Here’s how to snag discount tickets to 6th Annual Dallas Chocolate Festival on September 12


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There is a reason why the movie wasn’t titled Willy Wonka and the Taffy Factory—no sweet treat is more seductive, alluring, and mysterious than chocolate, especially in the hands of an artisanal chocolate maker or master pastry chef. This allure was in full evidence at the media preview event for the Dallas Chocolate Festival, coming up September 12.

Sander Wolf, the festival’s organizer, recently invited me to sample chocolates from seven of Dallas’ finest confectioners, and every morsel that I nibbled was pure heaven. Did I have a favorite? They were all so different, and they were all my favorites!

There were olive oil truffles from Dr. Sue’s Chocolates, bark from Toffee Treats, deconstructed macarons from Haute Sweets, organic protein bars by Frankie V’s Kitchen, and rich chocolate-topped caramels from the Dallas Caramel Company. One of my new favorite discoveries was something called a brigadeiro, a traditional Brazilian sweet made locally by Nina Brigadeiro from super-condensed milk blended with Belgian chocolate.  Once inside your mouth, a brigadeiro coats your tongue in a velvety creamy smoothness that continues to exude flavor and texture for several minutes. The fruity Cantine Francesco Montagna Italian Red Wine selected and served by Whole Foods for the chocolate was the perfect marriage for the creamy brigadeiro—delicioso!

Knife Modern Steak’s executive pastry chef and James Beard “Best Pastry Chef” semifinalist. Dave Collier, then demonstrated the lighter side of chocolate with his wry commentary and unorthodox use of dry wall tools in the molding process.

You, too, can explore the wide wonder of Dallas’ finest chocolatiers at Dallas Chocolate Festival on Saturday, September 12. And here’s a bonus—enter the code ChocolateEscape when you register here to receive a discount on your tickets!

I’ll be there. I’ll be the one with the chocolate mustache.