitchen .Start her day by offering breakfast in bed. Make her favorite food such as pancakes, scrambled eggs or bacon and serve with a cup of coffee. Important: Leave a sweet note in the food tray to tell your mom that you love her most, add a flower or 2.
Pamper Her
Let her rest and relax, it would be great for your mom. Book a spa session for her in the nearby salon. Offering a relaxing massage, refreshing facial, pedicure, and manicure is best to pamper your mom on Mother’s Day. It would definitely help her avail some much-needed me-time and make her skin glow like sunshine.
Give Your Mom a break
On Mother’s Day, give your mum some free time. Encourage her to sit back and relax or go out with her friends and have some fun that she always wanted to do but couldn’t do somehow due to busy schedule.
Give Her Flowers and chocolates
After all mother’s day was created by flower shop. Flowers are always brighten up people’s mood and make them happy. A handmade bouquet, made by you, would be absolutely perfect to wish your mom on Mother’s Day and show how much you love her from the core of your heart.

Throw a Party
Throw a surprise Mother’s Day party at home with the help of your dad and siblings. Make your mom’s favorite snack and cocktails. She would be quite thrilled as she wasn’t expecting anything like that. Your love and care combined with a chocolate box will make it the most special and memorable day of her life.
Spend a Day Together

Spending quality time together is really important, take her to her favorite café or restaurant, or just go for a simple relaxing walk, spend time outdoor if possible, a picnic, bike ride can be lots of fun, or go through old family pictures, or just play some fun games at home. Have a great time together.

Simple Celebration
Making a Mother’s Day celebration memorable and unique doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It could be as simple as heading to your favorite local ice cream and cake shop and sharing quality time together.

Surprise Her with a Lovely Gift
Everyone loves to receive gifts. A mere drawing from a little one can be enough, if your saving is gone. If you know your mom’s choice, then it will be really easy to buy a gift that she would love. Ranging from cakes, jewelry, accessories, apparels, handbags and so on. There are plenty of gift ideas that you can offer her on Mother’s Day as a token of love, yet the best is the one you will make for her.