Chocolate Blog

New Chocolate Reviews Coming Soon!

Summer is the off season, when it is just too hot to ship chocolate without expensive packaging to keep it from melting.  Autumn is on its way and I expect to start up reviews again soon.  I would love to hear about your favorite chocolate bars, as I'm always looking for new, wonderful chocolate to try!

Michel Cluizel and Champignons and Macarolats

  

Michel Cluizel sent me some items from their current collection to sample and review.  First up is their Champignons, or caramel Mushrooms.  As you can see, these are quite pretty, and each of the mushrooms has its own personality.  The caps are a crunchy almond nougatine covered in chocolate, and the foot or stem is buttery caramel covered in white chocolate with dark chocolate details.  The chocolate is rich and full flavored, the nougatine gives the top a satisfying bite and the caramel is nice and chewy with a good caramelized flavor.  The combination is a winner.

 

I also received two of their Macarolats -- the green one was lime and I believe the other was Praline.  These are a fun take on the wildly popular macarons and consist of a thin chocolate shell filled with a thick ganache.  As with the Champignons, these were high quality, very pretty to look at and tasty.  The lime was subtle and enjoyable and the praline was sweet and satisfying.

If you are looking for fun, high quality, delicious chocolates, check out their website.  

Valrhona Chocolate Easter Eggs

Valrhona sent me over some of their Chocolate Easter Eggs to sample and review.  As you can see, they come in a pretty little box and are wrapped in classic Easter candy colors. 

The milk and dark mix, which they sent to me, contains three each of four different eggs. 

The chocolate egg wrapped in blue is a sweet, milk chocolate gianduja with a wonderful smooth melt and caramel flavor which surrounds a crispy, brittle of sorts.  It is a bit nutty and wonderfully flaky -- a nice surprise!  

The other milk chocolate, wrapped in vibrant yellow-green, has a rich, smooth caramelly, chocolate filling.  Extremely satisfying. 

The green wrapped egg is dark chocolate with a wonderfully complex chocolate filling.  Bright, but with a earthy finish, there is a lovely ripe red fruit flavor on the tongue as the chocolate melts, leaving behind a slight dryness in the mouth.

Finally, the pink foil covers another dark chocolate egg, this time filled with raspberry filling.  The fruit flavor is sweet and bright, only slightly jammy.  The ripe fruit flavor pairs well with the dark chocolate, balancing out the sweetness.

These were a wonderful treat and of the high quality you would expect from Valrhona.  You can purchase them through Valrhona's online shop.

See's Candies -- Easter Edition

Recently See's Candies asked if they could send me some of their Easter candy for review.  Being a fan of See's for many years, I was quick to say yes!

They sent over three different holiday items, pictured at the top is the Easter Egg Box which contains a nice selection of their chocolates, including the Easter only Lemon and Raspberry Truffles.  I loved the White Chocolate Lemon Truffle, which was sweet and tart, with a true lemon flavor.  (The ingredients list both lemon puree and freeze dried lemon.)  The Raspberry Truffle was also very good, with a bright, jammy flavor.  Also included are their famous Molasses Chips, as well as one of my favorites, the Bordeaux -- a brown sugar buttercream.

They also sent the Easter Assortment, which comes in such a pretty box, that I had to include it in the photo.  This assortment includes chocolate bunnies, assorted truffles, two of their Marshmallow Eggs and a Scotchmallow Egg, plus a few other little candies.  I have to say that the surprise winners in this assortment were the Marshmallow Eggs -- I absolutely loved them.  The eggs are nice and plump with a wonderfully thick coating of sweet and creamy chocolate.  The marshmallow was fresh and delicious -- they use honey in the marshmallow which gives it a unique flavor and color. 

Since the chocolate bunny is such a big part of Easter (at least for a chocolate lover like me), I wanted to show off one of the two bunnies in the assortment.  To me this bunny, which looks slightly old fashioned, fits in nicely with See's image.  The "undressed" bunny has some nice detailing and looks to be well tempered.  The chocolate is exactly what I expect in an Easter bunny -- sweet and mild with a hint of vanilla.  

Finally we have the Scotchmallow Eggs.  If you've ever had See's before, it's likely you've had one of their Scotchmallows, which come in truffle form, but also various shapes throughout the year.  The Easter version is a plump egg that starts with a layer of the honey marshmallow that I mentioned before, topped with caramel and covered in dark chocolate.  The caramel is smooth, but holds it shape, and has a nice caramelized sugar flavor -- sweet and a bit salty.  The texture and flavors here really complement one another.  The chocolate has enough flavor to stand up to the filling and the chewy caramel is wonderful against the bounce of the marshmallow.  These are a classic and I'm not safe alone in the house with a box of them.

If you haven't tried See's yet, I highly recommend them for that old fashioned taste that you will remember from when you were a kid.  You can purchase See's Candies at their shops or through their online store.

Michel Cluizel

I love really good dark chocolate.  The kind of chocolate that is rich and smooth with a perfect melt and wonderful creaminess, but which also has a complex flavor -- each piece unique.  Michel Cluizel single origin chocolates fit this profile and I was lucky enough to have some sent to me recently for review.

A box of tasting squares is a great way to try different single origin chocolates to find out what you like best.  The Michel Cluizel squares are small and thin, just about two bites each.

Grand Lait Pur Java -- This 50% cacao is a darker milk which retains a bit of milkiness, tempering the complex, smokey flavors of the chocolate.  It finishes with a caramel sweetness. 

Los Ancones (Santa Domingo) -- At 67% cacao, this dark chocolate was smooth and rich with the flavors of tropical fruit and a slight bitterness that tasted of coffee.

Concepcion (Venezuela) -- A 66% cacao chocolate with the distinct flavors of red wine and berries.  It finished with a citrusy brightness.

Maralumi (Papua New Guinea) -- A lighter dark at 64% cacao, this was my absolute favorite!  A complex chocolate, the flavor of caramel is the first to appear, followed by tobacco.  An exotic bar -- rich and spicy.

Vila Gracinda (Sao Tome) -- A slightly darker bar at 67% cacao.  The flavor of banana and spices shines through followed by a smooth finish.

Finally, there was one square of milk chocolate, which in retrospect, I should have saved for another time.  It was smooth, sweet and milky with a wonderful caramel flavor.

Try a single origin tasting some time -- I think you will be surprised at how different each chocolate tastes!

Wonka Exceptionals

Recently I was sent the new Wonka Exceptionals chocolate bars to sample and review.  There are three new bars which are each quite large, weighing in at 3.5 oz. each and retailing for $2.39.  A pretty decent value for chocolate candy bars made with all natural ingredients.

The Chocolate Waterfall Bar is the first I'll discuss, and I think it's the prettiest by far.  The marbling of white and milk chocolate and the beautifully tempered bar made for a nice effect.  This chocolate is quite sweet and milky, with a nice smooth melt and cocoa butter flavor.  It is very sweet, which usually isn't my thing, but I couldn't stop eating it.  the flavor reminds me of Easter candy.

The second best bar, in my opinion, was the Scrumdidlyumptious Bar.  This is a candy bar all the way, filled with crunchy toffee, cookie and peanut bits.  Again, super sweet, but the crunchiness was had to resist.  The chocolate here takes a backseat and allows the almost peanut brittle like flavor to shine through. 

Finally we have the Domed Dark Chocolate Bar which was my least favorite of the three.  The chocolate, while quite smooth and creamy, just didn't have enough flavor for me.  In fact, sugar was the main flavor here, with only a hint of flat cocoa flavor in the background.

I liked these bars overall and would recommend them if you are in the mood for a sweet treat.  Choose the Waterfall Chocolate bar if you like it creamy and milky and the Scrumdidlyumptious bar if you love some crunch.

Gail Ambrosius Truffles

Recently I was contacted by Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier in Madison, WI who wanted to send me some truffles to review.  I received 2 pieces each from the Classic Collection and as you can see, they are pretty chocolates -- glossy, dark and with little extra bits sprinkled on top.  All truffles are made by hand in small batches, are preservative free and she uses single origin chocolate from South & Central America as well as Hawaii.

I sampled every piece in the classic collection and liked all of them.  In fact, I couldn't resist and had to eat the second caramel before I started this review.

Lucille's Vanilla -- This is actually a chocolate truffle filled with a rich, thick ganache.  Very satisfying and homey.

Caramel Sprinkled with Grey Salt -- Obviously I loved this one.  The caramel has a soft bite and a lightly caramelized flavor.  Wonderfully smooth and buttery, the salt gives it a bright pop which livens things up!

Raspberry -- Smooth center with a true raspberry flavor.  Fresh and sweet, a bit jammy, the cocoa nibs on top add a nice texture.

Espresso -- A strong, true coffee flavor, bright with a subtle tanginess -- delicious!

Cognac -- I'm not one for boozy chocolate, so this was a wonderful surprise.  The thick center hinted at the complex flavor of the cognac without being boozy.  The dark chocolate shines through here, with a wonderful fresh, spicy surprise from the candied ginger on top.

Cointreau -- Dark and rich, the subtle orange flavor does not overpower the chocolate. 

These were quite good, and I'm looking forward to trying more in the future.  Gail has some seasonal truffles which I am longing to try -- coconut and key lime in the spring, mint in the summer, chai tea and four spice in the fall and cardamom with orange, peppermint and chestnut in the winter.  I'm also intrigued by her "every now and then" pieces which include peanut butter, pepitas bonbon and pistachio caramel.

You can find out more and purchase Gail Ambrosius truffles at her website.

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.