Chocolate and confectionery Advent calendar
Since 1761, À la Mère de Famille has passionately and wholeheartedly upheld delicious culinary traditions. While we love savoring chocolate truffles, papillotes, candied chestnuts and other delicate Christmas specialties, we also love surprises. That is why in 2013, the Maison unveiled its first chocolate and confectionery Advent calendar, becoming one of the very first chocolateries to offer one.
Shall we also introduce you to our Christmas chocolates?
Our chocolate Advent calendar, much more than a simple treat
What do Sempé, the iconic illustrator of the Little Nicholas , the cheeky cartoonist Pénélope Bagieu, the incisive and hilarious press cartoonist Catherine Meurisse or the famous comic strip creator Chris Ware? All these French and international artists, and many others, have taken turns to make our chocolate Advent calendars their own. They have brought their unique worlds to them, passing the baton to reinvent the spirit of the holidays by creating an object that is as magical as it is delicious. The mischievous decorations imagined by these artists delight young and old alike, making our chocolate Advent calendar a joy that is renewed each year. With its windows full of surprises, we also want to display the unique identity of the House, the oldest chocolate shop in Paris.
An Advent calendar, of course, and by a great chocolatier, that's even better.
À la Mère de Famille never jokes about chocolate, and even less so with a tradition as serious as that of the chocolate Advent calendar. That's why we designed ours as a true summary of our chocolate specialties and confectionery. Behind its beautifully decorated boxes hide our sparkling praline papillotes coated in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and even white chocolate fondant made with cocoa butter. You will also enjoy our fruit pastes as melting as they are tangy, our incredibly soft marshmallows, our creamy pralines topped with a crunchy chocolate coating, and our candies made with our homemade chocolate coating. This unique blend is made by our chocolatiers in our Tours factory, using cocoa beans from cooperatives selected by us in Haiti, Venezuela, Madagascar and Ecuador.
We won't reveal all its secrets to you, but prepare yourself for a festival of sweet treats!
Gift idea: offer one of our pretty boxes of chocolates
How to choose your chocolate Advent calendar?
For its elegant flavors
With so many chocolate advent calendars to choose from as the holidays approach, this question is trickier than it seems (although in our opinion, the most important thing is to treat yourself)! On the list of things to consider, there's first and foremost taste. Children will often prefer the creamy flavors of milk chocolate candies and the soft marshmallows , while adults will enjoy an assortment of dark or milk chocolate, papillotes evoking their childhood and delicate confectionery. The advantage with our calendar is that there is something for all gourmands! An Advent calendar created by a great French chocolatier will satisfy your demanding taste. In the Maison's, you will find the full-bodied aromas, subtle flavors and delicate fondant that are the signature of our artisan chocolatiers. All the recipes are developed by us from start to finish, using traditional methods, ensuring you impeccable quality and ultra-gourmet flavors.
For its enchanting decor
Part of the magic of the Advent calendar also lies in the story told by its decor: it makes little ones dream and adults smile. At À la Mère de Famille, we take infinite care in developing this miniature house. Inspired by our historic boutique at 35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, in Paris, it comes to life every year through the eyes of an artist.
Choose a chocolate Advent calendar whose decor and colors appeal to you as much as the quality of the treats it hides. After the holidays, you can even start a collection, like some of our loyal customers, delighted to brighten up a room in their home with works by their favorite artists. Finally, the price of the calendar is of course to be taken into account, depending on the euros you can allocate to this end-of-year pleasure.
From what age can you give a chocolate Advent calendar?
There is no age to be a gourmand! Under the supervision of an adult, the chocolates and sweets in our chocolate Advent calendar can be enjoyed as soon as you have enough teeth to bite into them, up to 99 years old and more for the older ones!
How to store your chocolate Advent calendar?
In order to preserve the quality and flavours of our chocolates and sweets, we advise you to keep your Advent calendar away from humidity and light, at a temperature close to 18°C. Avoid placing it in the refrigerator so as not to alter its aromas. The ideal is to consume the sweets it contains in the weeks following its purchase. That's good, you are guaranteed to have opened all the boxes by December 24. The hardest part will be to hold out until then, as a gourmand... But you will be rewarded with the surprise of box 24, a real celebration, we promise!
And after the holidays, can you keep the chocolates from an Advent calendar?
It all depends on the type of chocolates in your Advent calendar. Chocolates made with ganache, a smooth mixture of cream and chocolate, should be consumed within a short period of time after they are made, three to four weeks. Chocolate candies made from our homemade dark chocolate or milk chocolate couverture can be stored for several weeks without any problem, provided they are kept in a temperate place, away from light and humidity. We won't reveal all our manufacturing secrets, but we can at least reveal one. When necessary to develop a recipe, À la Mère de Famille uses a very small amount of soy lecithin, a natural emulsifier that binds the ingredients together (depending on the recipe, cocoa butter, cocoa paste, natural vanilla flavoring, skimmed whole milk powder, etc.), in order to guarantee the consistency and longevity of the Maison's chocolate.
Where does the tradition of the chocolate Advent calendar come from?
Sweets, and especially chocolate, have been associated with the end-of-year celebrations for centuries. At Christmas in particular, it is a choice delicacy that is often offered in a pretty box of chocolates. It owes this unique place to the feast of Saint Nicholas. Tradition had it that in the past, the patron saint would leave sweets and chocolate for children on the morning of December 6th. That's it for sweets.
And what about the 24-day calendar? In the Germanic tradition, the Advent calendar, the period before Christmas for Christians, was created to keep children waiting until they opened their presents on Christmas morning. In the past, they were given a religious picture every morning: now, they open a window of their chocolate Advent calendar with delight.
How to get our chocolate Advent calendar and our other Christmas specialties?
At À la Mère de Famille, Christmas preparations have already begun! Our chocolate and confectionery Advent calendar has been available for pre-sale since October on our website. It is also a guest of honor in all our shops from November 1st. It sits among our candied chestnuts, truffles and other seasonal delights, and all our specialties.
By the way, since you're here, why not take the opportunity to try a bar from our Signature collection, our incredible homemade hazelnut and almond praline, our delicious products like our cute chocolate lollipops or one of our irresistible fruit jellies? Why not also treat yourself to a delightful box containing an assortment of our homemade creations, to offer as a nice surprise or to treat yourself? We offer many packaging and sizes of boxes, in a wide range of prices so that everyone can find what they're looking for. Take your time to choose according to your gourmet desires, the hardest part is... choosing! We'll be delighted to have your opinion after tasting!
You can choose delivery in Paris to the store of your choice by click and collect, or have it shipped to your home anywhere in metropolitan France and Europe. Can't wait to discover it? We also offer delivery by courier in the Paris region!
