In this issue: Confection of the Month On a Musical Note... The Recipe Box Awesome Travel Tips - Trunk Bay Our Readers Write

Welcome to the Harmony Sweets Herald second edition. We hope you are looking forward to the sights and sound of fall. In this issue we have featured some wonderful confections surrounded with helpful information regarding travel, music, and a wonderful recipe for chocolate mousse. Sit back and enjoy your time with us at Harmony Sweets.
Happy Tasting,
Laurie J. Curtis,
Editor
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Confection of the Month

This month we are featuring our Pernigotti Luna Stelle chocolates. These mouth watering confections originate in Italy and incorporate exquisite milk chocolate with bits of hazelnut and dark chocolate truffle filling enrobed in sweet dark chocolate. They come in delightful tins or a box and are perfect when you want to tell someone they light up your night! Please have a look- or a taste, and you'll see what we mean! These wonderful tins or boxed assortments can be in the hands of the one you care about tomorrow. Let us help you with your gifting needs.

Pernigotti Luna Stelle

	On a Musical Note...
Our wonderful Italian Luna Stelle chocolates, made by Pernigotti, are the perfect accompaniment for Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". The composer of this beautiful work, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770 to Magdalena Keverich and Johann Beethoven. When his talent was discovered very early in life, his father, Johann tried unsuccessfully to exploit his son as a prodigy. Nevertheless, Beethoven became a composer in his own time. When Beethoven was 22, he moved to Vienna and studied under Franz Joseph Haydn. His reputation grew and he soon began composing and publishing. By the early 1800s he was recognized as a great and daring composer. In 1801 tragedy struck, as Beethoven began to lose his hearing. Against all odds he continued to compose and completed several works after he was completely deaf. The cause of his deafness remains uncertain. That same year Beethoven wrote Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia." In Italian that translates as "Almost a Fantasy". He dedicated this work to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, whom he deeply loved. In 1832 this work was compared by poet Ludwig Rellstab as "moonlight shining on a lake". Hence the name it is commonly referred to "Moonlight Sonata". This Sonata was written in three movements. The most familiar movement is the first of three. It is best known due to its beautifully haunting sedate melody. Beethoven is one of the great composers of the ages. Some of his other famous works include: 5th Symphony; 9th Symphony; Fur Elise; and Pathetique Sonata.

	The Recipe Box
Chocolate mousse, that creamy light dessert perfect for the chocolate lover, has a fascinating history. It was first called "Mayonnaise de chocolat" and was invented by French Post-Impressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. This classic dessert can be served in many ways. It can be elegantly simple in a charming glass dish, or used to fill delicate pastry shells or hollowed fruits. It is truly a "chocoholic's" dream come true. This recipe, only using five ingredients, is sure to impress! Chocolate Mousse 2 large egg yolks, plus 1 large egg white 1 1/2 T. brandy 2 T. sugar 3/4 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted 1/2 c. heavy cream Combine the egg yolks with the brandy and 1 T. of sugar in the top of a double boiler or a stainless-steel bowl set over simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is very warm, about 110 (f), for 6-8 minutes. Add the melted chocolate. Remove from the heat and whip with a handheld mixer on high speed until cool. In another bowl, combine the egg white with the remaining 1 T. sugar and whisk until it holds a medium peak when the whisk is turned upright. In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks when the whisk is turned upright. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites, then fold in the whipped cream until just blended. Pipe or spoon into serving dishes. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. Makes 4 servings Recipe from "Cooking at Home With The Culinary Institute of America," Wiley, 2003. See our video clip from the C.I.A. on "How to Temper Chocolate" »

	Awesome Travel Tips - Trunk Bay
Did you know you can visit a United States National Park right in the middle of the beautiful Caribbean? Two-thirds of the emerald island of St. John (10,600 acres of land and bays) was donated to the United States by Laurance Rockefeller in 1956. It has become a beautiful, breathtaking paradise of sparkling beaches, quiet lagoons, scenic roads, and an underwater coral museum-garden surrounded by tropical foliage. It has a coral reef snorkelers can explore with or without the help of a National Park Ranger who is there in the water (kayak) to answer any questions you may have. Coral is live, but labeled so your experience is not just relaxing, but educational as well. Snorkeling equipment can be rented reasonably on-site, or you can bring your own. Food and drink are available- but be prepared to pick up and pack up your trash. This immaculate beach will stay this way- thanks to the United States National Park Service.

	Our Readers Write
"I've noticed at Harmonysweets.com you sell books on chocolate. Do you have any that would be a good gift for a child?" Actually, we do have wonderful books on chocolate- but not books written specifically for a child. However, there are some recipes in our books that a child would enjoy making with the help of an adult. We also have some wonderful, sweet gifts for children, such as our toffees in the London Bus (Churchills) and our Shortbread Truck Tin, (Walkers). But, to answer your question, I couldn't help you out at this time with a children's book from our site. However, I did find some children's books you may find elsewhere- with a theme of chocolate! Perhaps we need to expand our line of books to include some of these! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl A Chocolate Moose for Dinner, by Fred Gwynne Chocolate Fever, by Robert Kimmel Smith Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery, by David Adler How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Foods and Medicines from the Rainforests, by Adrian Forsyth Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, by H.A. Rey Churchill's London Bus filled with toffee. »

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