Gayle has always thought chocolate is good for you but in case you think she is biased, here is what the Cleveland Clinic has to say about chocolate on their website:
“Chocolate has gotten a lot of media coverage in recent years because it’s believed that it may help protect your cardiovascular system. The reasoning being that the cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids.
Favonoids help protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage. They can be found in a variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables. When we eat foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power.
Antioxidants are believed to help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke. If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals. For example, an increase in oxidation can cause low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also knows as “bad” cholesterol, to form plaque on the artery walls.
Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research shows that flavanols have other potential influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less stick and able to clot.”
Again, Cleveland Clinic has a science-backed explanation for you on why chocolate in moderation is the key.
“You may be surprised to learn that chocolate isn’t as bad for you as once believed. The fat in chocolate comes from cocoa butter and is made up of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat. You may know that saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
But, research shows that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, neither raising nor lowering it. Although palmitic acid does affect cholesterol levels, it only makes up one-third of the fat calories in chocolate. Still, this does not mean you can eat all the dark chocolate you’d like.”
Gayle’s Chocolates only uses chocolate from sources that are certified “fair trade.” FAIR TRADE means that the cocoa farmers are paid a premium price for their cocoa beans, are using sustainable forms of farming, are following fair labor practices and do not use child labor.
When chocolate is identified with a % of cocoa, that number represents the amount of cocoa butter and cocoa solids in the chocolate. The more cocoa and cocoa butter there is in chocolate, the less room there is for sugar.
Real White Chocolate has no cocoa solids and is usually not listed with a %. Good white chocolate should have a high cocoa butter content and no other source of fat. White chocolate does have more sugar than milk, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. The other components of white chocolate are milk or milk solids and vanilla.
Milk Chocolate has a cocoa content of 36% to 46%. Sugar and milk solids make up the rest.
Semisweet Chocolate has a cocoa content between 52% to 62%. Semisweet chocolate is a good entry level for those who are new to darker, more pronounced chocolate flavor.
Bittersweet Chocolate has a cocoa content from 63% to 90%. The higher the percentage the lower the amount of sugar and more pronounced the chocolate flavor.
Unsweetened Chocolate is 100% cocoa. Unsweetened chocolate, as the name implies, is 100% cocoa with no sugar added.
Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder Totally unsweetened cocoa whose natural acidity has been neutralized by alkali. Dutch-processed cocoa gives darker chocolate results than ordinary unsweetened cocoa.
Chocolate should be stored in a dry cool place away from heat, sunlight or strong odors. If you keep chocolate in the refrigerator let it come to room temperature before unwrapping. It is best to store chocolates where they will be at a constant temperature. This will prevent condensation from forming on the chocolates.
All of our products are made without artificial preservatives and the shelf life is different for each product.
Truffles: 2 weeks un-refrigerated, 3 months refrigerated. Truffles absorb odors very easily. Keep truffles in airtight containers. Let them come to room temperature before unwrapping. Moisture and condensation are bad for truffles.
Classics: 3 months un-refrigerated.
Molded Items: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Oreo Cookies: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Clusters: 3 months un-refrigerated.
Caramel Nut Clusters: 2 months un-refrigerated.
Video Mix: 2 months un-refrigerated.
Video Mix Pretzel: 2 months un-refrigerated.
Prepacks: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Cocoa Cups: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Java Jolt: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Junk Food: 6 months un-refrigerated.
Gayle’s Chocolates is one of the only chocolate companies that still does completely custom work. We do custom chocolates for corporate gift-giving, special events and weddings.
We offer a sample package of our truffles and other products. Contact our retail store at 1888.761.2626 or sales@gayleschocolates.com to set up an appointment. not a resident of the Detroit area? You can order samples and we will deduct the charges from your future order.
We use all natural flavors for our chocolates and whenever available, we use organic ingredients. We use no artificial preservatives. For seasonal items we sometimes use royal icing decorations that we purchase from an outside source. They contain artificial colors.
Yes, we ship to Canada from our Cottonwood, AZ store on a case-by-case basis. Please call us: 1888.761.2626. Note that border conditions may dictate how quickly you receive your package. Customs fees and duties may apply.
We do not currently ship internationally (Canada being the exception). We can accept an order placed from outside the United States if it is shipped to someone in the U.S
We can custom make any shoe for your needs. Please call 1888.761.2626 or email sales@gayleschocolates.com.
Yes, the clear purse is included with the large high heel shoe.
Chocolate is a limited medium when it comes to color. Since our chocolate is all natural, we tint it only for large-scale projects. Besides dark, milk and white chocolate, we have white chocolate that is naturally flavored with strawberry (pink), and orange (which is very orange). From these flavors and colors, we can produce polka dots or a marble pattern (two colors swirled together). We’ve also made a shoe in a cow pattern and also a zebra pattern. These are custom orders and require a minimum of ten working days. Shoes utilizing more than two flavors may be subject to a surcharge. Please contact us directly through sales@gayleschocolates.com for these custom shoes.
Yes. We cold pack for warm weather—we even check the temperature of the destination before we ship to make sure our chocolate reaches you in top shape. If we can ship a pallet of chocolate to Phoenix in August, we can get a box to you—delicious and unaffected by heat. Note that shipments to warm-weather locations require FedEx® Two-day Air with cold packs.
Yes. We have standard sizes for bars Other sizes and shapes are available but will be quoted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact sales@gayleschocolates.com for more details.
By law food is not returnable, so please make your selections carefully so that no chocolate goes to waste.. If your expectations have not been met at the time of your order’s delivery, we will stand by our commitment to providing high quality chocolate and replace those products that you are unsatisfied with. If your order has arrived in unsatisfactory condition, please have your product(s) and the shipping container that your order arrived in readily available and contact sales@gayleschocolates.com or call 1888.761.2626 to speak with a customer service representative.