One of the more challenging steps in making chocolate is removing the outer shell of the cocoa bean leaving only the meat of the cocoa bean that is better known as cocoa nibs.  This step is called winnowing.  Large chocolate manufacturers have large and expensive winnowers.  Since we are a small chocolate maker, we need [...]

It’s Saturday morning.  Michelle is practicing her sleep in routine.  Gus, the Border Collie, is on full back yard squirrel patrol duty.  Cooper Brown Dog is not so patiently waiting for the pantry door to open where the doggie snack loot lay.  During my private little weekend morning hours, after I’ve been properly caffeinated and updated [...]

ChocolateFest in Grapevine, TX is an annual fund raising event for Traveler’s Aid DFW.  Tammy Hingtgen, Director of Operations, discovered us last fall at Dallas Chocolate’s annual Chocolate Conference & Festival. When Tammy contacted us asking if we would like to participate in this year’s (9th annual) event it was an easy Heck Yes. The [...]

As Valentines Day thoughts start to bubble through my mind, I thought a more detailed explanation of the gift set we put together was in order.  Diamonds might be forever, but chocolate and coffee is for right now folks. I’ve always said that among my favorite ways if not absolute favorite way to enjoy chocolate [...]

Dark. That’s a complicated word for me. Thoughts that jump into my head are: This movie is dark.  As in sinister, evil, or perhaps depressing. This time of year I go to work in the dark.  I go home in the dark. Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day – “its going to be a long, [...]

The last eight weeks or so were very busy in the chocolate shop. Lots of chocolate from six different origins were made and delivered. It’s been an exciting time for Tejas Chocolate. We had the nicest compliment recently from one our early chocolate followers. She tasted our chocolate for the first time in about six [...]

Good friends, good chocolate, good gelato, good beer, and good cocoa beans.  Goodness gracious there are a lot of things going on here in the local food scene. A gelato maker, a craft brewer, a cocoa bean producer, and your chocolate maker are coming together on some interesting new local projects.  We want to give [...]

This project started with finding reclaimed solid clay brick from a Houston warehouse. Now we are getting pretty close to completing the construction of our brick oven so we can brick oven and hot rock roast cocoa beans. You didn’t see “hot rock” coming did you.  Well, the interior grid is lined with river rock [...]

We finally have some progress to mention on the brick oven project.  The metal frame and stand is pretty much complete now.  A tweak here and there, and it will be time to set our reclaimed “Houston Reds” bricks in mortar.  Then we can get on with fire roasting cacao in a brick oven.  We [...]

So my primary business took me over to San Antonio about a month ago.  Not only does our Railway Supply business keep the lights on it pays for our chocolate making habit.  There are also some perks to enjoy along the way like when I was invited to a dinner at Las Canarias in La Mansion Del [...]