Chocolate Blog

QBel Dark Mint and Double Dark

A while back I reviewed some all natural chocolate wafer bars from QBel which I liked quite a bit.  So I was quite happy to accept when they offered to send me their two new dark chocolate bars -- Double Dark and Dark Mint -- to review.

The Double Dark is both all natural and vegan, composed of wafers with dark chocolate filling and a dark chocolate coating.  This bar was fresh, crispy and crunchy with a nice, slightly bitter chocolate flavor.  The flavor was a bit smokey and hinted at roasted coffee.  I liked it quite well, but not as much as the Dark Mint bar:

 

Once again there is a dark chocolate coating, but here the filling is sweet and has a light, fresh mint flavor.  The crispy bar was so good that while I ate only one of the two bars in the package at first, I was unable to resist going back for the second before the day was out.

These are two great additions to the QBel line and I have a feeling I'll be seeking out the Dark Mint bars in the stores.

Caribou Coffee Drinking Chocolate

Recently Caribou Coffee switched from using a powdered chocolate for their mochas and hot chocolates to a pure chocolate by Guittard.  It was a good move.

First let me tell you about me and Caribou Coffee.  About a decade ago, I decided to quit working in a corporate/office environment and go back to grad school full time.  I started working at Caribou to make extra spending money.  I loved working there and loved their coffee. So, when Caribou contacted me about their new chocolate drinks, I was eager to try them.  They sent me a $5 gift card, which I quickly used.  My whole family tried the chocolate drinks -- mochas and hot chocolates.  We all loved them and have been back for more several times despite the fact that there is no Caribou Coffee near where we live.

Then a few weeks later I received a box in the mail from Caribou containing all three varieties of their drinking chocolate to try at home.

As you can see, it is basically little tiny chocolate chips.  I love this because I have used powdered drinking chocolates before and found them to be messy, but these little chips are small enough to melt quickly, but not messy at all.

 

I have used these to make hot chocolates and mochas at home and they have worked beautifully.  I do confess that I have an espresso machine, so I was able to steam the chocolate and milk together just as they do in their stores, but you could easily make this on the stove or in a microwave.

My favorite for use in a mocha is the milk chocolate, however, the dark makes a lovely hot chocolate, and the white is equally good in both.

I know you can purchase the new chocolate drinks at any Caribou Coffee location, and I believe you can purchase the drinking chocolate for at home use at stores or online.

J. Truffles

Recently I was sent a box of assorted truffles from J. Truffles to sample and review.  I should first mention that J. Truffles in a new brand by Seattle Chocolates who already makes truffle bars, which I believe I may have stumbled upon at some point in the past. 

First of all, let me just say that these are some gorgeous truffles -- shiny, well tempered and architectural.  They all arrived in perfect condition, nestled in their well constructed box.  I was sent 8 different pieces to try:

Magma 65 Dark - 65% cacao dark chocolate -- probably my favorite, smooth and creamy with a rich chocolate taste.

Crème 40 Milk - high cacao milk chocolate and cream -- another smooth and satisfying truffle.

Salt Water Caramel - firm, chewy caramel with dash of salt -- just what a caramel should be, firm but yielding with a nice cooked sugar taste.  A real winner.

Pura Vida Coffee - Turkish ground espresso beans tempered with cream -- nice coffee flavor, not overpowering, but not too sweet either.

Savory Hazelnut - gently ground hazelnut pieces, lightly salted -- rich and nutty with lots of texture from the chopped hazelnuts.

Cherry Praline - fresh dried cherries ground with roasted pecans -- not my favorite, but I'm not a big fan of cherries.

Crème Brûlée - rich vanilla custard with caramelized sugar crunch -- quite sweet and rich with a creamy center.

Limoncello - white chocolate ganache and lemon zest -- nice hint of lemon, but I wanted a bit more, also the texture of the center was not as smooth as I would have liked.

All in all, I thought these were very nice -- beautiful to look at, rich and satisfying.  If I had one criticism, it would be that each truffle is a bit too large -- perhaps 3 or 4 bites each.  I ended up sharing almost all of them with my nine year old daughter who liked them quite well.

You can find out more about J. Truffles and purchase their truffles at their website.

Sucre Sugar & Spice Collection

This past week, Sucre sent me their holiday Sugar & Spice collection to sample and review.  I have to say that the photos I took just couldn't capture how pretty these confections are -- glossy, sparkly and perfectly formed. 

The collection includes three different truffles:

Gingerbread Milk Chocolate -- Delightfully spicy, this truffle had a thick, rich milk chocolate ganache filling infused with all the spices that say holiday.  The bite from the ginger gave it a special kick which I loved.

Candy Cane White Chocolate -- This pretty, speckled truffle has a smooth, creamy, minty center.  A lovely balance here which keeps thing from tasting too sweet.  The mint wasn't overpowering -- so important when you have mint truffles in the same box with other truffles!

Eggnog Dark Chocolate -- Great eggnog flavor with a hint of nutmeg.  The sweet, silky center was offset nicely with a hint of bitterness from the dark chocolate shell. 

I thought this was a great collection -- well balanced and with all the flavors I associate with the holidays.  Plus, these are so pretty, that they would make a wonderful hostess gift, or look very pretty set out on your holiday table.

Sucre is located in New Orleans, but you can purchase their truffles through their online shop.  And this holiday season, Sucre is donating a portion of their sales to the LA/SPCA to help animals in need.  Sweet!

Derry Church Artisan Chocolates

I recently had the good fortune to be contacted by Chef Eric at Derry Church Artisan Chocolates. He wanted to know if I would like to sample his confections and review them on my blog. I'm glad I took him up on the offer, because these are some seriously good chocolates!

I received a nice selection of the bon bons, which are named after famous cities and each reflect some culinary aspect of those cities. The chocolates are handmade and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives -- they are fresh tasting and quite pretty.

The flavors of each bon bon were well balanced, and I actually liked each and every piece I tried. Some of my favorites included: 

Burlington -- Rich roasted flavor with the perfect amount of maple flavor. The silky ganache contrasted well with the crunchy pecan.
Dublin -- Being a coffee lover, I am always quick to try coffee flavored sweets. This was a lovely combination of sweet and bitter, silky and satisfying.
Paris -- Sweet and creamy with a jammy burst of flavor. The sweetness is offset perfectly with the bitterness of the dark chocolate shell.
Cairo -- An unusual, bold and delicious confection which has a complex and full flavor. The intense molasses flavor subsides and is replaced by a nice tang from the balsamic vinegar and fruitiness form the dates. Smooth with a nice chew.

In addition to these, I enjoyed the Derry Church, a liquid caramel which has that nice burnt sugar flavor I crave in a caramel. And the Plymouth, a pumpkin pie flavored bon bon, was a wonderful reminder of Thanksgiving.

Derry Church Artisan Chocolates is located in Mechanicsburg, PA, but you can purchase their chocolates through their website.

Ferrara -- Imported Belgian Milk Chocolate & Milk Chocolate Orange

Ferrara -- the genius behind Lemonheads -- has a new line of chocolates.  They are a nice compromise between pricey chocolate and the low end stuff that you usually see in the candy aisle.  The lists of ingredients are short and contain mostly natural ingredients (although the Milk Chocolate Orange does contain vanillin -- an artificial flavoring). 

First up is the Ferrara Imported Milk Chocolate bar which is simply real milk chocolate.  The bar is quite pretty with chunky sections that are beautifully tempered -- glossy and smooth.  The bite is satisfying as each section is a nice sized nugget of chocolate.  It is creamy and sweet on the tongue, and tastes milky with a hint of caramel and vanilla.  It reminds me of childhood and I could easily see eating a good portion of this bar in one sitting in a weak moment.  Perhaps a bit too sweet, but satisfying nonetheless.

Next we have the Ferrara Milk Chocolate Orange which I imagine is much like Terry's -- although I've never had one of those.  Ferrara's is generously sized and well packaged.  Upon removing it from the outer carton and inner, plastic packaging, you "Burst then Enjoy" as the package says.  The result is some pretty sections of imprinted chocolate:

The smell is overwhelmingly of orange -- and the ingredients list orange oil, which I'm sure accounts for the wonderful aroma.  The slices are thin and well formed with a nicely molded design.  The melt is a tad grainy and a bit sticky, while the flavor is all orange with the chocolate definitely taking a back seat. I think this is a fun, novelty item, but didn't like it nearly as well as the milk chocolate bar.

I know Ferrara also has another new chocolate bar that includes almond nougat, and I'm looking forward to sampling that bar, even more so now that I've tried and enjoyed the milk chocolate bar. 

Charbonnel et Walker Banoffee Truffles

Recently I was contacted by Charbonnel et Walker about trying their new Banoffee Truffles.  I hadn't heard of Charbonnel et Walker, but when I discovered that they had been in business since 1875 and are "endorsed by the Royal Warrant as chocolate manufacturers to Her Majesty The Queen," I figured, if they are good enough for the queen, they are good enough for me!

 

The chocolates arrived quickly and in lovely packaging from Saks Fifth Avenue in NY where there is a Charbonnel et Walker cafe.  Upon opening the box you are met with a wonderful, rich banana aroma.  It is clear that these are individually hand dipped as each truffle looks unique.

I had heard of banoffee pie before but never tried it -- it is an English treat made with bananas and toffee and I've heard it is wonderful, but I'm guessing, quite sweet.  So I was expecting an over the top sweetness in these confections, but I am happy to say that they were quite tempered in their sweetness.  In fact, there was a rich, buttery and slightly smokey flavor that mingled with the fruitiness of the banana which seemed quite balanced to me. Both the chocolate and center are smooth and thick, lending to the rich taste.

The Banoffee truffles were delicious and I look forward to trying some of the other Charbonnel et Walker treats which include all kinds of truffles (I'm especially taken with the idea of the white chocolate and lemon truffles), orange sticks, drinking chocolate and rose and violet creams (my daughter loves violet creams).  Hopefully they will open a shop in the Chicago area soon.  And if you live in NY, it looks like they have some tasty things at the cafe.

Endangered Species Chocolate

Recently I was sent a few bars of Endangered Species chocolate to try -- 72% Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee, 48% Milk Chocolate with Almonds & 72% Supreme Dark Chocolate.

I have tried several Endangered Species bars before and liked them, so I was eager to try these offerings, but before I talk about each of the bars, let me mention a little about the company.  "Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10% of net profits to help support species, habitat and humanity."  You can check out their website if you'd like to know what kind of organizations they support and why.  I'm happy to support this cause while having a treat because in this case the chocolate is good.  (I've tried bars that are selling miserable chocolate wrapped up in a fancy "green" message -- thank goodness that's not the case here.)

So on to the bars. . .

48% Milk Chocolate with Almonds -- Sweet and quite milky, the almonds are fresh and crunchy -- although they are chopped up and I prefer mine whole.  I have managed to eat almost this entire bar -- sneaking a piece here and there throughout the week.  That's what I like about this chocolate -- it's not overly fancy, but quite satisfying.

72% Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee -- Rich and fudge-y, with a pleasant texture from the toffee.  This was my favorite of the three bars and while I wanted a little more salty, buttery kick from the toffee, I still found it quite enjoyable.  Although 72% cocoa, it is sweet, rich and not at all bitter.  Great for snacking and one square is enough to give you a nice chocolate fix.

72% Supreme Dark Chocolate -- Sweet and rounded, a true chocolate with only a hint of fruit.  Neither too thick nor too dry, the chocolate has a slight graininess as it melts.  A middle of the road dark that even milk chocolate lovers can enjoy.

You can purchase Endangered Species Chocolate in lots of places -- I've seen them everywhere from my local Walgreen's to the specialty candy shop we visit.

Xan Confections

I was recently contacted by Xan Confections, who wanted to know if I'd like to try their vegan chocolates.  I took a quick look at their website and liked what I saw. They make "all-natural chocolates that are non-dairy, gluten-free, vegan, low-glycemic and low calorie." So I told them to send me some samples and I gave them a try.

The Jewel Collection is composed of caramels that are vegan and gluten-free. The first thing that struck me was how pretty they are -- nicely tempered, molded and dusted with a pearly powder. They come in a wide variety of flavors -- from the spicy ancho chili to the mild and sweet chocolate caramel. I enjoyed these quite a bit and found them sweet and satisfying despite the lack of dairy. While you don't get that rich, burnt sugar flavor here, they stand on their own and were very flavorful.

I also tried the Saintly Sins collection -- "Three 29 calorie chocolates, Raspberry Sin, Strawberry Sin, and Pineapple Sin. Low glycemic, diabetic friendly, gluten free and vegan." These were delicious and didn't strike me as a "low cal" chocolate at all. The chocolate was rich and dark which complimented the sweet and fruity centers.

If you are looking for top quality vegan chocolates, you can't go wrong with these. I was pleasantly surprised and feel very comfortable recommending Xan Confections.

Quoted on the CNBC Blog

Today I was quoted at CNBC -- well on one of their blogs. Kinda fun though.