Our Story
OUR PASSION IS THE JOY OF GOOD TASTE- FOR PURE INGREDIENTS!
Chocolate YOU Love began with one mother, one late night, indulging with the soul-filled-passionate therapy of creating artisan-crafted chocolate. Her quest was to find a way to enjoy life’s treats without inflammation.
Our journey led our family to discover (guilt-free) delicious dark couverture chocolate. Our selections and creations had to be mindful of social justice, fairtrade, and neurodiversity within a society of authentic equality.
Our research led to studies at Ecole Chocolate Academy. We were inspired by our instructors about the deep richness of authentic fine chocolate as one would compare pairings of wine and food. Tasting can be a delicious joy!
We earned our professional designations as Chocolatiers by consistent creations.
Our greatest quest was to identify 70% dark chocolate that was nutritious and delicious!
Imagine tasting delicious joy, sharing with others and having your own personal experience of celebration!
Good chocolate is a happiness that satisfies you especially when you share a bite with others.
A taste of joy is at your fingertips! Join us on our journey to find your own secret taste of guilt-free joy.
Fine chocolate holds a special place and memory in many hearts. More than just food, it’s part of holidays and special celebrations; a source of pure enjoyment on good days and comfort on bad ones.
Chocolate YOU love offers a token of love and appreciation in this world. We strive to help YOU find gourmet, artisan chocolate gifts that YOU want to enjoy or give to someone YOU care about.
The art of chocolate is a journey through your senses. You will find joy in taste, feel, and capture chocolate at it’s best. It’s an engagement of the heart where YOU lead the conversation as we tap into the deep emotions of the Chocolate YOU love!
Premium Dark Chocolate Made From Healthy Pure Ingredients!
OUR PASSION IS THE JOY OF GOOD TASTE- FOR PURE INGREDIENTS!
MEET OUR FAMILY
FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS-
We’re a family-owned and operated business rooted in history and braced for the future. Michael, Our Professional Chocolatier, is a well-experienced Restaurant Operator from the Washington, DC area. His journey as a chocolatier started with studies at Ecole Chocolat Academy during the Pandemic. Over time, dedication to his craft led to constructing memorable chocolate delights for family and friends. Our journey is your journey where taste meets the soul. Our Organic Chocolates will always stand for great chocolate made with all-natural ingredients.
Maria Robison
CEO and Founder
We started “Chocolate You Love” as a testament to fine dark chocolate, as a healthier alternative for a dessert. I noticed that dark chocolate (that over 70% cocoa) is mostly plain, without any fun additions. I wanted to find a more interesting taste, with different flavors, beautiful design, and “clean” ingredients! We offer simple, high-quality, organic ingredients to allow the chocolate to speak for itself. We enjoy exploring how organic cocoa, cocoa butter, varieties of nuts, fruits and other delightful flavors found in nature can create a superior product without the need for artificial ingredients.
Michael Robison
Professional Chocolatier
Michael Robison worked in the restaurant industry in the Washington,DC area for over 25 years. He opened several themed restaurants from coffee shops, casual and fine dining to gourmet pizzerias. His foray into chocolate is practically pandemic. He spent many a night working with a pastry chef to prepare desserts for banquet occasions.
Building from his spouse’s encouragement he developed a budding passion and less-than-artisan collection of chocolates. Robison began with watching youtube chocolate videos to enrolling in a professional chocolatier chef course at Ecole Chocolat Academy. There he learned to temper and appreciate the craft and art of making good truffles and bars. He became infatuated with pure ingredients with less sugar and less additives.
We first discovered craft chocolate in, of all places, a small artisan shop in Washington, DC. The incredible flavors we tasted in those treats completely changed how we thought about chocolate, and started us on our journey to become crafted chocolate makers.
Have Questions
FAQs
It’s basically brain food
The cocoa found in chocolate helps increase blood flow to the brain which leads to faster reaction time, better problem solving skills, and improved attention span. Not only that, but increased blood flow to the brain also improves short term memory and decreases mental decline in seniors.
It helps protect against heart disease
The flavonoids in chocolate help increase blood flow to the heart as well which helps to prevent blood clots and hardening of the arteries. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate a few times a week has also been shown to lower blood pressure.
Younger looking skin
Quality dark chocolate, not the sugary kind, is full of antioxidants that have anti aging benefits to the skin. Not only that, but the same flavonoids that increase blood flow to the heart and brain also increase blood flow to the skin giving off a healthy glow.
It’s a “joy stimulant”
Cocoa boosts levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain which leads to improved mood. So when you’re feeling down and you’re craving something sweet it’s likely the boost in serotonin that your body is really craving.
It helps you stress less
Chocolate is a great source of magnesium which has been dubbed “the original chill pill”. Getting more magnesium through diet leads to better sleep contributing to improved resilience to stress. Another study found that when test subjects who considered themselves to be highly stressed people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two week had a significant drop in stress hormones
Make your Own
Keep in mind that these health benefits relate to quality dark chocolate – at least more than 70% cocoa. Conventional chocolate bars filled with lots of sugar and additives don’t have the same benefits and are likely to cause more problems than anything else.
Making homemade dark chocolate is probably easier than you think. It’s made with only 5 ingredients: cocoa powder (or cacao), coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and sea salt making it fairly easy to whip together. All you need is about 5 minutes of melting and whisking plus thirty minutes in the freezer and you’re good to go.
If you follow this recipe as is you’ll end up with about 72% dark chocolate, but feel free to customise to your taste adding an extra tablespoon or so of honey. I never used to be a fan of dark chocolate but over time I learned to love it as my eating habits changed and I ate less sugar.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the flavours to make your own special chocolate bar. Add a teaspoon of ground ginger, a touch of orange zest, a sprinkle of chili flakes – whatever you like and make it your own,
YIELD: 10 SERVINGS
HOMEMADE DARK CHOCOLATE: Easy homemade dark chocolate – only five ingredients!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup | 105 g coconut oil*
- 1 cup | 118 g unprocessed 100% cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 4 tablespoons | 85 grams honey or more for taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract**
- pinch of sea salt