Chocolate & Country Music -- Country Hound, 11/2

CAUTION: This article made me crave lots and lots of chocolate!!

The “CMT Artists of the Year” celebration will be featuring the deserving honorees such as Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band and Carrie Underwood.  Also making appearances will be chocolate truffles inspired by each of the night’s artists.  A box featuring the five truffles, created by Nashville-based chocolate artisan Bethany Thouin of The Cocoa Tree, will be given to each attendee.  The special night is also to feature a dinner designed by three James Bear Award-winning chefs, RJ Cooper, John Currence and Michael Schwartz.

Thouin moved to Nashville ten years ago as a budding songwriter hopeful.  Five kids later and ten years down the road, she has made the exchange from writing songs to writing recipes for her award-winning, artisan truffles at her chocolate café located in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood – The Cocoa Tree. 

Thouin was named one of the Top 10 Rising Stars in America’s Confectionary Constellation and recently finished against three chocolatiers on the Food Network “Chocolate Landmarks Challenge” – her creation was a four foot tall chocolate replica of the Statue of Liberty.  Thouin has also been noted for her participation in the ‘07/’08 New York Chocolate Show Runway Event, where she created a chocolate dress that was modeled on a high-fashion runway.  Recently, she released a book entitled “Chocolate Covered Friendship.”

Now, Thouin’s truffles are to be featured in the first ever special celebrating the year’s best talent, “CMT Artists of the Year.”  The truffles she has designed for this event are as followed:

“Carrie's Red Velvet” -- the one that's elegant

Milk chocolate and moist red velvet cake ganache dipped in dark chocolate, topped with cream cheese icing and a candied pearl

    “Jason's Bourbon and Cola” -- the one that's hardcore

72% chocolate ganache blended with cola and a splash of bourbon covered with 61% dark chocolate and sprinkled with cocoa nibs

“Lady’s Honey Whiskey” -- the one with a smooth, sweet bite

Milk chocolate ganache with a perfectly balanced blend of honey and whiskey dipped in milk chocolate and topped with chopped white chocolate

  “Taylor's Chocolate Cheesecake” -- the one that's a fairy tale

A white chocolate cheesecake ganache with a swirl of dark chocolate and graham crackers dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with homemade graham crackers

 “ZBB's Molasses and Grits” -- the one with Southern grit

Southern-style grits and milk chocolate ganache with a touch of molasses dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with ground grits

Along with the truffles, celebrities from across the field will be in attendance for the spectacular evening and performances.  The 90-minute special, hosted by Kevin Costner, is set to air Friday, Dec. 3, from 8 PM – 9:30 PM ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com.