Learn more about the history of delicious chocolate buttercreams in America!
At Wockenfuss Candies, you can find an array of chocolate confections to enjoy. Many of these selections include a soft, sweet center. Chocolate buttercreams have a long history in America and have been a favorite indulgence for more than a hundred years! If you enjoy the unique, luxurious buttercreams found at Wockenfuss, treat yourself to the history of these delicious chocolate treats.
The Cacao Bean
It all goes back to the cacao tree originating in Mesoamerica, which produces the cacao bean. Cacao soon traveled the world, eventually reaching British ships that returned to North America, where European settlers developed a taste for the products of the magnificent cacao bean.
Early American Chocolate Enthusiasts
Judge Samuel Sewall kept diaries from 1674 to 1729, where he recorded commonplace events, giving historians a look into the lives of Puritans and the early days of chocolate. In Sewell’s diaries, we can see that “chockalett” was often used as medicine or a gift. In some ways, that has hardly changed in all these years!
Benjamin Franklin was also an early fan of chocolate. He admired the cacao bean for its alleged health and medicinal value, and provided officers in the French and Indian War with six pounds of chocolate each! Chocolate was also an excellent alternative to British tea.
Early chocolate was a bitter drink, often enjoyed by wealthy New Englanders at breakfast. Sometimes sugar, spices, milk, or even wine were added to the chocolate mix as the mixture dissolved in the pot.
The Invention of Buttercreams
The Industrial Revolution in the 1800s saw innovations of all kinds on the rise. Enrobed creations soon took off, including chocolate bonbons, truffles with ganache centers, and buttercreams. The best of these were in the “French style,” such as the cream-filled candy introduced in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London.
These “French-style” creams and chocolates were marvelous, sweet, and gritty. In 1879, Swiss chocolatier Adolphe Lindt invented a “conching” machine that massaged the gritty chocolate into a much softer version closer to what we know today.
Buttercreams in America
Post-war U.S. “chocolatiers” devoted themselves to perfecting these French-style chocolate buttercreams. Schrafft’s Confectionery of Boston packaged these treats in gold-hued packaging, with ads describing their “golden box of chocolates” including “the daintiest of our French truffle, nuts, fruits, and cream centers.” At Wockenfuss Candies, you can still find chocolate creams containing the same delectable options!
Creams and other glamorous chocolates soon found a place in daily life. During Prohibition, restaurateurs sold them as an after-dinner replacement for alcohol. During the First and Second World Wars, chocolate makers recommended families send packages of chocolate treats to the troops – while supplies lasted!
Chocolate Buttercreams at Wockenfuss
Today, we recognize chocolate buttercreams as ideal for gifts, everyday tokens of appreciation, and private treats for quiet moments of peaceful luxury. At Wockenfuss Candies, you can find variations of chocolate buttercreams, including:
- Chocolate Buttercreams
- Vanilla Buttercreams
- Mint Creams
- Orange Creams
- Raspberry Creams
- Sea Salt Vanilla Buttercreams
- Strawberry Creams
And don’t forget our Cream Assortment chocolate gift boxes! These packages contain all your favorite buttercreams in milk and dark chocolate versions.
A Wide Selection of Delicious Treats from Wockenfuss Candies
Head to WockenfussCandies.com and browse our wide selection of chocolates and candies; we promise you won’t be disappointed! Wockenfuss Candies is one of the oldest candy makers in Baltimore. We opened our doors in 1915 and have proudly served the people of Baltimore ever since. If you have any questions about our wide selection of chocolates, please contact Wockenfuss Candies by calling 1-800-296-4414 or email info@Wockenfusscandies.com. When you’re not savoring our sweets, stay satisfied by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!