Hickory Farms 11-Piece "Warm & Hearty" Sausage, Cheese & Cracker Gift Set

Designer Chocolate:
Known as the food of the gods, nearly two-thirds of women eat chocolate candy or desserts weekly. Chocolate surely is a trend that has taken hold and has the masses clamoring for more; and the latest trend is not just any old chocolate... it's designer chocolate.

Scrumptious, smooth, creamy, rich, delectable and indulgent are just some of the adjectives often used to describe chocolate, the delightful substance of which the average American consumes 10 pounds each year. A cultural pastime and a sweet-tooth favorite, chocolate's taste and texture incite passion unlike any other confection. From hot chocolate to truffles to cookies to cakes, chocolate is well established as a substance Americans love to love. It makes some of the best gifts for just about any occasion.

Making Designer Chocolate:
Especially passionate for chocolate are chocolatiers, those who create fine chocolate with masterpiece-like artistry. Here's how they do it:

Chocolate's pleasure comes from the painstaking process that yields the finest varieties. Chocolate begins with the seeds from inside the fruit of the cacao tree, native to regions that include South America, Africa and Indonesia. These seeds are known as cocoa beans.

The beans are fermented and dried in the sun before they are ready to go to the chocolate maker. The chocolate maker roasts the beans, sorting and blending beans from different locales to create their own distinct flavors. Next, the beans are winnowed, a process that removes the meat, also known as the nib, of the cocoa bean from the shell. The meat or nib is then ground into a substance called chocolate liquor, which is pure, unsweetened chocolate.

Much talent is required to turn this chocolate liquor into fanciful and delectable treats. The chocolate maker adds sugar, flavoring (such as vanilla) and milk (found in milk chocolate) according to his or her own special recipe. Then conching occurs; this is done with a special machine that blends ingredients. The process can take from two to six days. Next, chocolate is tempered. This involves slowly heating the chocolate then slowly cooling the chocolate in order to let the cocoa butter solidify without separating from the rest of the ingredients. The exact processes and ingredients used by each chocolate maker determine the texture, quality and taste of the final product.

• BEEF SIGNATURE SUMMER SAUSAGE: Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Dextrose, Spices, Smoke Flavoring, Natural Flavors, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite. Gluten-free. Total Servings per Container: 5 Shelf Life: 9 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• TURKEY SUMMER SAUSAGE Ingredients: Turkey, Water, Brown Sugar, Dried Honey (Refinery Syrup, Honey), Contains 2% Or Less Of: Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Salt, Fructose, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Nitrite. Gluten-free. Total Servings per Container: 5 Shelf Life: 9 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• FARMHOUSE CHEDDAR CHEESE BAR Ingredients: Aged Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Cream, Water, Sodium Phosphate, Natural Flavoring, Salt, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Color (Paprika And Annatto). Cheese contains Milk, a food allergen. Total Servings per Container: 4 Shelf Life: 12 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• THREE CHEESE & ONION CHEESE Ingredients: Mild Cheddar, Monterey Jack And Aged Cheddar (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Cream, Water, Sodium Phosphate, Onion Powder, Salt, Sorbic Acid (Presevative), Parsley Flakes Cheese contains Milk, a food allergen. Total Servings per Container: 4 Shelf Life: 12 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• ORIGINAL SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE Ingredients: Cheddar And Swiss Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Cream, Water, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Sorbic Acid ( Preservative), Natural Smoke Flavoring. Cheese contains Milk, a food allergen. Total Servings per Container: 4 Shelf Life: 12 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• SWEET HOT MUSTARD Ingredients: Cider Vinegar, Water, Wheat Flour, Mustard, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Salt, Xanthan Gum. Contains: Wheat, Soy. In addition, Allergens used on the Production Line and in the Plant: Milk, Wheat, Egg, Soy, Peanuts, Pecans Total Servings per Container: 13 Shelf Life 12 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• HONEY & PINEAPPLE MUSTARD Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Modified Corn Starch, Honey, Salt, Soybean Oil, Dehydrated Bell Peppers, Turmeric, Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate Added As Preservatives, Dehydrated Garlic, Oleoresin Paprika, Caramel Color, Spices. Contains: Soy. In addition, Allergens used on the Production Line and in the Plant: Milk, Wheat, Egg, Soy, Peanuts, Pecans Total Servings per Container: 14 Shelf Life 12 months Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
• GOLDEN TOASTED CRACKERS Ingredients: Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Buttermilk (Cultured 1% Milk, Salt, Sodium Citrate), Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Olive Oil, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt Contains: Wheat, Soy.Total Servings per Container: Eight per box. Shelf Life 12 months Storage: Handle and Store at Room temperature.