"Another reason their chocolates are so special could be the exceptional care with which they are made. The caramel is cooked in small batches, then each candy is put in a little paper cup, packaged, and dressed up with ribbons by hand."

"It is a rare gift to meet someone who truly loves their work. But when it is a family business centered around the creation of world-class chocolates and handcrafted confections, the experience is even sweeter."

 

“As those at Fran’s Chocolates know, if Obama likes your food, business can boom.”

“While all eyes are on D.C. for the inauguration, the President Elect’s stomach is looking to Seattle. We go inside the local candy store the Obama family craves.”

"These caramels have 'the perfect texture,' says Carey. The small bites are 'perfectly balanced with the salty and the sweet. The combination is really popular, and they are really well made.'"

"The Obama's treat of choice -- Fran's Chocolates! Mmm-mmm good!"

Fran Bigelow is honored as a 2008 Woman of Influence.

$800 question featured Fran’s Gray Salt Caramels

“Four Seasons hotel and Private Residences Seattle have chosen local culinary icon Fran’s Chocolates for the retail space. Fran’s is all about quality, personalized service and luxury, like the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences will be.”

“These wonderful salted caramels from Fran’s Chocolates were the hit of the Kimball Christmas season last year. Salt and caramel are a phenomenal combination.”

“Of the 24 hot chocolates we sampled that call for milk, Fran’s ‘tastes the most like melted chocolate,’ according to the judges. ‘It’s nearly as rich as ganache one taster gushed, suggesting that we pour it over a slice of cake.’”

 

"Our tasters identified eight of the most delectable gift-boxed confections you'll find. For traditionalists: Fran's Assorted Truffles Collection."

"For the sake of science, I opened the box, sniffed the caramels and then bit into one. It tasted unimaginably delicious in a way that was totally unexpected – a salty, deeply browned sugar way – and I was naturally prompted to eat a second piece. Just to confirm my first impression.

As someone with a long history of giving bad gifts, I am always searching for no-fail gifts that I can buy online to send to anyone and everyone. Now that I knew the caramels existed, I decided to buy them and send them to everyone I know."

"I can't decide whether I prefer the milk chocolate caramels with a sprinkling of smoked salt or the dark chocolate caramels with a pinch of gray sea salt. All I know is that a little bit of salt brings out the sweet in both."

"Fran Bigelow has owned the celebrated Fran's Chocolates in Seattle for 20 years, but this is her first cookbook. A self-described purist, she says she pares away sugar and other ingredients that might 'distract' from 'the pure, clean flavor of chocolate' in desserts that range from soft, chewy Pure Chocolate Chunk Cookies to an insanely rich Princess Pudding made with semisweet chocolate and topped with Cappuccino Whipped Cream."

"Here is a selection of sweets by the box for your loved ones. These domestic and imported chocolates and truffles come in styles that are understated and artistic, but they all share a common bond: flavors that are subtle and sophisticated. Details matter to these chocolates."

"We've all had our share of chocolate-covered caramels, but when Fran's Gray Salt Caramel creations showed up at the office one day, it was as though nobody had seen the things before. Unlike other caramels topped with sea salt (they're all the rage in France), Fran's – smothered in dark chocolate and graced with a few delicate sprinkles hand-picked from the coast of Brittany – taste of fresh butter and the sea. Now we've been spoiled for life."

"According to most chocolate artisans, 18 years ago master chocolatier Fran Bigelow single-handedly stirred up an American chocolate revolution by creating small batches of handmade, hand-piped, and hand-trimmed chocolates that elevated our national taste-consciousness to new heights."

"It's 10 A.M., and Fran Bigelow, the owner of Fran's Chocolates in Seattle, knows where her caramel is. As it is every weekday morning, the fragrant, thick, amber nut-studded mixture is about to be poured from its copper caldron onto a vast worktable, where it will be scored and, once cool, cut into tiny bricks. The caramel, enrobed in chocolate, is the heart of Fran's Gold Bars, the little candy bars that have become the company's most popular confection."