Haute Couture Candies

MarieBelle is the Euro-fabulous cacao bar and tea salon whose chocolates, presented in small boxes like sugary little jewels, are as versatile and fashionable as its patrons. These downtown delicacies are handcrafted and among the SoHo-iest of dessert creations, with unexpected flavors like Earl Grey, saffron, cardamom, lemon and hazelnut. If you’ve simply been sampling them one by one, you’ve missed out on a true sweet-tooth experience. Manager Rodolfo Espinal share his favorite ways to mix, match and sip his sweets in a whole new way. We love that what you see is not always what you get. [Insert liquor and a loved one here.]

served raw: you’re an expert at iced chocolate, what are some cool flavors you’re experimenting with?
Rodolfo Espinal: Liquors that pair very well with iced chocolate include vodka, tequila, cognac and whiskey. The raspberry vodka and the iced Aztec chocolate is one of my favorite drinks, so is the iced cardamom chocolate with one shot of cognac or whiskey. The spicy iced chocolate feels amazing on the palate when combined with tequila. Another drink I like is our white chocolate with vanilla mixed with one shot of amaretto, one shot of Kahlua and one shot of vodka, which makes the perfect White Russian. For something hot when fall sets in, try our white chocolate with vanilla and a shot of spiced rum — it’s delicious.

how can the “Average Joe” play with iced chocolate at home?
For syrups, simply make a thicker version of the recipe, combine 3/4 cups of the powder with 1 cup of hot boiling water, mix it with crushed nuts, like hazelnuts or almonds, or mix it with some condensed milk to make a delicious chocolate spread. This mixture is great for pancakes and any desserts, even chocolate milk.

how could your flavored caramels be used in a fresh way?
You can use them to decorate a cake, but what about flavored coffee? Instead of sugar, add one of our tropical flavored caramels to your favorite cup of coffee. It gives the right sweetness and an interesting fruit flavor. You could also use thin flavored caramels with some hot water to create a sauce. Throw the sauce on top of ice cream or gelato for the best fruit sauce there is.

we also love the idea of improving chocolate …
Make the best chocolate pancakes in the world:
Throw in 3/4 cups of any of our hot chocolate powder to your favorite pancake or waffle recipe.

Or the best baked goods:
Use our hot chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder when making brownies or cookies.

The best chocolate frosting:
Use half the portion of water you’d normally use for hot chocolate with the chocolate powder, this makes the best chocolate frosting or sauce that you can put on desserts.

And, the best iced chocolate:
If it’s too hot for hot chocolate, make the recipe as you would normally do, but chill it in the fridge for 3 hours — this mixture will give you a crème de chocolat. Add some whipped cream and enjoy.