28 Jan 2010 For the love of chocolate

The owner, operator and Arkansas’ only official Chocolatier is Carmen Portillo, a Little Rock native.
Carmen has made it her sweet pleasure to study confectionary and chocolate art, bringing an amazing expertise of the art of chocolate truffles to the discriminating palate! Carmen not only knows the tempering and flavoring of chocolate, but the history of chocolate truffles!

Her specialties are in the dark chocolate shells with ganache fillings. Carmen has two features during the Valentine season, a white chocolate shell with rosewater accents and a strawberry and white chocolate truffle with strawberry filling.

Carmen’s clientele ranges from the tourist, just passing through the Little Rock historic district, to the families who bring their children for these incredible, edible truffles. Carmen’s truffles are each made by hand — one flavor at a time! You will not want to miss the 74 percent dark chocolate truffle with edible gold leaf accents.

You’ll soon see Cocoa Belle truffles in retail stores — and for now, the chocolate delicacies may be purchased and enjoyed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday while you spend time shopping in the glass front cases of delicious elegance.

Carmen is often there to demonstrate the art of truffle making for all to enjoy.

And for those of you who still would like to know more about the “truffle.” The working definition is truffle – an underground rounded, irregular shaped fungus with a distinction. To translate that into chocolate art language, it is an edible, round, chocolate-covered bonbon, named for its resemblance to a fresh, dry truffle; made of chocolate ganache, butter, sugar and sometimes liqueur.

Save up your calories, carbs, sugars and all things flavorful for a special treat from Cocoa Belle – beautiful and delicious chocolates!